Vaccinations completed - ready for summer!

[otf]

My little herd (6 in all) got all their annual vaccinations and flytags this morning.  Big relief.  Tomorrow they'll go to the back pasture where they'll have heavy shade.  With such a small group, they'll have plenty of pasture this year!

[dexterfarm]

Do you find the fly tags work for you.? I had no luck with them here. I used them one year and they worked for a couple of weeks until the first big rain and then they did nothing the rest of the year. I have settled on just using a mister bottle. seams very effective except for the few cows that are scared of the bottle and will not come near me if I have it. 

[otf]

Last year's tags were a total loss, a different formulation or something, and I had cows with weepy swollen eyes, so I cut the tags off. This year they've rotated to the ones used in 2015.

I find the tags work very well for a few months. In the third month, you can see more flies on their faces. If I thought mine would tolerate a spray bottle, I'd use it. I use A LOT of fly spray on the donkeys; there is only one little donkey who will absolutely not be persuaded with treats to withstand the fly spray.

I can never determine what makes for better working conditions and easier chores -- winter or summer -- cold or bugs. I think I find it easer working in the winter than the summer. Heat and humidity aren't my idea of nice.

[dexterfarm]

no aerosol or pump up sprayer. they are scared of the noise. I just use a hand pump mister bottle. I cant get all of them but if I get most at least the flies die after they have been on one that was sprayed. 

[otf]

Mike, not too many years ago, we took a heifer to the Orange County Fair Heritage Breeds Exhibit -- a WONDERFUL heifer.  She was halter broken and lead like a charm.  I used a fly SPRAY on her in the exhibit pen without a problem and I never understood why she didn't object.  I still don't know, except perhaps she realized she wasn't going to be harmed, whatever.  I found it odd that any halter-broken (I don't like that term "broken," but....) heifer hasn't ever objected to being sprayed.  I used "equine" fly spray after the vet said it was okay.  I didn't want our exhibit to have flies all over her.

Gale

I forgot to add that a couple of years ago, I resorted to the old standby "fly paper" and hung several strips in the donkey living rooms (the barns).  Amazing how quickly they turned black with flies.  Horrifying, in fact.  I still have some and will probably tack it up soon.  Supposed to go into the 90's Sunday and beyond.  Oh joy!

[genebo]

The tacky strips worked great here, too. But one day I found all the newly hatched barn swallows stuck to them. Couldn't save a one. I've never put up a tacky strip since.

Maybe, if the world is fair, the barn swallows will eat as many flies as the tacky strips would have caught.

[otf]

Oh no! I would have choked if I'd seen that. I never considered that even happening. Just watched 3 new baby wrens a couple of weeks ago, learning to fly in the barn, of course. Glad I hadn't put fly paper up.

[genebo]

Vaccinating must be quite a task for you, with the Dexters and the donkeys to do.

Do you still keep both miniature donkeys and mammoth jacks?

My grandfather made a fortune using big mules to haul oaks for railroad ties out of the woods. Then the depression came and he ended up living in a tent.

I'd love to come visit you again. Next time you have a big job to do, why not arrange to make a party of it, like we did that time we tattooed calves here.

You could make another pot of that good old Dexter chili like you did for the Regional meeting one time. Just don't serve the chili until the job is finished

[otf]

The donkeys are fairly easy. I gather them in the barn and the small pen behind it, put halters on them, give them some hay, and one by one, the vet listens to their hearts, takes their temperature, checks their teeth, and then gives three needles. They get the works. I have an Excel sheet with all their names and birthrates and any special notes (two copies) and I write down when they need their teeth floated, etc. I give the vet a copy and I keep a copy. The vet has a mobile printer, takes a credit card, and all is done. Actually, the two big donkeys are the easiest; they barely feel the shots and if they need to get a blood sample (Coggins for example), they're much easier than the little ones. I give the vet a copy and I keep a copy. Much more $$$ than the cow vet, believe me!

The cows are easy when it comes to paperwork (I'll get an invoice of what was administered and the cost, etc.). For a week or two before the appointment, I rehearse them quite a few times going through the alley and chute (headgate wide open) and they get food after they go through. But on the big day, I get them up in the pen behind the alley and headgate, enticing them with flakes of hay. They don't suspect a thing....until they see the vet's truck coming down the driveway. Uh oh, we're done for, they think. I try to have one in the alley when the vet arrives. She does all the injections and flytags. I'm at the back end, trying to get a second, third, fourth....into the alley as the first one is released....sometimes one will put on the brakes in the alley and that causes a problem. Then I have to get ugly (no, never a hotshot, just a noisy cattle sorter and some verbal encouragement). Sometimes we have to wait until they realize there's no way out except to tilt their heads a bit and go on through the headgate. Wham! Gotcha, prepare for injections! It's not quite that dramatic, but you get my point. If I had to get them up and through the headgate the day after, I'd be in trouble.

Though I cannot volunteer to host a gathering, I'd be happy to make chili or a super dessert and take it wherever...just say when and where and I'll do my best to be there. Yes, I agree, another regional get-together would be wonderful!!!

[genebo]

I'll talk to my bride. We were already planning to have the Vadens down to see Eve and Dunder's calf. Maybe we could turn it into a group thing.

I'm back to needing tattoos again. Four calves waiting. It would be cool to have a tattoo party as the central theme. I mean, besides seeing the calves.

[otf]

Gene, let's try to get Judy there too! Good idea? Yes, of course it is, say I!

[genebo]

Judy is coming here soon to bring me a recipient cow. I can't pin her down to an exact date or I would. She will be making several stops and here will be whenever and however it fits.

She's too busy to make a single purpose trip. She works, works, works, all the time.

I wonder how many people would come?

[otf]

Let me think......I'll be in touch.