This is Delia. I have admired her since she was a calf last spring. She is a very nice looking heifer that I was looking forward to adding to our breeding herd. Unfortunately, Delia has a terrible temperament. She is, for some unknown reason, wild and unpredictable. As soon as you are within her sight, her head is up and her feet are moving. A cow like that can be dangerous and makes the animals around them nervous and spooky as well. 

I first noticed it this summer when she was a calf, but hoped that when she was being fed every day she would settle down. Sadly, this is not the case and she hasn’t improved. I debated, and went back and forth on whether to keep her as a replacement heifers or not, as she is one of the nicest, if not THE nicest heifer of the bunch. But ultimately, I decided the risk is just not worth it. Sure, there is a possibility she will settle down and be a good cow, but there’s also a possibility she will continue to be wild and a danger to everyone on the farm. So Delia will be getting on the truck with the steers next week and heading to a feedlot, where she will be fattened and turned into beef. Because sometimes, attitude IS everything. 

We have been having some beautiful above average temperatures again. This weather makes daily chores easier, and is the kind of weather that begs a person to enjoy it. 

The other day, I ventured down to some of the native prairie pasture we graze with three dogs in tow. We walked across the pasture, enjoying the sites and sounds of nature. 

There were some deer, which have obviously been frequenting this area, and some sharp-tailed grouse, but largely this land, in winter, is quiet. The creek running through is frozen, the songbirds that summer here are long gone for the winter and there is no hum of insects. It may seem barren to many, but this sleeping landscape will awaken in no time, and with it a variety of spring and summer work, leaving us wishing for the cool, simple days of winter.