What did you do on your snow day? Well, I stayed inside and just watched the weather on my first snow day this week.
Then, this afternoon I decided to venture out and help my favorite farmer at the barn.
These guys all lined up at the feed trough to eat their dinner. It takes good food to provide energy for keeping warm on days like today.
They gave me a little glance when I came near to take photos but were not distracted enough to leave the dinner table.
Just a little glance and then they went right back to munching.
The next item on the agenda was to feed the bottle babies. The Big Man feeds them in small batches to prevent the milk from chilling. So, each baby gets a warm bottle of milk.
He has a system that seems to work sort of like a well-oiled machine. Here is a shot of the hub of operation...the kitchen...the prep room.
The liquid part of the babies' meal begins with powdered milk. Mike gets this in fifty-pound bags.
Each bottle gets one of these cups full of powdered milk.
He dumps the powdered milk into a small bucket with one bottle of warm water in it. Mike usually mixes a couple of bottles at one time. So, he starts with one battle of warm water, a couple of cups of the powdered milk, and adds another bottle of water.
Next, he uses a whisk to mix the milk thoroughly so that there are no lumps of powder - only rich, creamy, smooth milk.
Steady concentration is required and you have to hold your mouth just right in order to get it mixed perfectly!
Then, he carefully fills a couple of bottles without spilling a drop or wasting any of the precious liquid white gold.
The first two are ready and waiting in the transport crate for the second pair to be prepared.
When the second pair is added, the crate is loaded and ready to haul out to the first bunch of calves.
Out of the inner sanctum and into the chill of the open barn.
Each baby gets his own bottle and is carefully watched to be certain that he eats it all and that there seems to be no sickness.
It takes a steady hand and a strong grip because those little fellows are aggressive eaters when they are healthy and hungry.
Isn't that a sweet little face gobbling away at that milk?
The bottles are returned to the mixing room where they are doused into these two tubs for cleaning.
The first tub holds soapy water for washing the nipples thoroughly. Then, they are rinsed well by dousing them into the second tub holding a bleach and hot water solution.
The bottles are also washed and rinsed well. Then, all parts are also rinsed with clear, hot water.
The cleaned bottles are refilled with a newly mixed batch of milk and the next group of calves is fed.
Clean, sanitary, precise. That is exactly what is required when feeding babies - human or bovine!
Do you need proof that I was an active participant? Well, look no further...
What did you do on your snow day?
