Warm Dryness, Rain, and Cold Fluffy Snow...All in the Month of January

Allie@FoothillFrolicFarm
19 minutes ago
3 min read

Big Pearl winning the prize for the longest cow grown icicle during our January 31st 7 1/2" to 8" cold, powdery snow

January proved to be a mixed month of weather, which is most common here during winter in the East TN foothills.

Here it is obvious that the New Year and first of the month started out warm and dry. Eastenn Dutch sporting no shirt, while he and Grampy bury Mom and Dad's dog, Lucy the beagle, that many of you had met. She was 13 years old.

One day it was so oddly spring like warm that Eastenn Dutch and I prepped a garden plot area to make a large compost pile on from the barnyard weened calf bedding. I felt like it was time to start the gardens and the air sure called for it, but of course it was not yet time. It is interesting how certain weather for farmers creates instinctual notions and it felt so right digging in the dirt on that unusual January day.

Our first ever round of late Fall/ Winter Calves came at such the preferred time, while it was still warm and dry. 11 New Heifer Mamma's and 2 Cows that for the last couple years have been on the winter calf cycle, for a total of 13 to start off our preseason of calving, before our main calving season of the Spring! First time we have had some Reddish Brown calves pop out in a while!

Our scheduled weening date for January, Friday the 16th, based on the moon phase and sign went well, so now we have been tending to our 50 calves in the barnyard weening area along with the normal feeding chores of the Main Cow Herd, the Steer Herd, and the Heifer Herd.

They have been eating well and the I always love being circled by calves eating hay! Mr. Cat even has a big time enjoying the bedding during calf weening time

The slight dryness finally broke with a 2" rain one weekend and then another almost 2" of rain the weekend that the huge snow/ice storm was predicted, as the temperatures warmed on Saturday. We got the small dusting on Friday afternoon and Sunday night, but only the tiniest amount to capture. We were hopeful for a nice big snow since we had tried to prepare for it, so needless to say we were a little disappointed.

We prepared for a couple days before that bust of the snow storm and then after it warmed up just for it to rain, it turned very very cold and everything froze for the last week of January. We sure had to feed more than normal during the real real cold days. We had to do some ice breaking as well, in order for the steers to drink. Cold, sunny, and frozen grounds are our absolute favorite winter conditions, because the ground and soils cannot be effected but this is not a common occurrence here in East TN. We get the freeze and thaw pattern regularly throughout the winter, which is why it is important to keep the herds rotating in the winter as well.

Then finally, the not as much talked about, beautiful powdery snow indeed came, the weekend after it was expected!! We ended up with about 7 1/2" to 8" of snow depending on where one measured. We have been able to meet all the needs of our herds and the snow is still on the ground. The powdery conditions have been ideal for maneuvering, all parties involved...for cattle, for us, and for the tractors! I just love days of feeding and taking care of animals out in the snow. These times always seem so profound and timeless and purposeful in an old world sort of way, as if all time disappears and it again is just man and nature. On the coldest snow day we fed out a whopping 11 round bales, when counting all 4 herds we are feeding currently.