Eden Shale Farm Update - March 2020

​As if March in Kentucky is not challenging enough, we had to add the coronavirus debacle into the mix. Between closing schools, restaurants, and churches, it has definitely caused us to change our daily routines.  However, this is one of those events that is out of our control, and we just have to adapt and proceed the best we can.

To keep our mind off of the pandemic, we have been tending to the cows and their new calves. Our first calf heifers started calving February 14th and the cows started calving two weeks later on February 28th. Now, 30 days into the calving season, we have 47 calves on the ground. That equals 56% of the calf crop was born in the first 30 days of the calving season. We should continue to have cows calve at a fast pace for another 15-20 days and after that we will be down to just a handful of the late calving cows left.
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​The other project that we have been working on this winter is the feeding trial going on in the bull barn with our yearling steers. The steers have been in the barn for 90 days on our newly renovated floors. They will get weighed and condition scored this week and the final analysis will get conducted for both the steers and the flooring.  I will have further updates with all that data in the May article.
 
I would normally report about the recent tour activity at the farm but with the recommended social distancing, we have had 3 tours cancelled. As of right now, we do not have any field days or schools scheduled for this spring. We will wait and see what the next month entails and then regroup and make new plans for the summer.
 
I would recommend everyone enjoy their self quarantine, but I know as farmers, that just means we all get up and go to work like any other day.
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