Enjoying the peace of a barn at night
By Patricia Grotenhuis
There is something peaceful about a barn at night. I’ve always found it soothing to be out there after all of the animals are fed and cared for, as they all eat or rest contentedly, a soft yellow glow from the lights shining on them.
I was reminded of how nice it is recently when I slipped out to give my husband a message. In the summer, being in the barn after dark always meant chores were going really slowly since most of the family was in the fields, or, as children and youth, that we were preparing animals for a show at a local fair or 4-H event. Once the time change comes, though, it happens daily. As soon as the equipment in the barn for feeding the animals is turned off, and there is just the gentle, steady hum of the milking machines, the peacefulness starts.
The cows stand munching on their feed waiting to be milked, and the calves eat their hay and grain, waiting for their share of the milk. In the heifer barn, they are finishing eating and starting to lay down and rest. The radio plays softly in the background. My husband slips quietly between the cows, putting milking machines on, and taking them off, giving the cow a little pat on the back or scratch on the neck as he goes.
As the cows finish milking, they often lay down to chew their cud, which is not only part of the digestive process for them, but is also a sign of a content, healthy animal.
By the time milking is finished and the calves have been fed their milk, a large portion of the cattle in the barn will be settling in for the night. At that point, my husband is nearing the end of the chore routine as well – cleaning the barn, checking on any cows that are close to calving, and doing a final walk-through to make sure everything is in its place and the cattle are comfortable.
Some nights, of course, a late night in the barn is caused by a piece of equipment breaking, a cow having a calf, or one of the animals needing a little bit of extra care. On these nights, the barn is not always such a soothing place. Even then, though, that night charm shows through.
My husband, like all farmers I know, takes pride in making sure the animals and land he is in charge of are cared for as well as possible. All farmers have their own way of achieving that goal, but they share the same end result.
Some days, it means he barely sees our children because something needs a repair in the barn, or there is a cow who is showing some early signs of sickness.
Some nights it means getting up at two in the morning to drive to the main farm and make sure a cow is not having difficulty delivering a calf. Other times, he is pouring over his herd management paperwork, making decisions about what he should change in the barn, meeting with people to make sure the cows are receiving the proper nutrients in their diet, or going to various industry meetings to keep up to date on the latest research.
To farmers, the greatest compliment they can receive about their livelihood is that they have a nice farm, their animals look good and are doing well, and they are taking care of their land and the environment. That is why my husband will not leave the barn with something left to do, or do a half-hearted job of caring for the cattle. The benefits and satisfaction he gets from seeing the farm doing well are a payoff for him.
Posted by FFC on November 30th, 2012 :: Filed under Agricultural Advocates,Animal care,animal handling,Autumn,Barns,Dairy cattle,Family vs factory farming,Farm life,Housing
Tags :: agriculture, animal care, barns, dairy cattle, farm, Farm life, Farmers
