With our beef sales so strong we have had to purchase some calves for finishing. Our small herd cannot keep up with the supply and  I was able to source some calves from another farmer who farms the same way we do and has the same ideals.  His calves are chemical and hormone free, which makes them perfect for us. They are Galloway cattle which are what I have been looking for.  They have lots of hair to keep them warm in the winter which requires less grain in their ration.  Galloways finish with a smaller carcass which means that the cuts of meat are more what our customers are looking for.

The snow has been so deep that we weren't able to unload them at the loading chute.  All my pens are drifted 4 feet straight through and we can't even use any gates.  This time we had to unload at the barn which meant Lyle had to back up the semi through the yard and around the house.  It was only his excellent driving skills that got the truck at the barn.  We had to spend the day before pushing snow and digging out gates.  What a job!

 
The calves are settled in now and gaining weight.  It's been an adjustment for them though, they've never seen pigs or sheep before.  As all the pens have drifts over the fences, I can't keep the sheep and pigs in their winter pens and the hay feeders have become multi-species salad bars.  Hoping for spring thaw soon!