Nine-year-old Josiah Becker
wrote this essay for a school
assignment. His third-grade
teacher at Bainbridge Elementary
School sent a copy to us.
We think you will enjoy a
glimpse into the life of a 9-year-old
farm boy as much as we did.
Josiah is the son or Marlin and
Doreen Becker who farm 200
acres in Elizabethtown and milk 55
Holsteins. Josiah has a sister,
Kimberli, 7, and a brother, Christ
ian, 2.
The Barn Chores
Josiah Becker
When I get off the bus, I need to
go in the house to get ready to gi
Josiah carries a straw bale to scatter in the calf pens.
After the barn chores are finished and supper eaten,
Josiah plays his favorite tune, “Foggy Mountain Break
down,” on 'iis banjo. Josiah has taken banjo lessons for
three year and has performed In his school musical, focal
talent coir etitlons, and for church and family gatherings.
Josiah alsu enjoys readlng, playing sports, drawing, and
writing.
Kids sKprnefc
out to the bam.
Sometimes I have a snack first
I usually eat graham crackers or
pretzels.
Now it is time to go out to the
bam. I put on my boots and rub
bers and fly out the door.
When I get in the bam, I go over
to the third stable. We have six
milkers. But we just use five when
we do the third stable. The reason
is because we have ten cows in
that stable and we milk every
other cow at a time. So when the
third cow is about done then we
wash the second cow.
We wash the cows so we can
get the dirt off of their teets. Even
Barn Chores For Josiah
them. We wash them with some
teet dip spray and telephone
papers.
When we are all done milking
the cows we teet dip them. We teet
dip the cows so no dirt gets in their
teets. Then, when about 25 cows
are done, my dad and I go out in
the barnyard to put the heifers in.
Then Mark and I let out all of the
cows that are teet dipped.
After all the cows are out, we
divide them into two places. Some
at the feeder and some in the top
two free stalls.
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Before milking the cows, Joslah washes the teets.
Barn chores often Includes bottle feeding calves.
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Then we open the gates and
chase the rest of the cows in the
bam. After all the cows are in the
bam Mark and I tie the cows.
Thai we wash some cows and put
the milkers on while I scrape the
bam.
After a while, I climb up the
haystack and throw down about 6
bales of straw and about 2 bales of
hay. There are about 10 kittens in
the haystack. Most of them do not
like me. I take me bale of straw to
the hog shed. I take the ropes off
and then bed it around. Then I take
2 bales down below the hog shed.
They are bigger calves.
Sometimes 1 take 1 bale up to
the calf hutches and sometimes I
take a bale down to the calves near
the silo.
After all the cows are done
milking, we teet dip the cows and
let them out. Some of the cows
need to stay in the bam. Some of
the cows get pills like asprin and
vitamins.
Then, after Mark left and all the
milkers are washed, I scrape the
bam. Then 1 shut the gate and turn
out the light.