Raterink Family Farm

Dedication knows no weather. Cattle farmers brave the freezing cold and snowy conditions to ensure their herds are cared for, day in and day out🐄❄️🥶

Count ‘em… ONE, TWO, THREE babies🐮🐮🐮 This super momma birthed THREE live baby calves yesterday👏🏼👏🏼 Live triplets in dairy cows are extremely rare, both in terms of occurrence and survival. The natural rate of triplets in dairy cattle is estimated at less than .1% of all births. We don’t even have records of the last set of living triplets born on our farm but we estimate it’s been over 30 years😱 Ideally, a dairy cow will have one healthy baby calf every year. About 8% of our herd will have twins. Multiple babies can pose several health challenges to the momma cow, but these babies are very energetic and mom is doing well too!

Celebrating Cow Appreciation Day! 🐄 Today, we honor these gentle giants for their contribution to agriculture, dairy, and our daily lives. Moo-ve over and give a cheer for our bovine friends!🥛

Just a boy and his calf😍🐄 This black and white Holstein calf is the baby offspring of one of our milking cows. Calves are born after a gestation period of nine months. They usually weigh between 80-100 lbs at birth. #farmfactfriday

It’s time for dairy Trivia Tuesday🐄 How much feed does a mature dairy cow consume per day? Answer below in the comments👇🏼 Correct answers will be entered in a drawing to win a FREE Heritage Ridge Cheese from our store front. All entries will be entered into our month end dairy gift basket drawing. The winner will be announced at noon tomorrow. We won’t send you any links asking for credit card information, in case you get bombarded by fake accounts. Please report any fake accounts.

Providing access to clean and fresh water is essential for the health and well-being of cows. Dairy farmers typically ensure that water sources are readily available and easily accessible throughout the day💧 Using recycled water from the plate cooler for dairy cows can be a sustainable practice in dairy farming. Plate coolers are typically used to cool milk before it enters storage tanks, and the water used in this process can be recycled for other purposes, such as cow drinking water. #farmfactfriday

Just a girl who loves her moo cows🐮🥰

In the face of biting cold and blankets of snow, farmers exhibit unwavering resilience, navigating the challenges that this winter weather bestows upon their operations. The frigid temperatures and icy conditions demand extra care for the well-being of the animals, with farmers providing shelter, ensuring a sufficient and nutritious diet, and safeguarding water sources from freezing. This weather is challenging and makes for long days on the farm❄️

We are running a 20% off DEAL on Sizzler and Chuck Eye Steaks🥩 Stock up on your favorite steaks, burgers and brats for 4th of July🇺🇸 Stop out this week to grab yours! 📍2084 72nd Ave. Zeeland

It’s a beautiful weekend to grill AND we have Cowboy Steaks back IN STOCK‼️ Rich, flavorful and cut 1.5 inches thick🤤 Grab ‘em while we have them🥩 We are open tomorrow (Saturday) 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Just a farmer and his cow🥰🐮

How does the robotic milking machine work?🤖 Each cow is identified by a collar that the program recognizes. The collar is like a smartwatch. The cows are given a treat every time they are milked. They are fed a proportioned amount of a pelleted feed based on daily milk production. The robot maps each cow’s udder for a quick attachment every time. Brushes are used for cleaning and disinfecting the udder. They also provide stimulation to the cow to let down her milk. The arm has a laser that spots each teat and individually attaches. The robot measures milk flow from each quarter to determine when they are done milking. Each milking the robot records milk weights, milk temperature, somatic cell count, milking speed and milking time🐄