Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[drstratton]

WARMER this morning... down to 31 last night.... already 52 and the sun is out and not near as windy... YAY
Got lots of things "needing doing", so going to get started.... Took liver out of freezer to make liver and onions... I like liver....
Clothes in the washer... might see about taking some time for burning stuff today... need to get the cart emptied where I stacked all the bags of papers and stuff...
Got to get the walk behind weed eater out and get the spot cleaned out for the coop....

And eat some breakfast.... stomach is rumbling now...

You will have to share a picture after you get your coop in place! Enjoy your warmer weather.

 

[Finnie]

And, we want to see pictures of your new chickens from the show! (Completely slipped my mind to ask to see them on Saturday.)

 

[farmerjan]

Been a long day. Back has been aching alot more than the normal ache.

There was too much wind so burning was out of the question. And I did not hang clothes so I did not have to chase them all over the yard. It still wasn't as cold, the temps were better so not near the wind chill, but it was still chilly with the wind.
over to where I wanted it...
I did get the walk behind weed eater out,,, worked on the spot where I wanted the coop. I have to get the lopping shears to cut some of the briars and volunteer walnut trees all sprouting... But the area was cleared off for when he decided to come do it. There's a bunch of scrub stuff to cut off, and get out of there... but the area for the actual coop was cleared off.

DS called and needed some info for the bank... CD coming mature, and he is seriously thinking about buying the new discbine because they aren't going to get any cheaper... plus there is a special incentive for the month of Nov... so he did not want the money tied up in the CD if that is what he decides...
So on and off the phone a couple times...

Then carried water to the new ones, let them out of the calf hutch into the area that has the hog panels around it. Had to put feed in the feeder too... they came out but didn't like the wind. so mostly stayed in the calf hutch... maybe they will be out for a bit tomorrow to take some pictures.
So then I went to snyder's and just as I get there, DS calls back, and said he could stop and get the coop set if I was home... I said I was checking heifers, I would be done in 15 min or so... and could meet him at the house... SO... getting the spot cleaned out was a good thing... He came by, and went to look where I wanted it, and with the skid loader, was able to take the coop/attached run over there. Got it situated after DS made a suggestion about being able to get around the telephone pole and such... By now it was getting dark.... so didn't do anything else with it... he took the skid loader down and loaded it on the truck and flat bed trailer, then got in the other truck and left... I reminded him that we needed to go get the other one that I bought also...

So that was it for the night. I did not feel like the liver tonight, so just had some vegs....

DS did drop off my clipboard that he was using to check things while I was gone, so am going to make up new sheets with who is where... the preg heifers that went back to the pasture for now, the 2 that went back to get a 2nd chance to breed, one at the barn for beef in Jan.... the 3 he sold to the neighbor that wanted some... and caught up on a couple of calvings.... while it is all still fairly fresh.... things they hadn't texted me.

I'm going to go to bed early, maybe can get past the backache..... Should do alot of things and probably won't, tonight.

Want to get the shavings/shredded paper in the coop and get it ready to move the buff Leghorns in there tomorrow... get the lopping shears and get some of the "woody" stuff cut out so I can get around... plus got to fix that little section of damage on the roof where they had a tree branch break a piece... it's over the run so not a big deal... And get the couple of blue chickens from DS house that he raised when we got all those chicks... they are in a small coop and could definitely use some space to get around... Going to put them in with the pair of black langshan bantams.... when I get the buff leghorns out... for now... for the winter at least... worry about doing something different when it gets closer to breeding/egg saving season.

Have to work Friday, so will get the bottles in the trays/racks tomorrow. At least the farmer down the road that borrowed the meters when I was gone brought them back yesterday... they are all in the car to take on Friday.

 

[fuzzi]

You got the coop unloaded, yes!

 

[drstratton]

Been a long day. Back has been aching alot more than the normal ache.

There was too much wind so burning was out of the question. And I did not hang clothes so I did not have to chase them all over the yard. It still wasn't as cold, the temps were better so not near the wind chill, but it was still chilly with the wind.
over to where I wanted it...
I did get the walk behind weed eater out,,, worked on the spot where I wanted the coop. I have to get the lopping shears to cut some of the briars and volunteer walnut trees all sprouting... But the area was cleared off for when he decided to come do it. There's a bunch of scrub stuff to cut off, and get out of there... but the area for the actual coop was cleared off.

DS called and needed some info for the bank... CD coming mature, and he is seriously thinking about buying the new discbine because they aren't going to get any cheaper... plus there is a special incentive for the month of Nov... so he did not want the money tied up in the CD if that is what he decides...
So on and off the phone a couple times...

Then carried water to the new ones, let them out of the calf hutch into the area that has the hog panels around it. Had to put feed in the feeder too... they came out but didn't like the wind. so mostly stayed in the calf hutch... maybe they will be out for a bit tomorrow to take some pictures.
So then I went to snyder's and just as I get there, DS calls back, and said he could stop and get the coop set if I was home... I said I was checking heifers, I would be done in 15 min or so... and could meet him at the house... SO... getting the spot cleaned out was a good thing... He came by, and went to look where I wanted it, and with the skid loader, was able to take the coop/attached run over there. Got it situated after DS made a suggestion about being able to get around the telephone pole and such... By now it was getting dark.... so didn't do anything else with it... he took the skid loader down and loaded it on the truck and flat bed trailer, then got in the other truck and left... I reminded him that we needed to go get the other one that I bought also...

So that was it for the night. I did not feel like the liver tonight, so just had some vegs....

DS did drop off my clipboard that he was using to check things while I was gone, so am going to make up new sheets with who is where... the preg heifers that went back to the pasture for now, the 2 that went back to get a 2nd chance to breed, one at the barn for beef in Jan.... the 3 he sold to the neighbor that wanted some... and caught up on a couple of calvings.... while it is all still fairly fresh.... things they hadn't texted me.

I'm going to go to bed early, maybe can get past the backache..... Should do alot of things and probably won't, tonight.

Want to get the shavings/shredded paper in the coop and get it ready to move the buff Leghorns in there tomorrow... get the lopping shears and get some of the "woody" stuff cut out so I can get around... plus got to fix that little section of damage on the roof where they had a tree branch break a piece... it's over the run so not a big deal... And get the couple of blue chickens from DS house that he raised when we got all those chicks... they are in a small coop and could definitely use some space to get around... Going to put them in with the pair of black langshan bantams.... when I get the buff leghorns out... for now... for the winter at least... worry about doing something different when it gets closer to breeding/egg saving season.

Have to work Friday, so will get the bottles in the trays/racks tomorrow. At least the farmer down the road that borrowed the meters when I was gone brought them back yesterday... they are all in the car to take on Friday.

Hope your back is doing better today.

 

[farmerjan]

Nicer day today... Warmer 40 for a low and up to 70 in the sun... there was a light breeze, not windy but breezy. Still did not do any burning...

Clothes done and it was breezy but none on the ground so far. Going to look at the weather and see what it looks like... I am pretty caught up though, so can go several weeks before I have to do clothes again... but might do some for Sat.... they will dry fast in the dry air and temps going back up to the 60's+ and light breezes...

DS called and needed a ride home from the co-op... took the blue truck down for new tires. Took him back to the barn, this morning... Now he has to get the right front fender and headlight all fixed... Seems he did not close the gate at the end of the road Tuesday evening... sometime, overnight, some one went down the driveway... we assume it was a bigger truck... and backed into the blue truck and busted the headlight, got the fender on the right side... It is very noticeable... Of course no one took responsibility for it. I was mad to hear it... mostly because he did not close the gate, so someone figured it was a short cut road or something... and went down where they did not belong. If the gate was shut, with the No Trespassing sign that is in the middle of it... 99% sure someone would not have gone down there... And on top of it, the game cameras I got him after some things were stolen out of the other barn 2 years ago... are still sitting in the boxes... so no record of anything. I just cannot feel too terribly bad for him... it is stupid to not do things to help himself... and I spent good money to get the game cameras and he has yet to use them. Sometimes, you just can't fix stupid.... and that is where this is. So, now he has to fix the truck..... .


I put leaves/grass and some shredded paper in the new coop... but I need to put a board in front of the door to the run and the door in the back so keep it all in.... so that is for tomorrow. No sense in them dragging it all out through the door to the enclosed run... or out the back door if I open it. There is nothing to keep it all in... needs something like a 1x4 to just hold back the stuff inside.... So they are not moved yet...
The NH 's did not come out of the calf hutch today ... at least not when I was out there. They do not like the wind. I dumped their water and put it outside since they are scratching stuff into the waterer... so maybe tomorrow they will come out if they get thirsty.... Need to set it up on a couple of blocks of wood.

I mowed some of the tall grass and want to use the lawn sweeper to pick it up over the weekend and get some of the maple tree leaves bagged too. Figured it would be good and dry in a day or 2. Need to mow some more and get the stuff swept up ... Possible rain next week, so want to try to get some of that mowed and swept and bagged Sunday or Monday.... for this coming winter since I will have a couple of coops needing bedding...

Stopped at the feed bin and got another 5 gallon bucket of feed for the chickens...when I took him back this morning... will need it tomorrow probably. As soon as I move the leghorns into the "new" coop, I will get the other ones from DS's house and put them in with the langshans for the time being... The idea is for the 2 pullets to be extras for the NH's so they do not wear the pullets backs raw... I plan to mate the purebreds in pairs if possible... so the 2 blue hens can go wherever I need a few extra to just keep the males busy.
Might have a possible sale for the turkeys... some guy he knows is interested... Might be a good thing to sell them and start over in the spring... still don't have the fencing up so I can't turn them out....They are not colored good, so not like any look to be show quality...

This afternoon I went up and fed some grain at snyder's.... most all the cows with calves came when I called.... and several calves went in the barn for some feed I had put in the bunk....some of the wf her x heifers came but some were on the other side of the property and probably did not hear me... That's okay I don't really need them to come...... just the ones with calves for now...... once he gets the trailer back in a week or so... I will have them coming right to the pen and should be able to get most all of them in easily, and they can get moved across the road, to Grants pasture for the winter... the one that is "behind" my house along the dirt road. He said he wants to keep them all together, even though 3 have calves that are 6 weeks older....I thought they should go to the pasture at the farm with the others that were closer to that age..... so whatever....It will be easy to keep track of them all in one place. There is one that is older, but she calved really early and was 6 months ahead of her herd mates... so we held her back and she is on the schedule that these heifers are on. So there will be 14 to come out of snyder's. 15 calves since betsy's heifer is sucking off a couple of them... will let her stay with 319 and whomever else she wants to snitch milk from. Will have to ear tag a couple that didn't get done, and the bull calves need to get banded when they go over there...

DS had come and gotten the truck and trailer with the skid loader, today..... took it to a guy to do some welding and fix the bucket and a lever.... so the red bale truck was here... so after I got done at snyder's, this evening, I went down by the farm and picked him up to come back and get the red truck that was here... Got 2 buckets of cattle feed from his bin to have in the red forester for the next trip up there... saved me a special trip to just fill them... combine trips....

Got the boxes of bottles in the house and will get them in the racks for tomorrow's herd.

Found a piece of filet mignon in the fridge.... that I had taken out of the freezer...at least a week ago... but it was vacuum packed so smelled okay...... so I made that tonight and some sauteed mushrooms that I picked up at Sharp Shopper discounted... Liver will wait for tomorrow or Saturday... Just took it out and put in fridge to thaw the other day.

Got the paperwork straight on the bred heifers... who went where; all that. Made new sheets for each pasture.... so at least I know what is where again. He did sell/take 3 heifers to the neighbor, and the 2that were open, back to the pasture to go with the bull for a second chance...

He mowed the rest of the small fields right there by his house... I will rake it Sat morning... It is pretty dried up now...no moisture or "green"... so it will be fine..... but I will be busy going to work early tomorrow... It is going to be nice and warm the next couple days so I will get it done and that will be it...

I am going to quit early tonight... back is not much better.... Time to get back to the chiropractor adjustments on a regular basis...

 

[murphysranch]

Do you need a different mattress?

 

[farmerjan]

Sat eve. Ready to quit and go to bed.

Yesterday, I got the bottles in the trays and checked the cows and went to work. Did a few things here before hand but not alot. Weather was okay, sunny, warm enough to just need a long sleeved shirt until after the sun went down, then a sweatshirt over it...
Set up meters, tested and got the computer work and all done... pulled meters off the lines and finally got home at about 8. Was not a very productive day I guess... but one more herd tested...

I did make liver and onions for supper... it was good...

Washed the cow sh!t out of my hair, threw all the clothes in the dirty clothes basket because they smelled of iodine and cow s..t.... wanted to go to bed not smelling like the barn... Some days I just get that way...

Talked to DS, Friday morning, and told him I would rake hay Sat (today) since I had to work and he said fine... it is "freeze dried up" so not like waiting for fresh green grass to dry....

So got up today to 50 degrees... Mostly clouds and a little sun through the clouds... It was quite windy but it was a warm enough wind. Went up to the tractor about 10:30-11..... had to use my little AIR MOTO handy dandy inflator for the tire on the rake.... DS says that he will take it off once we are done with haying... and get it fixed. It has pretty decent tread... remember these tires often get dry rotted before they wear out... because they sit for 6 months a year on average... and we do not put new tires on the rake or anything that can use a repurposed "regular" tire off a car/truck.... can get some that are discards at the co-op.... people change out tires way before we would consider them "worn out".... they work fine for some of the equipment that never go more than 10-15 mph down a few roads, to and from hayfields...and traveling at 1-2 mph in the hayfield...
Anyway... got the tire inflated and I started raking.... got 2/3 the first field done... and ran out of fuel.... so had to text DS, to see if he was around but no response....went to the barn and he hadn't seen the text but came up and put 2 cans in it and then had to bleed the lines because it wouldn't start... finally got the air out... and off I went to raking. He went and got the tractor, hooked to the baler, and started baling. I was nearly done with the 2nd small field and then went behind the house to the 3rd small field and he was baling the 2nd field. I got done, parked the tractor and rake over near where I had left my car... got the rake wheels locked up in the transport position... and he was finishing up... I stopped by the baler and asked what else needed doing, and he said he was going to feed and go home... I said okay... There is alot of other stuff he could be doing but he just doesn't put himself into it... I am not going to knock myself out to do more when he doesn't....
So, I came on home... Got the clothes off the line.... the wind had picked up and 2 pr of jeans were hanging by 1 clothespin..... Unloaded the bags of paper and cardboard over by the burn barrel since there is no way to burn them AGAIN today... took the gorilla cart and put water and feed in it and went to the chickens/turkeys. Filled waterers, and feed.
I had let the NH's out earlier into the "pen" and they were actually out.... filled their feeder and waterer also. Measured the length of the boards I needed again, and where there needs to be a roost pole since there is already a squared off holder on each side....in the new coop so I can get the leghorns moved....

Brought the samples from last night in the house so I can pack them... and then I went to Lowe's to see what I could come up with. Bought a 10 1x4 which I can cut in half to use... the inside is 62 inches approx... so 10 ft will work... I will use a couple of bricks that are laying around here... against it on the ends in the corners... The frame and all is metal, so not like I can tack them with a few bent over nails or screw them in.... It's just to hold back the "bedding" on the floor of the coop so ought to work just fine. Also got a 1/2 price discount on a 4 pk bundle of 2x2x8 's... one had a chunk out of the board but I will be able to make the cut off it... so the rest will be for the next bigger coop or where ever I need them... cost like 2.98 for the 4 pk instead of 5.98... I will have to shave down the ends a little bit to fit in the holders there... I think they are 1 1/4 or 1 3/16 ... and these are a little bigger... 2x2 is really 1 1/2 sq or something. But for the price it will work.
I also got some putty and glazing points to fix a couple of single pane wood framed windows... 8 panes... that the putty is about gone in... may as well fix them. One I am using for the "door" of the calf hutch...

So, I have a couple of projects for tomorrow... I guess I will get out the skill saw and cut this board... might be able to take a little off on side of the end of the roost pole and cut it to length... Then I can use this coop. The leghorn rooster is picking on the bantam langshan rooster... so it will be good to get them separate... then I will bring home the 2 blue hens and the little bantam OE game rooster DS has that has been with them... I hope he will not get into it with the langshan... they are going in the larger pen so will have some space to get away from each other... Plus the OE game cockerel is young so hopefully will not challenge the older rooster... He is a blue red, and DS has no reason to keep him... he was the only chick that survived from a 1/2 doz he got at Rural King when I got the blue chicks... I love the Blue Red color pattern.... does not breed true so have to have a black red and a splash or splash pyle... I have no intention to raise any, just like to look at them... He will have a better home with me than at DS's because he will have outside availability and more room to get around in. He gets too aggressive, he can go in with the 2 large NH roosters....But we'll see... I think that just having some space to move around will be good for them.... The hens are for eggs and to be "extras" in the pens for the roosters to "bother" during breeding seasons...
I am going to put leg bands on all the birds... so I can set them up in breeding pens in the spring and be able to rotate roosters around and know who they were in with so I can see how their chicks do. I plan to raise a bunch... maybe next fall I will have a bunch of roosters to sell that don't meet show quality specs...

We'll see how things go.

Came home to the package from the Marine Vinyl company.... Talk about FAST service. I will open it tomorrow and see what I can do with it... how I like the 2 different thicknesses.... Can not believe how fast their service was.... I will "report" my thoughts once I get it up....

I was going to bed early... got busy with this... and here it is after 11.... Oh well,

 

[drstratton]

Sat eve. Ready to quit and go to bed.

Yesterday, I got the bottles in the trays and checked the cows and went to work. Did a few things here before hand but not alot. Weather was okay, sunny, warm enough to just need a long sleeved shirt until after the sun went down, then a sweatshirt over it...
Set up meters, tested and got the computer work and all done... pulled meters off the lines and finally got home at about 8. Was not a very productive day I guess... but one more herd tested...

I did make liver and onions for supper... it was good...

Washed the cow sh!t out of my hair, threw all the clothes in the dirty clothes basket because they smelled of iodine and cow s..t.... wanted to go to bed not smelling like the barn... Some days I just get that way...

Talked to DS, Friday morning, and told him I would rake hay Sat (today) since I had to work and he said fine... it is "freeze dried up" so not like waiting for fresh green grass to dry....

So got up today to 50 degrees... Mostly clouds and a little sun through the clouds... It was quite windy but it was a warm enough wind. Went up to the tractor about 10:30-11..... had to use my little AIR MOTO handy dandy inflator for the tire on the rake.... DS says that he will take it off once we are done with haying... and get it fixed. It has pretty decent tread... remember these tires often get dry rotted before they wear out... because they sit for 6 months a year on average... and we do not put new tires on the rake or anything that can use a repurposed "regular" tire off a car/truck.... can get some that are discards at the co-op.... people change out tires way before we would consider them "worn out".... they work fine for some of the equipment that never go more than 10-15 mph down a few roads, to and from hayfields...and traveling at 1-2 mph in the hayfield...
Anyway... got the tire inflated and I started raking.... got 2/3 the first field done... and ran out of fuel.... so had to text DS, to see if he was around but no response....went to the barn and he hadn't seen the text but came up and put 2 cans in it and then had to bleed the lines because it wouldn't start... finally got the air out... and off I went to raking. He went and got the tractor, hooked to the baler, and started baling. I was nearly done with the 2nd small field and then went behind the house to the 3rd small field and he was baling the 2nd field. I got done, parked the tractor and rake over near where I had left my car... got the rake wheels locked up in the transport position... and he was finishing up... I stopped by the baler and asked what else needed doing, and he said he was going to feed and go home... I said okay... There is alot of other stuff he could be doing but he just doesn't put himself into it... I am not going to knock myself out to do more when he doesn't....
So, I came on home... Got the clothes off the line.... the wind had picked up and 2 pr of jeans were hanging by 1 clothespin..... Unloaded the bags of paper and cardboard over by the burn barrel since there is no way to burn them AGAIN today... took the gorilla cart and put water and feed in it and went to the chickens/turkeys. Filled waterers, and feed.
I had let the NH's out earlier into the "pen" and they were actually out.... filled their feeder and waterer also. Measured the length of the boards I needed again, and where there needs to be a roost pole since there is already a squared off holder on each side....in the new coop so I can get the leghorns moved....

Brought the samples from last night in the house so I can pack them... and then I went to Lowe's to see what I could come up with. Bought a 10 1x4 which I can cut in half to use... the inside is 62 inches approx... so 10 ft will work... I will use a couple of bricks that are laying around here... against it on the ends in the corners... The frame and all is metal, so not like I can tack them with a few bent over nails or screw them in.... It's just to hold back the "bedding" on the floor of the coop so ought to work just fine. Also got a 1/2 price discount on a 4 pk bundle of 2x2x8 's... one had a chunk out of the board but I will be able to make the cut off it... so the rest will be for the next bigger coop or where ever I need them... cost like 2.98 for the 4 pk instead of 5.98... I will have to shave down the ends a little bit to fit in the holders there... I think they are 1 1/4 or 1 3/16 ... and these are a little bigger... 2x2 is really 1 1/2 sq or something. But for the price it will work.
I also got some putty and glazing points to fix a couple of single pane wood framed windows... 8 panes... that the putty is about gone in... may as well fix them. One I am using for the "door" of the calf hutch...

So, I have a couple of projects for tomorrow... I guess I will get out the skill saw and cut this board... might be able to take a little off on side of the end of the roost pole and cut it to length... Then I can use this coop. The leghorn rooster is picking on the bantam langshan rooster... so it will be good to get them separate... then I will bring home the 2 blue hens and the little bantam OE game rooster DS has that has been with them... I hope he will not get into it with the langshan... they are going in the larger pen so will have some space to get away from each other... Plus the OE game cockerel is young so hopefully will not challenge the older rooster... He is a blue red, and DS has no reason to keep him... he was the only chick that survived from a 1/2 doz he got at Rural King when I got the blue chicks... I love the Blue Red color pattern.... does not breed true so have to have a black red and a splash or splash pyle... I have no intention to raise any, just like to look at them... He will have a better home with me than at DS's because he will have outside availability and more room to get around in. He gets too aggressive, he can go in with the 2 large NH roosters....But we'll see... I think that just having some space to move around will be good for them.... The hens are for eggs and to be "extras" in the pens for the roosters to "bother" during breeding seasons...
I am going to put leg bands on all the birds... so I can set them up in breeding pens in the spring and be able to rotate roosters around and know who they were in with so I can see how their chicks do. I plan to raise a bunch... maybe next fall I will have a bunch of roosters to sell that don't meet show quality specs...

We'll see how things go.

Came home to the package from the Marine Vinyl company.... Talk about FAST service. I will open it tomorrow and see what I can do with it... how I like the 2 different thicknesses.... Can not believe how fast their service was.... I will "report" my thoughts once I get it up....

I was going to bed early... got busy with this... and here it is after 11.... Oh well,

Always such a full day! I hope the marine vinyl works out for you. Looking forward to some pictures?

 

[farmerjan]

New Hampshire's I got in Columbus Ohio at the show. First day they actually were outside for a little while