Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Yes to all those things @fuzzi ....

We had a little more sprinkles and clouds. Then it stopped and we had some sun by afternoon. Then this eve it clouded up again, and got some misty sprinkles again. But in the rain gauge we had a good 1.35 inches... not quite 1.4 inches... It has been a godsend for sure... It won't solve the drought conditions.... but because things are not growing, it will soak in and help the ground moisture situation a whole deal. And if it is not hot out there like it was, it will soak in before it can be sucked out of the ground. It has been chilly, but at least we got some moisture. DS did get the other field drilled with the wheat, so it will settle in and grow.

Finally got the samples all packed and took them to the UPS store and then came back and went directly to the farm to test. The parlor is just like the other herringbone parlors, so I was used to it. The one big problem is that the cows do not milk a whole lot... they are on pasture, get fed a total mixed ration.... like silage with a balanced grain added, but they still do not milk that great. Partially they are all getting into long days in milk, many did not get bred, so their milk is falling off and they are not ready to be dried off... Plus he has so many customers, that he cannot afford to dry off too many right now... even though some are needing to go out of there... Because they are not milking alot, they go through fast and it was a little bit of a push to keep up with them... we got in a bit of a rhythm, but then the owner came in to help and he just gets in the way with 3 people in there... but anyway... we got done, and will go back in the morning... It will be a tad bit slower as the cows will milk a little better,,,, they start at 3 or so in the afternoon, and then 5:15 or so in the morning... so a longer time period. The cows look fine, they are just not being pushed to their potential because of the "grass/pasture fed" aspect... not my animals... They are not getting bred back like they should though... and that is because of the marginal feed/milk/body nutrition... breeding is the first thing that gets "slowed down or shut off" when demands are made on the body...

While I was testing, DS came and replaced the heating element in the water heater, and said there is no plug in, so will have to decide where he is going to tap into which box to add a plug box down there... then can have the plug in for the heater. I will have to turn on and off a couple breakers when he is down there, so he can find out which junction box is tied into the light down there, so that he can use that electric to add the plug in box. I do not like to work with electricity, so what ever he says is fine with me. He said he is not going to hang it, but will set it on a cinder/concrete block down there so it is not on the dirt floor... this way if it gets knocked over.... how I don't know... but it will turn off... nothing should be down there anyway... At least I shouldn't have to deal with it getting too cold and pipes freezing again.. just got to make sure the job gets finished.

So, I ate a tuna fish sandwich for supper... going in to try a nice HOT shower... go to bed so I can get up and go to the farm in the morning... test and do the computer stuff... then come on home, pack samples, go check the heifer that is getting closer to calving, and do some stuff here... I need to try to catch the 2 holstein heifers near the barn to get them in. I can keep them in the pen overnight with hay and water so not a problem if I get them in, and he does not get them moved right away. DS will be busy with the sister's 2 kids for Halloween tomorrow evening...

Well, I better go get a shower and get clothes out for the morning, and go to bed.