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farmerjan
Herd Master
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Been a long day, not like I planned... Not bad... just long.
DS called me not a half an hour after I said he said we would wait on the weather... seems the cows all were right up at, and most were in the barn. So he shut the gate. Said that we could maybe get them worked??? I said okay, give me a half an hour...
I went down and we worked a bunch, sorted through and took a group to the pasture down by GF house. Took 5 cows and 12 calves first trip. Then came back, and got the other 7 cows to match the calves, and 1 more cow/calf match... which would leave 5 more cow/cf pairs to work and move.
Also worked 5 more pairs to go to the pasture where I had to check on the electric after the cows had torn it down... and I restrung it and we had to wash off his building a couple weeks ago... anyway, there were 7 prs there and we were going to put a total of 12 prs. Sadly, there is a calf missing... we have looked everywhere... we are pretty sure the coyotes got it.... so he is listening to me when I push to not put the littler calves out too soon... Anyway, Got them all brought back into the 1st section there... they will get BIT by the fence now... especially with the rain/water we are getting and making the ground so much more effective.
Got the few extras worked so that they can go to a pasture that we only put 5-8prs at... there will be 5 pairs there and the old bull this year.. he has been there before and this will be his last year.... Hoping he will catch all 5.... With the dry conditions, it won't hold more than that for the season if it starts to dry up again...
Also took 4 more pair to the big pasture in Aug Co... makes 28 there now...
He was coming back to the barn, to go to pasture with the elec fence around the building... one calf was walking funny ... I told him I didn't like the way he was walking... turns out he has pinkeye in one eye... so DS was going to get the dart gun and "shoot him" with some Draxxin for the pinkeye... another good deal that they are in the first section again... easier to find and call them. So on the 2nd trip back from down near GF, I reminded him about darting the calf... he said the dart gun was at her house... so we made the swing around and went to her house and he got the dart gun... also wound up with Colt coming back with DS.... so after we got the calves all worked in the chute... he likes to go make them come up the alley to the chute... and we sorted them around as we were turning the calves out, as to where they were going, DS and Colt took the group to Aug Co, and were going to come back and go dart the calf, then DS was going to load the last pairs to go to the farm near her. He put a cow /calf pair up in the back that he wasn't supposed to... they were supposed to go to the pasture by GF; but he had the cow calf pair he bought; the ones that had the horrible infestations of the D#@&*D ticks... that we treated a week ago... in the barn lot... so he got them back in the chute and retreated them, and they will make the 5 needed pairs to go down there. He is understocking all the pastures... better to have "more grass" than not enough grass...
So that makes 28 prs in Aug Co... 18 prs in BV (near her), 12 pr (well 12/11 c/cf) at bartley's, 5 pr at hanger's, and 5 pr to go to McM..... 5 bulls...
There are 6 cows that have not calved yet... they look like beached whales; and one heifer that has obviously slipped the calf... this was her 2nd chance so she will get sold. I went in and armed her, did not feel any calf, and she is thinner than she was... so has lost it somewhere... we never found a dead calf in the peterbilt field where they were all calving. If it was born dead it disappeared... she never made an udder so I expect she slipped it 6-8 months.... 8 of the 12 calved within 3 weeks and the other 3 were a couple weeks behind... she is just so far overdue .... She will get sold...
So everyone is out of the peterbilt field. The dry cows and bred heifers are now in the field right next to the bulls. They will get moved probably tomorrow... Have eaten the field down and with this rain, it ought to come back real nice... 8 of them will go out to a pasture with other dry cows... and the 12 will go to Snyder's - nurse cow field- to calve out... They are all first calf heifers and I usually calve most heifers there. I can watch them close there. I will get in the 4 bwf heifers from the dairy, that are smaller and I don't especially like , to go back to doug's farm... again... with the few oddballs of the VT bunch of cattle... that are supposed to get sold this Sat... but now DS "has something going on"... too big a secret to tell me what... and the cattle will take another back seat to her plans.....
There are also 4 heifers from the VT cattle that DS is keeping... buying from his friend, and they will also go to snyder's.... 1 is bred and due to calve right at the same time as our 12.... and one is short bred, and 2 others he is going to put there with the bull to get bred. The bull will go in for 60 days.. we only have 4 or 5 of our own heifers that he kept, plus the 8 bwf heifers I am keeping, plus the 2 jerseys, and of course Jess the longhorn... Will pull the bull right about the time the other heifers start to calve... If any of the heifers don't breed, they will get cycled back for the next group, or re-evaluated and possibly sold.
So, I did not get much of anything else done here all day...except the minimum. Did feeders and waterers yesterday so they were good.
So glad to get the panels on the pen switched and it together... I will do the little bit of stapling the wire to the added 2x2 brace pieces on the roof panels.. plan to go to Deb's and get the couple of wood pieces out of the barn and see what I need to do to get them replaced... and I want to get the 2x6's under the cornish hen's pen and the other pen on the skids.
Question for the more "savvy" carpenters.... @Weldman ? others ?.. The 2 "smaller" poultry pens are approx 7 1/2 x 9 ft., or so (yeah, weird sizes) ... If I want to put the 2x6's under the panels, and make these moveable... should I make it so the 2x6's that stick out, to put the eye bolts in to attach pull ropes, are the longer ones on the sides.??? Kinda like a travois with the longer "poles" (2x6's) and the cross pieces to fit between them across the front and back??? They are going to be nearly flush with the sides of the panels on the outside... so the 2x6's stick inside some... the rain will not collect so much on the "runners" if they do not stick out on the side; and to keep the chickens from scratching the stuff right up against the 2x2 frames of the panels...I can take a rake or something and just pull any leaves, hay, whatever back into the pen, and the outside will be close to flush, so less to get in the way of close together if I want them to be... PLUS, I can go down and use L type brackets on the inside to attach the panels to the 2x6's so it will be more stable on the 2x6 "base".... and stay together to move them...
I was thinking that it would be better to pull with the longer sides than to pull from the front piece.. want to be able to pick it up a little in the front to pull. These are not so awful heavy... with the 2x2 frames they are kinda lightweight... and since I made 2 out of 1 1/2 "kits"... instead of having 3 full kits... I had 2 full kits and 1/2 kit.. so I made the one the full size of 7 1/2 x 13 1/2 or so... 3 panels to a side.... then took the other full size one (3 panels) and the partial one (1 panel)..... and made 2, with 2 panels to a side...Luckily the front and back pieces were there... just missing half the side panels and half the roof panels...
ANYWAY... I would like to lay the 2x6 across the front, ON the 2x6's on the sides, but then there is space along the bottoms. Not good for predators to try to get in.
Maybe this is not practical to move them??? Just wanted to be able to use them to improve the ground... maybe move them a couple times during the good weather... park them on the garden areas to improve the soil, eat the bugs and weeds... that type of thing. Then move them off to another area... not like daily moving.. too big for that... I would want something made of pvc or something lighter, to more easily slide and move...
Oh well, open to ideas...
SO, we had .6 in the rain gauge when I got home before... and the sky was getting dark and it looks like more showers/rain for the next day or 2... That gives us a total of 2.5 inches in the last 5-6 days total.... and there were a few puddles this afternoon where it had rained a little harder for a bit down near the pasture... but nothing is "running".....
The fields have greened up sooooo much... washed the tree leaves off so they are nice and green also...
DS's friend passed away... the one that I tried to get to try the ivermectin combo... it's sad, but he was really in alot of pain towards the end... funeral is Wed.
Well, going to go in and get a shower and wash my hair. Ate some ... guess what.... chicken.... for supper...
Going to talk to DS in the morning, so if he is going to move around the bred dry cows and the bred heifers, I can get the 4 bwf heifers in at snyder's to get moved to the barn... unless he is not going to take them this Sat, then they can stay there for another week or so...
Might depend on how the markets look... Prices had dropped quite a bit last week... might need to let them stabalize a bit... See how things look tomorrow morning .....
DS called me not a half an hour after I said he said we would wait on the weather... seems the cows all were right up at, and most were in the barn. So he shut the gate. Said that we could maybe get them worked??? I said okay, give me a half an hour...
I went down and we worked a bunch, sorted through and took a group to the pasture down by GF house. Took 5 cows and 12 calves first trip. Then came back, and got the other 7 cows to match the calves, and 1 more cow/calf match... which would leave 5 more cow/cf pairs to work and move.
Also worked 5 more pairs to go to the pasture where I had to check on the electric after the cows had torn it down... and I restrung it and we had to wash off his building a couple weeks ago... anyway, there were 7 prs there and we were going to put a total of 12 prs. Sadly, there is a calf missing... we have looked everywhere... we are pretty sure the coyotes got it.... so he is listening to me when I push to not put the littler calves out too soon... Anyway, Got them all brought back into the 1st section there... they will get BIT by the fence now... especially with the rain/water we are getting and making the ground so much more effective.
Got the few extras worked so that they can go to a pasture that we only put 5-8prs at... there will be 5 pairs there and the old bull this year.. he has been there before and this will be his last year.... Hoping he will catch all 5.... With the dry conditions, it won't hold more than that for the season if it starts to dry up again...
Also took 4 more pair to the big pasture in Aug Co... makes 28 there now...
He was coming back to the barn, to go to pasture with the elec fence around the building... one calf was walking funny ... I told him I didn't like the way he was walking... turns out he has pinkeye in one eye... so DS was going to get the dart gun and "shoot him" with some Draxxin for the pinkeye... another good deal that they are in the first section again... easier to find and call them. So on the 2nd trip back from down near GF, I reminded him about darting the calf... he said the dart gun was at her house... so we made the swing around and went to her house and he got the dart gun... also wound up with Colt coming back with DS.... so after we got the calves all worked in the chute... he likes to go make them come up the alley to the chute... and we sorted them around as we were turning the calves out, as to where they were going, DS and Colt took the group to Aug Co, and were going to come back and go dart the calf, then DS was going to load the last pairs to go to the farm near her. He put a cow /calf pair up in the back that he wasn't supposed to... they were supposed to go to the pasture by GF; but he had the cow calf pair he bought; the ones that had the horrible infestations of the D#@&*D ticks... that we treated a week ago... in the barn lot... so he got them back in the chute and retreated them, and they will make the 5 needed pairs to go down there. He is understocking all the pastures... better to have "more grass" than not enough grass...
So that makes 28 prs in Aug Co... 18 prs in BV (near her), 12 pr (well 12/11 c/cf) at bartley's, 5 pr at hanger's, and 5 pr to go to McM..... 5 bulls...
There are 6 cows that have not calved yet... they look like beached whales; and one heifer that has obviously slipped the calf... this was her 2nd chance so she will get sold. I went in and armed her, did not feel any calf, and she is thinner than she was... so has lost it somewhere... we never found a dead calf in the peterbilt field where they were all calving. If it was born dead it disappeared... she never made an udder so I expect she slipped it 6-8 months.... 8 of the 12 calved within 3 weeks and the other 3 were a couple weeks behind... she is just so far overdue .... She will get sold...
So everyone is out of the peterbilt field. The dry cows and bred heifers are now in the field right next to the bulls. They will get moved probably tomorrow... Have eaten the field down and with this rain, it ought to come back real nice... 8 of them will go out to a pasture with other dry cows... and the 12 will go to Snyder's - nurse cow field- to calve out... They are all first calf heifers and I usually calve most heifers there. I can watch them close there. I will get in the 4 bwf heifers from the dairy, that are smaller and I don't especially like , to go back to doug's farm... again... with the few oddballs of the VT bunch of cattle... that are supposed to get sold this Sat... but now DS "has something going on"... too big a secret to tell me what... and the cattle will take another back seat to her plans.....
There are also 4 heifers from the VT cattle that DS is keeping... buying from his friend, and they will also go to snyder's.... 1 is bred and due to calve right at the same time as our 12.... and one is short bred, and 2 others he is going to put there with the bull to get bred. The bull will go in for 60 days.. we only have 4 or 5 of our own heifers that he kept, plus the 8 bwf heifers I am keeping, plus the 2 jerseys, and of course Jess the longhorn... Will pull the bull right about the time the other heifers start to calve... If any of the heifers don't breed, they will get cycled back for the next group, or re-evaluated and possibly sold.
So, I did not get much of anything else done here all day...except the minimum. Did feeders and waterers yesterday so they were good.
So glad to get the panels on the pen switched and it together... I will do the little bit of stapling the wire to the added 2x2 brace pieces on the roof panels.. plan to go to Deb's and get the couple of wood pieces out of the barn and see what I need to do to get them replaced... and I want to get the 2x6's under the cornish hen's pen and the other pen on the skids.
Question for the more "savvy" carpenters.... @Weldman ? others ?.. The 2 "smaller" poultry pens are approx 7 1/2 x 9 ft., or so (yeah, weird sizes) ... If I want to put the 2x6's under the panels, and make these moveable... should I make it so the 2x6's that stick out, to put the eye bolts in to attach pull ropes, are the longer ones on the sides.??? Kinda like a travois with the longer "poles" (2x6's) and the cross pieces to fit between them across the front and back??? They are going to be nearly flush with the sides of the panels on the outside... so the 2x6's stick inside some... the rain will not collect so much on the "runners" if they do not stick out on the side; and to keep the chickens from scratching the stuff right up against the 2x2 frames of the panels...I can take a rake or something and just pull any leaves, hay, whatever back into the pen, and the outside will be close to flush, so less to get in the way of close together if I want them to be... PLUS, I can go down and use L type brackets on the inside to attach the panels to the 2x6's so it will be more stable on the 2x6 "base".... and stay together to move them...
I was thinking that it would be better to pull with the longer sides than to pull from the front piece.. want to be able to pick it up a little in the front to pull. These are not so awful heavy... with the 2x2 frames they are kinda lightweight... and since I made 2 out of 1 1/2 "kits"... instead of having 3 full kits... I had 2 full kits and 1/2 kit.. so I made the one the full size of 7 1/2 x 13 1/2 or so... 3 panels to a side.... then took the other full size one (3 panels) and the partial one (1 panel)..... and made 2, with 2 panels to a side...Luckily the front and back pieces were there... just missing half the side panels and half the roof panels...
ANYWAY... I would like to lay the 2x6 across the front, ON the 2x6's on the sides, but then there is space along the bottoms. Not good for predators to try to get in.
Maybe this is not practical to move them??? Just wanted to be able to use them to improve the ground... maybe move them a couple times during the good weather... park them on the garden areas to improve the soil, eat the bugs and weeds... that type of thing. Then move them off to another area... not like daily moving.. too big for that... I would want something made of pvc or something lighter, to more easily slide and move...
Oh well, open to ideas...
SO, we had .6 in the rain gauge when I got home before... and the sky was getting dark and it looks like more showers/rain for the next day or 2... That gives us a total of 2.5 inches in the last 5-6 days total.... and there were a few puddles this afternoon where it had rained a little harder for a bit down near the pasture... but nothing is "running".....
The fields have greened up sooooo much... washed the tree leaves off so they are nice and green also...
DS's friend passed away... the one that I tried to get to try the ivermectin combo... it's sad, but he was really in alot of pain towards the end... funeral is Wed.
Well, going to go in and get a shower and wash my hair. Ate some ... guess what.... chicken.... for supper...
Going to talk to DS in the morning, so if he is going to move around the bred dry cows and the bred heifers, I can get the 4 bwf heifers in at snyder's to get moved to the barn... unless he is not going to take them this Sat, then they can stay there for another week or so...
Might depend on how the markets look... Prices had dropped quite a bit last week... might need to let them stabalize a bit... See how things look tomorrow morning .....
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