Farmerjan's journal - Weather

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,194
Reaction score
38,742
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Tuesday, 2 pm. I got up, went to pool PT and had a good day. SUN IS OUT ......BEAUTIFUL...... light breeze today but not near as much as yesterday. But that wind yesterday did help to get the ground a little dried off the top. It got down to 27 last night so ground was hard this morning. Then the sun has made it "greasy" on top.... but the sun looks and feels GOOD!!!!!

Well, calves aren't going to the sale until Friday morning. DS is still bringing them back to the barn Thursday. I got the paper for the pasture so he knows how many he needs to make sure there is. He did say he found a dead calf, small one. There were 4 cows put there that had been diagnosed open... and they were young cows, so they got put "back with a bull" there... with their calves that are now pretty big.... Well there must have been at least 2 that were short bred..... one has a nice little calf about 2 weeks old now, and then he found another dead one. Might have been born in the real crappy weather as he was feeding enough for 4-5 days at a time because it was so hard to get in and out with the truck...... So we will try to figure out who had it.... everyone had a calf when they went in there and the one with the new little calf has a big calf there too. But DS said that he has not seen the big calf around her so she must've weaned him off on her own. I don't know who the other was off of.... we will be able to figure it out as she will be open obviously. Since the weather is most likely to blame, she will get another chance if she is a younger cow.

So, I had to change my regular PT appt that was on friday. And that means I will have to get up early too as he will want to haul the cattle early. I think that he is going to spend tomorrow afternoon to figuring out how he wants to move calves around in the barn where we are feeding them, so he can then put the calves to get sold, into the cleaner - less muddy - field for Thursday night. We'll still preg check Thursday afternoon, and those cows will get moved out back or somewhere for calving. I am sure that most of the calves are weaned off since the cows wouldn't be making much milk anyway.
I have an approx list of the heifer calves at the barn and there are at least 4 or maybe 6 that are mine. I am not sure about where a couple are right off. More than I thought. There are maybe 2 steers that are mine, one already at the barn off a cow we dried up, and the charl x that will be getting moved Thurs.... there are 2 charl x steer calves at that pasture so hoping they are matched as far as size, so can get sold as a pair. So, I am going to go down the hill in a bit and work on packing more stuff into boxes. I have 3 boxes to move out of the hallway here, and then I can bring another load up and put in the hallway.

So, going to get some things done. Sun sure has made it more desirable to do some stuff. I ordered some potatoes from Irish eyes... some different ones that I want to put in some rows to do some comparisons. I can get the Kennebecs and Yukon Golds and Red Pontiacs here.... so trying some others. They are expensive, but hope to be able to keep some for seed potatoes next year of any that I like. Fingerlings are not very available around here. I like the Kenebecs as a good standard potato, the Yukon golds do not keep as well but are good eating. And I have always liked red skinned potatoes.... they seem to have a nice flesh for mashed potatoes. And look nice in potato salad when you make it with skin on potatoes.
Going to try hard to make time for a garden this year..... Lots of seeds at the farm bureau... going to look and see what I have that I bought at closeout last year. I will probably try pre-sprouting some this year to make sure that they will grow. Got to get someone to till the place where I want to have the garden. I am seriously wanting a tiller for the tractor, for my own use, to be able to till when where I want to. Going to be fighting grass like @Mini Horses is reclaiming pasture for a garden and I will be reclaiming lawn that they have been mowing for the last 10 years.
Haven't heard from the guy about the boxwoods/yard cleanup. Just thought of that. Well, the moving this month is priority. And still haven't heard back from the friend on the fruit tree movings. I am not going to say anything else, again. I am tired of promises... I will pay for a mini digger and get DS to do it when he gets P.O.ed with them in the field. Seems like you can't get anyone to do what they say they will do. :hit:he:he:barnie:barnie:barnie I will have to mention it in front of GF because he jumps when she says things....so I will play on it. Learning to how to fight my battles.....

He did ask when I was wanting to move stuff..... If it stays dry, he will be able to get up closer to the door and maybe get the big stuff moved in about 2 weeks. Then I can get the last little stuff done, and cleaning done. So I need to get things done this next week or so. I have about 75% of the stuff done, out of the house, I think. Looks like alot but most of the stuff left, is bigger stuff. And the freezers. Next week I get the new one for the house, then can move stuff out of the one and get it cleaned. Thinking maybe he can help me move it then I can empty out the next one and get stuff moved up here and that one cleaned out.
Got to get going.
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,089
Reaction score
98,639
Points
873
Location
East Texas
Learning how to fight your battles.... :lol: You are wising up. She must like you, if she wants your DS to "help his mom".

I hope y'all do well at the sale.

You are down to the wire on getting the rest of your stuff moved. Little by little, you have done wonders. Now you are down to the big stuff that you need help on.
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,194
Reaction score
38,742
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Wednesday. Went to Blacksburg with DS for the dr appt when he gets the prolotherapy shots. Then went to Rural King ( TSC on steroids type store) and found a single pair of ankle high boots... not expensive and LUCKILY they fit. Closeout of winter type stuff.... Cannot believe that they fit, I will be able to put my insoles in, and not too narrow. Had to go into a bigger size, but PT said that I probably need to accept that with this ankle and the little bit of edema that I might never lose out of the foot. Never dreamed that I would find something I could wear and have it be the ONLY pair left!!!!!! YAY !!!!!They have laces and I could get them on and off..... and will not pull off like the "muck shoes" that I have that are waterproof but pull off in the sticky mud.

DS is going to ask GF father if he can come and move the 3 peach trees at the rental house. DS said he will find some dirt put in his small dump truck, then can fill the holes once we get them dug. Landlord can't complain about that. I asked him for the flat prybar to get the molding up around the cabinet and he asked if I needed him to do it. I said I would like if he could get the part of the old "island" thing that was in the kitchen, that is sitting in the DR, out of the house so I can start getting more boxes moved in there and stacked. Maybe I can get him to get the cabinet moved easier than I can do it myself. So, anyway, I may just see if I can get GF father to get the trees out of the field too. DS said that this might not be a good time to move them, and that they aren't doing him any good there but it is what it is...... HUH..... this is my kid????? not raising he// that they are still there????

We are going to the barn and look over the heifers that are in that lot.... he is going to try to get some of the cattle moved around this afternoon. So that will be good. And the dr wrote the off work order for today AND tomorrow so he will be able to use a "sick day" for tomorrow instead of one of his earned days..... And he will go in to work a little late on Friday after we haul the cattle.

So, I am going to get a few things done here until he calls and said that he is done feeding and ready to look over the calves/heifers.

It is SUNNY and nice, a little breezy but not bad. 50's + .... and the forecast that I just saw, is for a possible 7-10 day stretch of NO PRECIPITATION..... :celebrate :celebrate :celebrate :clap :clap :thumbsup :thumbsup :jumpy:yesss::yesss::yesss::jumpy:jumpy:jumpy:jumpy:jumpy:weee:weee:weee:weee:weee
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,194
Reaction score
38,742
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Back at the house but going to head down the hill in a few minutes. Got the boxes of bottles in the car and ready for morning.
Worked in the house a bit until DS called. Got everything out of the way so I can get the kitchen island thing out of the DR. Got the stuff out of the way of the cabinet in the kitchen so that we can get to the quarter round and baseboard around the cabinet so that we can get the stove in. moved boxes and unpacked another. Got all the clean vacuum canisters in a box for the time being.
DS called and I went to Doug's barn. He had just gotten the weaned calves in. We went through them, a small group at a time. Sorted who we are keeping and who we are selling; debating on a few. I have a really nice, ready to breed, charolais cross heifer that is a nut case. Real nice and real nuts. She is going on the truck. If we had a kill date soon she would be perfect for that. Real shame, she is really nice and would make a good cow as far as type, build etc. But not keeping a dumba$$. Sell her and maybe buy back another one with a calf. There are several other younger ones that are real high strung; once we got in there and started working around them, they were doing everything but turn themselves inside out to get out. And remember, DS is in there nearly everyday and many of them just look at you and go back to eating or just walk away around you and back to the bunk. One tried to jump over a 6 board high outside fence(wall) along the one side of the barn. It was almost funny.... but she is getting on the truck because we don't need this kind of BS. No excuse for that kind of behavior. So, we have 31 head at the barn picked out. There are supposed to be 20 steers at the pasture that they are moving home tomorrow. Plus we don't have any idea how many, if any, of the cows will check open. We plan to take any open cows to the sale since the feeling is that cull cow prices will be dropping. So we should be good for the number we need to get the consignment discount too. Now if we can get everyone moved tomorrow.....

We are planning 3 trailers to go to town early Friday. Should be able to fit 50 head.... all according to size we can put 15-20 on our trailer and I think that Caleb's trailer is 24 ft long.... ours is 20 ft. I think that the other one is also 20 ft.. They will bring them home from the pasture in 4 loads since 25 head are big mature cows and a bull... who is 1800-2000 lbs I would imagine. They will make 2 trips with 2 trailers. No sense in crowding them to come to the barn. The calves will mostly weigh in the 500+ lb range with about 6 that are younger so smaller. We put them up there at this pasture later because there was so much grass, and we figured that they would hopefully breed back for "late" spring/summer, calves next year. If we come up with very many open cows I can take a load after we take the 3 loads in the morning; when I go back to the sale. I will be there for the sale and watching the calves.

We sorted off about 8 heifers that will be big enough to breed, in late June... early July. I talked to DS about maybe breeding a little later in the "summer"; putting the bulls in for breeding, later in June instead of in late May, so the calves are born in late March/April/May so that the calves come off later and the cows still get a good break before the next calving. I said if he was going to wean and keep so many for early spring sale (like now) that there is nothing to gain for them to be getting sold at 600 lbs.... if they are born later, they will be a little smaller when weaned, and weaned later, so they would be more in the 450-500 lbs when they get sold. And be on feed a shorter amount of time before selling too. We'll see.

So I will keep my fingers crossed that things go well tomorrow for them.

I am going to try to get a decent nights' sleep so I can get up and be at the farm by 4 a.m. to set up their samplers so we can get milking on time. If they are milking as many as last month, it will be a long morning because it just will take longer. But I am expecting that.

I will drive the car because I want the boxes of samples inside not in the back of the truck. I will come to the house and change to my new boots and get the truck. I wore them tonight while we were doing the sorting and they were okay. So that is good. I always wear sneakers in the parlors to give my legs/feet as much support as I can.

It was nice today; and I checked the forecast and we are supposed to have sun to partly cloudy for the next 10 days....colder tonight and tomorrow night - mid 20's - but that will be good because it will slow down the mud the next 2 days. DS is going to roll out another bale of hay for the calves to eat and lay on so they will be a little drier. They are muddy, but this will help. No more silage for the next 2 days so they don't stand and gorge themselves and have big guts for the sale.

Oh, I got a "compliment" because the auctioneer at the sale is a friend and DS was talking to him about the sale this friday, and he told DS that there were only a couple of decent cows at the cow sale, that nearly all were poor and old and that it was good that we didn't buy many. He basically told DS that it was good that I pretty much sat on my hands because they were just too bad.. The 2 I got are doing good, eating real good. DS said that they should be fine and the calves were coming right up to the bunk with the cows. That's good because they will learn to eat and get plenty of nutrition.

Headed out.
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,194
Reaction score
38,742
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
@Baymule .... yeah, imagine getting a compliment for NOT buying those cows!!!! DS is looking at a dozen that someone told him about .... going to go look at them in person I guess.... Whatever.... it will be interesting to see what the ones consigned next friday (12th) bring.

They got all the cattle out of the pasture and to the barn. 25 cows.... only 3 open, and 2 have NO teeth, literally, smooth gums. They are in good condition . The 2 will go to the sale tomorrow too. The other one he is going to put back with the bull. She has a big steer calf on her....he will give her another chance I guess.
All the ones that were put out there to pasture earlier, are 6-8+ months.... like going to calve day after tomorrow....:ep :th:duc..... but I have been preaching that the calves needed to be off. The good thing is the cows are all in very good shape and look like they are all dried up ....weaned the calves themselves....
There are 5 that had smaller calves, that didn't get put out there until August.... they are all bred 2-3 months or so... which is fine and really expected.... except that they will be calving in later fall..... ..... :barnie:he. Oh well.

So tomorrow most will go to town. We are taking 3 trailers.... and if worst comes to worst, and we are tight for space, I will take the 2 cows in late morning/noon time.... and stay for the sale. He has to go to work as soon as we get them delivered there and get back. Auctioneer friend said he is expecting a good number due to it drying out and people being able to get their animals hauled. Should draw more buyers.... It will be a long day. At least DS will be there as they sort and group them when we take them; and I won't have to listen to him complain if they aren't grouped the way thinks I should have gotten them done.
The nutty charolais heifer of mine will not be going tomorrow. And there are 2 heifers that I couldn't figure out where they came from because they were not on any of my sheets/inventories..... WELL.... seems like a friend dropped them off there for the time being.... DS said he could, and then forgot about them so he is trying to say that I should be able to find them on a list.... when they aren't ours and aren't on any list...... DUH...... so they won't be going either.... he is thinking that the charolais might make a beef.... said he doesn't have any sold right now but I would get her done and put her in the freezer for future sale.... my jersey steer is there too to be killed asap..... so nutcase gets a reprieve for now. I think he is thinking the trailer space since she is much bigger than the calves.... she may wind up getting bred anyway.... he thinks that she won't bring a good price due to her size.... and doesn't want to give her away.... we'll see.

Anyway... tested this morning. They are up to 540 cows going through the milking parlor so a long morning.... 4:30 - 10 a.m. but the cows are AVERAGING 91 lbs milk a day.... that is like 11 gallons A DAY. A LOT OF MILK. Came home and had to stop and pick up some parts for him and then they weren't the right ones when I got here.... but I had no idea of what I was getting since he called it in.... if he had told me, I could have looked at them. Brakes.... but they sent front brakes and it was supposed to be back brakes.... and I do know the difference and he did tell them specifically and gave them measurements and they still got it wrong..... SO AGGRAVATING. I guess he will take them back tomorrow & hopefully get the right ones.....
Got here and they were getting along with the cows already... had the 5 and smaller calves sorted off and then we ran the rest through the chute. The 5 all had heifer calves I think....They will go with the group that are going to calve in the fall I guess. He just put them out in the "old cow lot" with the ones there, to get them out of the way for now. We can deal with them over the weekend.

Samples didn't get packed in time to go out today, so I will drop them off tomorrow. Got another farm wanting to test Mon eve/Tues morn.... that I drop the stuff off and he does them himself (owner sampler). Then I plan to do another farm down the road on Wed hopefully so it will save me a trip ... I will go early and just get the stuff/ do his computer work on wed, then go to the other farm a mile away. If I get them scheduled....

So I am headed down the hill, get some sleep so I can be at the barn around 5:30... got to have the lists ready as we sort off the cows from the calves that are getting sold.

I intend to SLEEP IN Saturday morning !!!!

Wish us luck. Hope we do as good comparably as @Mike CHS and @Beekissed did with their sheep/lambs recently. At least is is supposed to be a nice day again...
 

Mini Horses

Herd Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
9,291
Reaction score
29,334
Points
728
Location
S coastal VA
Such are the auctions -- hope for best! :) really depends on buyers there, as well as animal condition. I enjoy watching and talking with lookers before the ring. Not the numbers here that you have there for animals!!! So, a little more fun and personal.

Wishing you good prices! That many off the feed/pastures can't hurt. 😁
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,194
Reaction score
38,742
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Just a quick note. Got up and was at the barn at 5:30. DS had the cattle in the barn.... We got all the bred cows sorted off and put out for the day. He pulled a heifer out to keep, and put a couple more in, that were "maybe's" . He was going to keep one, it was rather small, and I said no, her mother is one of the open ones that is getting sold, it needs to just go.
So we wound up with a total 55 head that went to town. 2 adult cull cows, and 53 "calves/feeders"..... and it was about half and half.... I will be going to the sale and will be there to watch them as they sell. DS won't be there for the start of the sale, when the steers start selling. And that depends if they start on time too.... which they are famous for not doing.
I am going to take the meters and hoses to the farm that wants to test mon/tues since I will be within 15 miles and it will save a special trip. Then go to the sale. I have the samples to drop off on the way. Another farm called and wants to test next week; and the farm I was going to do right after the owner sampler farm does not want to test til the following week. So I have to get out the calendar and start to get things scheduled.

Sunny now; and there is a good breeze today, again.... It was cold again last night. 25 and the ground was hard on top so at least no surface mud at the barn. As soon as the sun gets a chance that will change. SOOOO GLAD that there are 30 out of the barn lot and the cows will get moved out tomorrow. Then if he can take a load to that guy who buys the "so-so" ones that DS buys here & there and puts together a load for, that would be another 10 gone. If these feeders do good today, I think that we will be taking the rest of any odd balls we have.... the 6-10 that are at the nurse cow field and need to be sold and the bull needs to come out of there too. Get the numbers down a bit and reduce the feeding and time spent doing the chores.

So, I am gonna get going and get things put together here and load the meters etc to take, sample shipment... and make the rounds so to speak on the way to town, and the sale, for the afternoon.
 
Top