Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

On another note....I downloaded the info from the herd where my cows are...wanted to see how they are milking and their butterfat and scc and all...
Well 5 of the 7 are pregnant... one is only fresh barely 3 months so will get bred for the first time pretty soon I guess....one has not been bred since march but is not checked as pregnant... don't know if she has a problem.... 5 had calved in Nov and early dec... one in mid dec... and then this last one not until April but she was from the other dairy and that was her due date...
So anyway, 3 are due in the fall... one (straight jersey) in late Oct, one (jer/hol x with the worst udder of all of them) in mid Nov and one (jer/hol x) in early dec... and she is due with twins....then one due in feb and one due in mar... both jer/hol x... the other straight jer is the one not checked preg and the big older cow that is just 3 months fresh is a hol/guernsey.... she has had all bull calves... and I had her bred several times to guernsey semen and twice to sexed semen... but was of the 10% that could be bull calves and of course.. I got bull calves....once she was bred to the other farmers bull, and had a hol heifer calf that died.... never going to get any genetics-replacements out of her.
The 6 "first calf heifers/young cows"... 4 are the 1/2 jersey - 1/2 hol...2 are straight jersey...... had butterfats in the mid and upper 4%'s.... 4.3, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 5.3 ;( 5.3 on the one not yet checked pregnant... and she is the lowest producer also) scc counts are not bad... except the last calved cow... but this is her first test so can't compare it to previous test....

The one with the crummy shaped udder has the lowest scc.....

Except for the one that is 3 months fresh with a high scc.... and the one that is not checked preg yet.... they are all doing pretty good. I am glad they are carrying their weight there.... the one jersey that is not checked preg is the lowest producer and if she does not check preg soon, I may bring her home and put her with the angus bull for a calf for next fall and see if she will breed here.... she had her 2nd calf there, so will get one more chance here.... I can manage to carry one open cow through the winter... her scc was through the roof last test so she may have had an infection that did not show up and that may have caused her to not settle... don't know if they bred her recently....she is the one that is averaging 5.3% butterfat, so the best butterfat one....

Overall, I was pleased with their test results....

 

[Baymule]

As always you got a lot going on. I’m glad GF takes up for you, she talks sense to your son and he listens.

 

[farmerjan]

Just sat for a few minutes.... got dark out so came in to look at radar... showed a big splotch of yellow orange and we aren't getting a drop....but there is a severe thunderstorm warning til 9 tonight. I just wish it would just pour down for awhile....it has cooled off down to 92 from 96 a little while ago....
Going to go back into the kitchen.... and wish a little.....

 

[B&B Happy goats]

We have the most flooding here in 50 years, our county is the worst hit in the state as it has done nonthing but rain daily (except today so far) and now they are talking and worrying about the tropical storm hitting us early next week....ISURE WOULD LOVE to share it with all that so desperately need it

 

[farmerjan]

AHHHHH, sure wish we could take some of it off of you @B&B Happy goats .... the "possible " ones again stayed east and fizzled out totally to the west... we were looking at maybe a good one around 7-9 pm and it never even materialized....
We are hoping the tropical storm will come up this way.... maybe you could give it a jab and make it skip over you and land up here in Va..... some places are getting some of these pop up showers... but it is so dry that alot of what shows up on the radar doesn't hit the ground or only has a very little shower....middle & eastern parts of the state have gotten some desperately needed rain.... but not here in the valley. Don't remember it being this dry for this long. The spring is holding up at the nurse cow pasture so far....
Talked to DS and asked about the rest of the bush hogging and he said he hasn't wanted to cut anymore because of burning up what is there.... the tall stuff is actually protecting the ground a little... and honestly, fires are a consideration too now.... some dry grass hitting a hot spot on the engine could even spark one..... not worth the risk....

Not been a very productive day... too hot to do much .... going to have to put water out on the trees again... they look pretty good and I do not want to lose them now.

 

[Baymule]

We have the most flooding here in 50 years, our county is the worst hit in the state as it has done nonthing but rain daily (except today so far) and now they are talking and worrying about the tropical storm hitting us early next week....ISURE WOULD LOVE to share it with all that so desperately need it

I’ve been watch the trajectory of the storm headed your way, thinking about you and all the rain. Like you really need more…..NOT!

 

[Mini Horses]

Weather on now predicts storm Fred may go through western VA about Wed. You really need it to be a little more middle to have the rain event you guys need. We can all hope it gets there. DS is right to not cut, for all those reasons.

They cut about 10 acres across from me yesterday. Thick stuff!! This heat would be perfect if not for the humidity. It'll take an extra day to dry. 2nd cut. Might get a 3rd.

 

[farmerjan]

I would give my eye teeth to be doing 2nd cutting and worrying about having to do a third.....right about now.

Did look at the noontime news and all... and it does look like we will be getting some relief. As @Mini Horses said, the track of "fred" does look to be coming to our area... and after a good part of where I am being put into the moderate to severe drought category in the last few days, I am so very thankful . It will not help many of the corn fields... and we are on the edge of being almost too late but I think we still will get some good benefit from this if we get it because we get our corn planted so late. Hopeful that it will help it. I know that it will be ideal for the sorghum we just made, for it to come back and really grow. It will help the pastures to recover and the hayfields should be able to start to regrow also. So I am praying that we get it. Some possible pop up showers this eve again from the heat.... and then going into the weekend more of them with "fred" coming in by early next week. Temps are supposed to drop about 15 degrees too.

It's 1 pm and very hot already. I am going to go grocery shopping and check out a couple places for a stove too...have found a couple and am going to check out the Habitat Restore too.... but may just go get one that the people took out to remodel and said it worked good..... but I may as well be in air conditioning at this hour. My fans are good, but need to go do this so may as well do it while I can take advantage of someone elses cooler building... it'll be there whether I go or not... also forgot to stop and give my meat cutting instructions so will do that first on my way.... they aren't ready for it yet so not a problem, but don't want them to have to be calling me. I need to get the shed organized a bit since the last couple of trips from the stone house just got shoved in there; so I can get into the freezers a little easier.....I am going to move some of the stuff around too as the chickens take up alot of room and I have a feeling that I am going to need more space than there is there unless I do some rearranging now. Good problem to have.... of course there is going to be the paying for it... but even that will be a small bill compared to if I had to buy the meat outright.

 

[Baymule]

Nothing busts a drought like a hurricane or tropical storm. I hope you get the rain you need!

 

[farmerjan]

Well, it sure got hot this afternoon.... 99 here on the porch... heat index like 105...
I went to town and did spend the better part of a couple hours inside in someone elses' AC.... stocked up on more staples at Walmart.... checked out a couple of places but no stoves, went to the discount Sharp Shopper, to see about the ice cream and all. There were none of the cans of beans that I got or the discounted ww flour that I got a week ago. Priced bulk flour and it was higher than the last time... sugar too in bulk. Makes no sense. Had picked another 10 lb bag of sugar at Walmart while I was there.
Stopped and got my 2 gal bucket of milk and talked to farmer for a few minutes. But ice cream was in cooler chest and put milk in insulated "bag" so wanted to get on home... There was water on the road.... they got one of the pop up showers...he said that there was all of a sudden a black cloud overhead... and it poured down for about 10 minutes... they got .2 inch which he said was so great... first measurable rain in over a month for them. Hoping this will "prime" the ground for more to come....
Stopped and fed the horse too....
Got home and backed up to front porch to unload. Got out with milk and shut door and then it was all locked. Must've hit a button. No problem, I keep that stupid little fob thing in my pocket in any pair of pants I wear... Click the button.... NOTHING..... tried everything.... then thought that the battery was dead... went to the truck stop in my little truck, after trying the smaller local stations, and got one.... put it in and came home... NOTHING..... I am getting mad at this point. Understand that we seldom ever take keys out of our vehicles here at home because you never know when we might need someone to go get a vehicle, or move a vehicle, or whatever. It is standard practice on many farms here... you just leave the keys in it. BUT, the thing of it was I was RIGHT HERE, going to unload it before moving it back to the driveway.....
So, naturally I am getting really P.O.ed.... and realized that I had left the windows down just a smidgen so that it would not get so unbearably hot tomorrow.... and I managed to pull out the window a smidge, and use a thin rod to reach in and hit the button to unlock it. So, the keys are in my pocket .... got it unloaded and it is still sitting there as it was dark and I was aggravated and sweating from all that.... Got to get it figured out what the problem is with the little fob thing to unlock it.....
I was not going to call someone even though the ice cream was in the freezer chest... not spending 75 or 100 dollars for 15 dollars worth of ice cream..... but really..... the stupid little fob thing won't work all of a sudden????

So stuff is in the freezer.... it was a bit soft due to the heat, but not soupy yet.... and the key is in my pocket... I will be getting a second key made to keep as a spare with the unlock fob thing....

I will get stuff put in the cabinets tomorrow.... I am hungry and didn't eat on the way home.... there is some stuff in the fridge I think... can always just make a pbj sandwich at this point. Too hot here to eat much... still 77 at 11 pm....

Still calling for some more of these showers tomorrow and Saturday, with a front coming in from the west that is supposed to bring cooler temps... then "Fred" coming up from the gulf and Florida on maybe Tues? SURE HOPE SO....

Time to check on the craisglist ads... and I am going to go get something to eat and probably go to bed.