Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Well, those pop up showers happened... I had just finished the mowing and put the mower in the carport. Got the bucket for the milk (I take one and leave it and pick up full one... works great)... and the reports on the car seat. It was later than I thought so went to do the cow first... WOW... that was luck. The heifer (her own calf) had gotten the gate pushed far enough to get out into the other side of the barn and one of the bull calves followed... LUCKILY, she did not figure out to go out the creep gate to get to her mother.. or I would never have gotten her back in with the cow... Brought 801 in the end she comes in, and then got the heifer back around the gate and then went and found the bull calf that was missing, and got him in with the cow. Then I went and was checking the rest of the heifers with calves... and came up missing one calf... the only charolais out there so OBVIOUSLY missing. Rode all around looking and thought Oh NO... then went back up by the barn and there are 3 calves including the char up by the flat bed trailer that has the water tank on it... PHEW.... by then 801 was done with her grain and I got her out the gate then the little twerp almost snuck out behind me before I got the gate shut...I switched the gate so she can't push it as now she will push it against the wall instead of away from it, slipped the gate to the "inside " of the pen the calves are in. Plus made sure the other 2 gates were tied on the top and bottom so they can't sneak though a spot... See this place is rented and if you hang the gates they become part of the property... and we have no intention of leaving any of them if we have to give it up... the son is a PITA and if anything happens to the parents he "wants his half" of this property... and he says "cows are just evil beasts".... What a JERK..... the sister would be glad for us to stay there forever... so don't know how that will ever work out... there is plenty of money there... father is a realtor and mother has inherited several places... this place was her father's place... And they are all dumber than rocks about cattle and like to make the ones there into "pets" and then get so upset if they get moved anywhere else... we naturally don't tell them when they get sold (culled).... they understand the "boy calves" have to be castrated and sold... but hate to think about the ones there becoming "dinner" for someone....
While in the barn we got a fast and soaking downpour....clouds came up out of practically nowhere...

So then I went to get the milk and take the reports...they had not gotten the rain there... the road was dry a mile from the nurse cow pasture... but then there were clouds building over there so hope they got some more. They got about 7-8 tenths inch of rain to our 1+ inch. Talking about how short their alfalfa is due to the warm weather early then getting hurt with the freezes.... and how little hay there will be around first cutting...

Oh, and I went to Deb's and helped a little clean out the freezer.... it had gone off when they lost power, a transformer went bad and I didn't know it because it was before I moved into this house... and it was just her house... and when she found it some had thawed but not all so she just plugged it back in after they came out to fix the transformer... So DS is needing a place to store the 1/2 beef that is going to NH when he goes to get the backhoe... and the truck if I go too, and she said she could move a few things in the other freezer and it would be pretty much empty. So anyway, I got there and she had done most of it and was just cleaning out the bottom water and all... and then wiped it down and plugged it back in and we came up and she was showing me her pictures from the vacation she took with her friends to Maui.... Then we both decided that maybe it would be dry enough to mow so she was going to do some of hers and I came home to do mine....

Done for the night, took a shower and am going in to go to bed shortly.

 

[farmerjan]

Oh, about the cattle sale on Sat.... DS had to go to the equipment auction and we had sorted the ones to go Friday eve.. He was worried that one or 2 of the steers that had bad attitudes might hurt me trying to load... but I said I would see if I could get them in... if not he said he could come home from the auction if need be. I got there at 9:30 after doing the cow, and they all went right up the alley and into the trailer... WOW, how often does that happen? But then I couldn't get the truck started... he has been having to jump it to the solenoid .... only when the weather is warm...it starts in the cold weather... he has replaced everything he knows of... talked to another guy and they can't seem to figure it out... Well, it wouldn't start... and I can't reach up over into the engine even standing on something... so a guy that has been cutting some wood was there so he helped get it started... then I left.
Got there and the truck is starting to have some little issues and it cuts off when it gets a little low on oil... seems that it has a leak now... so I had to add oil and then a couple of guys helped to get it restarted... all those little quirks....but got unloaded and all was good. They did okay with grouping the calves... and then I ate some lunch and waited... They sell the goats and sheep and any pigs first... and there were hundreds of goats and sheep... one guy said he hadn't seen that many on a saturday since before the Easter holidays... DS texts me to see how things are going, and what the small calves brought and I said they haven't even started selling cattle yet...
Goats were in the 100-300 range per head...babies were 75 to 150 for most... some big billy's brought 400+ one brought nearly 600 but one guy really wanted him.... Lambs and sheep were sold by the pound except for a few little lambs... they brought 30 - 60 a head for little tiny bottle lambs... the ones in the 40-100 lb sizes were sold by the lb and they were averaging over $3.00 a pound... some as much as 3.40....
And then there were a few pigs... a litter of about 8 or 9 yorkshire piglets... probably 20-30 lbs tops... were 140.00 a HEAD. Like about $6-7 per pound.... HOLY COW !!!!!There were 2 that were butcher size, 250-260 lbs... and the gilt brought over $.80 / lb... and the barrow about $.60/ lb... Then they got to the calves and ours did okay. The one that went in the "graded pen"... meaning they are preferable in type and weight... brought 1.75/lb at about 540 lbs (?) and 4 others brought 1.60 lb... 2 and 2... the one set of 2 were rather tall and a little leggy and DS thought it would be good if they brought 1.40... the others he wanted 1.60... a couple of others were 157 and 147... not quite what he wanted but they needed to be gone. My cow and calf I split and they both did okay.... they were herefords and this is not good country for herefords.. but they also weren't very heavy... the cow brought 57.70 which was more than I expected since she was small and the heifer brought 1.10 when black heifers are bringing 1.50... one other black heifer did pretty good, over 1.45 and another odd steer brought 1.65... and I bought home the one at 1.32 ... and he is one that is mean.. but that was just not enough for the quality... he can go out with the heifers for the time being...
It was a decent return... steer calves are off a little and heifer calves were up a bit...
Best thing is they are gone... 13 less to feed.

Didn't get back to the barn after loading the one steer to come home, until nearly 9 p.m. I was tired....

DS bought the 2 calf hutches... turns out they are the deluxe model with the 2 attached feed buckets and a special window to open to feed them throught, and the special made in bottle holder into the side... worth about 700 new... Paid about 300 but the are in VERY good shape.... DS also bought a small trailer because I had been saying I needed a trailer to put the water tank on... BUT I had specifically said it needed to be as high as a truck bed so that I could run the water into the water troughs... of course he forgot that part... it is 5x8 with some sides... but it is too low to the ground for the water tank.... . I swear he doesn't half listen...
He did watch the pallets and although they were big and probably 12 ft long... solid... they brought OVER $100 each..... that was way more than I expected... I figured 40 or 50 each was plenty... so glad he did not buy them. Never know, might be more available in the summer or fall.... He did sell all his stuff... said prices weren't great but they were okay and there is that much less stuff sitting around...and money in his pocket...baler brought more than he thought... more than scrap price, and rake a little less than he thought but didn't lose any money on it and others there brought less.... couple other things he said did okay.
I think people are getting a little more conservative with their money with the economy getting tighter...
There's always next month too.... might be a few more things to go if he has time to work on them.
Scrap metal is up to $13 / hundred weight... he is going to get a load together... there is a pile at the barn he has been just tossing in one spot...
He was going to work on fence today since they got rained out yesterday... got to get these cows out on grass...
And there is hay ready to be made as soon as we see a window of no rain.... time to start...

 

[farmerjan]

BEAUTIFUL DAY today. Clear air, cool 52 this morning but just gorgeous out. Light breeze and sunny, warming up. I looked for the marks from Miss Utility.... only see the ones that I already knew there was the underground wire from the pole to the house for the internet connection... going to call them just to make sure I haven't missed anything. Then the garden gets plowed.... YAY!!!!!! Will get it rototilled in a couple days then just plant the whole thing and mulch....

Did the nurse cow, and ate bacon and eggs for a late breakfast... Going in to pack the samples from yesterday's test and get them dropped off. Going to plant some petunia's and plants, that DS bought me for Easter... think I will put them in another of the planters that I bought since the knees still don't do good with a shovel... Also have some gladiolus bulbs to plant.

It is so nice out... got to go out and enjoy it. Supposed to get some showers Wed eve/Thurs... then RECORD heat expected... 90's.... totally nuts. Will take the meters off the truck and put them in the storage box in the carport. A farm wants to test on Sat so won't need them until then....guess I will go.

DS talked to my brother... he came back to the piece of property he owns in VT to mow and all. Went by parents house in NH....NO ONE has been there since the weekend we were there. Other brother's trailer is still there with the stuff in it... nothing's been touched, he went in the house and said not one thing has been moved that he could tell. Guess they all think that it is going to get done in 2/ 8 hour days...there are things I still would have liked to gotten, but I am not traveling 12 hours just to get more wool and other stuff. The friends did go get the kitchen trestle table and chairs for me... that they said they would after we realized we didn't get it packed on the trailer... I may call them and see if they could get some of the wool and yarn out of the drawers so it doesn't go in the dumpster.....and I can get it when we meet and get the backhoe and the table and stuff. They wanted to buy a 1/2 beef, and DS is going to pick it up today and store it in Deb's freezer for now... They don't know but we are going to GIVE IT to them... I told DS I would donate the half of my heifer if he paid for the processing... instead of him selling it... the other half is sold so he hopes to get enough out of it to pretty much "pay for " the processing... So in essence I am donating the heifer for DS to sell part and give them the rest. They did so much for my parents over the years, they lived just down the road, but especially the guy was there every night to help get my mom into bed and things like that. There is another lady, single retired, that did alot and I want to see to it that she gets some of it. I want to take a freezer full of chickens up to them also when we go....So we will take a bunch of freezer chests with food for them as a thank you for all that they did... and because they are just nice decent people. I know the food will be "usable" and is better than money... they won't be able to refuse it either or it will thaw and go bad....

Okay, time to get the samples done and go outside...

 

[Baymule]

What a beautiful thing to do for them and I know it will be deeply appreciated.

 

[Ridgetop]

Amazing after all the hassle abut who got what that no one even started to take what they wanted from the house!

 

[farmerjan]

The niece that caused all the BS with the e-mail to the lawyer, got all that the other niece (preg in Fl) that she had on her EXTENSIVE list... and it is mostly all packed in the trailer still parked in the driveway there.... my sister and fiance' have not been there by the looks of it.... he was supposed to get some of his "guys" to come and get the saleable stuff ... and the other china cabinet that is still in there... as well as all sorts of knick knack collectible stuff... full kitchen cabinets full of stuff...
I wish I had the time to go up and work on cleaning it out but was not allowed to do so until the probate stuff and of course, I am not a "favored beneficiary".... it is a crying shame. Deb is going out to her parents place in Ks this summer to work on cleaning out her parents house but her brothers and all are in agreement and there is no time frame to get it cleaned out and sold... like my father stated in his will and left the lawyer as the executor...
It sorta is a sad "serves you right" to my father, because of his way of putting it and all... and it just has created more family division. The 4 of us had pretty much agreed after the funeral until we found out about the will... and we could have gotten things worked out and things divided up and given away and utilized... Now all the things my parents worked for, most of it will be "thrown out with the garbage"... all because he had to be so controlling and spiteful towards us kids.
The waste of things is what gets to me so much.....
And it is costing them all so much in lawyer costs now... so anything that parents (father) wanted to pass on to his grandchildren.... due to his attitude and control everything mentality..... is going to get eaten up by the lawyer fees... and my son is getting hurt by it too. He is pretty P.O.ed by the other 3.... because he and my brother who is also a primary beneficiary, have tried to bend over backwards to make this work..... the costs should come out of those 3's share of the estate but it doesn't work that way....
Just sad....

 

[farmerjan]

Just a note for those of you that remember @greybeard posting on here back awhile... he and his wife have sold the farm and moved further west, closer to family and away from the wetter area he had lived in for 20 or more years. They are going to move into a suburban house and "live out their lives" there... He said he is not able to do as much as he wants to, and they were so tired of the constant wet and flooding near the national forest land where they were. He has had back and hip problems and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure...diabetic also. So he said it is not fair to burden with his wife with farming, fences and all that. He says he needs to find a place to go fishing...he is not in any dire straits at this point, but said it is time to make a change...
I wish him well... he is still on the one cattle forum I frequent... and I think that there are some other Texas members that will make it a point to keep up with him...maybe close enough to get him to come visit when he needs a "cow fix"...

 

[Alaskan]

Just a note for those of you that remember @greybeard posting on here back awhile... he and his wife have sold the farm and moved further west, closer to family and away from the wetter area he had lived in for 20 or more years. They are going to move into a suburban house and "live out their lives" there... He said he is not able to do as much as he wants to, and they were so tired of the constant wet and flooding near the national forest land where they were. He has had back and hip problems and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure...diabetic also. So he said it is not fair to burden with his wife with farming, fences and all that. He says he needs to find a place to go fishing...he is not in any dire straits at this point, but said it is time to make a change...
I wish him well... he is still on the one cattle forum I frequent... and I think that there are some other Texas members that will make it a point to keep up with him...maybe close enough to get him to come visit when he needs a "cow fix"...

Thanks for the update.

 

[farmerjan]

Have had a day that has really turned not so great. DS called and said that we are going to lose the place across the road, the nurse cow pasture... because the son's wife doesn't like to walk out where the cow manure is... he's the one that said cows are "evil".... the mother...who inherited it from her father..... said to just put in the cattle guards so the cows weren't up by the house... because when they put up fence they did it so dumb... a yard out front and then the driveway in front of the house where the cows can go through.. then fenced around the back of the house and garden.... but her husband says no he doesn't want the cattle guards... and they don't want to open gates to drive through...
But we can have it through this winter....gave us a year notice more or less.... but no cows there next summer... maybe get it back next late fall after the stupid DIL doesn't come up there anymore...

DS said fine... he has had it with kissing all the owners a$$ all the time... One thing they haven't thought of... they get ag use taxes with us having the cattle there... if we take them out... we will not sign their ag use tax forms each year... DS pays $250 for 13 acres @ ag use rates.. it was nearly $2,000 for normal taxes.... There is over 25 acres at the nurse cow pasture... Their taxes with the house that they redid will cost over $5-6,000 DS said... I pay nearly $900 for my house on 2 acres....the land is not "hayable"...

Always something.... DS said we will get my property fenced this year so I can at least have a nurse cow or 2 here... yeah will have to feed hay... I guess my milk cows will stay on the dairy instead of coming home when they are ready to go dry... just bring the calves home and raise them...deal with it after the winter..

Finally got the call back from the guy with Miss Utility since I could not find any other marks on the ground... I wanted to be positively sure.. So, maybe get the garden plowed tomorrow??? Some showers called for... Only underground lines are right behind the carport from the pole to the back of the house... so no problems with moving the fruit trees either.

DS moved several of the cows we just rechecked preg, out to grass... called to make sure who could go. He is going to move some around but getting them off the lot there so no hay feeding. Got some more to go out. The biggest thing is getting the equipment ready for the hay we have to get cut before 1st weekend in June......I think this is not going to be a good deal. Just say a prayer that we get 4 dry days in a row, around Memorial day weekend time so we can get this hay done.

He just called and took the 4 heifers up to the guy who buys them and took some more cows to the pasture too so I think they are all out of the barn lot... the grass there is good, and there are not the full number there so they will be good. He wants to try to get some more moved this weekend... he said that he can't do anything on Sat until afternoon... guess he has to do something with her... so I said well, one of my farmers wants to test so I am not available Sat aft... so he said we could get these cows with new calves in, work the calves and get them out to grass too....
He also reminded me that we are going to lose the other pasture where the guy is that lost his wife a year ago... he is going to sell it... so DS said we are going to have to cut 25 or so cows this year... Well, we have been cutting some soooo.... but I run 25 at the nurse cow pasture... and 20 at the other place... we can absorb some of them... guess anything that comes up open this year will not get another chance. We are down about 10-12 or so from the first of the year, not counting the 6 we bought that are offset by the 6 we sold last week... and there are a couple more that I want to ship... That red cow I bought has no milk and her calf is crap... the nutty one that was with DS's crazy bi@#h.....there are one or 2 that he says don't walk real good so as soon as the calves are big enough, they will go.... attrition should take care of most of the ones we want to cut back on...
He said that when GF said, well it is their place (about the nurse cow pasture), he said "I said to her, NOW you know why I bought doug's place... to not have to keep putting up with owners and losing places and all that" ... especially over the stupid stuff like the fences they didn't think out and built, and now don't want cattle guards and family that doesn't like cow manure in the driveway and such. GF just doesn't get it...

So that was a downer for the day. Weather was beautiful, hit 81, light breeze, very nice....it will get better....

 

[Mini Horses]

So. Can't the one across the street move some fence? Is the land and access prohibitive for that? Ya know. Just thinking how it could work to keep using and not have the little dear have to step in a plop pile?

At least you can have something at your house. How about the tree farm? Is it fenced? Would they like free mow and fertilizer service for the summer...a couple cows doing it?