Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

here's your post....6/2.….remove from coffee thread.

Went down the hill to see how DS was making out... hay's all baled, tractor and baler gone... no sign anywhere... turns out neighbor was having trouble with his baler and so DS went and rolled his hay for him and parked the tractor and baler in his barn for the time being... I called him when I couldn't find him anywhere... thinking he might want a cold drink or a ride back to his truck after baling or whatever...he was getting a ride back to the truck so didn't need me... So all is good... There were alot of people making hay today...

We were more fortunate with the rain that finally came on Monday night.... most of my farmer's only got .2 to .4 inches over that 3 day stretch. We only had .2 until late Monday night when it dumped on us. VERY THANKFUL for that inch +, that we . The farm I tested Wed and the big one yesterday both said they only got a couple tenths. They are getting dry. Maybe they will get some out of the "chance of showers" tomorrow.

Made sure I locked the chickens in their crates in the shelter before I went down the hill...

I worked in the garden a bit before I went looking for DS. Put in 4 short rows of "Royal Burgundy, purple (green beans).... an area(hill) of several Butternut squash seeds, a short row of mixed summer squash seeds and 3 short rows of yellow wax beans. I guess the rows are 6-8 foot.... Think I will try to take the self propelled mower along the grass/garden edge and see if I can get it mowed down real short... There are several deer hoofprints in that end of the garden.... and get the poly netting up this weekend before the bush bean seeds come up. Might make one more "swath" with the walk behind weed eater and then "scalp" the ground. Down at that side (end) of the garden where I put the rows of beans I will put all the sprouted potatoes down along the edge, cover with mulch hay... and let them do their thing. Or NOT...... Still want to put in a hill of cantaloupe... and maybe a small hill of cukes... and some plain green beans...
And then I am out of space.... . If I get those couple of rose-a-shaon bushes moved that I want to get out of there; then I will till that area also...and make it bigger next year.

TSC called and said the wire had come in if I still wanted it... I said we were in the hayfields the next day or 2 so it would be the first of the week and she said that was fine, she would put my name on 2 rolls. I am going to get it before they don't have it or can't get it... Put it on a pallet so it doesn"t get rusty from contact with the ground... and it will be here to use as soon as I can get someone to do it. I can do it 12 months no finance charge... If I do it with the 5% discount on the card, that is not quite $20 a roll... which is nothing to sneeze at... BUT.... if I should not get it paid off within the next billing period... then the finance charge would negate that savings and possibly cost me ..... oh, I just thought... I can do it that way because I can use some of the settlement money from parents estate that was bequeathed in the will... Yeah, that's the way to do it. Take the 5% and pay it off when it gets billed to me... I also want to get some taller T-posts to run a strand of electric above the poly netting.. so will put a few in along the sides/corners/edges of the garden to run that extra strand above it....

I need to get the rest of the wheat bales off the one field and then get this hay all moved to the edge so DS can put the rolls in a row with the tractor with the spear...

OH CRAP.... @Mini Horses I need HELP.... to transfer all but the first paragraph to my journal.... I got side tracked after answering your comment and forgot I was in the "coffee" thread.... AGAIN.... you will have to teach me to do that......

I just remembered I have a steak that I took out of the freezer... ought to go make it for a late supper.

Thank you !!!!!

 

[farmerjan]

Is this a sign of CRS .... Must be I am getting old and senile......

 

[Mini Horses]

No. Just go remove from coffee -- or leave it 🤷🤣

 

[Baymule]

Reading it twice didn’t hurt me at all and the second read was better. Probably something to do with memory, but we won’t go there…..

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday morning... 62 overnight and it is nice and sunny out. DS called and was going to move that one group of cows that I had been matching calves to pasture and wanted to know where the clipboard was... I had taken it with me when I came out of the barn and put it back in the car... where it normally stays... but after a few pissy comments, we got through that and I remembered one of the 2 cows that were in there that were supposed to be open... so he cut her out and took the rest to pasture.... Things are so messed up this year with his being so "out of it" with the break up with the X-GF.... we talked about it and he said he knows it was on him not getting things done like they should be, and I just said that we would just get things redone this fall when they all come home from, pasture and it is what it is. Cows will probably be calving out at some pastures and such like that... I will have to try to go and check on them more... and we will start to get the groups reorganized this fall and "like timing of calving due dates" back together with like... since we are not pulling calves off cows and selling immediately, then it is not important to have all steers at one pasture and heifers at another... so they are going to just get moved out... and things will be what they are in the fall...

DS got the hay off the hayfield he just got baled last night, because of the possible coming showers/rain... it is along the edges, not in rows, but at least it is off. I said if the truck and trailer were moved I would get in the back and get all the rest of the rolls of wheat off the field and he said he would get it moved out of the roadway so I will go up and do it today. Then he can get them into the stacks/rows where he wants them and not have to drive all over the field to get each one.

So, that is the plans. Going to get the rest of the cows in the pasture next to me in the front catch field this evening. They usually come up this part of the pasture in the evening, and get them caught so they can also get moved out somewhere. I think the vet will be coming to the dairy down by us on Monday the 12th... will talk to DS and see if he wants to preg check any of these and just get "up" on their status and then make decisions on where to move them. If some of them are far along the calves need to be pulled off... and they can go to pasture. Got a few others up behind the barn that need to go somewhere also... but "roscoe" the bull was in there so they ought to get checked too and find out if they are bred or not... They cows are so far out of the normal "schedule" of spring and fall calving that we will be having calves all year round by the looks of it for the next year.... . Guess it is better than no calves...

So time to get out and get a few things done and then head to the farm to move the wheat bales.... it will take some time as I have to take a bunch down around the hay field to the other place we are putting them in the "storage lot" area.... can't drive across the hay field and especially not since that rain it has come up at least 6 inches already!!! Would like to get it done before the possible rain. It is already getting cloudier out there from the bright sun a couple hours ago.

 

[farmerjan]

Went and got the truck and moved all the wheat hay bales off the field... took 20+ to the other spot where he wanted to fill up the storage area with more of the wheat bales... and the rest are at one end of the field close to where I guess he is going to put them in a row(s) along the edge??? All that matters is they are close together in one area so whatever he does, he does not have to drive all over the field getting them. Took me nearly 4 hours to move them... There were over 80 total... and it is 2 at a time with the bale truck. I am not near as fast moving them as he is, I don't try to "hurry up" doing it...

Home and it has clouded up but looked at the radar and I don't think we are going to get any of it... again it is staying to the west along the mountain range in the western counties and WV.... and some to the east of the Blue Ridge mtns and south... This is coming from the north and is splitting way up north of here and following the 2 mountain ranges down.... It is cloudy now and is much darker to the west. Well, some areas did not get some of the rain last weekend... so I hope some of them get it.

I came in to get a drink and am going out to get the weed eater out and go around the garden another round at least, then get the mower and see about getting it cut REAL SHORT to get the netting up... that is this weekends' "need to get done project", now that the bales are off all the fields that have been baled so far. And maybe mow the lawn in front of the house. Hit 87 today and the air is more humid this afternoon.

 

[farmerjan]

Got side tracked getting the cows in the catch lot next door so they can be moved. Of course there is one really "squirrely" idiot steer calf in there that wouldn't go through... and if you go out in the field to try to "walk him" in that direction, he keeps turning around towards you like he might want to charge you but then runs in a huge circle out away from you... He is an idiot of the "Nth" degree. Took me some time, and opening all 3 gates into this catch lot... and then the STUPID JERK came back around and after standing and looking at the original open gate where everyone else went through... and acting like it was going to bite him... walked in there so then I had to go around and close the other gates AGAIN.......
I called him every name in the book under my breath because I didn't want to "spook him" to run back out the gate......
By then, I came back to the house, it was getting real dark with thunder.... walked out to lock up the chickens, and took the little hand held weed eater and did some stuff around the house/porch and stuff.

DS texted me... could we work Fred's calves tomorrow ? ... place close to doug's barn, where we make 1st cutting hay for him... and I said yes. We will probably make that hay this week....then he turns the cows in on the hayfields... right now they are just in the fenced off pastures and with little rain, they are eaten down. He also has more cows than the place should hold.... and it gets too short when there is a drier spell, like we have had.
Then I told him I had the cows in the lot next door, and what time was he planning to move them and he said about 8-8:30 in the morning. So I will make sure I am up and dressed to help with them and find out what time he wants to do Fred's... they have to come to our barn to work them as the calves will be 1-4 months old and too big to do there since his chute/head catch is not very sturdy....we just bring the calves and work them and fly tag them and then take them back....don't need the cows.
DS needs to get the poultry litter on the wheat stubble fields and get the sorghum/sudan planted; and get the bales put in the rows and off the edges of the fields....and get to cutting more hay.

Unless it changes over night, we did not, and probably will not, get any of these showers... radar has had it all going around... all the thunder was just noise here, and it doesn't look like we are in line for much overnight either. If that is the case, he needs to get cutting more hay so we can get caught up and get done with it.... We still have alot to do even with losing the 2 places that got sold....

Nothing in the live trap the last 2 nights... but I am setting it every night for awhile.

Potatoes are starting to come up in several of the rows I planted... but they will need more rain soon to really do better. Maybe tomorrow I will get the stuff done to get the netting up around the garden. Need to unload the 2 rolls of wire off the truck so I can go get the other 2 that came in.
And somewhere in all this I need to get back to working on taking more of the crappy rolled up fence off the posts... I have been neglectful of that since I got started in the garden....

Did finally eat the filet steak I defrosted... and had nice sauteed onions with it...

Time to quit for the night.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday afternoon... been a busy day.
DS got going early and moved some cows... I went out at 8 and PANICKED because I didn't see any cows in the lot. He had gotten them all in the small catch pen we load out of, and had taken a load to the barn already.... I mean, tell me you are doing this... I called him and he told me that he had gotten going early... and that we needed to see about getting Fred's in around 10. So he came back and got the 2nd load of cattle... mostly calves this time and a few cows... and then asked what we were doing with them???? turning them out or what??? I said well the vet usually comes down this way on the 2nd Monday to the one dairy...( next week the 12th) so I will call tomorrow and see what his schedule looks like and if possible, get these cows preg checked... and the other ones at the farm already up in the big field with last fall's calves on them... and at least have some that are checked and we know the status on them.... and then can make a decision on where to put them for the summer.
Have a new calf on a red white faced cow... nice sized black heifer calf.....

So he took second load to the barn and said he would see me in an hour... and he calls me about 15 minutes later and said Fred had them in his catch lot... so he was just going to go up there... so I left and got up there and we got them into his smaller catch pen from the lot... put the cows in the barn first and DS used pour-on wormer and we got them let out. Then got the calves loaded into the trailer and went to doug's barn. Fred came too, and we ran them in the barn and up the chute and banded the bull calves, he has them implanted for increased growth, tetanus for the bull calves; and black legged and gave injectible wormer to all the calves and they get fly tags in their ears so they have a "better chance" of not getting pinkeye; from the flies not congregating around their eyes. It is a toss up if it works or not, he had some pinkeye a couple years ago so is adamant about them getting fly tags. We do not do ours as a rule.... not saying it does or doesn't work.... I would be interested in doing one fly tag in the calves to see if there is any difference.
7 of Fred's calves were late summer/fall last year, the bull didn't get them all bred right back in a group like he should have.. so some of the bull calves were big ones. But we have the bander that you can do 4-5-7-800 lb bulls so not a problem. The littler ones we used the green "cheerios" type bands on.
Then they all got loaded back on the trailer and taken back to Fred's and done by 1 or so. DS said that there wasn't anything else he needed me for so I came on home.
He was going to work on the last few trusses he needs to put up so they can put the roof on the hay barn.

We never got any of the rain, and it got cold last night. Down to 58 but it is only up to 64 and it is cloudy and grey skies and feels COLD.... wore a long sleeved T-shirt and then put on a light sweatshirt... I think tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and stay that way for a week.

Came in ate some lunch, did dishes and some little things, and am going out to get the walk behind weedeater out and see about working on that for a bit. Going to have to soak all the plants tomorrow I guess... no rain in the forecast for another week or so. Stuff isn't going to grow if it doesn't warm up some too.... And I have to decide where I am going to put these 2 rolls of wire so that I can go get the other ones... and another fence panel to use in the garden.

I'm getting the sweatshirt on again... it feels chilly..... but it is good working weather for the cow stuff and doing outside stuff.

 

[Ridgetop]

Got a lot done in a short time. Sounds like DS is starting to concentrate on the farm again. Maybe he is finally getting over XGF.

 

[Baymule]

I like the temperatures you are having. It is starting to hit 90F here, and it has nowhere to go but up. For all the rains I got last month and the month before, it’s dry, mud has turned to dust. If it ain’t one, it’s the other.