Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Ridgetop]

Too bad about the calf but lucky to get one to put on her. Hope she accepts it.

Glad your "angry spine" is starting to forgive you with the chiropractor's help. I will have to remember that phrase when my back and ankles/feet flair up! Don't be in too big a rush to get back to doig everything - it will take time to return to normal and if you do too much too soon it will take a lot longer to "forgive" you.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Do most cows just accept the new calf or do you have to trick them? I'm sorry the calf isn't going to make it, but it's good you have options for the mom cow.

 

[farmerjan]

@Bruce, after the potatoes flower you can dig around and find some "new potatoes" to steal and eat if you want. Normally you wait for the tops to die off before harvesting. The skins need to mature some so they will keep. Usually here most people wait for the tops to die, turn brown, shrivel up and just look totally dead... then they will pick a cloudier day to run a potato plow down the row which usually goes under the hilled potatoes and they come to the surface (it is like a V shape plow). You want the skins to be "cured" on the potatoes and they will keep longer. The nice thing about stealing some early is the skins are super tender, you can boil them skin and all, mash in a bowl with a little butter, salt and pepper... and just eat.
The bigger "lunker size" are usually down deeper under the plant than the smaller ones to steal to eat.... the fingerlings I teased out of the soil were 1/2 to 2/3 their normal size I guess... I tried the first row of red pontiacs, but they were a bit deeper and 2 that I tried feeling around were pretty good sized so I just covered them back up as they were still attached.
Some times you can pull some varieties and the potatoes are all pretty much right under the plant and attached... but once the tops die off the attachments dry up too that feed the small potatoes so they just will dig out easily. I don't know about in the "bags".... but ought to be about the same thing.

 

[farmerjan]

@Larsen Poultry Ranch ... most cows you have to "trick them" in some way... although I have had cows that will take a calf no matter what. The beef cows are not quite as easy... but this one let the calf nurse once I got it on the teats this morning with only a few halfhearted kicks... Her calf was already gone last evening when we took this calf up to her... I think there was something else wrong inside besides the totally crippled legs. She is a bought cow but super friendly, easy to work with, so that is why DS wanted to try another calf. I am going up there in a few minutes to do her again and make sure the calf gets on her. She goes right in the head catch for grain, so easy to stand there and help get the calf on her and push against her so her half hearted kick/push aways don't discourage the calf. I think that by another couple days, once the milk gets through the calf's system, and the butt smells like "her" , and the calf gets a little more aggressive, that she will do okay... HOPE she does.
I often will skin the dead calf and put that skin over the new one so it "smells right" to the cow... I like to skin it so that it actually peels down and off... in a tube... not cutting up the belly to make a flat skin... then I can slip the whole skin onto the calf and it will stay better than trying to tie one on with baling strings... and usually the cow will start licking the calf,,, it smells like her calf,,,, and then in a day or 2 the skin has been licked to where the cow has literally licked it off the calf and we find it in a heap in the barn... and the calf is "hers" because the calf poop smells like the cow's from her milk going through it... and that's it. I have worked with cows for 2 weeks sometimes... but mostly we can get one to take a calf in 2-4 days... they also like their grain treatment... so are a little more willing to "ignore" the new baby while they are filling their gut.... and then the manure smells right and they forget that they had a calf that didn't get up.
If the calf is born dead; and I am there, I will try to capture the placenta and rub it on a new calf as soon as possible so it smells right to the cow...
It helps to get an aggressive calf that WANTS A TEAT... I like them 2-3 days old where they are already looking for a meal....and I want them HUNGRY when they get put on the cow first time... not had a bottle at the farm since the prior feeding... this one had been fed last night but this morning it was hungry...

Heading up there now while it is still light.

 

[farmerjan]

Well... it turned out to be a good day. DS had mowed that hay and was hoping that it would be dry enough to bale this afternoon... The forecast moved the rain up so after I did the cow this morning, and went and got the new hydraulic hose for the baler that they gave him the wrong one the other day... and I went by and showed it to him and he said it was the "right end" on it... he was running the "oiler" that they put down and then put the crushed stone on when they are working on the roads... he said he was going to get done with the oiler at 1:30... normally would take it back and then has to clean out the whole thing so the nozzles don't get clogged with old oil and all sorts of stuff... the oil is heated in the tank so it sticks to the road good and the stone sticks to it... but he said he would go rake the hay at 1:30 then go back to work and clean the oiler and then go bale...

Turns out the lord was looking after him... I had the chiropractor appt at 2:30.... left at a little after noon to go... got down sooner that I expected... went to JoAnn's Fabrics not too far from there... and got in right at 2:30 and they were running a little late so perfect. I felt like I should stay and rake but he said no, he could do it and I needed to go to dr.... I left there about 3:15 or so... stopped at Goodwill right up the road since DS would have already raked the hay... and hit the worst pouring down rain on the way home... we were doing 30 on the interstate with everyone having flashers going... Kept hoping that I would drive through it and it would be dry on our end (60 miles north)... but it had rained up here too... I said oh well.....

Went up and the calf went right on the cow... I think it may have gotten something to drink before .... cow was tolerant of course while eating the grain, and calf was VERY ENTHUSIASTIC..... Gave her another bale of hay and picked up what still looked decent that she had pulled out of the manger... she shoves the calf around... but when it laid down she was talking to it... I think we will be good in a couple days... I need to see it nursing her when she is not in the head catch to be sure it is going on her on it's own...
Texted DS and told him about the cow and calf... and asked if he had gotten it raked because of the pouring down rain I came through all the way home...
He said he raked it at 1:30... baled it between 3 and 4... said it would sprinkle a bit, then stop and he went on and got it done... Said there might be a few bales that would be a little "tough"... not perfectly dry... but he was thankful to get it up. Made 53 4x5 rolls.... he really "rolled" on getting it baled. So, NOTHING on the ground. And it is wonderful, because it must have really rained after that as there are puddles everywhere here.
It rained a little when I was at the cow, rained when I took feed out to the kittens and closed the door so the rain doesn't blow in... supposed to get some more storms overnight... rained a little when I went out and locked up the chickens... and I am in and done...
Calling for some serious storms after 10 or so, and it is raining some now... hear some thunder...

Need to figure out what to eat... stomach is growling. Knee is sore, aftereffect of adjustment I think as the muscle/nerves up the side are not as bad. 2 appts next week and see how things go...

 

[Baymule]

That’s perfect timing on the hay! Great time for it to rain too, water the field for more grass to grow.
The cow and calf seem to be working things out. Funny how that works. If it isn’t “their” milk coming out the other end, it’s not their baby!

I watch my lambs, they will try to steal milk off anybody, even a young ewe that has not lambed. Silly lambs.

 

[Ridgetop]

The nice thing about stealing some early is the skins are super tender, you can boil them skin and all, mash in a bowl with a little butter, salt and pepper... and just eat.

 

[farmerjan]

Partly cloudy, not too hot..80 out now.... we had 1.4 inches in the rains yesterday and last night. I am so very thankful DS got that hay raked and baled and it did not get "washed" with nearly 1 1/2 inches rain with more to come for the next couple days.....

Cow went right into head chute, I never even closed it on her... calf went on her without even prompting... but did not go on with the fervor of the day before so I think she has nursed other times... went on from the side and again from the back so I am not even thinking there is a problem. I will keep them in for at least another day....

Chickens out and kittens fed... My hip and front of the leg have that burning feeling today... wishing it didn't feel like this but.....going to take some ibpro and tylenol to try to take the edge off... been trying to not take much of it but .....

Need to do some more dishes again.... need to get more motivated today.... I never stopped to get the can food for the kittens I meant to on the way home from the chiropractor yesterday because of it raining so hard. I have been giving them milk and dry kitten food... has soft centers? All I know is it is expensive enough... I guess that I need to make a trip to the grocery store.

I need to take something out to cook for some meals too.

Might try to get out with the hand held weed eater around the inside of the garden that I didn't finish with the whole pinching of the sciatic nerve. Lawn will need mowing again and I am not sure I can do that much pushing/guiding right now. Not going to even worry about that until the rain stops.

About 10 days ago one night had 2 mice chasing each other through the LR under the door and into the hall... I was sitting at the desk. So put sticky trap just under/behind the door and the next day had one. Then nothing but put down a couple more sticky traps. Finally got another one. Hope that is the last of them for a bit.

Mix of clouds and sun out.... radar shows more rain coming... Ground will be thankful.... GOT to get those tomatoes tied up. Think that will be on the agenda this afternoon. Shouldn't be too taxing on the knees... balance does seem a little better even with the burning in the hip/thigh. That is positive.

 

[farmerjan]

Got dark and some thunder then some rain late this afternoon. I finally just got basic chores done and it was lightly raining so didn't try to go in the garden when I went out to put the chickens in the crates for the night. Got to look at the forecast for tomorrow and maybe get to the tomatoes in the morning? Didn't go to the store or anything... did dishes and fixed the zipper on a pair of jeans for DS.

Cooling off and another short rain a few minutes ago.

 

[Mike CHS]

We had a front come through this afternoon that kind of fizzled out but you should be getting what is left of it tomorrow.