Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

You had a productive day! It takes time to process food for good eating.

 

[farmerjan]

Had an unexpected day... 63 to start, nice , sunny going to warm up pretty much to 90...

Get a phone call at 7:30.... how soon can I come to barn so we can go get cows at Wimpey's.... pasture with 12 confirmed pregnant cows and older calves needing to be weaned, and 8 that were there to be bred....
OKAAAAAY... didn't know we were doing them today... like no notice... so I say okay, what time do I need to be there, and he said can you be here soon, in an hour or less, bring the truck and trailer and I will go with the other truck and get them in... Okay... I go to barn in about 20 minutes.....he is still there, says I didn't expect you this soon... so we check the air in the trailer tires (have one that has a slow leak) and then I head out and him and jim come and pass me and get there sooner... I come along slow... park at the end of the road where they can't see the truck and trailer... and he gets them in.... he backs truck up the road, and we sort some off and get some loaded and he takes first load since he drives faster than I do.... and I keep hearing a calf hollering... so I text him and say I need the #'s off the eartags so I can figure out who is missing... and then I finally see a calf in a different pasture walking along the fence.... towards where the gate should be....
I decided to walk up the hill to see if I can open the gate and by the time I get up there... it is a looooong hill to walk and it is getting hot in the sun already... the calf has gone down the hill along the fence on the other side... so I text him and tell him to bring his red truck up when he gets back and we will have to get the calf in through the gate and then back down to the pen.... we had sorted out all the ones that were staying except 1, when we were loading the other ones.... so he gets back, comes up the hill with the red truck... I let him in the gate and he goes around and down along the fence and the calf is walking the fence way down the other side of the hill... but he gets it turned around and headed back up and hollers to me to get the gate open and finally it came up and around and got it in the pasture it was supposed to be in... did not let any of the sorted off cows get out into the other field either...
So down the hill we go, the sorted out cows come down, and the calf goes along the side of the catch panels and I untied them where they were against the fence and got him to scoot right along the fence and in without the cows in the pen getting out...
Have 2 cows there that calved that had been called open, so they were short bred when the vet had checked them... so DS got them in the trailer, and got them tagged... but he didn't bring the bander so the one bull calf will be done when he is bigger.... at the barn... he kicked DS 3 times in the trailer.... says he kicks out sideways... lots of "blue air", with that... then turned the calves out and the 1 cow and loaded the rest and came on to the barn. Let them off with the others, then sorted 10 of the 12 cows back onto the trailer and moved them to the other dry cow pasture where they will get a 2 month rest and calve and spend the winter... Left 2 "nanny cows" in with the calves for a few days, and will take them out and put the calves in with the ones already there. I had taken the 2nd load of cows to the barn, and DS and Jim had loaded all the "panels" on the red truck and brought them back so he can take them to the pasture down near her place... to get the last group of cows with older calves in, that are there, in a few days and get them back to the barn to wean and sort off the pregnant cows and put them out in the field with these. This way all the "due to calve" cows will be close near the barn to hopefully get the calves tagged as they are being born.... and to watch for problems etc.... and then he can assess the calves and maybe put together some to sell.... he needs to make some payments, and although there is alot of feed, he doesn't want to pay interest and such so wants to get enough stuff sold to make the payments and then feed the rest.... but it is better to get them all at the barn and then can sort and group them and see what he definitely thinks he can/should sell... see what the prices are doing... all that....

So, I took the tractor and the rake with the fixed tire, up to deb's for raking, DS took his dually truck there, and jim came with my car and got us and we all went back to doug's barn; so DS could get the red truck as he got called into work for a down tree on the road... and then I dropped jim off at DS house so he could get the other truck, to take back to the barn, and he could eat. I came on home then... got something to eat and hung some more laundry and the blankets etc.... I was going to maybe go rake a bit but I have to go to work and it is hot and it's just not going to happen. I really hadn't planned on raking today... told DS I might try to before I went to work.... it is dry and he wants to bale in the morning... He was coming back from whenever he got done with the tree and mow more and then that will be all for now.... but by the time I go get on the tractor it will be time to go to work anyway... I would have liked to rake after 4 or so when it cooled off a bit. I won't get home before 7-7:30 this evening.

So, I am going to go by the grocery store and get a couple things on the list and then go to the farm... If he wants any of it raked, he will have to do it after he finishes what he wants to get cut.... I will rake in the morning as most of it will be dry.
It hit 90 so will be a little hotter before the day is done...

 

[farmerjan]

Sun night. It hit 93 on the recording thermometer later this afternoon... I left about 2:30 to go to work... went by the goodwill store close to the farm and looked and got a couple DVD's for $2 each... was looking for some more jeans... always got my eyes open for some jeans.

It was hot and I was feeling it at the barn. But so were the farmer and his son who were milking... but we got it done... Started at 4, done milking at 6:20 or so, computer work done and on my way home by 7.... home at 7:40 and it is already getting a little darker a little earlier every evening. Got the chickens in, brought the milk samples in... and drank a glass of tea.... gotta think of some supper but might just warm up some squash I have left over in the fridge... too hot to cook still. It is still 77 out there at close to 9 p.m... very warm for here at this time...
Tomorrow at the 500 cow herd is going to be rough with temps supposed to be in the mid 90's.... but then they are talking upper 90's Tues/Wed and into Thursday.... then 20-30% chance of stray showers still in the forecast.

I will go and see about raking in the morning... don't know if DS did any but he was back from the down tree incident, and mowing when I left for work. It was just too hot for me to go out there this afternoon and then go to work. I can no longer take the long hours out there in that kind of heat... the hay will be very dry in the morning and I will get a bunch raked, then come home and take a break before going to test with Lindsay...

I have got to get the cantaloupe into the freezer... and the cukes need to do day 2 rinse and all that stuff... plans are for tomorrow as soon as I get done with what raking I need to do... going to be 36 hours, instead of 24, for the cukes but I keep stirring them around and they have definitely "crisped up" this evening... don't think it will hurt them... then Tuesday I can get with the "program" as far as the syrup and stuff... got to read the instructions again.

I am going to heat up the squash and eat it and get a shower and hit the bed... been a long day... tomorrow will be longer...

 

[farmerjan]

Cukes done with the rinse of the lime water... in ice water now for several hours. Heading to the hay field in a few minutes.... Got to let chickens out and get my butt in gear...already 74 out but a little hazy right now.

 

[farmerjan]

Wed eve. Been a couple of loooong and HOTTER than HOT days. Raked Monday for over 3 hours... came home... got a shower to cool off... and then we left at 3 to go test. Got home at 11... which is a little later than normal, but not much. Not bad until about 8:30 or so.... and then we all are "ready" for the last cow to come in...done milking about 9:15 or so... did the computer stuff... a few small glitches... and we finally left there a bit after 10.... usually can get out of there about a half hour after milking... but I was also trying to show Lindsay some of what gets done with this herd with the interfacing milking system that is different than many of the other herds that I do...
She did alright. I have a problem with the kids (she is 21) and these da@#ed phones... especially since she was supposed to be learning at the end with the computer stuff... she did okay with taking the samples and all, and I did a little more than I usually do to make sure that there were no samples in the collectors when they got ready put the machines on the next group that came in... sometimes there is a slow cow and you have all the other samples and when the group finally goes out, and you are getting bottles for the next group coming in, it is easy to forget a sample now and then... but it sure makes me miss Geneva even more... and her work ethic and paying attention and doing "more than her share".... but maybe once Lindsay feels a little more "at home" with it she will "do more"....
She told me the next day, when I stopped to pay her, that she liked doing it and would be glad to go and help if DS can't do it... so I have a back up.... and she saw her former boss from the dairy where she milked, and I tested, and told him that she had gone and helped and was applying for the job open in the county north.... so I guess she is really serious about it...

I called the gen mgr. and left her a message and gave her Lindsay's phone # and told her that she was interested after going to help me... and that it was now "HER" job (gen mgr) to get with her and do the hiring and such... because she needed to be able to go with the other tester leaving the end of the month and learn what herds she is going to get... I am NOT going to be responsible with anything any further than getting the ball rolling for her. I will help her with any problems she has... but I am NOT GETTING PAID to do the hiring/firing/training either...
I will follow up tomorrow with another call to the gen mgr... and I will give the phone #'s to Lindsay also so they can take it from there....

Tuesday, I got on the tractor and raked some more... DS had cut quite a bit all right around here close... Deb"s fields (there are 5 separate fields to have to rake separately)...only have 5 separate pieces left in the subdivision, that used to be one big farm years ago... and now we do several of the vacant lots... but there have been 2 houses built in the last year and another going up now that we cut/baled 1/2 of that piece... and another that is going to be built on by next year.... still one more bigger piece to be cut down over the hill; it makes a good amount of hay... and then there was DS's 5 acres and the piece next door to him... and 2 small fields that belong to a neighbor that we have cut since forever.... 2-3 acres each maybe?
Raked for over 2 hours and it was really really hot.... It hit 95 on Monday, 96 on Tuesday, and again 96 today (Wed)... after I got off the tractor on Tuesday, I came home and had to pack all the samples .... and of course the UPS pickup was early at the vineyard, on Tuesday... so I had to take them to the UPS place 10-12 miles south.... but they went out... I HATE to hold them over in this heat... even with the preservative pill in them,. they will go sour much easier in this heat... so I am hoping that the went out and got to the lab today and run through the machines...

Today, I went and finished all the rest of the raking... another 2 hours... DS had cut the neighbor's 2 small fields just Tuesday afternoon... but with this heat it was half dry when he cut it and it dried fast today... SO... everything that was cut is baled... he did 2 big wagon loads of sq bales and then rolled the rest....

Came in and took a shower to cool off and wash off the sweat pouring off me.... then I went to town to see about my glasses and the lady(mgr) was there yesterday but had to switch her days so WAS NOT there today....
. So I have to go back... hopefully tomorrow morning.... she will be there Thurs, Fri, and Sat...

Went to Sharp shopper when I was up that far... and got some of the gatorade that DS prefers, and a bunch of other stuff... came home and DS was just about done with the last little bit of round baling and I helped him get the 2 big wagons in the covered arena there at Deb's where he has been keeping them..... can't see to back them in very well and the doorway into it is NOT 16 ft... like 12 or so... so a tight fit to back into there...

Had another set to with the neighbor... the cows got over there again... ANOTHER tree down on the fence... and the neighbor sent the owner a very nasty snooty text ; that DS didn't take care of the cows and they were hungry and skinny and starving, and that is why they were over on him, and they had torn up all his rotational grazing fences and that if they got over there again... he would have them removed..... well owner forwarded the text to DS ... he went over there at 6 this morning as soon as it was light... got the cows back...and is moving them down into section 3 and they will stay there now until the fence situation gets resolved... And then DS went over and helped the neighbor "FIX HIS DESTROYED rotational grazing fences"... 1 SINGLE STRAND of high tensile fence, broken in 2 different places... and told DS that he appreciated him coming over and everything was "good" and all... and when DS said that he understood the cows had gotten back over the next day, but we weren't notified... and neighbor said well he tried to call but couldn't get him and DS said, send me a text, and he said that the text didn't go through... and DS said that it was funny that his text had no problem getting to the neighbor this morning when he said he would be there to fix whatever fence needed fixing... so neighbor couldn't say much to that... because he got the text and was out there so it could get fixed....and then DS asked what the cost was of the grass the cows had eaten... and he said it wasn't a big deal...no charge for that... that they are "neighbors' and things happen... so then DS said okay... then what is the problem that he had to tell the owner that we were not feeding the cows and they were hungry, and they were thin... and he said, what do you mean.... and DS said, owner forwarded a copy of the text that neighbor sent to owner, to him...and the guy was speechless DS said.... and so he(DS) wanted to clear the air.... there are 2 cows that are a bit thinner, they are older cows and are doing a very good job of raising their calves so are not regaining their weight as well, and that a couple have some dairy in them so naturally are thinner... and that he thinks that we are doing just fine with the kind of cows that we have, and that we don't have fancy 2,000 cows like they do..... and that since the place is divided into 5 sections, we are ALSO rotational grazing these cows and they are not being starved or not "fed enough".... there is grass in the section they were just moved into.... and so he wanted to make sure there were no "misunderstandings" between "neighbors".... He said that he would appreciate it if the "neighbor" would let the owner know and that they are going to have to resolve the fence situation... and the neighbor agreed... DS sent the owner a text as soon as he got done and went to work...3 hours late.... and made sure that he knew that it was "recorded" what had been done and all that.
This neighbor is very 2 faced... always has been.... I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him... he wants this place, and was not happy when we got the lease....with this owner... we had it before with the previous ones... and the text was a perfect example of being nice and "no big problem" to DS's face.... and bad mouthing him to the owner behind DS's back....
DS told the owner 2-3 years ago that the fence was needing to be replaced... and owner said he really didn't want all the expense and all of cutting trees.... but with all the ash trees that have died and keep coming down... he is going to have to do something about it.... I mean, he spent thousands and thousands to put all these interior fences to "rotational graze" this property (they are all woven wire field cattle fence... not strands of electric or anything) and utilize it "better".... but did not push the issue, to put up the one perimeter/boundary fence because they could not come to agreement on it...and all those interior fences were some cost share thing with the gov't to promote rotational grazing... this owner is a millionaire... but he will take every single little thing he can squeeze out of the gov't programs... but won't spend for the perimeter fences (which aren't covered in the rotational grazing interior fence provision).

So there are 2 calves not there this evening when DS moved them into section 3 and shut the gates... I have to go over in the morning, and he is hoping they are in section 4 somewhere and just did not come with the cows into section 3 and will be along the fence and wanting to get back with their mothers.... I will take grain, feed the cows a little away from the gate and hopefully the 2 missing calves will be there and I can open the gate while the cows are eating grain and get them in.... DS said he was going to tell the "neighbor" that there are 2 calves we are not sure of and to "keep an eye out" in case they did not come back with the cows... but I am hoping that DS is right and they will be walking the fence wanting back in with their momma's....

This guy is "better than " because he is on the board of the state grazing association.... and they have "South Poll cattle" which are the "grazing breed" developed by Teddy Gentry (Alabama c&w group) to excel as grazing cattle to finish.... which is to say they are a composite breed (mutt crossbreds) for the sole purpose of fattening well in rotational grazing operations... angus, hereford, senepol and barzona ? maybe.... they also do not bring a premium in this area since they are not black... yes they are nice cattle, yes they flesh easy, and no they do not look like some of the dairy cross cattle we have that are more "angular" and milk the fat off their bodies early on in their lactation... think dairy goat compared to Boer meat goat.... well, some of our (my) cattle have the dairy influence and so are thinner... they never get "fat" looking on grass... but the 1/2 dairy 1/2 beef cows, bred to beef bulls, have a 3/4 beef calf that gets very nicely fleshed out... and sell good... so get off the bandwagon of "your breed is better".....

So, Have I ranted enough?????.......

Guess I had better get up and get going in the morning... have to do that with the cows.... then try to get to town to see about getting these glasses/lenses situation resolved and sent back.
Then head in the opposite direction (by 1 or so) to the chiropractor appt at 3.....

Hoping that it is cooler tomorrow so I can get in the garden and pick tomatoes.... haven't been in there for 3-4 days with the heat and the hay raking and all that....
And I have to make some contacts with farmers that skipped the month of August, for testing...

Laundry is off the line and in the house at least... don't need to "rain water rinse" it if we get the predicted showers tomorrow eve and the next 2 days... we can sure use it...

 

[Ridgetop]

Bad/unpleasant neighbors are the worst thing. Glad DS is getting back on the program of getting the mowing/baling done, and the cattle chores.

 

[Baymule]

Hahaha! DS sure put that guy on the spot! Good for him!

 

[murphysranch]

Pure and evil IDIOT!!!

 

[farmerjan]

Friday morning. We got some rain.... a shower yesterday as I was up with the cows, and then late in the afternoon when I was an hour+ south after the chiropractors, it poured down for a little bit while I was in the Goodwill there... nothing here when I got home but overnight we got a thunder storm... some wind and rain. Checked the rain gauge and there is nearly .4 inch in it. So a good one and it soaked in.
Daytime looks like we might see some sun, but then showers later this afternoon and 70% chance for the weekend. That is fine, we need it. Hope we don't get any hail like @Mother Hen got yesterday (started to say Country homesteader... would be less confusing for us "in our prime" members to remember from one site to another!!!) I am lucky to remember my name some days.....

Anyway, don't want the hail but that is common with these hot weather, pop up storms ...

It is a NICE cooler 68 right now. Got down to 63 last night... days are only supposed to get in the 80's... I sure hope that some of you in the deep south and the Texas members, get a break from this heat soon.

Got all sorts of inside things that need doing so it is time to get out and let chickens out and then start some of the neglected things in here...

Gen mgr at work contacted Lindsay and she is coming up for an interview with her on Wed. Lindsay is excited... Good....Hope she will stick with it and give the farmers good service... and that she doesn't quit it, with all the driving she will be doing...she will regularly be traveling further than I have over the years since the core group of herds I started out with were more "local" to me... but they won't be for her... until I decide to retire... She bought her dad's house from the estate...he passed away with cancer a couple years ago..... think it was a partial inherit/buy out any others type of thing... so she is established here.. and has a couple cows so not like she is going to just up and leave overnight... no siblings I don't think, just some cousins she is not close to...

Well, hope it works out. I will help her if I can so she doesn't get too overwhelmed with it if possible... told her she would need a laptop and printer to take to some of the herds... gen mgr can tell her all these things... and hopefully get her situated with Sandra who is leaving end of the month to get introduced to a few herds and go with her to get some on the farm training with herds she will actually have after Sandra leaves...

 

[farmerjan]

I have had a headache and now have fever and chills.... guess it is my turn to catch something. I hung some clothes early since the sun was out... going out to get them and lock in the chickens. Know how when you are burning up and feeling cold... yep... that's me this afternoon. Going to get the clothes and lock in chickens and get a shower and bundle up.... silly when it it 80 out...
I did go fill the small water trough and move the cows at the pasture into the switch grass. and checked the water at the nurse cow pasture... owner said he couldn't see any water... it was full and running over this morning... ....

Done for the night as soon as I get out there to do that...