Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

I like fried chicken livers and the Cornish Cross have big beautiful livers , but small gizzards.

 

[farmerjan]

Down to 34 here but the official temp on the local news is 24 I think... must have that thermometer in a cold holler somewhere....
It is windy on the ridge here so feels really cold.

Looks like it will be at least partly sunny in a bit. At least half the leaves are off the maple tree out front... This wind/breeze will keep them from getting all matted and wet so ought to be good to rake up... no moisture in the forecast for another week or so.

Got to go check on some cows today, and go up and see if I can get the calves and all in at the nurse cow pasture... so we can get the bulls worked and the one cow/calf pair moved to another place to get bred back next month. She has a new calf and did not have time to get bred back, before we pulled the bull, but the others should have had plenty of time to get bred back before he was pulled out... their calves are several months old...

Time for some breakfast and getting motivated .

 

[farmerjan]

Didn't eat the liver last night... still not thawed enough. So ate some cheese and a fruit cup and a piece of bread and called it supper... TONIGHT.... will get a decent dinner with the liver...

 

[farmerjan]

AH....... Done for the evening and just ate. YES . Made my liver and onions for dinner. Floured and cooked all in the package so I can reheat it tomorrow quicker, although it is not quite as good warmed over..... Portioned out the onions so I have enough for another meal also.
It was GOOD.....

It was mostly sunny today and barely hit 40 on the recording thermometer. CHILLY.... CHILLY..... quite bit of a breeze all day too. It is already down to 35 and supposed to get down in the mid 20's tonight. We will get the freeze if it drops like they are predicting. OH WELL.... It is November... time for "late fall" temps to kick in. Not like last year.... it is going to warm up by the weekend...

Went to co-op and got some grain so I can go up to the nurse cow pasture tomorrow... It was just too chilly today for me to deal with them up there.
I also stopped at the mechanic's shop... just up the road from the co-op... Seems the Ford place cannot figure out the computer problem on the explorer... not a computer module or something... it is in the main thing... mechanic is taking it to a special shop that deals in these problems next Tuesday..... LORD give me patience.... Wayne said the Ford guys have never seen anything like this... not being able to reprogram the computer... there isn't a separate module or anything that he said the one guy said there was... it is in the main computer...

Still haven't heard from the owner sampler herd that I dropped off the sample bottles for last week.... . Had another farmer call me and will test him on Sunday morning... He always calls a few days or a week ahead... and tests most every month... very reliable......still got 2 others that I thought would test last month, that need to get back to me. I'm not chasing after them anymore...

Feds left the prime rate as is for now... but the inflation is still twice what they want so it won't last much longer.

Thinking about making a trip to PA to see about the NH Bantams I called about the other week. And waiting on hearing back from the one guy I know that had NH standard chickens. Hoping he will have some to bring to the Va Poultry breeders show in 2 1/2 weeks on the 18th.

 

[farmerjan]

COLD this morning. Thermometer on the back deck says 22... doesn't feel that cold when I stuck my head out door. Cats said NO WAY when I opened door to let them out... they usually run out the door....
Just realized the recording thermometer on the front porch is stuck at 35... battery must need replacing. But the one on the back deck that was in the torn up 1/2 greenhouse is good... So... I will replace the battery when I go out later.
Looking at a "marked way down" 1/2 greenhouse to replace this one, because there are several tears in the plastic when that big wind tore through here and broke some of the plastic connectors.... It is a little smaller but might just do the trick. At less than half of what I put into this one... which I did like.... but looking for a more permanent solution down the road anyway.... Maybe can use part of this frame that is still okay to reinforce the other frame? $70 shipped might be worth it for now. Be right here at the house on the deck...

Also found a 7x8, "wood framed" polycarbonate one with a special $100 off deal... good until tomorrow 11/3... been picturing that size and wondering...(almost 2 sheets of plywood laid out flat on the ground)... I think @SageHill got 2 of the ones from Costco and put them end to end to make it bigger... I am sure this is probably 2x2 wood... but that still would be alot stronger than the aluminum framed ones... trying to find out the mm thickness of the polycarbonate... 4 mm is what most are made out of and that is pretty thin.... one of my dairy farmers has one and she said the panels can pop out of the aluminum framing when the wind is gusting... I have been looking at the 8mm panels which is still only 5/16th inch thick.. so not even 3/8th inch... but alot "stiffer " than the thinner stuff. Still with the wood framing it would be stronger than the aluminum frame... Price is very reasonable from the premade ones around here... but they do have the thicker polycarbonate on them and made from 2x4 framing... but then at $5,000 or more for an 8x16..... compared to about $800 for the 7x8... requested more info on the 7x8 to see.... could put them end to end like @SageHill or have 2 separate ones... one for getting through the winter, and then the 2nd one for using in the spring for starting plants and maybe doubling for chickens in the winter. And yes, I would have to put it together...

The new 10x20 one that I am hoping to use just the cover is in transit... it was a good deal and if it won't fit my frame, which I am pretty sure it will; then I will erect the new frame... I want it for the chickens for winter protection... with the 5 year warranty it will more than do what I want for them...for less cost than the shelter logic replacement cover alone, that is out of stock..... I will divide it if I have to inside, if I have chickens that don't get along...and the nice thing is it has a "door" on each end so if I divide it in half, then can have an "outside run" for each half ... and it will be ventilated better in the hot summer heat with both ends open...

So, things to decide...

Sun is out and it looks to be very nice out there. Going to warm back up into the 60's plus they say. Past time to go let the chickens out. They have been spending more time in the garden in the afternoons... with part of the fence down it is easy for them to go out there and I have knocked down a sunflower or 2 so they can pick the seeds that the birds haven't gotten. Need to get all the little piles of small stones picked up out of there. I piled them at the ends of sections of potato rows as I was digging... always working to get them out after the plowing too...

Good day to work outside...

 

[farmerjan]

CHILLY.... chickens let out and ice on the water bucket. I got the recording outside sender down and changed out batteries. Brought them in and tested and one was totally bad and the other registered good... checked the receiver part inside and both of them tested in the good also... so, I put the one back into the battery holder I got and will retest it when I go to use it again. I got one of those little plastic cases that you can store all the batteries in... 2 sided. keep them in slots, and it has a little battery tester in it too. Best $10 I have spent. keeps them all together when you are always looking for a battery... I have a plastic container I put the bad ones in and will take them when I see a battery recycle ad....

I FORGOT to cut my almost opened up irises... and the freeze got them last night DARN.... Oh well... can't change it now. I also see that it finally got the pepper plants in the garden... which is fine. And most of the plants along the front of the porch... wax begonias and vinca and such. The miniature roses still look okay... a few more days of pretty blooms.

I am going in to make something for lunch... maybe just soup for now. Want to eat my liver again tonight. Took a small chicken out of freezer when I was out there so will put it in to cook maybe tomorrow. Took several pkgs of bread crusts out of freezer so will make stuffing for it too.

I have mostly always had chickens for eggs even through the cold weather... so have never frozen the eggs. Was without chickens for about 2 years with the replacements and being away/recoup time etc., and all...so bought eggs when I needed them.... but my 3 now, still lay 2-3 a day. Have tons of eggs right now and want to freeze them... Any way better than others? Heard you should add sugar or salt for better preserving but need to label for cooking purposes... I think @SageHill says she puts them in ice cube trays... 1 per cube? Nothing added? Want them mostly to be available for cooking, not eating per se... Never know when they might go on strike.. and the older lt brahma is over a year... don't think she is going to moult now but may very well slack off. The 2 RI reds that were given to me are pullets, started this summer, and ought to lay mostly through the winter. If I get any others, I should be good for eggs.... but would be glad to have a "stash" in case.

Just checked and recording thermometer seems to be working again... YAY . It is up to a "balmy" 43 degrees out....

Lunch, stomach is growling...

 

[Mini Horses]

I whip them up like I'm gonna scramble, then freeze. But rarely keep more than 1/2 dz as I don't eat many and so they're for cooking. However, I've had chickens for so long, I've had eggs to give away most winters. . 6 pullets are just about POL and some hens still lay, some are almost naked -- no eggs from them. I'm getting about 4 a day now

 

[SageHill]

@SageHill says she puts them in ice cube trays... 1 per cube? Nothing added? Want them mostly to be available for cooking, not eating per se... Never know when they might go on strike..

Just checked and recording thermometer seems to be working again... YAY . It is up to a "balmy" 43 degrees out....

Lunch, stomach is growling...

Freezing eggs - I crack one egg into a silicone muffin cup (I've got a 6 cupcake silcone "pan" - so I do half a dozen at a time). Freeze, pop it/them out and vacuum seal. I haven't added anything to them. I have herd you can break the yolk and mix it up a bit then put it in the silicone "cup". So far over the years I've only used them for baking. Some of the yolks get a little tough, but will still beat in to what you are making. So that could be a reason to mix the yolk and white before freezing.

 

[Ridgetop]

Just realized the recording thermometer on the front porch is stuck at 35... battery must need replacing.

 

[Ridgetop]

Seems like summer just started and it is already getting into winter weather! Well, for everybody except those of us in southern California where our winter weather is pleasant. If only we had plenty of water, good government, low gas prices, lower property costs and taxes, this would be a nice place to live.