Baymule
Herd Master
I hope Deb’s problems can be sorted out. It doesn’t sound very good at this time.
Farmerjan's journal - Weather
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farmerjan
Herd Master
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Tuesday morning... Slow start, back is aching more than what is "usual"....
53 overnight. Sun is out, going to be a nice day again.
Had a new calf at the snyder's... another bull calf out of a 1st calf heifer... Several others are really bagging up so ought to be more in the next couple of days... That's 3 bulls, one heifer so far there...
DS was going to take a roll of hay in there this morning. It is so dry, no grass growth and it is getting really short and dusty dry. I don't want the her x heifers to lose weight... the bigger bred heifers are in very good flesh, but the young ones need to keep growing and go forward... I am feeding them some grain... the big ones come around to the feeder and hog it... but luckily most of the her x ones stick together like glue, and they often stay back in the field when the others come to the barn... so I have been feeding them out there, out of sight of the others... a few will come in the creep gate and I have been putting feed in the bunk also...
I plan to go get some protein tubs to put out for supplement... this way they won't have to fight the big heifers.... they can get some when the big heifers are off eating, or going down for hay or for water... at least it will be out there for them. I will put out several so they will all have a chance to get at them and not get shoved out...
There is a bred cow sale this evening and I will go to see how prices are looking. I will go early enough to go to the feed store right near there, and get some tubs in the truck to bring home. Put them out tomorrow morning before I have to go test the farm where these heifers came from. Plans are to have the discussion with the farmer and get the value/money worked out so that we are squared... That is where I put my dairy heifers 5+ years ago, when I was going to have my ankle replacement... thought they would be there a year and then I would do herd shares... then the knees got so bad... and they just stayed there.
There have been calves born, there have been a couple that were sold and a couple that died... they paid me for some of the first bull calves sold, and the cows sold... then we never really got it all figured out. I do not want to cheat them, and I feel like I owe them something for these 12 heifers I got in June... They have done all the AI breeding costs on the ones in the milking herd.... and have raised up at least one heifer that has come into their milking string...
I do not want to go through and cull any of these heifers until I feel that they are "mine"... value wise... there are 2 that may get culled... one seemed to have chronic eye problems, but it has seemed to stopped since they are out on pasture... one will not come in the barn and goes the other way every time you go out there... little things... They will all stay through the winter unless something unforeseen comes up... but I want to feel like they are fully mine... and the dairy animals he has left, and their offspring there, are fully his. I hate that I could not bring them back home, but I guess those plans are no longer viable. I do not really want to milk 4-5-6 animals twice a day every day anymore... it was a plan for retirement, and then the ankle and knee replacements changed things... and I like putting the calves on the nurse cows and not milking again... besides at these prices, I could not afford to raise calves if I milked and then didn't have enough customers and I do not want to deal with the public that much anymore. It is going to be expensive enough to get a couple of calves to go on Betsy when she calves...
So, time to get up and something productive done... Got some dishes to do, and might do a load or laundry. They ought to dry good... got lots of junk mail to go through and sort out... make sure I do not trash anything good.
Time to do some serious house cleaning like @Mini Horses ... seriously overdue here...
Got the bottles in the trays for tomorrow and need a few more meters in the car to take... it is a double 12 so need 24 meters...
Will water the plants again as they look a little better... this way if we do get the rain, I will have saved them...
I will take the little ranger this afternoon to get the protein tubs and then go to the sale. Make a "night of it" and eat at the stockyard also...
Still hoping for the rain to come in Wed night/Thursday...
DS did look at Deb's mower and is going to see if the friend of his can do some welding,,, she broke something that holds it in place under the tractor... yes, her health problems are not good... I sure hope that they can come up with something so that she can at least know what is causing this... it is affecting her terribly....
53 overnight. Sun is out, going to be a nice day again.
Had a new calf at the snyder's... another bull calf out of a 1st calf heifer... Several others are really bagging up so ought to be more in the next couple of days... That's 3 bulls, one heifer so far there...
DS was going to take a roll of hay in there this morning. It is so dry, no grass growth and it is getting really short and dusty dry. I don't want the her x heifers to lose weight... the bigger bred heifers are in very good flesh, but the young ones need to keep growing and go forward... I am feeding them some grain... the big ones come around to the feeder and hog it... but luckily most of the her x ones stick together like glue, and they often stay back in the field when the others come to the barn... so I have been feeding them out there, out of sight of the others... a few will come in the creep gate and I have been putting feed in the bunk also...
I plan to go get some protein tubs to put out for supplement... this way they won't have to fight the big heifers.... they can get some when the big heifers are off eating, or going down for hay or for water... at least it will be out there for them. I will put out several so they will all have a chance to get at them and not get shoved out...
There is a bred cow sale this evening and I will go to see how prices are looking. I will go early enough to go to the feed store right near there, and get some tubs in the truck to bring home. Put them out tomorrow morning before I have to go test the farm where these heifers came from. Plans are to have the discussion with the farmer and get the value/money worked out so that we are squared... That is where I put my dairy heifers 5+ years ago, when I was going to have my ankle replacement... thought they would be there a year and then I would do herd shares... then the knees got so bad... and they just stayed there.
There have been calves born, there have been a couple that were sold and a couple that died... they paid me for some of the first bull calves sold, and the cows sold... then we never really got it all figured out. I do not want to cheat them, and I feel like I owe them something for these 12 heifers I got in June... They have done all the AI breeding costs on the ones in the milking herd.... and have raised up at least one heifer that has come into their milking string...
I do not want to go through and cull any of these heifers until I feel that they are "mine"... value wise... there are 2 that may get culled... one seemed to have chronic eye problems, but it has seemed to stopped since they are out on pasture... one will not come in the barn and goes the other way every time you go out there... little things... They will all stay through the winter unless something unforeseen comes up... but I want to feel like they are fully mine... and the dairy animals he has left, and their offspring there, are fully his. I hate that I could not bring them back home, but I guess those plans are no longer viable. I do not really want to milk 4-5-6 animals twice a day every day anymore... it was a plan for retirement, and then the ankle and knee replacements changed things... and I like putting the calves on the nurse cows and not milking again... besides at these prices, I could not afford to raise calves if I milked and then didn't have enough customers and I do not want to deal with the public that much anymore. It is going to be expensive enough to get a couple of calves to go on Betsy when she calves...
So, time to get up and something productive done... Got some dishes to do, and might do a load or laundry. They ought to dry good... got lots of junk mail to go through and sort out... make sure I do not trash anything good.
Time to do some serious house cleaning like @Mini Horses ... seriously overdue here...
Got the bottles in the trays for tomorrow and need a few more meters in the car to take... it is a double 12 so need 24 meters...
Will water the plants again as they look a little better... this way if we do get the rain, I will have saved them...
I will take the little ranger this afternoon to get the protein tubs and then go to the sale. Make a "night of it" and eat at the stockyard also...
Still hoping for the rain to come in Wed night/Thursday...
DS did look at Deb's mower and is going to see if the friend of his can do some welding,,, she broke something that holds it in place under the tractor... yes, her health problems are not good... I sure hope that they can come up with something so that she can at least know what is causing this... it is affecting her terribly....
Mini Horses
Herd Master
The house cleaning -- hating every day but love results. Glad I have a week to spread it out. Shame on me! 
