Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

So far I'm seeing working with them is just like with the sheep - just a bigger version of critter.

Basically, yes. They are bigger, have a few different idiosyncrasies, but they will respond to routine and such, just as your sheep. They like sameness, they like to eat, but will want to feel "not threatened". We could go the route of "rounding up" our cattle with 4 wheelers and such, and have had to take it out to get the stubborn one or two to get in the pen, or through a gate, but as a whole, I have taught my son that you don't want to "go get them" you want them to "get themselves" TO you. Back nearly 40 years ago, when I first moved to Va., I was considered to be that "crazy Yankee woman" with all these weird ideas: you didn't need to feed "therapeutic" doses of antibiotics to keep the animals healthy...(which was routinely added to feed as per nutritional experts at land grant college studies etc.) you fed good feed and only treated them when they got sick. You didn't "chase" your animals, you made them come to you. You didn't need to "hog tie" them to work with them, you gained their trust. Yes, you have to be firm, and occasionally you have to get a little "rough" to teach an animal it's place.... but quiet and calm is a whole lot easier on everyone.

I used to have hogs, kept about 10-15 brood sows and had pigs all the time.....tried to have 3-4 farrow at the same time so had pigs to sell on a regular basis about every 2 months. I had an old '53 dodge 2 ton truck, flat bed with sides, that I backed up to the loading chute. About a week before it was time to take the feeders to the monthly sale, I would sprinkle feed along the ramp, up the chute into the truck. Within 2-3 days, had the whole kit and kaboodle running up the chute onto the truck wanting to get fed. Pigs could get under the "fence boards" but sows couldn't. When I would go to the sale, usually had 10-30 pigs at a time, the "guys" there would ask what time I started catching pigs to get them all loaded. I'd just say, "oh a little while ago".... because the first time I told them about an hour before I got there, one said I must've had alot of help because a little ole girl like me couldn't catch all those pigs by myself. It made me mad as I tried to tell him how I did it and he said I was having pipe dreams.... so I just gave up and left it. Some time later, one of them had come by on pig sale day, on the "excuse" that he was just coming from so & so's and thought he'd give me a little help if I needed it.... and as he drove in and parked, I was just in the process of getting them to walk ( they would run up it by then) the ramp up into the truck....I laughed at the expression on his face as I calmly closed the back gate, came around and said hi, what's up. He told me straight the reason he had stopped and if he hadn't seen it he never would have believed it. I hadn't one single smelly piece of pig manure on me but my boots, was ready to change shoes and drive to town. Then they called me the magic pig lady....
I miss my pigs..... to be able to go back and relive those years when my joints weren't hurting and I enjoyed farming more.....maybe in the next place, i might have a couple again.
Moral of the story, get them to do what you want, by teaching them you are not the bad guy, that when they do what you want they get a reward.... food is the magic ticket..... and yes, I felt a little sad that they were "tricked" into it, but it was a business, and they got a good life while they were at my place. Besides, pigs definitely don't do alot of thinking except with their stomach in mind... some have great personalities, but they are after all, there for a purpose. And their life at my place out in the air and sunshine, the mud hole, and all that, is a far sight happier than in a confinement operation.

 

[Mini Horses]

I like this not working stuff, ,but need to get back to doing something for some income for awhile.

YEP -- that's for sure. It's what also keeps us working.

Calm & routine, best for all animals. Last big old Boer buck I sold was like your pigs. He was born at the farm & always handled by me. When man came to look, was impressed & bought. This was a huge, fullblood buck. We agreed on pickup time. He came with a big livestock truck. I told him to drive to field, he did. As I opened the gate he said, are there more people here to help? I said don't you have a ramp? Well, yes, I do. So, let it down. Then, I called the buck by name -- he quickly came. I took his collar and we walked up the ramp. Told the guy to shut his gaping mouth and the raise the ramp. Said he couldn't even dream of doing that with any of his bucks. Told him that was his problem, now ONE could be handled.

It's ROUTINE, discipline & trust that is built. Maybe women are more inclined to work this way, after raising children

 

[Devonviolet]

Intereesting . . . I was recently wondering if you had a journal, Jan. I have seen you posting on other journals, but didn’t rememmber seeing a journal. When I saw this on Recent Posts, I just had to take a read.

I can certainly sympathize with your weather woes. We are uber tired of overcast and mud! We have a rain gauge out in the middle of the yard, and whenever it rains, I keep track of how much we get.

One of the reasons we moved to this area of North Texas (wanting to be as close as possible to DD in Dallas), was because the “average” rainfall is 42” versus the 32” in Lake Worth where I lived in the late 70’s and 80’s. Growing a garden was definitely a challange.

Anyway, in 2015 we got over 60”, and the roads around us were all flooded at the time time. This year hasn’t been quite as bad, but our grand total for 2018 was 58.65”! If I were to stand in that much water, it would be up to about my chin. That’s a lot of water! And to think last Summer, we were in drought condditions, with huge cracks in our dirt! Kinda like “feast or famine”.

I smiled when I read your brilliant method of getting pigs into the trailer, to take them to market. I couldn’t help but think of @Baymule, when she takes her pigs to market. Great minds think alike, right???

My heart goes out to you and your son, with all the aggrevation you have had this year. Here’s hoping y’all have a much better 2019!

Happy New Year!

 

[greybeard]

Cattle are no different except the pen needs to be a little higher so them can't go over it.

and a little stronger.
A 600 lb calf can turn a square of corral panels into a diamond shape real quick and easy.

 

[farmerjan]

and a little stronger.
A 600 lb calf can turn a square of corral panels into a diamond shape real quick and easy.

Very True. I guess that I assumed that @Mike CHS would think about their strength because there are times that a 150-200 lb sheep can quickly move things around!!!!!

 

[Mike CHS]

Very True. I guess that I assumed that @Mike CHS would think about their strength because there are times that a 150-200 lb sheep can quickly move things around!!!!!

They can do a fair amount of damage when they get stressed. I usually give "moving slow" an all new meaning when I'm working close with them. Even if they don't get stressed they can do some strange things when startled.

 

[Baymule]

@farmerjan you are right on about loading the pigs. We loaded Wilbur the 820 pound boar just like that. DH backed up the trailer to get him used to looking at it so it wouldn't be something new and scary. I skipped feeding him, then opened the gate and led him a trail of boiled eggs into the trailer. Wilbur loaded himself!

 

[greybeard]

Cattle are like everything else. Best worked at their rate of speed not ours.
They have fairly good memories too, and will associate certain setups with unpleasant memories and experiences. Creatures of habit too. Watch where they walk when moving on their own from one place to another. Regardless of how big a pasture is, they will walk in the exact same little 12" wide pathway 90% of the time. From the air, any place with cattle looks like a spindly spider web of sorts, with each path plainly visible.
This one isn't mine,but it clearly shows where the cattle walked, day after day after day. Use their habitual movement lanes to your advantage..place temporary catch pens in the middle or at the terminal of one of their own paths.

 

[farmerjan]

Hey everyone , GUESS WHAT ???? It's 10 pm, do you know where your rain coat is?????


I am about ready to cry, scream, maybe throw a tantrum.......

They said we might get a few showers.... well it has been raining , lightly at first but pretty steady now, since about 3-4 this afternoon. Not real hard, but it is wet. I am pretty sure @Mini Horses is getting more than us.... but , just , but......

Maybe some sun tomorrow? I'm not sure if my eyes can take it.

I nearly got the 2wd ranger stuck right here at the house. Kinda flat where I park, and it didn't want to move. There is a small set of ruts from all the soft wet ground and I was afraid I was going to have to go get the 4wd and pull it out to where the driveway comes in and too bad if the landlord didn't like it. But I did get it out and have parked at the edge of the driveway that makes the circle to his barn, and enough of a rise that I can easily back it out on the gravel....Got to take the 4wd drive to the barn tomorrow.
BUT, the forecast is saying mostly sun for the next 5 days. Sure, when I am going to have to be in the barn testing several herds.... Like mini- as soon as it gets nice, I get stuck inside too....
Well, if it dries it up some I will work around it. 50's - 60's through Wed then cooling down to 40's / upper 20's for the end of the week. I'll take it !!!

 

[Mike CHS]

You are getting what we had the last few days. I have mud like I have never seen it before but fortunately (for a change) I have a lot of rock under several inches of soil that still gives me traction.