Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[greybeard]

There is talk that our weather pattern is changing to a "la nina"..... WHAT.... that means a wet spring???? Like we haven't had enough WET EVERYTHING??????

No.
"El Nino conditions are present in the tropical Pacific, and are likely to persist through spring 2019. Due to the expected weak strength, widespread or significant global impacts are not anticipated. However, some localized areas may experiences impacts during the next few months."

 

[farmerjan]

It is Tuesday night. We have had 2 1/2 days of SUN !!!! Windy as all get out for a day or so, but it did dry out the top of the ground where the water had run off. I actually did get to drive to the "nurse cow barn" with the 2 wd truck and not get stuck or spinning. Stayed away from the couple of wetter spots. Got up to 60 today, light breeze. Tomorrow is is supposed to be mostly sunny, but then clouds and showers/rain coming in on Thursday and temps are going to be falling. It is already down to 35, it was 27 this morning but warmed quickly. Then the fun begins. Showers, rain, clouds through the weekend. Starts to get interesting on Sunday, with some possible SNOW / wintry mix coming in and temps down to the low 20's ???????
OKAY I keep telling myself that it is still winter.....

My son and I were on the phone discussing our hay situation this evening. He was feeding as soon as he got off work at 4:45 and it was 9:45. The ground has dried up some so getting in the fields is better. He told me he has fed about 40 rolls this evening,, taking some of the old hay out on the hay wagon and putting it around in the one field so the cows can pick through it. One place we have they are eating nearly 3 rolls a day. Said he has never seen the cows go through hay like this. Trying to get a little ahead, but he hadn't heard the forecast had changed. It was supposed to be nice all week. So this will mean he has to go out to the one place that is really hard to get into when it is wet, and get more put out there tomorrow, even though they won't need it before Fri or Sat because he won't be able to get in there if it gets "greasy" again.
He has had several people calling for hay. He has sold some. But after talking about what we have left... he is thinking that he really can't sell much more that isn't already committed. We figure we have about 485-525 rolls left. If we feed an average 10 rolls a day, and they have been eating it like crazy here the last month, that is only another 45-50 days of hay. That is only into the middle of April. I am concerned. Some of this hay is 3 years old rolls. We have been feeding that to the dry cows, and to the cows that were open and will not be going back with the bulls until June for breeding. They just need to put on some condition. They are not nursing a calf, not carrying a calf, and not trying to get bred so can utilize the lesser quality hay. But the ones with calves, and the weaned calves, need the better hay. The dry cows that will be calving here soon do not need the best hay but will need better hay as soon as they start to calve. They have been on some stockpiled pasture and have put on weight and look better. The ones with the fall calves need to eat and get all they want and it needs to be decent hay as they are not only nursing, but the bulls are in those 2 places and they are supposed to be breeding back now.
We had lost 2 places last year and will lose another this year. Hay fields, plus one pasture. I am glad that we won't be traveling so far and hope we can do better making more square bales, but this is going to put a crimp in our hay supplies we think. We have cut our numbers some, but not that much. We usually tried to carry over 3-400 rolls but this year will be down to next to nothing. There is one hay field that we have been approached about to make the hay on that is close... hope we can get that worked out.
Problem is, if it is like last year, with all the rain, it will be a real problem to get it made. Or worse case scenario...what if we get first cutting made then the faucets get turned off and we don't get ANY rain and no 2nd cutting????

No sense in borrowing trouble. But it is something we are a bit concerned about.

 

[farmerjan]

I think that @Wehner Homestead mentioned in another thread about everyone that has had problems this past year and this winter. Believe me, we have too. Have lost a bunch of cows. A couple that were old, couldn't take the cold and wet we think, maybe pneumonia and you don't always pick up on it when they are out on winter pasture/feeding.
Lost a 3 yr old, with a 6 month calf on her for no apparent reason. Calf was eating good so it is okay, but she was just DEAD an hour after I went up to feed the calves. Standing up with the group when I went up the driveway to the barn; and out flat dead when I went down to leave.
We have lost a few calves to the miserable conditions. Had one weaned get upside down in the feed trough and died....couldn't get rolled back over and get up. Freak stuff.

Had a 65% preg rate at 2 places, 50% at the other group. Never had such bad preg checks. Vet thinks it might be low magnesium since the grasses were so green all year from all the water. So we are going to be feeding hi-mag salt/mineral all year now. But that is a lot of lost revenue due to those cows not having calves this spring, to be sold late this coming fall/winter.
The cull/pound cow price has been abysmal so we opted to keep them and put them back with the bulls. This last group of 15 we are holding over til June then will go with the bull. A whole lost year. But they wouldn't bring $250-300 if we culled them. So we are putting weight on them, hopefully they will breed back and have calves in Spring 2020. Normally we sell the open ones and get $4-600 each. Got a couple that might just go to slaughter and be made into hot dogs and snack sticks, bologna and such.
We have 2 new calves on the ground. Sure hope that there aren't any this weekend in this forecast crap. No way can we move them in the barn. I am thinking of trying to talk my son into changing our calvings a bit. Waiting til April, and only a 60 day window, then starting again in late Aug and being done by Dec !st so they have a little size before we get "winter". We seem to not get our winter until near the first of Jan instead of earlier like we used to. Cold they can take, but not the miserable wet and cold. Of course, the cold like you all had in the upper midwest and such, is just too cold.

 

[Baymule]

Our hay guy leases a 20 acre pasture that he planted with rye and clover, then cut got his cows. He did such a good job of taking care of the field that a neighbor to that field offered him a 30 acre hay field. He is delighted. So are we. Last year it was pretty dicey on us getting enough hay. He and his father have a hay business and do custom baling, besides their own.

You sure have had your share of loss, I hope this coming season is much better.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

@farmerjan it was me. It’s been crazy. I feel like no one has been exempt. I hadn’t even read about @babsbag issues yet.

I think the water has definitely played a role. We were told that the nutrients weren’t in the hay and grass that typically would be because it was so water logged.

We feed high mag and regular mineral most of the year. They get a choice about which they consume at any given time.

 

[RollingAcres]

@farmerjan sorry for your loss.

and they have been eating it like crazy here the last month,

My 2 have been eating their hay like crazy as well. We have a few more months yet before we see some green grass. We need to go get more hay again. This year we really need to plan better in getting hay. Didn't do so well last year due to DH's surgery in July. I think we need to find someone this year to get the hay right when they are baling it. But first we need to probably bu our own trailer to haul them bales.

We have snow coming in later today about 3-6 inches.

 

[Mike CHS]

I under estimated our hay needs for this winter since I had no idea how much two steers could put away. I have some I can get just down the road so I'll stock up this week.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Hopefully a shift in the pattern will change here shortly and ya can get in a better situation for this season and forward....there is enough to deal with under normal conditions....but, dealing with weather difficulties has a far more reaching effect that most just don't "see".....sure hope things turn for the better for ya on all "fronts"......

 

[farmerjan]

@Wehner Homestead ; we feed hi-mag usually from Jan/Feb until about June or July then switch to regular brood cow mineral. Been doing that for 20-30 years. Never had more than 5-10% open. But this year the grass was so "washy" and the nutrients and bulk wasn't there, like you said. Cows did not hold their condition as well, the calves did not gain from the milk either. It's not just us. Everyone around here has been saying something along those lines. Had a friend that has NICE cows, and they looked good. Preg checked 40 and 14 were open. He was in shock. Rightly so.
Knowing that it is an area wide -- weather condition -- problem is a little easier to swallow, than thinking it is you. Still doesn't pay the bills.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Gosh, Miss @farmerjan, it seems that you and your son can't get a break! You two both work so hard. It's bad enough to continue to fight the weather, and then lose cows and calves. Sometimes no matter what you do, something is going to happen to make it ineffective. Your life reminds me of the movie Bedazzled, except that movie was a comedy and your life is not.

Please don't think that I think you're only whining. I don't think that at all. I just wish you and your son didn't have to struggle as much as you do. I wish your life could ease up some so that you can enjoy semi-retirement. You and your son deserve that.

Senile Texas Aggie