Farmerjan's journal - Weather

farmerjan

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Thanks everyone. They did surgery today. Realigned the 2 parts, put in a couple of screws to "pin it" back together. Now, hoping it will heal and knit back together. 8 weeks NO WEIGHT BEARING they say. Will know more tomorrow. He was feeling the pain drugs making him drowsy and all, still in a fair amount of pain, but they said all went well and looks good.

One of his best friends came and got the rest of the field done with the no-till drill, so that field is finished. Got it put back in the building and things buttoned up for the next few days. I have to go move some more of the round bales off the other field, and then maybe get that seed no-till drilled in.
I already talked to the guy who used to help us, and a couple of other friends , and will make a decision to get those calves in off the cows. Other than feeding some round bales to the 2 lots at the barn where there isn't any grass, things are covered for a couple weeks. I will be doing his chickens at his house like I do when he goes away, and will move the panels so the sheep can have another section of grass. It will take me a little time since I can't move/walk very fast, but not that bad of a job. Small sledge for the t-posts, and drag the panels(with the truck) to divide off the next big section. Can leave the water where it is for now as they will get the already grazed sections too.

Had a few sprinkles this evening but the rain they were calling for moved out without getting more than a few drops. Colder and windy coming in for Fri and Sat, then warmer on Sun and Mon then another cold front with maybe some snow Tues/Wed..... we'll see.

HERE'S HOPING FOR A QUIET NIGHT OR TWO.....
 

farmerjan

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Well, one thing going right. Guy texted and said that if I could get the engine there before lunch tomorrow, he would be there to take it off truck. So I will get it loaded on our automatic red & white bale truck, it is at my son's work place, tomorrow about 10:30 and take it down to Jason so maybe he will get to work on getting the other out and ready for this one. If the weather warms up on Sunday, maybe he might get it done before the next cold snap comes.

They got the heat fixed at my son's house, so no worries about the cold snap coming either. Reminds me, I need to check the fuel tank at my house and arrange a delivery all according to how much is in there. Just paid a bunch of stuff for the month, but can put it on the cc and then pay it off when the bill comes.

Found a better deal on car insurance, then forgot to call them back with my episode last week and then Michael getting hurt last night and surgery today. Gotta call them and get that switched so that I can get a refund from the other company. Don't really want it coming due in Dec when there are other things that need to be done. Sept was fine, Oct okay, Nov is so-so okay too. This will extend my coverage til Nov now since it will be a year policy payment...Was easier to remember it right after my birthday.... Better try to remember that tomorrow or by next Monday at least. Oh well, one more thing, but the coverage will be better. With hitting the deer the other day, not much damage but the cracked lens, I don't want to be without comp if I happen to collide with another.....
I hope the hunters get a bunch of them this year....
 

Baymule

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I'm glad the surgery went well for your son. Thanks to the friend stepping up for helping to finish the field. What would we do without good friends? At least hay season has wound down, if this had happened in mid summer, it would have really been a disaster.

Don't you love cow panels? We put up 3 of them with a quarter panel for a gate a few days ago to keep the sheep off new rye grass coming up. Instant fence, well almost instant fence. I even use hay twine or baling wire to tie them to the T-posts.
 

Bruce

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My son fell off the back of the truck, ...
:ep Can't "like" that post. I'm glad his surgery went well. Hopefully he WILL stay off it for the required 8 weeks, that will be hard especially for someone as active as he is. Stir crazy comes to mind.

One of his best friends came and got the rest of the field done with the no-till drill, so that field is finished.
Thankful for good friends!
 

Mini Horses

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Instant fence, well almost instant fence. I even use hay twine or baling wire to tie them to the T-posts.

LOL. Baling twine -- a major asset. I use it a lot.

FarmerJan, sorry about son's accident & injury. Always something, right? Hope this "new girlfriend" is a farm type. Looks like son will be out of work for a while -- hmmm, hope he has some sick leave available. TWO months of no weight is really gonna hurt the farming chores. But, other friends will step up & help, I'm sure. At least "most" of your harvesting is done. I'm confident you can get a couple to come help move, load, etc. Not a good situation but, timing could have been a lot worse.

Years back, a local farmer where I lived then, had a tree come down on his leg & bust it up real bad. His wife could handle their pig operation but, not enough time to harvest their crops. The locals completed their own and then all appeared at his farm and harvested for him!! A real group effort with several tractors, combines, trucks, etc. all working to "get it done". Was great to see & a real blessing. Farmers know things have to get done -- no matter.
 

CntryBoy777

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So sorry to hear about your son, but glad they feel good about the repair....sure hope it heals properly for him and doesn't cause issues with his driving...... :hugs hope the others come thru in assisting ya getting things "winter ready". We are spose to be in the 70s the middle of the week with lows in the high 50s low 60s....really thankful not to have what those north are to be dealing with, but it will be nice to get to Fall finally....:)
 

farmerjan

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Honestly don't know what we would do without friends. The guy who did the seeding, is like a brother to my son. About the same age and all. He has been a real help. In the past he had a major tractor breakdown and we took the smaller 4wd tractor over to him (it was bought at a good price, did some work on it so it could be sold, and doesn't look like it will ever get sold now as we use it enough to justify keeping it and the money invested in it. ); and he used it the better part of the winter. We weren't using it at the time. Have borrowed his cattle trailer, and I have helped haul some of his cattle to town on occasion. We have traded off and on over the years. Michael has used his fertilizer truck to put fertilizer down on our stuff, and has spread some of Steven's for him, when he has needed it done. He has 2 chicken houses now, and stays pretty busy with them, and his kids are getting into sports and stuff so we don't see them as much.

Several of the farmers in the area have offered to help trailer the cattle back to the home farm and such. I will try to get a better handle on who is going to go where, when they need to start coming "home". Have 12 c-cf pairs and the bull that will have grass for about 2 weeks, they will be the first to come back, and they will need to be pregnancy checked. Have 8 others at the barn that need to be preg checked now and then they can all go somewhere together; and the 4 old cows and their calves at the other place, will be going to town. Then there will be a couple more groups with calves (12 c-cf and 30 c-cf) at 2 different places to come back to the "home farm" and be preg ckd and the calves weaned and maybe sold. There are about 20 at another place with no calves that will need to be preg ckd but they don't have calves so not a big rush. They also have grass for awhile so not a priority.

Going to try to get the one group in tomorrow, and pull the big calves, put them in the barn lot to wean. Those cows are already ckd and will start calving soon. They were a little behind the rest for some reason....I think we got the bull in their pasture late last year.....
Got about 20+ with new calves to get in, get the calves tagged and bulls banded, and moved to a winter pasture. Then there will be room at the "home farm" to start moving the others home when they need to. Will have to work testing around it so that I can be off at least every other day, and not gone several days in a row. And be available for our retired vet friend to come do some of the preg checks to get these guys moved "out of the way" . I can use the truck to feed round bales away from the barn, and the tractor to feed at the barn. Will have to learn to use the skid loader so I can feed the silage at the barn to the weaned calves. That is going to be a little bit tricky.... but can get one of the guys to do it.

Son was in a lot of pain this afternoon/eve. They got him out of the bed and into the chair. Managed to use walker with "hopping on left foot" to go to the bathroom. Said they would asses how he was doing tomorrow, possible even to release him. Not thinking rehab, and I am still pushing it. He will naturally have in home rehab for a few weeks, I guess that is what they are thinking.... then rehab at the center at the hospital????? I don't know.
He is confiding more in the girlfriend than me for some of this so I am just going to back off if he prefers that. I will take care of the animals, and told him in as nice a way as I could tonight that he can't be micro-managing the cows if I am going to be doing the work. That I have talked to several already about what we will need to be doing.

Yes, he is going to be going stir crazy once he quits hurting so much. But I keep telling him that if he screws this up, and it doesn't heal right, and he has to have it replaced, then he is looking at 3 more months. Honestly, it would be good if it hurts for awhile, so he is less inclined to try to do something he shouldn't. Don't like seeing him in pain, but that is about the only thing that really slows him down. Maybe what the dr has been drilling in his head will sink in. And this girlfriend is pretty outspoken. Problem is, although she is from "country stock" her comments about him,; "oh he's gotta do this or that farming sheet", don't set real well with me. I look for her to talk him out of most or all of our farming enterprise.... and with what I hope is an uptick in prices in 2020 and more in 2021, I think her pushing him to give up stuff sooner rather than later is going to cause a big problem. He tells her things that he doesn't share with me and we are supposed to be in this as a "partnership type" deal. He does more of the work now, but I have tried to support him through all the girlfriends, ups and downs, everything. I think we should cut down a bit more, but we have been weathering all the real bad prices now. To get out before it has a little more chance to rebound is foolish. I'm really hoping I am wrong, but I feel like it is going to be a problem for us (ME).... These cattle were to be my "extra" income, in the future..... I just hope that I am wrong on that subject.
Trying to give it some time and breathing room.
 
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farmerjan

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Thanks, @Mike CHS ; I am trying to be positive. They have known each other/ been friends for years She does work, is not lazy in that way, and doesn't get much child support, but her 9 yr old daughter is a bit spoiled in my opinion. My son has always had a thing for her, but decided several months ago that they should stay friends, after she broke up with the last guy she was dating, because he doesn't want to lose her friendship. Then a month later, they decided to date. Now he is practically living at her house, and is very involved with her 9 yr old daughter. She was married for about 5 years and had the daughter, they got divorced about 3 yrs ago. I just worry as one day her deciding she doesn't want to stay in this relationship. Her sister has 2 children, the second is just a baby. DS is quite taken with the baby. He has always wanted kids, never the right girl, but now is getting quite involved with this group. I am just a little uneasy , yet the girlfriend really likes me. I used to live next door to her grandmother, and she spent alot of time with her so that is how they got acquainted. I really never realized that he was so taken with her. Maybe it has taken her all these years to settle down? IDK ........
 
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