Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Bruce]

He will get sold down the road but I will not get that top dollar. The buyers like to buy in groups....

Probably a stupid question but ...
Do you know anyone with similar age/size animals that could stick him in their group for sale?

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks for the idea @Bruce. There isn't anyone around here that we are friends with that follow the vaccination protocol we have. Most sell right off the cows when they wean them... and we used to always do that too until DS decided to start buying a few and feeding them for awhile on the silage... And it has gotten to the point where we have a "reputation" for our animals and buyers buy on that also. Just like @Ridgetop was saying about the buyers that mostly are buying her lambs, the same goes with the cattle. Besides them wanting to buy in groups, because there is less chance for a bunch of calves from different places being put together and mingling their germs.... these buyers get to know the sellers and if the cattle are as good as the sellers claim. Reputation sells on the good ones. It also hurts on the smaller numbers to NOT have a reputation. That takes years of not getting the best prices; and learning the game.
A little different with say the sheep, because they are more a timing thing with holidays and they get killed very soon after being bought and you don't get them to the size of the calves and for them to have to go from point A to point B for someone else to then carry them to the next phase.
The steer might work in the group for WVa but I think he will be too small... he likes them in the 525-550 size... but he might work in the group of 7 that goes to the other guy. He pays good for them. And my steer is not normally high headed... we will see. If not then he will go with the ones to the other sale... not today but maybe next Saturday. That sale has a lot of smaller sized groups and singles go through... more smaller time farmers... and alot of "weekend farmers" come to it and buy say 2 or 4 or 5 for a few acres they have to graze.... He is a good steer, so still ought to bring good money... just won't ring the bell at the top like yesterday.

WELL...... it is white out there.... YEP, it rained and then changed to snow about 4-5 a.m. and is still snowing. Temps dropped and are now 28 degrees... with it supposed to continue dropping through the day. Snow is supposed to stop around noon or so.... we will get about 3 inches probably. but with the cold it will stick around for a day or 2. Supposed to get alot of wind later so will be COLD.
Glad the calves are out of the barn and lots. The ones we kept will be good for the next day or 2 then get sorted out.

Sure hope no one decides to calve for the next day or 2. Weather is supposed to warm back up into the 50's and 60's the first of the week. I will go up to feed the 3 cows and probably get them in to move mid week... they will be glad to see me I am sure with the grain.... will go tomorrow.. not going anywhere today.
I am supposed to work tomorrow morning... But if the temps keep dropping and the slush turns to ice, I might very well call them tonight and say NOPE... guess I will wait to see if DS has to go in tonight again... and how cold it gets and all. The farmer and his son will be milking regardless of whether I go or not so it won't inconvenience them at all... I test when it is their weekend to milk normally...

So, I am going to go in and make some oatmeal for breakfast I think... want something nice and warm. Will go out to the chickens in a bit.... and stay in for the day.

 

[Mini Horses]

Hope birthing calves are held until first of week! Glad none of my goats are close enough to be concerned!! Warmer is better.

At least the snow is weekend again, less overall traffic to deal. Should melt fast with heat returning in a day or two. That's sure helpful. Glad calves went and sold well!! That's always good news.

 

[farmerjan]

Colder than a witch's tit here....Wind is blowing like a banshee out there and it is just cold. I went out to the chickens and ran back in. Just went out again a little bit ago. Took the bottles out for testing at the farm.... Brushed all the snow off the car windshield and windows, it was rainy wet underneath and just starting to get a crust on top. Started the car, got the wipers going and turned it off to leave them in the up position, so they won't get frozen down at the bottom, tonight. This will make it easier to snap them in the morning to make sure they aren't stuck. Then run the car for a few minutes so it can warm up before I have to leave. Put the chickens in the crate for the night too. It was really cold...felt like January middle of the winter.
Going to stick a chicken in the oven. Not going to worry with stuffing it, just something to get the oven going and heating the kitchen a little. Might see about baking some brownies or something, too.

Talked to my farmer and we are still on for the morning. He wanted to make sure we are on the same time... we are going to milk/test on standard time so the cows aren't all screwed up. He was talking about setting his phone and that it will automatically change time to go to daylight savings time... He was confusing me. I said I don't use the phone for an alarm, I use the alarm clock and it won't change time until I change it... so I am going to get up and leave like normal on my clock.... I will change them after I get home since I don't have to "do anything else" tomorrow... It will take me forever to get used to the daylight savings time... it just doesn't feel right and I am always feeling like I am running behind. I hate it. Another reason to think about retiring.....no one to have to answer to... but not going to happen for at least the rest of this year... and with losing the farm down the road.... that is one more to help with the "semi-retirement"....

I finally got things straightened out with the annuity thing from my parents estate that was not in the will. So I got the first of the 5 payments I set up for 5 years. Glad to not have to keep calling them. I am treating this as if I don't have it so that I will have a cushion.... but might get the outdoor wood furnace put in since I have no intention of putting in oil or gas... there are guys around here I would rather buy wood off of if DS doesn't have time to do it... and lots of places that we cut wood out of the fence rows and such, so that I can just bring it home here to use too. He doesn't have time to bother with me needing wood. I will pay for the car with the money... and then I think I might sell it before the summer is out. We'll see.

Okay, I am going in to put the chicken in the oven and then maybe get the vacuum out and clean up some on the floor. Hope to get the cupboard upright next.....

 

[farmerjan]

Does anyone know how to say FROZEN ??? Like it was 16 when I left at 4 old time, to go test...recording thermometer says it got down to 13..... It is 11:30 and all the way up to 28... Sorry guys, but this is frost your balls weather.... After 60's here last week.... Even with the rain... this is just shyt cold.
Yes we had heat in the parlor... I never would have gone if we didn't. Would not have done it if I had to set up there either... Testing went fine, and I got done and came home. Took some hot water out to the chickens as it was frozen of course. Let them out of the crate but fixed the straw bales so they would stay in the greenhouse shelter today. Too cold for them to be out running around in the snow. The shelter will heat up some with the sun on it so will be comfortable. It was a relief to just go in it before to get out of the wind and the sun warming the air above freezing. The waterer did not have alot of water in it so after pouring the hot in it; it melted enough that it will continue to melt and then tomorrow I will take out a 2 gal bucket, clean it out and refill again. I can't believe it but that dam@#d possum must have been the problem as there hasn't been anything in the 2 traps since. Cannot believe that he carried the 2 chickens I found, in 2 different directions and so far across the road up by the hay bales.

Talked to DS a little bit ago. He was finishing up feeding some hay while the ground is hard because it will melt the snow on top in the sun and make it slick.... and going home to sleep. He had to go in at 8 p.m. last night and didn't get much sleep the night before. They wound up having to push back snow that was drifting across the roads and spreading salt where it was freezing to the road and causing icy spots. I went across several spots this morning where it was slick from the blowing snow and all.

Sun is out and it is blinding with the white snow...Hopefully it will disappear fast. Temps are supposed to get up to the 40's today, 50's tomorrow and 60's to near 70 the rest of the week.
It was chilly in the house too.... I turned the gas heater up when I came in...
Ate some scrambled eggs when I got home. Yesterday it was oatmeal....I didn't get to the vacuum last evening, so think that is next on the list now... and I want to get some "starting" soil in the seed starting greenhouse/tray, that I broke down and bought since I don't have any that have solid bottoms to use in the house; so I can see about getting some of these older seeds "started" and see what the germination rate is going to be. If they do real good I can share them or even have them to sell at the yard sale that I really want to have in hopefully May????

This weekend and next weekend are the Highland County Maple Festival weekends... I feel bad for everyone out there, as I know that yesterday was a totally shyt day for them and today will be colder than cold.... I am hoping to go next weekend... I did mention it to DS so don't know what that will mean. I think GF is going in for that other surgery on Friday, so he will probably be tied up with her. Guess I can go by myself... They cancelled it in 2020 for the covid crap, and didn't go last year.....

DS told me that he talked to a guy who went to one of the 2 Saturday stockyards and that prices were 30-50 cents LESS than what we got at the sale on Friday.... 4-500 lb steers were in the 1.50's on average. We were very fortunate to get such good prices and partly it was because the former owner of the stockyards had said he would do what he could to "help us" to get good prices. Yes, they were good steers, and yeah there has to be at least 2 bidders to get a better price... but still... we were fortunate. It does look like the prices are coming off and will be off for awhile. DS ought to be able to buy some more bull calves to band and get the group together for the WVa order for late April/early May at less than what ours brought... and hopefully by late fall when they get ready to ship them, prices and the world mess with Russia and the Ukraine, ought to have gotten figured out/stabilized... and he will make some money on them also. This is a joint venture deal.... He also said that my steer that jumped the gate might fit in with the 7 he needs for that other guy.... ... He will pay nearly as good as we got for the ones that we sold.

Time to get something done in the house.

 

[Ridgetop]

What other surgery does GF have to have? Still for the cancer?

You are having terrible cold weather back there! Hoe it warms up soon. I am glad to hear that the prices are going down on cattle since you have to buy some now to feed up for your buyers. Selling everything now was a good idea since prices held until you sold. Hopefully you will be able to even out.

 

[Mike CHS]

That cold weather that you are having was here a couple of days ago and temp started at 16 and the high for the day was 29. It only got down to 40 degrees by this morning and right now it's back up to 62.

 

[farmerjan]

@Ridgetop , she is having some "preventative" surgery, removal of tubes and ??? , since that is where this cancer had "traveled to", in 2 other family members in the past???? I am not totally sure... not a total hysterectomy, but something.... You know telling me is not a priority...



So anyway, thanks @Mike CHS . It was still cold yesterday with the wind but the sun melted quite a bit of the snow. It was only down to 31 this morning, and sun and real nice and there is no trace of snow.... you would never know we had it to look at the outside today.... CRAZY.
I was tired last night after the testing and the cold... and today the right leg and knee ached. Having the cramps again, so back to the magnesium foam rub on for the cramps. This is aggravating. Plus the "pulled/strained" upper quad/groin muscle is very painful walking.... wasn't so bad, until I was really using it in the barn testing this afternoon. They milk faster and so is a faster pace and I move more...

I went out and let the chickens out today. Loaded meters and hoses in the car, put the trays of bottles in and got everything ready. A friend from CT called and we talked for a bit on the phone. Finally got off and left. Dropped off yesterdays' samples to go out UPS and headed up to the farm. Got there, set up and then had a little time to make a couple phone calls for testing. Got one set up for next Friday and the other one will probably want to test Tues or Wed... of course because one other wants to test next week as his wife is having shoulder surgery today or tomorrow so wants to wait for his daughter to be home on spring break next week... here goes... feast or famine again... nothing else this week now... then probably 3 next week and I don't want to test Thursday as I want to go to that exotic animal auction on the 24th....At least we won't be shipping any of our own cattle as we are done for a bit.

DS called while I was testing, and I finally called him back after testing. He wound up leaving work a little early and went to the stockyard about an hour south where we have gotten some pretty good "bargains" on some bull calves. He wound up getting a few pretty nice ones he said... paid a little more than he usually does for bull calves, but said they are nice and he will make his money off them unless the prices drop WAAAAY down this fall. He says we will "work them" (castrate and hit with shots) this weekend. I think he has 10-12 of the 30 he will need... he kept 3 or 4 of ours that were real quiet and friendly so that they will be like the "lead cows" to get the rest to follow them into the pens after they are out in the pastures in WVa .... so, his deal.... and he is hoping to get them enough in the next 2 weeks so they have a little time to get accustomed to things before they get turned out on the 100+ acres out there for the summer.

He is trying to work out with the friend in upper VT, to meet in CT so that he does not have to feed these animals until May. It would be an 8 hr trip for him and about 5-6 for the friend to come down... so hopefully he can do that, instead of waiting for 2 more months. They ought to be able to leave the maple syrup/sap collecting for a day????
Tomorrow is PT for the evaluation session, and I want to go check if the battery took a charge for the other car.... and then make arrangements to pick it up.
The weather is supposed to be even nicer than today. I just put in a load of clothes to soak in the washing machine and will run them through tomorrow. Possible showers on Wed so will want to get them hung and dry tomorrow.
Need to pack the samples I brought home tonight to drop off when I go to PT, so they ship tomorrow.

The trucks came to get the cows from the farm just down the road, that is selling out, to take them to PA. Sad to see the end of that dairy in alot of ways. One more gone. There used to be over 20 dairies in this county, we are down to 4 now.

Time to quit and get a shower.

 

[Ridgetop]

Sad about the dairy selling out but with no children to take it over they might as well sell now when they are getting a better price for the herd. Family farms just can't make enough money without at least one partner and often both having to work off the farm to make ends meet. Fewer farm kids are willing to work the hours their parents did, especially when they have to work other jobs as well. Sad this is happening - I don't know where our food will come from in the future!

These days with genetic cancer testing more women are going for the preventative surgery to avoid fatal cancers later. Hopefully she will recover well.

Hope your knees start feeling better, but it has not been that long since the surgery and you are probably over doing. I know how that works! The severe weather may also have something to do with the recurring pain.

 

[farmerjan]

@Ridgetop ... yes, it is better that the herd sells now. The milk prices have been up for a couple months and the cows are worth more now than they have been for quite awhile. It is the smartest decision. Yes, it is sad... and I don't know where people think their food is going to come from. Both dairy cow numbers and farm numbers continue to decline, even though the ones staying in are getting bigger due to the economy of scale. They pretty much have to. Spreading the cost of 150,000 tractor over 50 cows is cost prohibitive... spreading it out over 500 cows makes it a little more doable. You are also right that many young people don't want to work that hard, or that many hours... and the ones that are willing to, still have a hard time trying to justify it for the amount they make. Or they have a spouse/partner etc working a job for benefits at least , like you said.

I think that is what GF is doing, a preventative surgery due to the family history. For her sake I hope it goes okay.

I had PT and a 10 visit "assessment" they have to do for Medicare... He says that he thinks that I will get more as I get more active... and gave me some new type of stretches to try doing. I liked to come off the table when he worked on the hamstring up the back of the knee today...OOOH... and it is definitely tighter than it was, again. Just frustrating. It has been 4 1/2 months since the surgery... I expected a little better response... more like the left knee has done. One thing though, the longer you let them go, and suffer, and walk "out of whack" the harder it is for the rehab I am being told now... The immediate relief of the pain in the knee joint is more pronounced... as in it doesn't hurt to stand.... but the harder it is to get the muscles, and especially the tendons, ligaments and like the ham string, to recover. I did pull the quad muscle when I slipped the other day... he said to take it a little easy on it and do some ice if it continues to hurt... but if I didn't go down, then it is good that it "responded" and I could catch myself....

DS had the guys from the Rockbridge cattle assoc come by the barn and assess the steers, for their upcoming sale... we are going to ship some through them.... they work to get bigger groups of cattle together... so like someone with only 2 or 5 total can get some advantage of the "group lot" prices. Of course don't know what they are going to bring... it is a tel-o-auction sale... it will be on March 28th. 2 weeks. We have not sold any through them before so decided to send a few... see how they do. I greatly doubt they will do what we got last week.... with the drop in prices overall. But it might be a benefit for us. So, your suggestion @Bruce of finding "someone" to ship my steer with will work out this way. There are certain requirements for these group sales... so we might benefit. Here's hoping. The other good thing is barrel price on oil dropped today... hoping it stays down... gas and diesel will come back down a little too.... so maybe it will be an added plus if it will stay down a bit, or come down more.

Went this late aft and helped feed more of the old hay bales and all. They are all fed out now except for a couple that DS thinks he can manage. We are getting down on hay more than we usually do. I get real dirty from cutting the net wrap off as they are falling apart, so am heading in for a shower and wash the dirt and stuff out of my hair.
Did a load of jeans etc., and hung them out today. Sun was out... I was in a short sleeved T-shirt today. Hit 69... tomorrow supposed to be sunny for a good part of the day then possible showers late into early Thursday. Then sun and nice for the end of the week.