Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Cloudy this morning... Down to 46 overnight but right at 50 now. Won't get much above the mid 50's today. We got at least 2 downpours last night... winds... woke me up. I am going out to see how much rain in the gauge, in a little while. It is clouding up and radar shows another bout of rain coming through here this morning. Yesterday I dumped another .3 inch.... it actually got sunny late in the day for a bit.
The one line of rain is supposed to pass through by noontime or so, nicer this afternoon , and then one more wave of storms this evening. I am going to go out later and get the boxes in the car for the 500+ cow herd tomorrow morning. Get all that ready. And get the tray of bottles for the other herd to drop off... not going to make a special trip today since they couldn't call me a few days ahead of time... not spending my gas. If I have to leave early on Sat to go get the stuff and do the paper work, before the 250+ cow herd... I will...

It actually just started to rain again... Oh well, we can use it.

 

[canesisters]

@Finnie .... I get those can not deliver BS stuff and block them as spam on the phone. No, this was from Greenworks, with the order number and all that... Turns out... it was the tiller that I ordered when I ordered the mower... YEP, splurged on the small battery tiller to be able to redo a spot if I don't get it planted right away... remembered what @canesisters said about the small one she got through work a couple years ago and how handy it was... So, I had been wanting it last year, and didn't get it... then I got a bit more of a discount on it by adding it to the order, saved another $27 over the sale price they had it for...And I got the one that was the tiller only, no battery and charger since I will have plenty of batteries and chargers with the ones I have and the ones coming with the riding mower... can't use the self propelled and the riding mower and the tiller all at the same time.... and it uses the same type battery as I have for the self-propelled and the riding mower... they are all 60v system... and the only difference is the length of the different sizes but all can be used interchangeably ... the smaller amp ones won't last as long in say the mower as the bigger amp ones... and of course the longer ones are heavier , but they will interchange and power anything that is 60v system...
So that was the delivery for today... and I didn't need to be here for it but saw the guy so that was all good. He was nice. Said he didn't think that Fed Ex delivered anything that big... and the notice I got the other day after ordering said that it would come by Ryder truck... today's phone text didn't say who was delivering what...

So it rained hard for just a little bit... now it is half bright grey skies, with darker to the west... sun trying to come out right now, here...

Also, the daffodils you have the pic of kinda look like them, but the ones I saw had a much darker orange/red color trumpet... I honestly don't remember the outside petals sweeping back so much. I am going to make the 10+ mile trip down to Lowes to see what they have left.... and if they have any might try to get at least one thing of them. Some were in that silver planter thing... looks like the top of a milk can sorta? and some were in a "planter box" looking thing. I could get some more hyacinths if they are marked down like that... so will head down there in a little bit...Won't be in that direction anytime soon for anything else...

Getting excited to get the mower and get some things mowed down and then be able to use the cart behind it to clean up stuff around here... pulling by hand when the grass is grown up is a PITA... and if the fence gets going in a couple weeks, then I can at least use the elec netting to make some grazing areas, and fence off the garden... and I think I am going to move the holstein twins here to eat the grass...

So, going to head to Lowes while it is not raining right now... I took something for this nagging dull headache again... I must be sleeping wrong at night.

My owner sampler farmer, that does his own samples, called and I need to go by and drop off bottles for him... he kinda said this would be a good week to do it... of course I was pretty close to there last Sat when I tested... but no... he couldn't call me a few days ahead... Really getting tired of trying to accommodate them some days. Will talk to DS later and see if we can do the 500+ cow herd one morning... then I could go drop the bottles off when right down the road to them....I need to get them there in the next day or so...

Lindsay that helped me and wanted to get the testing job back awhile ago... just took a new job at the horse vet clinic near here, starts next week... so that's the end of that for helping me.... Deena might will still do some afternoons but cannot do the mornings...

still love my little mini tiller.

It would be a BUGGER to try and till up a garden with! But if you need a big hole dug - 18" down & a few feet across - this thing is priceless. Small flower bed to put in? It'll do it.
Planting a tree? Done.

 

[Mini Horses]

Great little tiller to touch up in small area of garden.

 

[farmerjan]

In and done for the night. Boxes of bottles all in the car for testing... tray of bottles to drop off at the other farm while we are up there. I called him and told him and that I would be up that way again on Sat and again on Tuesday. He said he didn't know if they could get them tested Thurs night/Friday but could not do them Fri/Sat... Mon/Tues might work out the best... which I would prefer anyway... but he will call me...

Farm 1 1/2 hrs north texted and the concrete walkway is done and they want to test next week... said they could not do it Wed or Fri... I can't do it Wed or Thurs... so told her I guess Mon or Tues... she picked Tuesday.... so that will be a long evening... Get there about 5, set up, start milking somewhere around 6 ish.... leave there at 11 or so to come home... UGH... kinda glad they are talking selling out in a few years....
I have Dentist appt Wed morning... and there is a bred cow sale Wed eve and we might go. I have 2 cows to cull, the old charolais that had the calf at pasture with her bigger calf still on her, is not making much milk and calf is just not growing although she is coming in for grain mostly... and the one on my other high headed cow, that you do not pen up in the barn without at least one other cow,,,, and she will still try to go over the gate.... that also calved with her bigger calf still on her......the calf is not doing much.,... did not get enough good colostrum I don't think...and the udder probably got mastitis and calf is probably only nursing 1 quarter...1 quarter was bad but she raised a nice calf last year..... just a lost cause there this year.... May as well ship them now while prices are still so good... DS has a cow that calved... huge pendulous udder and calf is dead... asked me if I wanted to try to put a calf on her and I said no... she is another that is hard to work with, can't get her in half the time... NOT dealing with her...
I do have 2 more new calves at the nurse cow pasture... my longhorn has a black bull calf and one of DS's heifers, had a black bull calf also... so that is 3 in the last few days.... first ones out of the new bulls we got in late 2022 and used for the first time last June.....

There was 1.2 inches of rain in the rain gauges this afternoon. Had rain last night and then a couple showers today for a bit... Sun came out later this afternoon for a bit... then the wind got up and the temps have dropped. It was up to 65 this afternoon....
Got all the plants back in the greenhouse on the deck and the heater back on before it got too cold.

Electric fence was not working up at the nurse cow pasture when I went up to feed the grain... Spent over an hour going along it and reattaching a couple wires and all to get it working again... need to take a couple of insulators up as there is one that is broke, the wire is pulled away from the post for now... so working... but I need to fix it....
Wanted to get some of the dry barn manure pack but the truck did not like the muddiness near the barn... too slick.....and I have to deal with that stupid metal roof blown off, that the owner can't be bothered to deal with... Told DS that he needs to go get it and get it out of there and just tell the owner that one of the cows had cut her foot on it so it had to go.... owner hasn't done anything about the roof ...covering it or anything....and I am tired of walking around the huge folded/crinkled up piece laying right by the barn gate and the cows walking around it and sometimes on it....

Thursday morning.....Didn't hit post last night.....and I just got home from testing so will send this and then get things caught up in a bit.

 

[farmerjan]

BRRRRR . Between the sharp drop in the temps, add in the wind... It is COLD out there.... 44 or so right now, ACTUAL temp.... down from 54 earlier,,, then the wind started to really gust... and on top of that we are getting little spits of rain and some stray snow flurries.... ...
It was up to nearly 80 only 4 days ago....

Got up and went and tested this morning.... it went smoothly. DS took the sample bottles to the other farm while I was finishing up, then we came on home. They had over 575 cows go through the parlor this morning... HOLY COW The new electronic boards they put in have virtually stopped all the guessing of numbers since the electronic readouts all work right... so nice.

Got home, let chickens out and the cats came back in... have not gotten the sample bottles/boxes in the house yet... need to make some lunch and eat since my stomach is growling....
It will be an "in house" day here.... like @Mini Horses ... too cold and windy and wet here to do much outside.

 

[Mini Horses]

I have a canner of 7 qt baked beans going...another after that one. Honestly, I need more shelves for these jars! Will have to do that before summer canning

 

[farmerjan]

It has been a crazy day... Cold, windy, clouds... some snow in the form of little puffy balls, like the styrofoam little balls in bean bag chairs or something... got a shower, then the sun came out.... crazy.....and cold with the wind.

packed the samples and had to feed some hay... and the cows in the pasture behind me wanted out so I had to let them into the catch lot so I could get in and out without them getting past me out on the road... and it was soft up getting the hay too... That pasture got 2 rolls, the ones at snyders got 1 roll because I was afraid I would get stuck.... DS had gone somewhere... I hope to get some more out tomorrow to feed at snyders (nurse cow pasture) and with these cold temps, probably feed more to both.... since I have to work Sat I won't be doing any feeding.
Then there was a calf that kept going through the high tensile wire in the catch lot... DS called raising cain since he kept getting calls... So I had to go over there... go in the field with the car... call the cows over to the side where the hay was... the calf was out again... but came through the wire and finally followed it's mother... so I drove out closer to the hay piles and the cows followed... then I could go back to the gates... get them closed out of the catch lot... PITA.... stopped that problem... GRRRR.. Figured they would go back in the field with the rolls overnight like the last time, so I didn't get too bent out of shape... except this calf that wouldn't stay in... and out on the shoulder of a well traveled, at too fast speeds, road...

Chickens locked in, I ate a steak for supper... going to quit and go to bed early since I was up at 2:30 this morning...
DS is hauling the calves to town in the morning, and a neighbor (where we do the custom haying and work his calves and all ) has a cow he wants to ship... so I guess that DS isn't going to ship the cow that lost the calf there... Didn't ask me about going so guess I'm not.... same calves that we brought home from that graded sale... so I know who is going... He will go back to the sale in the afternoon.... I may or may not go also...

 

[farmerjan]

Cold today, strong breeze all day, mostly sun some clouds, quick 5 second sprinkle.... 36 to 52 and never felt like it was over 40 couple. Yesterday was sun and clouds couple little sprinkles and windy also... Cold....

Been 2 long days...and nothing like I planned.... DS took load of steers to town. 13 in one group, 2 a little bigger so they got sorted off separate. 2 weighed 800 each, 13 weighed 745. Then he came home, and got the neighbor's cull cow, bad feet, should have been sold 6 months ago kind of thing.... DS was going to drop her at the sale and go on to his dentist appt.... well, the line was backed up 20 trailers... so he called me and told me and that he was going on to the dentist... would drop her off on his way back..... BUT..... seems gf had gotten tickets to go see some comedy show or something... 3 hrs away....????.... in WV.... and that DS was going to have to do some feeding before he went with her.... granted... the steers were supposed to be sold 3 weeks ago... so they would not have been an issue.... BUT..... could I come back to town to watch the steers sell.... AND..... if he ran into problems could I take the cow and drop her off.... so I told him to let me know what the line/backup was like when he got out of the dentist office (which is just a little north/west of the stockyard).... and that I would plan to have to be up there to meet him and he could take my car back... there was NO point in him bringing the truck/trailer back and then me have to turn around and go back with the cow....
So he called, I was just finished with feeding grain to the calves.... and had everything I needed.... and headed to town since he said there was almost as long a line still .... more trailers coming and unloading....
Met him where he was in line... got my stuff, got in the truck, he took the car and left. Got in to unload about 45-50 minutes later... then sat in truck and read some of the book I brought since it was going to be a long day... Went and got the "scale weight ticket" on the cow.... and then went up to the restaurant and got some lunch about 2 or so. No way the sale was going to start on time at 2 anyway... Took my time and then went out and talked to a few people I know.... and the sale didn't start 'til after they got all the trucks unloaded..... after 4; took a couple hours to start since there were nearly 2,000 head there total...
LOTS of people dumping small calves 250-350 lbs stuff.... prices were off a bit... One of the guys I had talked to said that the buyers had taken $15/100 OFF the price ... which means that the actual buyers at the sales, had $15 LESS per hundred pounds to buy stock with... so that means the prices were off at the stockyards.

So they finally got to the larger stuff, like ours, and prices were about what we got 2 months ago..$2.50/lb.... but they pulled the one calf out that had the frozen ears... and he dropped to $1.40 and I got him worked back up to 192.50/100 and decided to let him go.... Pi$$ed me off a little... Then they were selling the 800 lb stuff... several pens of 5-6-8 in a group bringing in the 2.20-2.40 range so I thought okay, we will be okay since DS said they needed to bring 2.00.... they got to the pen that the singles and pairs were in and the 2 that weighed right at 800 lbs dropped back to 1.60 before they got a bid... I was really ticked... and bid them up to 1.80....at the 2.50 intervals... (160/162.50/165 etc...) then they dropped to bidding by $1.... and I ran them all the way to 193 and the other bidder quit so they were "no saled" back to me....I had decided to let them go at 1.95 even thought DS had said $2.00 because that was close..... there was no good reason why they were cheaper except that these buyers at this sale will "steal" the singles and pairs if they can..... it DOES NOT PAY us (the seller) to sell anything at this auction barn if it is not in a group of 4 or more... these buyers will low ball bid the singles and then they can add them into the bigger bunches and that makes those higher priced calves cheaper by the average....when they ship them..... Of course, DS is on the phone texting me and I finally texted him back and told him what I did.... Then they didn't have the check ready on the steers because they were going to have to weigh off "frozen ears" and adjust the weight on the group of 12 now... and pay us for them in a group of 12, and the single frozen ears one.... and I just said fine, DS would be back in the morning to pick up the 2 steers and get the checks.... I didn't stay for the cow because she was getting sold regardless...
So, I just came home with the truck and trailer... and DS had to make another trip back this morning with the truck and trailer to pick up our 2 steers and got the checks. I haven't seen the check yet... BUT.... one of the 2 that came back is one of my 2 steers that were going to be sold.
I told him there were a bunch of trailers waiting to load out, there were 2 BIG tractor trailers waiting to be loaded out... and I was not going to try to back up there with the tight quarters, and the truck and trailer that I don't especially like to drive anyway... if it was daylight I might have... but not with all the congestion and being night time on top of it... not going to risk it because I cannot see around this trailer and this truck is longer (crew cab) than the other one we usually have hooked up (only a super cab) and the turning distance is different etc...So it would be a "wasted trip" home and back the next day (today)... but it was not 20 miles one way so I just said TOUGH SH!T....and came on home... got home after 9 or 9:30 and I was tired.

You can't make this up.... So, the steer that got sick and died was mine... and one of the 2 of mine to be sold came back home... I guess we are going to turn them out to pasture and then sell in the fall....who knows. Maybe make them beef.... maybe sell when I get in the couple of cows that need to get culled and the one he has at the barn that the calf was dead... and they will go to the sale I prefer and where there are different buyers and the singles and smaller groups do better.... I made sure to emphasize to DS to give them both a shot of antibiotics when they got back to our barn and to keep them around close to watch... since they have been exposed to whatever imaginable there...
I wanted him to also give them a shot of resp vaccine, but he didn't and said well we have to do all the heifers too... and we do... so they will all get run through in a week or so and get vacc shots.... BUT it would not have taken him 5 minutes to also give the vacc shot... I am sure he forgot it until after he turned them out....then used the "they all need to get vaccine shots" as a "reason" he didn't give it...

So, this morning I got up and had to get all the meters and the hoses in the car since I didn't have a chance to do it yesterday, because I had to go to town 3 hours earlier than I had thought I might..... put the bottles in the car and all... and then he calls and wants to talk about the bulls here because a farmer we have bought bulls off of when they used to do a yearly bull sale, and we like their bulls... called him and they have a bull to sell that they were going to keep, but had an opportunity to buy in some bloodlines they wanted, so were going to sell one of their "kept back" bulls... so we are going to look at it Monday I guess... this farm's bulls work good with our cattle... not overly "fed" and are raised on basically grass/pasture/hay like we do... so many at bull sales are "too fed" on grain and such.... We really don't need another bull now with losing another pasture (has been for sale for 2 years so we knew it was just a matter of time).... but we also have a couple breeding bulls that are in the 8-9-11 yr old category so their time is limited.... AND we are getting several semen tested (BSE) since we had several cows come up open at one place and we are concerned it was the bull... the cows are going back out to pasture to get bred in June for spring calves next year instead of them supposed to have calves this fall.... lose 6 months but they are good, younger cows... so with the cost of replacing them with "who knows what" cattle... we are going to put them back to get a 2nd chance... If they were crappy cows or something, they would be getting sold... but they aren't.... they will be in very good condition since the calves have just been weaned off... and if they don't breed, they will be sold... and be fat and sassy too....

Anyway.... he was going to stop up the road at another neighbor farmer that had his bull sale today.... which we don't buy from because they are way too "fed" on grain and such.... but you go to see what things are like, talk to neighbors, listen to the "buzz" about prices and such... you know, like the old "general store" gossip center.... and I said I had to go because I needed to go to work...

Have not talked to him this evening...

Things went good at the farm... they have a new milker... she is probably in her 40's.... works a management position in Walmart in the truck maintenance division, full time.....and does some weekend milking...because she likes to keep busy..... REALLY liked her... smart, does her job well, and it was a good afternoon...her kids did the 4-H / FFA thing and all.... except that they are also milking more cows than they EVER HAVE.... 260 went through the parlor... so it was 5 + hours....And of course, his printer is not working AGAIN... at least they got a new computer after all the last mess.... BUT..... REALLY...... I will have to go back and get the racking list printout on Monday..... because I do not trust him to get it e-mailed to me so I can print it off.....went through this over 3 months ago....
They are going to put up a new barn and go to robots, so it is a matter of time... 6-12 months... before they quit testing once they get in the robot barn.... which is fine.... talking about it for awhile... so I have been expecting it...

So, I am going to get a shower, wash the cow sh!t and iodine out of my hair... clothes go in the washing machine so they can get done and hung tomorrow since it is going to be sunny... clouds to come in for the eclipse on Monday, and then rain coming in for several days....

AND the farm that I was supposed to be getting the bull calves from, and then they weren't going to sell (per the grandfather's decisions) texted and they have a set of twins and a single... $200 for the single...$150 for each of the twins (both bulls) and they are about 5 days old so in good shape for having colostrum and all... Guess I will go get them tomorrow aft or Monday... just got the message and I am too tired to deal with it tonight...

Never rains but it pours...

Down to 37 already.... going to be another cold night.

 

[Mike CHS]

I still have no idea how you keep all of that going on.

 

[Mini Horses]

She's in her PRIME, that's how