Farmerjan's journal - Weather

fuzzi

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Cows out this morning.... all along the road and the pond out in front of the pastures... had to stop a few going in the wrong direction, then got them to come to call down the alley between the bulls and the now empty peterbilt field where some of them had been before we worked them the other day. But can't be mad at them... gate to field was wide open and they just naturally followed the driveway down to the end,....where that gate is shut but there are no fences alongside it... just the bank on both sides.... driveway is the old abandoned RR bed so is raised up from surrounding ground; and trees and some weeds and brush....down the little bank to the lawn and the pond in front of Linda's house (we rent that half of the farm) and were grazing all along there and ACROSS the road for some nice tall tasty grass... went down the alley way between the bulls and the peterbilt field and called and GOD BLESS them, they followed me down there... So for now they are in the alley.. gate at the end is shut... it is maybe 1 tenth of a mile long so lots of grass to eat for now... Talked to DS a little bit ago... he had Dr appt but said it wasn't one I needed to drive so I didn't go... good thing it worked out that way.

55 overnight, 70 already at 9:30 this morning. sun out but going to cloud up later for some showers. Going to try to get the mowing done this morning and then get the feed DS picked up, taken up to the barn to put in before it gets wet. Then try get some of these plants planted if I can get to it... Will need to help DS get the cows out of the alley and back into the "calving field" back where they were. There were a couple still up there in that alley in front of that field.. and had to get one other through the little calf lot and back in there where she was behind the barn up above the pond area... but she did good and didn't get all panicky... not a real quiet cow so I was very pleased with her sensible actions this morning. She just wasn't sure what to do, but then I opened a gate and walked out in a wide circle around her and she thought of it for a minute and then calmly walked through that gate, to the end of that grass area and went around the open gate and back up towards the alley with the other 2 cows in there shut that gate and hopefully I got them all in... Did not see anyone else anywhere around there...

Way to get your morning started... :gig:thumbsup:thumbsup:th:th
Why was the gate open??
:hu
 

farmerjan

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@fuzzi ...... 64 dollar question... WHY/HOW does any gate wind up open???? He said he fed a roll of hay in there because there is no grass... this is the calving field and just took all the cows out of there and moved to pastures... and we then combined the ones left with the ones left from the peterbilt field so still 20 cows in there and 9 calves... expecting some late calves...... anyway, they still need hay.... SOOOO DS said he is sure he shut it and put the chain around the post... maybe he didn't get the chain in the slot on the gate right??? Maybe he did forget to close it when he came out....sometimes he comes out and drives the tractor to the shed there and walks back and shuts the gate when he checks on the couple in the "special needs " field... it's right there next to it.
Oh well... this group is a pretty laid back bunch... one that is a little spooky but she was the red one that wound up behind the other barn and calmly came through the gate when I got it open, into the little lot next to the special needs lot, and went right back where she belonged...

So went down... DS had set the gates at the barn, we went down the driveway... I blocked the road somewhat with the ranger p.u., and me standing out there... he called them up the alley, they followed him and he walked down the driveway and they all went right along... I followed in the truck once they had gotten down there a little bit... and they went right up back into the long alley up there... gate to the field was open. He left them in there to eat some of the grass and then had to go help the guys who were driving the posts... Since all that had taken up some of his planned time to start taking the fence down along the peterbilt field... I came home and got the car because all the fence pliers, hammers, cap (shade against the sun) stuff... were in it when I was working on the fence last time... and got the car, went back and went down in the alley we had just called the cows up out of... and started taking staples out of the posts. DS came down just a little bit later, and I said that I figured he could use some help since the cows had taken some of the time he planned to do that... so I went down and just kept pulling staples... most posts had 2-5 in them except all the brace posts and the posts on each side of the gates etc... he worked on a few also... but then the guys called him so he went back to help them in the other field. Then he brought the skid loader with the forks and some more posts... and then next thing you know the guys are there with their tractor that has an auger on the back that runs off the pto, and the post driver on the front. by this time I was down to the gate... and DS said that he was not going to take that post out but the wire had to come off it for the new wire to go on... so I worked on that one... double stapled.....every horizontal had staples, so 11 x2.... and then he did a couple more and I said I would go to the other end of the fence and work towards him...
He helped them some... the owner/boss is my age...70+..... the younger guy runs the tractor but the owner runs the actual post driver... you do it from the front of the tractor and it has hydraulics that you use to tilt it and all that so the post goes in straight.... very important if the actual tractor is sitting on uneven/hilly ground, so the post driver hits it straight down.

They have been working together since the younger guy (he's probably 40) has been in school... they work good together.. but the owner is just like the rest of us... he is slowing down some. Plus he has all sorts of other "jobs" and so they get tied up in some of the other stuff he does... Then DS said he wanted me to do the little stretch around the corner of where I was... he was going to replace some of the posts there that they did not put in correctly with brace wire.. so they had pulled in one direction and were leaning.. tried to straighten one and it cracked so had to pull it out... and it of course broke off... so he was just going to replace those 3 posts...

By now it was after 2. I said if he didn't need me that I was going to go take the car down and see about tires. 2 on the back were worn that there were some cords starting to show... got all the good out of them... so before I had a flat... They didn't have them at the co-op but would have them this morning...so as I was coming home... planning to be there early this morning... DS is coming down the road... we stopped and I said are you going home? He said no, I'm going to get another bundle of posts... I said good, I need to leave the car... so I turned around and went to the co-op, he picked me up, and we went to the place a mile down the road and he got another bundle of posts... dropped me at my house and that was that. I will take the ranger p.u. down later... get the tires they take off and trade vehicles so I can go to work.. then DS can drop me off down there to pick up the little truck when he is going that way. I have to work this evening so won't be able to go when he leaves to go to her house...... maybe tomorrow. But the car will be ready in awhile... I just called to make sure they do the oil change and servicing while it is there...
That's going to STING.... tires are up over $140 each.... last time I think I paid $100 each.... oh well, they will go on the card for a month... then get paid off.... just paid the last month's stuff and the statement just came out so won't be "due" for about 45 days actually... That was NOT in the budget for this month... told DS I need to find 2 wheels for this car... I have a couple of decent tires to fit this car... want to get them mounted and then run them and wear them out... this is the only vehicle that I have that uses 16 inch tires... GRRR:he
In fact I now have different tires on each vehicle... 14, 15, 16, 17..... PITA... but I do have extra wheels for the 14 inch (ranger 2wd) and the 15 inch (forester)... and I am sure there is a spare for the explorer (17 inch)... have 2 extra tires for it...and some extra tires for this outback...16 inch, but no extra wheels. I think it has that "donut" for the spare... Time to find some extra wheels and start wearing out some of these "extra tires".. One of the tires on the car is decent... but I just went ahead and told them to put 4 new ones on it... to match.... and then I will start running some of the extras on the back as soon as I get some extra wheels.. It is front wheel drive so want to run them on the back to wear them out...

I went up to feed grain in the barn for the calves... there is a cow in heat that has a calf up there... and the holstein and the jersey bull calves on Betsy were following her all around.. The little bottle jersey that is weaned, came in and 2 little calves came in with him... I guess the others will find their way in sometime overnight when they get done with the hormones... Time to get them banded anyway. The holstein acted like he was trying to suck the cow also a couple times... Time for them to get out of there, weaned off and Betsy dried up. They will have to go to the barn at doug's farm. I have cut Betsy's grain back and will cut her off in the next week or so... she is in good flesh now... Got to take the steer off the other pregnant cow in there, so will wean the 3 together... One of the next days they all come in the barn they will get locked in and that will be that. I will get DS to come get them one day he is out with the trailer.. Bulls will be going out to pastures with the cows in another week or so... usually about the 15th - 20th of May. I will just plan it for when he is going to be out with the trailer...

Got to get the bottles in the trays for this afternoon's farm...
 
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farmerjan

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Been a " one of those days"..... DS came and put the feed in the back of the ranger and never said a word to me... I was on the phone with the co-op. He didn't even let me know he was going to do it... just set wrong with me...
Seems that one of the tires that they got for the car was "bad"... not sure if it wouldn't hold air or if it wouldn't balance on the machine or what. They had to call to get another one and didn't know if they would get it in time to get put on the car with my having told them I planned to come get it around noon so I could go to work. So there was 1 that was a better tire... a spare one from before I had put on it awhile back when one other was leaking and had to have a patch and that one is okay for an emergency spare but that was all... so I had them put on this other one... and it is not bad at all. So, they are leaving that one so that I could come get the car to go to work... and should have the other one to match Monday... Have to go to the chiropractor and DS has a dr appt with injections... so we can leave the car and they can get it done and we can stop and get it on the way back and he will only have to drive a vehicle for a couple miles from the co-op to my house... or it can stay there and I can get it the next day...
They did the oil change and it was due for yearly inspection so that is all done too...needed a light bulb I think... always just a little bit here and a little bit there... I will pay for them after I get the other one on it... they know us real well so not like it was a problem to take it and not pay for it yet. Cotton pickin explorer is due this month or next... will have to look... UGH :th :th :th :idunno:idunno

So, I took the ranger up and got the feed off since there was a chance of rain, and I had to go get the outback to take to work and did not want to leave the ranger down there with the feed on it... I fed the calves and a couple of the babies came in also... which is great. I did not feed Betsy, she needs to start drying up and they are getting plenty of grass. DS said that he wanted to take out the 5 with small calves and move them down to another place along with some of the ones at doug's farm that are in the calving field still... actually wouldn't be a bad idea to move them as there are some that are first calf heifers that were part of the group that got split up when he brought them home in the snow back in January... get them all back together in a group again.. including the one that lost her calf at 5 days old... Did already move one that was a bit older and she is alot bigger... out with cows to get bred.
Several of the heifers and a couple of the cows at the nurse cow pasture have been coming in heat... so that is good. They ought to go on and breed in the first cycle when the bull goes in there in a couple of weeks.

So feed unloaded... went and got the car,; they were going to put the "bad tires" in the back and also DS had a couple that he had not picked up at the co-op either... all in the back of the ranger. I will go down and get it tomorrow and take them to the farm to get them off the back of the truck; stopped back at the house to get the racks of bottles, and left to go to work. It went good... 2 hrs for 110 cows through the parlor so good... she had most all the papaerwork caught up so I only had to do milk weights and fix a couple little things... meters washed and I came on home.. Had to stop and get milk for me and pick up his 2 milk samples that go out with this farm's samples... Got here before dark so filled the chicken feeder half full. The little langshan bantam hen is laying good... one of the leghorns is laying a few... locked in the NH rooster in the crate and came in.

We had .5 inches of rain last night. Had a shower around dark, then a thunder and lightning storm around midnight. The TV station showed where some places got some serious hail... quarter sized... videos showed it bouncing as it hit the ground... we only got the rain. It was nice this morning here... sun was out most all day... a few dark clouds but we got about 10 big plops and it passed... there had been a chance.

Weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow, some clouds but not any precip on Sunday... then a serious front coming in and rain off and on through Wed... saying anywhere from 1-4 inches. It will be a nice boost to the drought status... we are still considered moderate drought on Thursday's drought monitor.. I have one load of clothes ready to hang and am going to do a second load while we have nice weather to work with... put them out in the morning for the sunny day expected.

The hay is short... DS said the cover crop of wheat out back at doug's farm is not enough to even cut for hay or anything.. so he is going to probably kill it, then plant the corn... which will be in a few weeks... after the guy who does it, gets the rest all planted that they put up and that he custom plants for others..... we are always the last of the list and that suits DS fine. He wants to put in 20 acres this year... if it is real dry it will help to have more acres... if the cattle prices stay so high we won't be feeding many out I don't think... although I think we are keeping most all the heifers that will be getting weaned when we prg check the ones that calved this past fall... don't know what he plans to do with the steer calves... If we have plenty of feed I think he will keep and feed them some and just have heavier ones to sell... who knows.

The general consenses is that it looks that prices will stay up through 2026... which is what my thoughts were this spring... there are just not that many cattle around and so many people have been culling because the cull prices are quite high... One of the reasons we are going to keep these couple of heifers that aborted and lost their calves... can't afford to replace them... and they should go on and rebreed right back... the one that is open for the 2nd time is going to be beef...she is in very good flesh/shape... ought to make a real nice beef..... but the others will get bred back and get a 2nd chance. If they don't get bred and raise a calf the next time they are gone.....and sadly, in a way, we will keep several others that raise mediocre calves because we have more than enough grass unless it just flat stops raining and everything dries up....and they will give us back a saleable calf and are now out to pasture to get bred...they still will be possible candidates for culling... cannot afford to replace them at 3-4,000 a piece right now. So if they breed back, they will stay around...

I got the title to the truck I bought at the estate auction a couple weeks ago, in the mail I picked up today... so will deal with getting it titled in my name the first part of the week... then I will add it to my insurance and drive it around some. Want to clean it out... dirt and dust on everything inside since it was a feeding farm truck... might consider getting the fender they replaced, painted... maybe even repaint the whole thing.

I also did manage to get the mowing all around the perimeter again, at the house, for the fence guys.... plus the "yard area" all mowed. Brought batteries in to charge so they will be ready for the next time... Now I will take the weed eater and work on the spots that need cleaning up... and get the places I want to get some of these irises moved to and replanted in the front along the bank...

It will be time to get in the garden here in a little bit... wonder if he is going to get the tiller on the tractor or if I will wind up getting the other neighbor to do it again....I am going to get the weed eater and get out there and get around where I can't do the mower.... and get the netting all ready for the garden....

Time to get to bed... lots on the list for tomorrow .
 

Baymule

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Inspection due this month. Going to need tires, windshield, headlight 🙄

Texas has stopped vehicle inspections. I’d much rather know that heap of junk at the red light next to me at least has working lights and horn, etc. It gives cops the right to pull you over for an “inspection” which I’m sure includes a drug search. Ok, great excuse to catch more bad guys, but a PIA for us law abiding folks. I’ll just laugh and joke my way through it, then pray for their safety with them.
 

farmerjan

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Looked and the explorer is due next month... took the outback down yesterday and got the ranger p.u.. So the car is there for them to do the tire while we are at DS's dr appt and my chiropractor appt... Then can pick up the car on the way home... That'll work...
The tire inspection is MOSTLY for the tread depth...any obvious bulges like a cord that has let go within the tire.... although if there is alot of side wall cracks from dry rot they will mention it to us here....
Flat tires here come with the territory.... and I try to run tires to get the maximum out of them....
I have that little AirMoto thing I got off the internet... It is the best for putting air in a low tire.... one of the better purchases I have made... I try to remember to put it in the vehicle I am driving just to have in case I get a flat for some reason... NO doesn't work on a blow out obviously... but has actually been a big help a couple times... had a flat... flat on one side kind.....(ha) on the one silage wagon... attached it and about 5 minutes later it was blown up enough to hook up and pull it down the road to the barn... Absolutely love it...
 
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