Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Ridgetop]

Happy New Year. Hoping everything gets better for you and DS and that cattle prices stay up.

DH aid that there is a new labeling deal out that to be labeled US beef the animal has to be born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the US. Same for a lot of other meats, eggs, fruits and veg.

 

[SageHill]

Happy New Year

 

[fuzzi]

Happy New Year. Hoping everything gets better for you and DS and that cattle prices stay up.

DH aid that there is a new labeling deal out that to be labeled US beef the animal has to be born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the US. Same for a lot of other meats, eggs, fruits and veg.

Good to hear!

They need to crack down on laws allowing honey and olive oil and other foods to be diluted without informing the consumer. I'm allergic to corn, and adding corn oil to products without labeling could be problematic.

 

[farmerjan]

The new labeling that is in the "push" basically goes back to the original " COOL "... labeling.... Country Of Origin Label... which was deemed to be "unfair" to beef competitors... to the point that farmers were NOT allowed to put certain things on labels even if they were true... like born raised fed slaughtered processed in the US.... so maybe this will come full circle and allow it. I hold my breath as to how "watered down" it will be by the time it is passed and made into law.

I agree that if something is added to, altered, enhanced or enriched, is should be on the label. Also, like butter, the amount of butter fat in the actual product should be listed... since some butters are more BF than others... like in the discussion that was had back awhile ago with @drstratton and her using the "kerry brand butter".... not necessarily from the breed of cattle, but from a region and meeting certain standards for the "quality" of butter from the amounts of actual butterfat in the product. Butter is butter is butter is not all equal.....

 

[farmerjan]

Happy New Year to all....

Up to 34 overnight and now 40... breezy but should diminish some...

 

[farmerjan]

Happy New Year Thursday.

Temp got to about 44, stayed partly sun and partly clouds... Breeze slowed down over the day so actually quite decent compared to what we had.

Got the milk into jars and made the pudding... it had a few ice crystals but mostly thawed so that was good...

DS texted that he was going to go around 2 to get the cows in to move. I texted him back after I came back in from watering the chickens, and said where did he want me to be or go.... nothing. I went to the farm and he was working on another of the silage carts... and I said, well, I didn't hear anything... and he said, I don't know where my phone is, so didn't get the text...

GF was there, so we blew up the tires on the cart, he went to move it; and blew one totally out... so he just moved it out of the way, needs a new tire... I told him it had an awful bulge in it.... and was going to get a sq bale of the hay, and go to the pasture, ... pen was all set up... and I could come in a few minutes with the truck and trailer... so that worked... he went and they got the cows in... but one was across a section of fence that was all pushed down... she got the cow back across and they called me to bring truck/ trailer in; I was out at the end of the short road.... we traded and he turned the trailer around and has to back it in to where we load... got it backed down partway, then got out, I was almost down there with his red truck and he took some of the hay off the back, and a bucket of feed, and when he went in, she got the cow to go in the partially opened gate and shut it behind him...so they were all caught... then he backed the trailer in, and we got it set up with an alley, and got a bunch loaded... they took the load to the barn, I stayed to make sure no one wanted to try the panels to get out... He had luckily taken the trouble maker first trip....... she looks for a way out.... not really mean, but does not want to be penned in....

While there, unloading the first load, they looked for his phone but did not find it...
They came back, and we got the 2nd load on... there were 12 cows and 12 calves, good sized calves so could not do them in one load.... and then he said okay, we're done, and I said, are you going to load the panels while we are here??? He said, OH, yeah, got the bale bed truck here... we could do that...
He totally does not think things through... I thought that was part of the reason to take that truck there to start with... plus the cows are used to him taking it to get fed the last week... So we unhooked the panels, untied from the fences, and loaded all the panels on the truck... so then he took the truck and trailer, I took the red truck... and we left.... she got out of the truck and trailer, and after I got through the gate, she shut it (owner is anal about that) and then rode back with me as he did not stop on the hill, with the load...

Got them unloaded at the barn, and she took the 4 wheeler to where they had fixed a gate earlier to see if he had left it on the fence post... he went up the hill to see if he dropped it out of his pocket.. she came back, and went up the hill, and finally found it where it had fallen out of his pocket or something... so at least he has it...

Nothing else for me to do there so I came on home...

Talked to another farmer, rescheduled the cancelled test, for next week... I will stop at his farm tomorrow when I am right near there on the way to go test, and see about trying to get the 2 different sets of "barn notes" folders, to try to finish fixing the mistakes from several years ago... because this farmer and his brother are splitting the estate up and this farmer needs to get his records straight so he can start selling some "lower end" cows... to get the estate settled and split since his mom died this past year...

So he was taking the panels on the truck with him to go home to her house, and will set up part of the pen tomorrow... then he needs to get more from another pasture... he is going to move the bred heifers to snyder's before he takes the panels out of there... will still have the heifers there that are with the bull being bred... they will have to get preg checked, but not sure where he is going to put them for the interim so I guess they can stay there... we haven't talked about it.. They have been with the bull 60 days and I would be satisfied to pull the bull and see what ones got bred in the 60 day window, but can't get preg checked for another 30 days at least... we wait at least 30 days since the bull is pulled out if possible,

So, that was the day, productive enough... got to get 17 more cows with 13 calves... 2 we had weaned off the calves, 2 lost calves and they got a 2nd chance..... from the farm down near her, moved for the vet check on Wed... plus I am back to "working" starting tomorrow... see how it goes...

Quitting for the night...it's down to 27, so going to be colder than last night...

 

[farmerjan]

Friday morning... Change of plans AGAIN.... Farmer I was supposed to test today, cancelled. They changed feed in the silo 2 days ago, cows have dropped off over 500 lbs and need to get nutritionist to take samples and change ration... NOT HAPPY.... I was going to go by the other farm since I was going to be within 2 miles ... and am NOT going to make a special trip up there now.
I told him point blank that I had NOTHING next week available...

Sun is out, it was up to 29 at midnight when the recording thermometer reset, and is up to 50 now. Supposed to be more sun today... cooler tomorrow then warming the first of the week. Ought to be 50-60 by Wed for the vet appt... that will be nice.

Going to go out and fill the automatic waterers for the chickens... they ought to be good for a few days with the warmer temps.

Trying to get some farms on the schedule too...

 

[farmerjan]

Sat morning. 32 overnight. Cloudy and dreary out there, up to 36. Not supposed to get much over 40 today and possibly some showers but mostly staying south along the NC/VA border...

Cup of cocoa and some toast with apple butter...

Got 2 mice last night... had seen where there was some evidence... set trap and got one early... heard it snap... reset it and got another one late. So, it is set again.. At least nothing like it was a year or 2 ago when I was getting 2-5 a week... Have gotten like 4 in the last month... all the bigger deer mice...

DS got the panels set up down at the BV farm, said he might not need anymore... going to feed some hay right there near the pen and feed grain in the pen for the next day or 2... He is talking maybe getting them in Sunday.. if they go in they will get moved... Since he thinks he does not need anymore panels he decided he is not going to move the heifers yet...
Changed the 2nd vet check for the 40+ cows from "Augusta County" farm from Monday 12th, to Friday 16th... Just too much to try to get done from the preg check this Wed .... moving the preg cows around, weaning the calves... with him having dr appts several days this coming week. Some I will drive to, some I don't have to.

It is going to take at least 6-7 trips home with the cattle...from Aug Co..... he is going to get a buddy of his to come haul some too... I think last year we did it in 6 trips . So not going to happen in the 4 days from when we get this first group preg checked, moved around and all... and get the 2nd group in. Tentative plans are to get them in on Tuesday and moved.... but that still gives us time on Wed and Thurs if need be... Thing is, they have to all get caught up at one time... or you will never get them near the pen.... so once in, they all get moved...

Well, time to see about going out to check chickens/water etc... Got to get bottles in the trays/racks for testing this afternoon... and DS wants to finally get those bull calves worked that he bought a couple weeks ago... They never got done with both of us getting sick... they need to get done... It won't take very long... there are only 3 or 4 to do...hoping he will want to do them like at 2 or so, then I can go right from the barn to work...

 

[fuzzi]

Sat morning. 32 overnight. Cloudy and dreary out there, up to 36. Not supposed to get much over 40 today and possibly some showers but mostly staying south along the NC/VA border...

Cup of cocoa and some toast with apple butter...

Got 2 mice last night... had seen where there was some evidence... set trap and got one early... heard it snap... reset it and got another one late. So, it is set again.. At least nothing like it was a year or 2 ago when I was getting 2-5 a week... Have gotten like 4 in the last month... all the bigger deer mice...

DS got the panels set up down at the BV farm, said he might not need anymore... going to feed some hay right there near the pen and feed grain in the pen for the next day or 2... He is talking maybe getting them in Sunday.. if they go in they will get moved... Since he thinks he does not need anymore panels he decided he is not going to move the heifers yet...
Changed the 2nd vet check for the 40+ cows from "Augusta County" farm from Monday 12th, to Friday 16th... Just too much to try to get done from the preg check this Wed .... moving the preg cows around, weaning the calves... with him having dr appts several days this coming week. Some I will drive to, some I don't have to.

It is going to take at least 6-7 trips home with the cattle...from Aug Co..... he is going to get a buddy of his to come haul some too... I think last year we did it in 6 trips . So not going to happen in the 4 days from when we get this first group preg checked, moved around and all... and get the 2nd group in. Tentative plans are to get them in on Tuesday and moved.... but that still gives us time on Wed and Thurs if need be... Thing is, they have to all get caught up at one time... or you will never get them near the pen.... so once in, they all get moved...

Well, time to see about going out to check chickens/water etc... Got to get bottles in the trays/racks for testing this afternoon... and DS wants to finally get those bull calves worked that he bought a couple weeks ago... They never got done with both of us getting sick... they need to get done... It won't take very long... there are only 3 or 4 to do...hoping he will want to do them like at 2 or so, then I can go right from the barn to work...

How many cows do you have?

 

[Baymule]

Time for the cow shuffle! Most people look at cattle as low maintenance but they just don't realize the amount of care that goes into them.