Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Worked the new cow and calf through the chute... She is a solid mouth cow.. maybe 8-9 , not young but not too old... has a real nice heifer calf on her... potential to keep as replacement nice , actually. DS figures we ought to be able to get another couple calves out of her if she breeds back this year... Gave her a shot of Triangle 10 vaccine and the calf a shot of blackleg vaccine... turned them out with the cow #13 that lost her calf that we put the twin calf from the jersey on... the calf follows her religiously... She doesn't really mother it but kinda looks out for it... It goes on her from the back ... might go on from the side but the cow is a little "nervous"... she does not like to be penned in the barn so not really friendly/quiet... also kept the big red steer and the hereford heifer he is keeping for beeves... in the same lot for now.

Moved the original escapee from grants and that calf that was always out, that we moved to doug's farm a month ago.... back up to the lot where the rest of them are....so that group is all together now for preg checking and pulling/selling any calves etc...

He moved 10 of the 12 "keeping" heifers to the guys place... because this guy only wanted 10... but last year they didn't keep the grass eaten down as much as they should have... so then he called DS and said that he might as well bring the other 2.... . So I guess DS will take them over there... they are split in 2 fields... so there will be one more to go in one field and 1 in the other ... they are next to each other... and these 12 ran together all year.. so won't really matter.

Today I think DS and Buck are going to go around more fences at pastures... Since he didn't have to go to the dr appt... he wanted to get Buck to help. It is partly cloudy out... 60 overnight... and should be warm but not too sunny today so decent to work at that. If it gets up to the upper 80's and low 90's by Wed/Thurs it will be good to have gotten it done in the cooler temps. Still calling for 30% chance of some rain on Sunday with a front going through... but that's not much for here this time of year... the whole "April showers bring May flowers" thing... our hay is looking decent but it is short... not near ready for cutting like @Mini Horses said her neighbor is cutting... but she has had more rain than we have had here.. and the farmer is looking at a good window of "dry" so getting a jump on it... if they get a decent rain after then it will really "jump" out of the ground and grow a good 2nd cutting... Ours is just no where near close to cutting... won't be much if we don't get some rain pretty soon.
DS told me he is moving the hay he bought from the one guy, that has been stored in his barn so didn't need to be moved anytime soon... and feeding it now... and has already told him we want another 50 rolls this year and has committed to another 50+ rolls from another guy we have bought some from...

Understand that we still have over 200 rolls in the barn under roof... we are not "desperate for hay"... but why move ours out and then move more back in this year, when there is hay to be found... and good hay...for decent prices...so this time of year, people are looking to clean out and get rid of last years hay... get ready for this year... and we are feeding out what he is bringing home now... the cows want grass, and you have to feed "better hay" this time of year to keep them somewhat satisfied... so we will feed some out still and then get the rest of the 50 rolls moved home.. I think he said he can put another 10 or 20 in the hay shed... so will finish out what we have to and start getting these cows and new calves moved out to pastures....
He wants to build another hay shed... You save alot of hay by not having it out in the weather. And extra 3-5 sq bales worth on every roll gets weathered and spoiled by storing it outside... so even with just a roof overtop... keeping the snow and rain off the hay... we save alot that would just get trampled and go back into the ground for organic matter... NOT that that is bad... BUT... it costs money to make that hay... so better for it to go through the cow as feed first... then out on the ground as manure. There will always be some "bad" that gets tromped on,. laid on, peed on... etc... and putting that organic matter back into the ground is not bad... just would rather not "waste" good hay with the weathering it gets being stored outside.
If hay is short, conditions stay drier than normal... then we will be glad to have all this "extra" hay. Plus I think he is definitely going to start selling some of these calves a little bit sooner... and not have to feed so much next year... but you have to figure enough to feed for the # of cows and having a "cushion" is only smart. We have about 125 momma cows... half will be calving in Sept/Nov again...this group we moved yesterday are fall calving cows..... so they need plenty of hay to eat for the winter to make milk and the calves to grow... the other half will be dry cows, calves weaned off and those cows are the ones that calve in the spring... but they still need to eat. And then there are all the calves he weans and holds to sell like we did the ones this past Feb that brought such good prices. We will still be doing that... but hopefully selling a little sooner.... even a week or 2, is alot of feed......They eat alot of hay along with the silage. As cold and miserable as it was this past winter with that awful snow/ice "concrete" they were eating like no tomorrow... they had to to keep up their body heat and such in the single digit cold... We were going through 10 rolls a day on average. That's feeding 200 head equivalent... and that was not counting the silage. We fed out about 400 ton... the pit is nearly empty... he will finish it up in the next week or so.. which is about perfect for the weather getting too warm and it will mold fast.

I might get to some of the stuff I wanted done here, finally today... Had the laundry soaking as there were some dingy looking towels and stuff.. I will run them through the final rinse and they will get hung as the "partly cloudy" is fine. There is an increased fire risk today with brisk winds... so things will dry. Since I am testing, I doubt I will get the stuff to the laundromat, today. Certainly did not get there this weekend. But might get there tomorrow before testing... they start later in the afternoon and I could leave early enough to go do it before testing... Be nice for it to be out on the line while I am gone all day Wed for that Alpha gal DR appt followup...

So, going in to eat some breakfast... do chickens feed and waterers... go to grants and see if the cows will come in for some grain. Don't want to lock them in for any amount of time unless I haul water... and no need with the 3 calves sucking on both cows... the calves had a grand time yesterday out running..." WOW look at all this space we have" ... comical to watch when they first get out on new grass and a "new experience"... At least now Jess's calf will have some "playmates"...

One of my dairies is having the foot trimmer in about 2 weeks... I am going to take Maggie over there and have them see if they can find out what her front foot/hoof problem is... To me it looks like the 2 toes try to overlap when she takes a step and it hurts her... maybe just need to keep them trimmed down a little more... but to have a professional hoof trimmer look at her her and all will be a help... since DS took that hoof trimmer class, I am hoping he will be able to take her, and maybe then can know what to do to keep her walking better... might be something as simple as keeping the toe trimmed back more.. she might have something else going on... won't know till whe gets looked at.

In the process of moving the cows/calves yesterday... saw Betsy's 1/2 angus heifer calf that I grafted on another part dairy cow...last fall.... when I lost Betsy to the milk fever..... she is nursing off several cows I think... saw her on another different one... but that group of fresh heifers all were letting calves nurse each other........ she looks pretty decent for being an "orphan"... plan to keep her for now... might make a good nurse cow for putting a 2nd calf on her... those 1/2 dairy heifers usually make too much milk for just one calf... There were 27 cows and calves there... one was an open cow/ weaned calf off, we stuck in there to get bred... and then the 2 calves (betsy's calf and her own calf) on #19 half hol/angus...
I think there are about 30-35 on the hill behind doug's with the same age calves... last fall born.... a few bigger steer calves that he is talking about selling this spring... works for me... I think there is only 1 steer calf that is mine that might be a bigger one.

Had 2 more new calves yesterday... slowly whittling down the numbers of the ones due... I think there are 4 more due in the one field, and 12 due at the other field. All but one heifer has calved, and the last one was behind the rest by a month... she barely will get by with the skin of her teeth as it was her 2nd chance... open to first breeding group... put back with 2nd group... and barely got bred before the bull came out... One to not keep down the road if there are any more problems... funny thing is, her momma was a cow we just sold,,, no teeth.... had calves every single year right along... she was 15 when we just sold her... Never know who is going to be carrying the fertile gene and who is going to be potential problem breeders.

I keep getting side tracked and coming back to this... so time to get off. Got to get samples in tray for testing this afternoon too... and need to see about going to the co-op, getting 2 new tires ordered... I want to run all these older ones down this summer... but I need a spare so will get 2 new ones... have them for "spares", and then will just put them on this fall/winter as the others ought to be pretty worn smooth... I am going to need 2 new winter treads also this fall... but won't be able to buy any of the winter type until after Sept....since I don't run the forester long distances, no need to put all new on now... just "use up" these older tires.... fine for running in the field at snyders and going to town to get feed or errands... need to get the very most out of all this stuff... the last ones had the cords showing along one edge... got the best out of that tire for sure. It will have new ones on for time when inspection comes.. think that is like Nov or something...
Got several to "use up" for the outback also.. I need a couple extra wheels for that car though... so I have a couple spares already mounted for it... was lucky to have an already mounted spare for the forester yesterday.

 

[Ridgetop]

Lots of work, but at leat the catch pen is repaired (sort of). "Sort of" repairs are normal when time is tight. LOL Like you said, for the time he is gone it will make it easier for you. Hope you can sell a lot of the calves before he leaves, and he brings back some excellent stock.

 

[farmerjan]

In for a quick sandwich... then to leave and do a couple errands on the way to work.

Clothes hung and other ones in off the line.

Chickens fed, waterers cleaned and filled. Got eggs in the house. I have about 24 to set here in the next few days. DS still hasn't brought me his incubator... I bought one last year before he told me not to, that I could use one of his... not waiting on him any longer... will use my own. Got to get it out and set up and regulated.
I also have 5 bantam chicks that I got at TSC about a month ago.. they wanted to get them out, they were down to $1 each... there are 3 porcelain D'uccles... and 2 that I guess are golden sebrights. Looks like a trio in the D'uccles and maybe 2 female sebrights. It was one of those "deals" that they practically begged me to take them... they were getting more chicks in and these were getting bigger, with some feathers... not the cute little fuzz balls like new chicks.... was hoping that the "blue ones" were actually a blue or splash langshan or something, had feathers on their legs...... but oh well..Looked up their website and saw that they had certain breeds of bantams... They have done good. They are fully feathered and now moved out to the crate on the front porch with no heat... Don't need them... but will probably sell them down the road or find someone to give them to.
Since his dr appt got cancelled/changed, today.. and the other one for next week also was changed... I am going to contact the guy on the Vor Werk chickens and just make a trip to get the eggs. Want to get them set in about a week behind these of mine... Not sure what size the incubator even is but I am thinking it will hold like 3-4 dozen eggs. Project for tomorrow morning.. get it out and set up.

Got to get going...

Have to go by and pick up the check at the stockyard for the 2 calves he took in friday... and take that ck and the one from Sat to the bank on my way to work.

 

[fuzzi]

In for a quick sandwich... then to leave and do a couple errands on the way to work.

Clothes hung and other ones in off the line.

Chickens fed, waterers cleaned and filled. Got eggs in the house. I have about 24 to set here in the next few days. DS still hasn't brought me his incubator... I bought one last year before he told me not to, that I could use one of his... not waiting on him any longer... will use my own. Got to get it out and set up and regulated.
I also have 5 bantam chicks that I got at TSC about a month ago.. they wanted to get them out, they were down to $1 each... there are 3 porcelain D'uccles... and 2 that I guess are golden sebrights. Looks like a trio in the D'uccles and maybe 2 female sebrights. It was one of those "deals" that they practically begged me to take them... they were getting more chicks in and these were getting bigger, with some feathers... not the cute little fuzz balls like new chicks.... was hoping that the "blue ones" were actually a blue or splash langshan or something, had feathers on their legs...... but oh well..Looked up their website and saw that they had certain breeds of bantams... They have done good. They are fully feathered and now moved out to the crate on the front porch with no heat... Don't need them... but will probably sell them down the road or find someone to give them to.
Since his dr appt got cancelled/changed, today.. and the other one for next week also was changed... I am going to contact the guy on the Vor Werk chickens and just make a trip to get the eggs. Want to get them set in about a week behind these of mine... Not sure what size the incubator even is but I am thinking it will hold like 3-4 dozen eggs. Project for tomorrow morning.. get it out and set up.

Got to get going...

Have to go by and pick up the check at the stockyard for the 2 calves he took in friday... and take that ck and the one from Sat to the bank on my way to work.

You got BANTAMS!

 

[farmerjan]

@fuzzi .... I have had the Black Langshan bantams since last year... with being so sick from the Alpha Gal and not knowing what it was, plus not getting things ready, coops not set up like I wanted... did not hatch any of the eggs... had the Buff Leghorns and the langshan bantams. I want some of the New Hampshire bantams and should have bought some I saw out at Columbus... thought the guy here in Va would have some but due to some health reasons, he did not have any to sell... I did get the large fowl NH's in Columbus, and those are the eggs I am going to set, along with the langshan bantams.
I have no intention of keeping the porcelain D'uccles or the 2 that i am pretty sure are Golden Sebrights...I only took them because they practically gave them to me... would have definitely preferred them to be large fowl or something I like.... Unless they just stick around to be "extra's"... but why feed them... Not breeds or colors I really care about. I had really hoped the that 2 "brown" chicks were partridge wyandottes or rocks... and the featherlegged ones were blue or splash langshans or cochins or something... oh well.. they are cute in their own way I guess....

I plan to have NH bantams and the langshan bantams.... as well as the big ones. The leghorns will probably go and I will raise some of the chicks to see how they do. They are pretty, but these are more flighty than any of the light brown leghorns that I used to raise... I am getting so I like my bigger calmer, heavier breeds of birds.

Got a few things done, but never get everything on the list. Tomorrow is another catch up day... really would like to go by the laundromat with the blankets and mattress pads and bulky stuff that will wash better in the big machines... We' ll see how much I get caught up in the morning...

Time to go to bed and get some sleep. Got to pack the samples in the morning and print off his reports as soon as I get the herd uploaded... will be right there close so will drop reports off when I go to the other farm to test.

Our local weather station in Roanke (1 hr south) is addressing the continuing and worsening drought conditions... and warning of some long term problems for farmers if we do not soon get some significant rain. And the effects on the water supply for people. 'Bout time....

People had better be taking this stuff serious, and look past the "beautiful nice days on end" to what it can mean if we go into water restrictions and such... The general consensus is this had been an ongoing problem since last Oct... with us being 7-10 inches short for the last 6 months... and 3-4 inches short for this year already....