Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Went out and did the turkeys water and feed. Have to take the 5 gal bucket to get more chicken feed at the bin down at DS's green barn. They will need to have their feeder filled tomorrow.

It was down to 67 last night.. It is partly/mostly cloudy this morning... sun trying to break through. We finally got some of that forecast/predicted rain last night. About 9-10 pm... looked in the rain gauge this morning and had .2 inch... NOTHING compared to some areas that got downpours... but not going to kick about it. Been over a week of the 100 degree temps and the hay making this past week to go along with it... Supposed to get some more storms the next 2-3 days... we can use it. Those hot temps dries out the ground in a hurry.

Got to eat something so I can take the antibiotic. Back ached when I got up but is not quite so bad after getting up dressed and moving around.

The 3 kittens are doing great except they will trip you up in a minute... they wind up on the front porch in the morning and I take a pan of dry food with a can of food on top, out to the shed for them to eat... and they are right there under your feet. I have wound up kicking them as I try to avoid stepping on them or getting tripped and falling... PITA little squirts. All are super friendly from the kids on the farm playing with them so much.
Silkie, the female from the ones I got a few years ago... that her brother got killed on the road; has disappeared. She was staying out by the chickens under the flat bed trailer... would come out some and let me pick her up a couple times... but ever since these kittens got here, she wouldn't come in the house unless I carried her in, wouldn't eat but a few mouthfuls and then sat at the door wanting out. She also got infested with fleas... I did treat her with those little liquid pks that you put on their shoulder area... and I think either she or that other male that kept sneaking in were the ones that brought all the fleas in the house. But she just totally changed... when her brother was killed on the road, I couldn't do anything that she wasn't right there... needing attention.. She would sit in my lap at the desk and followed me from room to room when in the house. I never brought the kittens in the house as that was "her domain"... did not want her to feel threatened by them taking her place or taking over her "house"... I did have to stop leaving the door to the porch cracked open due to that damned sneak male cat coming in... but that should not have bothered her that much as the door was shut during the winter and they came in when called and asked to go out in the mornings. But she got more standoffish, and I have not seen her for the past 4-5 days... It hurts that she changed so much, and I guess that she felt so threatened by the kittens. SAD.

Sun is coming out, but it is hazy. SO GLAD of the cooler temperatures. I think it is supposed to get up into the low 90's maybe... better than it was.

Texted DS last night and asked if he would stop and get me this morning on his way to the farm and drop me off to get my red forester at Deb's . He texted me back and said he would let me know when he was coming through. Haven't heard a thing of course... It's been way too hot to walk the mile there to get it... Don't know if she was planning to come out this weekend... she wasn't/didn't come last weekend.... she doesn't care that it is there, but still... want it back here.

Time to get something done... might get the weed eater out and get some more stuff worked on in a little bit after it dries off some on top.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday eve... 68 to start, 91 with 97 in the direct sun earlier.. Muggy too.
We had sun then some clouds off and on. Got real dark and heard some thunder, wind blew and then it went around us again...
Yesterday, DS wound up bringing the car to the house when she brought him to the barn... never said a word, I just heard a vehicle, and she was backing out of the driveway and the car was here. Never said anything to me... whatever...
They moved round bales, and he had trouble with the one truck, blew a brake line, blew the hydraulic hose for the bale arms in the other... didn't talk to me until later that afternoon when he wanted to know how many head were at one of the pastures... one of those days where he was not interested in communicating except where it concerns her.

He called later, had to go to one of the pastures, neighbor said there was a calf laying off by its self and had a bunch of ticks on it... the pasture where the ticks have been awful.... asked what to spray them with,,, all sorts of questions... then he called back later and said it wasn't as bad as the person had said, but he got all the cows sprayed with fly spray mix and most of the calves including the one that was laying off by its self.

Said he would be going in there every couple days to call them in for some grain and to spray them more often.

He called this morning, said he was going with his father to the D-Day Memorial in Bedford VA.... his father's father, (DS grandfather), my former father in law who I got along with fine and is now gone... they got his name put on the memorial as he was there for the D-Day invasion... I think it is very fitting that his name got added to the memorial... he was a very decent person.

It started out not too hot but the sun was out and it got hot very fast. Did the turkeys and filled chicken waterer... did a little in the house. Deb called and she was coming out... going to work remote for the week as the AC in their building is not working... had several repairs done and now the parts are on back order... and the building was basically like an oven last week... so she decided she should come out here and work for a week..,she wanted to go out to Quaker Steak for nachos for supper. so I said okay. I picked her up this eve at the house at 5 and we went there. They have entertainment on Sunday eve's... this eve it was a mostly country singer, all these are like small time single performers... he was okay... better than some... but it is always too loud to carry on a conversation without having to talk loud... and I am honestly not overly impressed with Quaker Steak anyway... but it is closeby.

It was a okay tonight... and we finally left about 7 to come home. She wants to take her truck down to the co-op and have the oil changed and it inspected and all so was going to call in the morning to see what day would be best. I'll pick her up, she can leave it, and they can get it done and we can go back and get it. She can use the explorer for a day or 2 if she needs it. Except Tues as we have to go to Blacksburg again... she can use another car if she needs it. But she will be working all day remote, and then wants to do some yard work and stuff there in the evenings when it is hopefully cooler.

I got the turkeys in just a bit ago... they are getting too big for the calf hutch ... got to move them out to the pen. Got to get the other one finished putting together ... got side tracked with all the trips to the dr and then it getting so hot and the hay. Plus feeling like I have no energy and the backache... it is a little cooler this evening... even though the rain went around us again... but maybe in the next couple evenings I can get the last couple panels together... Need to mow around the base again to make it easier to get it to sit level and put together evenly. Then the turkeys will go in one for the nights so nothing gets them... they run free range during the day.

Tomorrow will be feeding and water and turning them out early so I can go to the dr appt at 9. Have to leave here by 8:30....I want to get there, do whatever paperwork I might have to, and be able to slow the pulse and all before going in for BP... and hopefully some blood draw.

 

[Baymule]

Doctor appointments set the pace for the week. I’ve got one today in Lufkin, sister in law has one in Lufkin on Wednesday. Mine is easy, I have to drive the 20 miles to pick up sister in law, put her in my car, put her walker in my car, take her to Lufkin, see doctor. Do a grocery pick up, take her home, get her and groceries in the house and get cold stuff put away. She will be exhausted by that time. Son and I wanted to take her out to eat to all you can eat shrimp, but I don’t think she’ll be able to make it. We’ll go eat and take her a take out of shrimp.

 

[Ridgetop]

When does she get fitted for the prosthesis?

 

[Baymule]

When does she get fitted for the prosthesis?

That’s not on the schedule yet. Taking her to Houston for follow up on July 7. They will probably take the rest of staples and stitches out.

 

[Mini Horses]

Everything ok with you???

I know it's a busy time, just checking .....

 

[murphysranch]

I've been wondering too, for several days. FJ has posted on other threads tho. Tell us you're good!

 

[fuzzi]

I've been wondering too, for several days. FJ has posted on other threads tho. Tell us you're good!

Makes three of us. Wondering how those cows are doing.

 

[farmerjan]

It's been a SH!T week. Dr appt with DS on Tuesday, south of here... went to Rural King as usual on the way home... It rained that afternoon into early evening... we got home and I came inside for a little bit... I go out to put the turkeys in, and had 7 turkeys killed on the road... something had to have chased them as they have been sticking closer to the house lately... of course it was raining so no one stopped... I wonder if they ran out there as the car was too close to even see them...no way to tell.... but it was a real kick in the teeth.
I worked on getting the netting up to keep them confined in an area around the calf hutch but they would be in the shade of the big walnut tree, and could chase bugs etc in the grass and weeds there. That eve there were 2 out loose, so they had to fly over???? and missing another 2....???? I was gone for about 2 hours.
Had sun and clouds and another shower Wed. eve... total .6 for 2 days.

Thursday they were calling for 4 days of no rain so DS cut hay... so I knew that we would be trying to get it tedded and dry to bale by Sunday eve. Thurs eve, the GF said there was a cow with a new baby on Wed, but it didn't act like it could see and she didn't know if it had nursed... and another cow in that field (there are only 3 that are way out of synch, that we are still waiting on calves) had pinkeye symptoms. So, I went to the barn, she had taken it upon herself and her niece to get the 3 cows and the new calf across the driveway... and we got the cow in the chute... Calf acted blind... and it is a big bull calf... and I could NOT get it latched on a teat... she was helping to keep it pushed up and I was working on the cow and trying to use my finger to guide it to the teat. DS texted and said he needed a ride back to the barn.... so she left to get him, and I went home to get a bottle so I could milk colostrum out of her... She is an old cow, very patient and gentle for a beef cow... I get back, DS was there... he tried to hold/push the calf as I tried to get it to go on the teat... finally I said, let me just milk her... so I milked nearly a bottle full and after a couple tries it was like a light bulb came on in it's head... and it sucked that bottle right down... so then we finally got it on the cow's teats... and it got a good 3/4 gallon I would guess total. Next morning, same deal, we kept her and the calf in the barn lot and the little alley so they could eat the grass down and have water... had to get her back in the chute, but got the calf on her teats to drink.
DS went to mow some more hay Friday morning... and then said that was enough, forecast was changed to possible showers.... REALLY.... He was not feeling good at all, and we got some stuff ready for tedding hay. He finally said he had to go home as he was just too sick feeling. I said I would go do the cow... he had turned her down into the bigger lot... so I made up a bottle of milk replacer, figured he could drink that if I couldn't get him on the cow...
Deb had asked me over for supper Fri eve......she had come out on Wed... and luckily as she had a water leak in the basement... a friend of hers came out wed and thurs... and some advice from the friend's husband via the phone, had them nearly screwing up everything... DS was there, getting the tractor and mower since we had made hay there a few days previous before the forecast rain, and he helped get it loosened, to get it apart and we were draining the lines so we could take it all the way apart.... but it seems she did not get the well turned off so after 2 hours of draining water into buckets, because there are several water troughs and such so alot of water lines going out there..... I finally said there is too much pressure, are you SURE you turned off the right breaker... I think you should turn off the main breaker and then we could see.... sure enough, she had switched OFF the WRONG breaker and it is a wonder we didn't pump the well dry or burn out the pump....OH WELL....Once the well pump was off, it didn't take me 10 minutes to drain the pipes enough to get the valve off that was split. I finally left and went home... they went and got a new valve and all... but then they screwed something else up but I was home and didn't know it until Friday. The friend left Friday morning, she and her husband were doing something for the 4th....

So I went to supper, told her about having to go see about the calf, and she offered to go, so we went down after I ran home to get a bottle.
He was laying down in the field under the trees, and after I got him up, the cow came over near us, and he drank some (1/4 bottle maybe) then she was talking to him, so he went to follow her and they went several hundred feet away, then she stopped, and he went right on her udder and was sucking... so we left well enough alone.

He is not very bright, but seems to be able to see some on one side, now... There is a "Dummy calf syndrome" that sometimes these big calves are just "slow".... and I think that it may have to do with them being born... maybe taking more time than you would like,.... and I have seen that sometimes they also seem to be blind... like a nerve got compressed during the delivery, maybe too slow to get the sack off their head so maybe a little deprived of O2....???? Anyway, it seems to occur much more often in BIG calves ... he weighs well over 100 lbs.. he is a "horse"..... but often they will come around... I gave him Vit A & D, and Vit B complex the first night in the barn...B to help with appetite stimulation, and A&D for eyes...
Don't know for sure that they did much, but certainly not going to hurt...

So, Sat I spent over 6 hours on the tractor tedding hay to try to get it to dry better... it was hot, 90, sun and I was really beat... But it was ready for raking today to bale...
I get home, this is well before dark... and go out and there are 5 turkeys dead, in the enclosure... and the rest gone.. Found them up on the back deck... the netting was all up except one side where a turkey had gotten tangled in it, it was laid partly over... NO IDEA what did this... I finally got them in the calf hutch and closed it up like normal... took 2 intact ones, and put them in the freezer. I will be setting traps.

I was so sick/mad/upset...., besides being worn out from the heat... I decided I would deal with the rest in the morning... This morning one is gone, and 1 was 80% eaten.... I managed to catch ahold of 3 turkeys that flew up to the "window opening" in the calf hutch, as I opened it up, hoping they would do that.... and get them in the 2nd "poultry pen" since keeping them in the netting enclosure is not safe for them... and the other 4 I herded over and got them in the pen also... So I am now down to 7.... I am so P.O.ed because they were doing so good...
I think it is a fox, dog or coyote... DS said it might be a hawk.... but the 2 that were taken/eaten last night are not gone by a hawk... could be a coon.... but the traps will be set... and I am going to have a couple of bigger traps as well as the coon sized one...
I have noticed the leghorns have been much "flightier" acting lately... so am leaning towards ground predator, not a hawk... but I am not discounting that also. Whatever it is... they will be disposed of as soon as I can catch them or shoot them on sight.

So after I got things put together this morning, I headed down and DS unhooked the tedder and we hooked up the rake... after having to put air in a soft tire.. I went to raking by 10... and got off the tractor at 4:30.... DS came down to start baling about an hour after I had started raking..... and he stayed about a 1/2 field behind me... the last 2 little pieces were at a different place that I had to drive tractor and rake several miles across a dirt road... and he got there and finished about 15-20 minutes after I was done. Since the tractor had been there with the mower from the other day, he had gone there to get the tractor, so his truck was there... we left and came back by to get my car at the first field... and then he called me after he got to the barn, I was at the house... and asked how to get the calf to go to the cow, so I said I would bring a 1/4 bottle, and get him "started" ... got to the farm, we went down in the lot to the calf, got him up, he got the bottle in it's mouth... it sucked and the cow had come over a little closer... DS walked over near the cow, and the calf finally figured out that he needed the cow, not DS... she again walked off a little bit, calf followed, and then she stopped and he went on her... but we don't know if he is drinking except when we get him up to "get him started"... the "dummy" thing.
So DS said we will fool with him a few days... if he doesn't seem to "get it", he will go to the stockyard as he is worth $1000 at what they are bringing right now... and she was slated to get sold after this calf... so he said she will go too... Not her fault he is not "with it"... and he might get it figured out in a few more days.... BUT, she has no teeth and we were not going to breed her back again... if the calf goes, she goes. The thing about the calf... if he goes to a farm where they raise them in hutches, he will do fine as someone will be putting the bottle in his mouth to feed him.... we do not have the time to do this every day twice a day, when they are bringing so much at the sale...

Good thing we got it done... we got a shower about 7:30 or so... just as we were getting the calf done... Might not get any more out of it, but radar has that storm coming up through south central VA... if it shifts a bit we could get some more... and we have a 30% to 60% chance the next few days...

DS took the bottle home... I told him to just put some warm water in it... to get the calf "wanting" to drink... and now that he has seen how easy it is once the calf follows the cow.... at least he should be able to do him for the next few days... and we will see how he does.

Got to make something sturdy for the remaining turkeys to roost on... hang their feeder and all... I just stuck it in there this morning. At least they are safe unless something tries to go through the wire...

Dr appt for DS in the morning... not real early... don't have to leave before 8 at least...

Had a farm text me, that had cancelled in the heat, wants to test... so I will text them back.... Need to get some of the ones that cancelled scheduled... plus time for the 500 cow herd....

Ate a sandwich for supper. I need a shower and wash my hair after sweating all day the last 2 days ... I drank about 3/4 gallon of water and tea today.... and I bet I sweated out 90% of it... Pew, I stink... lots of clothes to wash... you could practically wring out these jeans this evening.

 

[SageHill]

Awe crap - sorry about the turkeys. Geeze. Possibly more than one predator?? fox and hawk? or ???
Hope you don't lose anymore.