Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[B&B Happy goats]

Looks like the Pacific el Nino has finally stabilized and will be a force to reckon with in the next few weeks/months, which for most of the Southern US means RAIN. Oh happy happy joy joy..

I sure don't like that weather map

 

[greybeard]

The only upside is that el Nino years have historically had fewer and mostly weaker Atlantic and Gulf Coast hurricanes..of course, el Nino effect can collapse at any time between now and the start of hurricane season.
Hurricanes Ike, Harvey, Michael, and Florence all came in la Nina years.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's good news....yay!

 

[Rammy]

Git er' done

 

[Bruce]

Perhaps the judge can throw out her appeal once the board approves the new location as being a nuisance suit based on all the prior rulings.

Looks like the Pacific el Nino has finally stabilized and will be a force to reckon with in the next few weeks/months, which for most of the Southern US means RAIN. Oh happy happy joy joy..

Not something you in the southern tier want to see but I'm happy to see the "warmer" up north in Canada. There is a lady in Alberta on BYC who is working on rehabbing a house. Haven't been able to do anything for 2 weeks due to the -35°F and below temps. They MIGHT get heat in the house tomorrow which will make work possible again.

 

[farmerjan]

After looking at @greybeard 's map and all, and looking at our forecast for the next 10 days, all I want to do is crawl in a hole and hide. We have some pretty crappy weather coming for the next 2 weeks or so. Mostly cold, rainy wet, wintry mix and dreary. Upper 20's and low 30's to upper 40's. There is so much mud and wet everywhere.....

We decided to wean the steer calves off the cows we brought home last Sunday. They are going to holler and walk the fences, but maybe will have 24 hours before they get a soaking. They do know what the silage is, so hope they will go into the barn to eat. We split them into 2 groups, bigger and smaller ones. And put them in with the 2 groups of heifers that have been weaned and coming in the barn for a couple of weeks. Hoping this will encourage them to follow the heifers and come in to eat with them.
We decided that with the next week-2 weeks forecast, getting them weaned this afternoon, before it is knee deep in mud to try to work in, was better. This way, in a couple of days, will move the cows away from the barn. The cows are also separated into the bred-due to calve, and the opens. The breds will get moved out around the back hill with the other bred ones. The opens will stay in the field we put them back into, for now at least, and try to get their condition and weight up a bit. They will be going with the bulls in late may - early june. If we put them with the bulls now, most would not breed back and I don't want late dec - jan or feb. calves. So in 2-3 months, they ought to be in good body condition, and hopefully will breed right back when the bull does go in. It will be their "last chance. Any that do not breed back then, will leave; but that won't be known until late in the fall. They ought to be in very good body condition since they will not have a calf on them. They all need a break, and it is a shame that we only had a 50% preg check of this group. We are thinking that there might be something with the bull also, as the preg ones are all 5-6 1/2 months or none. He will get a breeding soundness exam before we use him again. But again, with the whole wet season, it could have affected the bull. The other place, we had cows from 2 months all the way up to 6-7 months where we didn't get the bull out. That is due to not being able to just get a few animals caught up easily. It's an all or none type of thing.

Have one group that will get checked in probably April, as they will have to come out of the pasture where they are. We are losing that place, and have until April 1st, on the lease. They are all heifers, 17 I think, and the bull didn't go in there until November for calves this coming fall. We will bring them home, preg check, then they will most likely go to the pasture where I have my nurse cows. That is usually where we calve out first calf heifers. It is pretty easy to see, and find them there, with only a little bit of wooded area for them to get into. Got the barn if we absolutely have to get one in to help them.
Got all the other ones with fall calves, and the ones diagnosed open earlier, at pastures with the bulls now and hopefully it will be a better winter for breeding. At least we are not having all the green grass growth even though it is wet. They are sure eating hay like it is going out of style the last 2 weeks. Think this crappy weather is finally getting to them, and they are having to really eat to keep up their body heat and condition. They are going through salt/mineral like it was going out of style too. The calves all look pretty good considering that it is so wet all the time.

 

[Baymule]

One good thing about smaller towns and counties.... they all know what is going on and there comes a time when they will close ranks around "their own"; and we "qualify" as one of their own after 35 plus years of my being here and his being a VDOT employee for 20, and having alot of friends in the farming community too.
Karma is a good thing....

I love small towns. They are almost like a warm blanket on a cold night, wrapping you up safe and warm. This woman doesn't realize that losing this court case goes further than that. She will be shunned like she has a disease, spots on her face and body odor. And she'll never figure out why. You are right, they need to go back to where ever they came from......reckon they got run out of town?

 

[farmerjan]

Well, had a fairly quiet day today. Woke up to.... yep, RAIN. Then is changed to some snow and we got a dusting. Then it passed and the sun came out and it melted off. But the ground is so SOGGY , and all you do is slip and slide.

Went up to the friends' house that the "jouster" friend that died in that freak accident, as his widow was out for the weekend with a few other friends. Had lunch and got to visit for a little bit. She is doing okay, staying busy as they had a couple of other pieces of property besides this one. I know she is lonely, but seems to be moving forward.

Put the 2 pens of chickens together as I lost my big Black Langshan rooster. I won't be saving any eggs from them unless I can find another male. No sense in feeding 2 separate pens with 2 in one and 3 in the other. It won't be hard to know which eggs are which as the New Hamps lay a nice brown egg and the Langshans lay a smaller cream colored egg. I just have the pair of NH's, but hope to hatch a bunch this spring. The Langshan had some age on him. Got a pulllet at my son's house, from last year that somehow never got moved here. Should've gotten her and put them all in together so they all could mix it up together and no one gets territorial. Maybe I will go get her in the morning and see if they can all live together without a problem. Maybe able to find a male in May at the big poultry swap, but if not, then next fall there will be some at our Va poultry breeders show and I will get a new pair or two. Being together will make it simpler to take care of them for the rest of the winter and I need to do some repair work on the moveable coop the Langshans were in anyway.

We are looking at clouds tomorrow, rain/ice/wintry mix by noon or so, temps in the 30's, then some showers on Monday then maybe clearing in the aft. Then more coming in Tuesday, with another "wintry mix" then maybe a little sun poking through for awhile on wed and then rain/showers for the next 4 days. Temps from 30 to 50's . I'd be glad to see just some plain sun, cold temps in the 20's and 30's . Will have to go to the pasture early tomorrow and take the 4wd as I will never get around with the 2wd.
Got a cow/calf conference 8-3 on Tuesday. No farms set up yet.... won't be much of a testing week by the looks of it.

 

[CntryBoy777]

If I could I'd send ya some relief up your way....this next week we are suppose to be in the mid 80s with a chance of showers on Wed....hoping we can close on Tues and be in our own home during the showers.....

 

[farmerjan]