Bruce
Herd Master
Ice ... boo indeed! Ice is good in a glass,, not on the ground
Farmerjan's journal - Weather
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Alaskan
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X a jillion!
The weather people are threatening us with a slight warm up... warm enough to guarantee ice.
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farmerjan
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Just got home and went out and took the chickens some water so they could get a good drink/fill up for the night. Thermometer said it got up to 24 today... It has been cloudy and grey and dreary. Latest radar doesn't show anything for us but "weather" over on the coast.... sorry @Mini Horses . It is too cold to want to deal with anything out there.
The conference was okay. Not as good as some we have been to and way above GF head on the nitrogen stuff for fertilizer and all which is okay because she really isn't into that. That was good but very intensive... he is a researcher and so many people like that know their subjects real good, but they are way technical in trying to present it to everyday farmers/people.
The other speaker was a woman who was a vegetarian and has become a beef eater.... only grass fed beef.... you know how smokers that quit become "fanatical" about not smoking... well, she was sort of like that. She needs to be preaching to the "soccer mom" mentality and upper middle class people about beef... because she basically was telling us that eating beef is better for you than the "plant based" meat substitutes... and that natural real food fats, like butter and whole milk and cheese, are all better for you... well that is more like preaching to the choir..... and although she had some good statistics, I don't think she connected well with most.... plus she married into the Niman Farm family out in Calf....they are big grassfed producers... yes, good at what they do... but also money behind her.... they cater to the grassfed movement eaters and the upper money people....
All in all an okay day.
So I am in for the night and by all reports it is going to be even colder... calling for 2 to 6 degrees tonight. But then some sun tomorrow and warming above freezing for a few days....
Knees are aching from sitting so much... although they did do breaks after each presentation of about an hour.... so I am going to figure out what I want to eat for supper. We had a grassfed beef stew that was okay, green salad, bread and brownies for desert.... lemonade and tea for drinks and they did have a coffee pot there but no hot water for tea or hot cocoa....
The leghorn hen lost her tail feather and another is missing a few... What a time to think about molting... at least they still have body feathers.... no eggs but I didn't expect any with the cold.
Got another mouse up on the stove.... really P me off...... saw evidence yesterday so set a trap up there and had it this morning...
. wish I had a clue where they are coming in...
The conference was okay. Not as good as some we have been to and way above GF head on the nitrogen stuff for fertilizer and all which is okay because she really isn't into that. That was good but very intensive... he is a researcher and so many people like that know their subjects real good, but they are way technical in trying to present it to everyday farmers/people.
The other speaker was a woman who was a vegetarian and has become a beef eater.... only grass fed beef.... you know how smokers that quit become "fanatical" about not smoking... well, she was sort of like that. She needs to be preaching to the "soccer mom" mentality and upper middle class people about beef... because she basically was telling us that eating beef is better for you than the "plant based" meat substitutes... and that natural real food fats, like butter and whole milk and cheese, are all better for you... well that is more like preaching to the choir..... and although she had some good statistics, I don't think she connected well with most.... plus she married into the Niman Farm family out in Calf....they are big grassfed producers... yes, good at what they do... but also money behind her.... they cater to the grassfed movement eaters and the upper money people....
All in all an okay day.
So I am in for the night and by all reports it is going to be even colder... calling for 2 to 6 degrees tonight. But then some sun tomorrow and warming above freezing for a few days....
Knees are aching from sitting so much... although they did do breaks after each presentation of about an hour.... so I am going to figure out what I want to eat for supper. We had a grassfed beef stew that was okay, green salad, bread and brownies for desert.... lemonade and tea for drinks and they did have a coffee pot there but no hot water for tea or hot cocoa....
The leghorn hen lost her tail feather and another is missing a few... What a time to think about molting... at least they still have body feathers.... no eggs but I didn't expect any with the cold.
Got another mouse up on the stove.... really P me off...... saw evidence yesterday so set a trap up there and had it this morning...
. wish I had a clue where they are coming in...Mini Horses
Herd Master
COLD, COLD, COLD! FRIGID. Chores were hard for me and animals. Snow tonight. Amount??? Any is too much. We are staying in 20s, probably...just barely, it's 25 now and dropping. Plus wind chill. Tomorrow the big, insulated boots get used...Carharts, too. 
I am just wanting to be done with winter!!!!
I am just wanting to be done with winter!!!!- Thread starter
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farmerjan
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Just ate a bit, and talked to DS... he was done feeding hay here, and on his way down to the last farm near her house with 2 rolls to put out and go home to collapse and eat and sleep. He did get to sleep last night and not work night shift. But I think he is still tired out.
He has to take the automatic truck that just had the transmission rebuilt, back because fluid is pouring out again. He said he is getting it fixed (under warranty) and then it is getting sold. This is the 3rd trip... the first one they did some repairs that didn't work... then total rebuild, and now it is leaking big time again. I told him he is just too hard on automatics... the straight drive trucks he has for 3-400,000 miles. The one we just did the tie rod ends has over 275,000 miles on it....
It is 16 and dropping.... glad we are not going to get any of the weather.... I'm going to take a shower and go to bed early.... still got this annoying sinus drip.... and coughing from it down the throat.....
Got a farm that called and left a message to call back about testing... I will call him back tomorrow.
He has to take the automatic truck that just had the transmission rebuilt, back because fluid is pouring out again. He said he is getting it fixed (under warranty) and then it is getting sold. This is the 3rd trip... the first one they did some repairs that didn't work... then total rebuild, and now it is leaking big time again. I told him he is just too hard on automatics... the straight drive trucks he has for 3-400,000 miles. The one we just did the tie rod ends has over 275,000 miles on it....
It is 16 and dropping.... glad we are not going to get any of the weather.... I'm going to take a shower and go to bed early.... still got this annoying sinus drip.... and coughing from it down the throat.....
Got a farm that called and left a message to call back about testing... I will call him back tomorrow.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
It settled at about 4" out there. Not welcome but here.
.
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farmerjan
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Morning. It settled at 0 snow here, cloudy and grey all day... and got down to a BALMY 6 degrees last night. Recording thermometer hit 38 with the sun on it but now that it is up higher and moved it is really 29 out there. Should move it a little bit so the sun can't hit it, but I like it hanging a little lower so it is more exposed to the actual temps out there at night. In the summer, the big maple tree leaves shades it from the sun so it records the air temp... probably a little cooler with the shade.
Sun is out, that is what is important. The greenhouse shelter for the chickens gets the sun early so it warms it up quite a bit. Got to go take water out to them.
Not planning alot outside today in the chilly air.... knee is tight this morning from all the sitting I think... need to do some more stretching/exercising. I have dishes that need doing; and might see if I can get the cupboard moved all the way in the DR near where I want it, so I can get some help to get it upright.
Sun is out, that is what is important. The greenhouse shelter for the chickens gets the sun early so it warms it up quite a bit. Got to go take water out to them.
Not planning alot outside today in the chilly air.... knee is tight this morning from all the sitting I think... need to do some more stretching/exercising. I have dishes that need doing; and might see if I can get the cupboard moved all the way in the DR near where I want it, so I can get some help to get it upright.
Bruce
Herd Master
No!!The weather people are threatening us with a slight warm up... warm enough to guarantee ice.
No, no, NO!!!!
I don't expect any this time of year either other than from the 6 pullets. Only 4 of them are laying, the Ameraucanas are not. BUT I've got several older girls laying! They never lay until end of February. I wonder if there is some "hey they are laying" hormones going on or something.
Gee, my family would be really happy if the temp rose to the 20's! It was -19°F this morning. Supposed to make it to 18 tomorrow but back down to a low of -7 Monday morning. Might make it to mid 20s Tuesday but -10 Thursday morning. I think it must be winter!
Mini Horses
Herd Master
@Bruce, Cold is relative to what we are used to. 
. I'm not getting used to his very fast and certainly not to what y'all have!!! Older I get, colder I get...hate it. 
. I'm not getting used to his very fast and certainly not to what y'all have!!! Older I get, colder I get...hate it. - Thread starter
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farmerjan
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Well, 29 air temp was the best it did, but in the sun it wasn't bad and there was no breeze/wind today so really halfway decent. It hit closer to the 38 that the recorder had in the sun I am sure. Took water out and believe it or not, the water hadn't frozen so solid in the waterer.... and the inside temps were pretty decent so it had thawed it a little. I only took a 1/2 gal out for the 7 hens and they weren't running to get some to drink like the evening before... If it warms up tomorrow like they say then they should be good for water not freezing for a few days again. Got 2 eggs too.
Have a scratchy throat again and a cough from this cotton pickin' sinus drainage.... not been doing so awful much today. Had oatmeal for breakfast, egg salad sandwich for lunch. Thinking a soup and maybe grilled cheese for supper?
Yep, I am like @Mini Horses more and more... older I get, colder I get... and not wanting to have to go out to work when I am "outside" in colder conditions in the barns. Got some farms it isn't so bad, but some that do not run heat and they are getting insufferable to me.
Have a scratchy throat again and a cough from this cotton pickin' sinus drainage.... not been doing so awful much today. Had oatmeal for breakfast, egg salad sandwich for lunch. Thinking a soup and maybe grilled cheese for supper?
Yep, I am like @Mini Horses more and more... older I get, colder I get... and not wanting to have to go out to work when I am "outside" in colder conditions in the barns. Got some farms it isn't so bad, but some that do not run heat and they are getting insufferable to me.
