Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

COLD, COLD WINDY DAY. It is 8:30 and already down to 34... wind has subsided a bit but it is going to be cold tonight. Chickens all huddled in the crate. I zipped up the "window" and the opening to cut down on the draft in there tonight. The one brown one has decided to lay her egg somewhere else that where she was going in the carport and I cannot find it. Going to have to follow her all around to see if I can catch where she is going.


I got the cupboard all vacuumed out and wiped down and started to get stuff in it. Sorted some stuff that was piled in the LR and dug through trying to find the old seeds.
I had gotten a reflective sign the other day to put out on the mailbox post and got the numbers put on it. Got to find some screws to get it attached to the post. Maybe tomorrow if it is not too cold. Also will use some of the extra numbers to put on top of the old numbers on the split rail fence post right along the driveway that you cannot read anymore. They ought to stick on the old numbers that I think are screwed into the post.

I think I am going to go in and make some soup for supper. Not real hungry.

I did take a few of the small spider plant babies that have some "roots" and potted them in little cups of soil. They will go in some of the small hanging planters that I had found on the internet and just got in the mail. Get them started this way. Have several of the bigger pots with 4-5 plants that are very crowded but that was all I had last year to put them in, so will probably take and split them out and repot in the smaller pots and then have to sell. Small greenhouse grower and supplier in Pa... talked to them and very nice people... he works full time as a feed salesman so we had alot of things to chat about. They are Amish, not old order, but still very nice people. Prices were reasonable, and I will do business with them again. Told him about my very prolific spider plants and my getting into the violets like my mom used to raise and he said his son had gotten a mini violet in school and thye had taken quite a shine to them so they might be a sideline for their small nursery business. They raise bedding plants and vegs and grow vegs to sell at a farmers market...
He said that maybe I could turn it into a little side business for myself.... We'll see... I certainly don't need all these, so if I can get a few bucks above costs of the soil and pots that would be nice. And the violets are really catching me again... makes me think of my mom and her green thumb with them all those years ago. But soon it will be time to get serious out in the garden...

A couple of the heifers have started calving. DS tagged 2 yesterday and could not catch one other calf... I thought I saw a new calf out there, wed afternoon, in the rain, when I was going by on my way to work....
He said him and the other guy who is coming to help some were putting in fence posts again today while the ground is soft enough to drive them. Then they will be ready whenever he gets the "approval" after the first of July, for the fencing and improvements. He has 2 years to complete it, and said he wanted to wait for the new fiscal year starting July 1st or he will have lost nearly a year at this point. Makes sense. So he is doing some of the post driving now since the guy has already looked at it... doing stuff in the back fields, woods etc... so it doesn't look like he has "started yet"... we will need the entire 2 years to get it done with having so little help to do so...
G
He got a tractor trailer load of posts ordered... should be here in another couple of weeks. I told him I would take some of the money from the annuity, from my fathers' estate, and pay for them and then when he completes the project he will get paid whatever percentage the program allows, and he can pay me back. I will take some of it out in posts for here too. Waiting on the electric netting to get here for the chickens and calf enclosures... Weather is supposed to warm up after the first of the week and then I really need to get on the mowing so I can get it set up. At least if I can keep the chickens enclosed, I can find the eggs..... and I want to bring those calves home from the farm and have them here so I don't have to mow so much.

Time to eat a bit, kinda late, but if I don't I will wake up in the middle of the night with my stomach growling!!!!!

 

[Baymule]

The auction sounds like fun. All different kinds of animals. I went to an auction today, after the sheep and goats, they brought a KANGAROO into the ring! It was a year old, hopped around and the bidding got crazy. Two men in the auction box were on their phones taking bids. It sold for $2750.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, you have a small greenhouse there, so maybe the violets can use it after the chickens move out. . They can even share, so long as they don't have access to those plants -- that they'd scratch apart for you

These little resources for some income all add up after a while. I've even seen some bags of rabbit pellets, dried, packaged and sold. Turkey poults do well around here...go figure. But we have areas of 2-5 acre farmettes, just outside of the tract housing. They want a couple, like chicks, for only home use. That's also why colored egg layers do well. Again, backyard hens and kids love the colors. . I'm close enough to those markets to tap in. I've given some cards to the goat soap customer who buys milk, as she often has inquiry for milk, eggs, etc....as they inquire as to where her milk comes from. When I made soap for marketing, I got the same questions from buyers who wanted more than soap. I'm trying to network more this year for options and what might work, share a market stall, etc.

I know we are BOTH looking at options for quitting our paying jobs. I may have a little advantage being closer to those "in town" markets where they want farm fresh but, will pay for it! Colored corns are gonna be a test for me this year. Small plot but can expand if it works. Otherwise, it's livestock feed.

 

[Baymule]

Good morning y'all. Coffee is on, I'm on my second and last cup. I think I'm finally over the crud that I had. I've done as little as possible so I could totally get over this mess. I think I had Round #2 of Covid. I'm ready to start building a barn, fence, etc. Only problem to that is I need a farm! LOL LOL I'm going to look at a place this afternoon and one tomorrow. So we'll see.

 

[farmerjan]

First off @Baymule , hoping maybe one or both places catches your eye for a possible future.... and glad that you are feeling better...just don't go too hard for a few days... ease into anything so you don't have a relapse.

Yep, @Mini Horses , you are more fortunate to be closer to an area that has more "outlets" for some of the different things you have to offer. Thing is here, so many do grow their own vegetables and such... and the ones that don't grow enough do go and buy bulk to can and freeze so there is that possibility for extra garden produce here. There are 2 small, very close, little markets that I might be able to tap into, for possible vegetable sales. But I doubt that this year there will be much as I know we will be pretty busy with the animals and haying and such. And for now, I am going to keep testing... with the attrition, I can make it work pretty much. But some days I think of how nice it would be to not "HAVE TO" go to work. Then, I also need to get more motivated here too.

It was COLD.... just plain COLD.... this morning.... 29 and the wind is still blowing so feels colder. At nearly 10:30 it is only 34 and doesn't feel that warm. Supposed to be windy... not as bad as yesterday they say... gusts only in the 20-25 mph range on average... maybe more sun. We had flurries off and on all day yesterday....
Then it is supposed to be back into the 60's-70's by Wednesday and possible T-storms on Thursday???? This is really typical spring here....

So I am going to go in and see about putting more in the cupboard and emptying some more boxes of clean already washed stuff. That ought to help make me feel like I am making some progress...

I did up several small packets of seeds last night... into wet paper towel sprouting "beds".... I am missing one batch of seeds I had stored that are probably too old to even consider doing... but wanted to try them anyway. Have no idea where they could be. Did find a bunch of older seeds... some corn and such... I will try presprouting them closer to planting time since corn does not transplant well...
Got some like @Mini Horses was talking about... some pretty multi-colored mini ears that I wanted to grow for fun and decoration and then never did for whatever reason... Thinking maybe some cornstalks with pretty ears for fall decoration????
I have several packages of bean seeds that I will just plant in the garden and see what comes up then interplant any bare spots with other ones til I get them all used up. I am going to go and pick up some fresh seeds that I can hold over for next year and still get some good germination as I am concerned about next year availability already. Seems to be a fairly good supply still available here this year.... BUT..... One year the germination doesn't usually suffer too much.
I do buy a bunch of tomato plants so that I can get a big variety without having too many of any one kind. I like to compare how they do over the course of growing and such. I would rather spend 1.50 or 2.00 for 4 plants of 5 different kinds, than have all those seeds sitting around too. Our one greenhouse/nursey here grows about 100 different varieties of tomatoes so it is always fun to get some of the odd ones. They run out of some real fast so I will be getting some early and have to "hold them" until ready to plant. But I did put about 5 different kinds in to "presprout" and see what will come up of some older seeds... with my luck they will all come up!!!!!

Been thinking about the greenhouse and the chickens and all that... trying to come up with a better alternative for them right now... because I still haven't gotten the boxes of chicken houses/runs that I got on the big discount several years ago in anticipation of a move, moved here to the house from the barn where I cannot get to the trailer...... going to ask DS if he could please get the trailer out of the place it is wedged back into, with another tractor and truck in front of it, and just bring it here.... I want to put them out in the "orchard area".... of course there are only the 3 peach trees that got moved here last year since he has not gotten the GF father to "find time" to move any of the other ones..... I am trying to not get too bent out of shape over it... I will have to watch the trees better this year and pick when the fruit is not quite ripe so the D#@$*D deer don't get all the fruit crop....at least they are close and I can at least walk to get in there to pick....
Well time to get something done. I sat and had HOT COCOA and oatmeal this morning..... it is still only 34 .... BRRR

 

[Mini Horses]

But some days I think of how nice it would be to not "HAVE TO" go to work. Then, I also need to get more motivated here too.

My oh my!!! Same here. I need home time but have to balance some work until all this supply/demand and price foolishness stops! Or I win a lottery for comfort

It is a little warmer here than there...winds down to about 15 today. Yesterday, wow!

Also, I pulled some old seed and put onto the wet paper in bags. They sprout or get tossed. Need to clean them out. . Yep, I'll save seed or buy enough for next year. I'd love a reasonably priced started plant grower here. Only one I know is 40 miles or so.

DS actually switched out the backhoe and attached disc for me....tractor setting by the gate. Wonder of wonders!! . I'm gonna do the discing today, no matter what!!!

 

[Baymule]

It’s 78F right now, high of 84F. I’m wishing I was starting a garden! Supposed to rain Wednesday but will still be a high of 80F.

I got outside this morning and worked! I added on a couple of cow panels that I dragged up weeks ago, to Carson and Trip’s pen. And don’t worry, I stopped. No way I want a relapse.

Jan, getting those coops together would be awesome! Yes, thump DS in the head and get that stuff moved!

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, I will mention the coops/trailer to him.... but I will give him this... he called and said if I wanted to try to get the 3 cows in at the pasture, he was going to be around the barn area and could come get them if I called. So we agreed that I would go up around 4:30 and see if I could get them in and all... left at 4:20, got there.. called and they came right in. worked my way around and got the gates shut... called him and said they are in..... I sat in the car with it pulled up against the one side of the panels, and waited a bit... fed them some extra grain and then he got there. He got all backed up and was fixing the panels so he could open the trailer door and damned if one didn't put her head down like she was going to try to go under... as she did, it pushed the panel up against the car so there wasn't any "give" .... and he ran right over and made sure she didn't go under,,, then got it set up real quick while I was on the other side of the pen... opened the gate, went in the pen, pulled a panel a little closer and they walked right in the trailer like they did it everyday.... SOOOOO... one more thing done. He put them with the rest that came from there that are in with the 2 bulls for now. They will all get preg checked in May... so if these are further along, they got bred by the neighbors bull.....And these 3 "darlings" do not go back to this pasture so that they don't go looking for other holes in the fence and go gallivanting.....

It is SOOO COLD with the wind. Thermometer says it hit 45 but with the wind it never felt like it was above freezing. Weather report says hard freeze tonight. It is already down to 30 at nearly 9 pm.... the wind is really cold. And the ground is drying out on top so there is a high risk of fire alert out also.

I did not get the rest of the meters in the car for tomorrow.... and I have to get the rest of the hoses I need there. I will take out the short ones I don't need. And I still have to change back the brackets on the 12 that I used on Friday..... at least the ones in the storage box are already changed as I don't use 24 anywhere but at this farm, now that the other farm sold out. I sure hope it is not as cold and windy tomorrow. I will leave a little early and change them up at the farm... at least I can back the car into the "receiving bay" there at the farm and be protected from the wind. It is supposed to be a little warmer.... I also need to get the bottles in the trays for tomorrow.
I cannot find where the hen is going to lay her egg and now the leghorn has not laid in the spot where they were laying... They need to be in a proper coop and a run where I can keep them contained until they lay, then let them out loose......I won't be able to follow them tomorrow with having to go test....
Got 3 more boxes emptied and jars and bowls and such into the cupboard... Got a bunch of stuff that needs to be washed again.

Went up to the nurse cow pasture and fed grain in the little barn/shed for the few bigger calves. They weren't in sight and turns out DS had just fed hay in there earlier. So, they weren't in any hurry to come to the barn. Probably won't get in there tomorrow with going to work and all...Maybe Tuesday they will be around there more. Need to get them banded and a couple have never gotten tagged. Also have a holstein that we put on a cow when her calf was born dead, that needs to be banded and then in a few weeks sold. There is a holstein feeder sale at the stockyards in H'burg that he ought to go to.... the cow should be 4-5 months preg I hope; for a fall calf.
The heifers in there have started calving... got 4-5 new babies.... DS got a couple tagged... saw a new one tonight.
Going in to get the samples from Fri eve packed and the bottles in the trays for tomorrow. Then take a shower and go to bed early.

 

[farmerjan]

Have been checking out a couple of other forums and all. Just wanted to mention that diesel fuel went up $.10/gal this afternoon and all reg gas is over 4.19 now. Look for these prices to continue to creep up.

DS and a neighbor friend that has a fertilizer/lime spreader truck and does it custom, as an independent..... were discussing what it was going to cost to put up hay this year. With the cost of fertilizer tripling... especially nitrogen right now... and/or the cost of poultry litter going from $28/ton last year to $42/ton this year... and the cost of fuel to make 3 trips across the field to make the hay (cut/rake/bale) and hoping there is no problem getting it dry or there will be a 4th trip to tedd out the hay.... but figuring 3 trips and minimal fertilizer...and getting 2-3 rolls per acre all according to the size... but hoping for 1 ton hay per acre for 1st cutting... it will cost in the neighborhood of $150 per ton to make the hay... not counting ANY pay to the farmer for his time or the value of the land.... JUST outlay for the actual costs to make the 1st cutting. For us, we make big rolls of hay.... 1,000-1200 lb size... 5x5 to 5x6... which cuts down on trips to go get it since we can only legally carry 2 rolls on the truck... ( we have often carried 3 of the smaller 4x5 rolls (800 lb avg) for short distances)..... So that is figuring 60-75 a roll just in costs to make it..... IF we get 2 rolls per acre.... and there is no crop insurance to take out for just "grass hay" like for corn crops or soybeans etc.... so if it doesn't rain... all that fertilizer doesn't do us a bit of good if there is not enough hay to justify running the equipment over the field....
What I am trying to make sure that everyone understands that this is going to be a very very tough year. If it rains perfect and we get some good stands of hay and nice thick cuttings... we will still look at minimal of $50/roll in just costs.
Understand that you are looking at some very high hay costs this year. Even in places where there is no drought or abnormally dry conditions as there are in the midwest and southwest and west....the actual cost of just making it is going to be double.....
Our sq bale prices are going to go up quite a bit to the customers and DS has already told them of what it is going to cost us just to fertilize it. We used to spend about $35-50/acre for fertilizer... we are looking at $100 for JUST NITROGEN.... or $125/acre for poultry litter if we put it down at 2 tons per acre plus spreading costs. We will probably be cutting it back to 1 1/2 tons per acre this year.... because now all of a sudden, we are being told that some we were supposed to get the first of April we will not be getting til the middle of May????? And we are regular customers of these 2 guys.... there are so many people trying to buy litter this year that the price has gone through the roof and the demand is unbelievable....

DS bought the metal for the big shed he wants to put up on the farm, last year... and prices have gone way up since then. This is for a hay shed... so we have less waste... no 10-20% loss of the outside of the rolls when it is stored outside... and this will stretch our hay further... so that is getting to be a priority now... to get the poles set and the trusses up and the roof on it so we can use it to not have so much hay loss...He says that he is going to get a couple of the guys to go around fences at the pastures in the next few weeks... and then the cows will be getting turned out as soon as there is enough grass growth. We are also going to look into fertilizing more of the pastures, so we can extend the grazing season longer... just using litter... so we feed less hay next year.

Not only is everyone seeing costs go up... but look at the hidden costs behind the cost increases... and please, for everyone that has animals... get your hay and store as much as you can because we have gone through nearly all our hay this year. We have been cleaning out fence rows of old bales for them to pick through and add organic matter back into the pastures to make them more productive also... but we also carried more animals through the winter than ever before and so we fed out alot more than we usually do... we try to carry over 150-200 rolls and we will be lucky to carry 50 this year. We figure 1 roll to 25 cows or 20 cow/calf pairs with fall calves on them.... it is nothing for us to feed out 10 rolls every other day.....That 50 won't last 2 weeks at the best..... The cold temps coming on again will stop the grass growing in it's tracks... they are calling for a hard freeze tonight.... this will set back pastures 2-3 weeks again.... AND it will slow grass/hay growth too....

 

[Mini Horses]

Geesh, I've been dreading hay for a while now. This increases my concerns. . Not your fault and I've been seeing all the cost increases creeping in/up....very worrying. Chicken litter used to be almost free! I've not used rolled due to handling but, may this year. I do have a big carport doing nothing, in a field and could store some there and cover north side of building with tarp. Just glad some numbers are down, to feed. May reduce a few more. . Pasture rotation will be more strict this year. Thankfully I have enough to do that. Fertilizer for those will be killer but, a good investment. I'll cry as I buy.

Guess I'd better talk with the guy raising hay across street from me, about prices. I usually don't buy from him as he generally only wants to sell to those who want 250 bale's or more at a time. He's not too nice to deal with on a personality basis.

I swear, it seems everything is going up, up, up!!!!!! .