Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Friday. 59 up to 75... Clouds, a few peeks of sun and lots of light sprinkly showers inbetween... Poured down rain about 10-12 miles north but we have just had real light gentle stuff. Comfortable temps too and NO WIND for a NICE change...

Got the 2 new calves and 801's own calf on her this morning and they did pretty good. They won't get too much to eat for a few days and as she comes into her milk with the grain feeding it will work out real good. She knows the routine and was waiting at the gate. And when she was done, she came out and then went right back out again. As soon as the new calves get it figured out how to go on the teats a little better, it will be great. I had to turn them around a couple times when the would go towards her front legs and stuff.
Then the cow I want to sell came up and I got her to come in that gate too and she went right in and started eating in the bunk. Her heifer calf had gone in the other side through the creep gate, so I left both in today. That was pure luck that there weren't a bunch of cows around when she came up there.
I am waiting on DS to call me back so he can come up and get her and the calf to take to the barn. He was getting the calves in at the barn and said they were meandering their way up so would call me when he had them in. I will go and see which ones he wants to keep...
Went to the DMV and talked to them about the Explorer and was told what I needed to do. So I made copies of all the inspection papers from NH, that were in the Explorer, and the new one I had done plus copies of all the paper work I thought they might need. Then took it to the P.O. and sent it certified... along with a hand written letter explaining the basics of the situation... and had to have it notarized. HOPEFULLY it will satisfy them and they will redo the title with the correct mileage.
Then I went to the ford place because I had taken the explorer up on the interstate and was fortunate to be in a group of "fast cars" and had the other key and WAA LAH.... no govenor on the 2nd key... and the guy at the used car dept took both keys and said he'd be back in a few minutes and then came back and said it should be good to go..... and so I tried that key on the way home and IT WORKED !!!!! So that is done.
Now if they will accept the letter and copies of the inspections and fix the title....
DS said for that kind of money to SELL IT if I am not in love with it....
That's the plan now. But I want the title odometer reading to be right. And who knows when that will be.

I am heading up to the nurse cow pasture to put her in with the calves and to wait for DS to call and come get the cow and calf... she was open the last preg check and has very little milk and not going to raise another calf on her... one less in the pasture and the calf is a little nutty so glad it is going too.

I have tried to post this twice and it is not working. I tried another web site and that is working fine so must be something with BYH. So I will continue with this.
DS called me and I met him at the nurse cow pasture and we got the cow and calf loaded. Followed him to the barn and we looked over the calves he had in, to maybe sell. We are pretty much in agreement with all of them. Several small kinda not so great calves off a couple of cows that didn't milk much... a couple of steers he did not take to Wva because they are nuts or won't come in the barn and he did not want hard to catch ones out there.... a couple of oddball didn't match anything else calves... There will be 14 total going counting the cow and calf. They will be sold separately probably...she was a too young heifer that turned out to be bred and had a tiny calf. She did raise it and the calf finally looks pretty decent, but she was open 2 months ago at the preg check and I am not breeding her back... she is small and won't bring alot but she is eating grass and we don't need her. There are about 6 of them that are mine... a couple of just not very good calves... his steers that are nutty are pretty nice and ought to do decent ... There are 4 heifers he is not going to keep for breeding and wants to take them to that other guy... I would have just put them in this group and sold them, instead of making a special trip for 4.... then he said we have all the late fall calves that need to come off the cows and they will need preg checking so he might just hold these 4 over for a little bit longer... There are about 8 real nice heifers that are being kept for replacements... but they won't be ready for breeding until next summer...they are just barely yearlings. Since I don't like heifers calving for the first time in the fall as it is too hard for them to make milk for a new baby, get condition back on going into winter, get bred back and continue to grow on just hay in the winter, I prefer to calve first calf heifers in the spring when they can be out on grass and get much better growth... they aren't trying to stay warm on top of everything else...

So, here's to hoping that tomorrow is a good day.
We have had some good rain, more to the north, but ours has been soft and soaking in. More rain tomorrow they say.

After we got done with them at the barn, got them sorted so I don't have to go out in the field to get them in with the idiots not wanting to come in... we left and I went back up to do the cow and the calves. She came right in, and was pretty good. Had to get one calf around on the back so he didn't keep butting her so much, and she ate her grain and did fine. They are figuring it out real fast. Another couple of days and she will be as good as gold with "her babies"... They will settle down and not butt her so much and know exactly where to go and not be annoying by trying to suck behind her front legs and all that. Bless her heart, she really is a peach.

Now I am home, trying to figure out something for supper... and then I am going to just quit early.

My electric netting came today... box was on the porch when I got back a little bit ago... Can't get my twins tomorrow, they aren't going to be home... so will have to make another trip... oh well, could be worse. I will get it all set up and then be ready... that's the way we are supposed to do things right... have a place for things BEFORE we bring them home???!!!!.

Been a pretty decent day overall...

 

[Mini Horses]

What are these young heifers cross? Assume weaned? The ones you're bringing home soon. Glad the nurse cow and those babes are doing well. It's golden to have a nurse cow -- even if DS doesn't always see it.

My bottle babe goat made sure he was getting his share from the doe he adopted as "mom", much to her dismay. . But she's feeding all three nicely, judging from their growth. I give her separate feedings in appreciation! I'm planning to milk her but, she's not aware. There will be some resistance but, with feed bucket she'll adapt! Need to start milking several -- just getting routine going is kinda tough. She gets a collar tomorrow and will learn to be tied to get feed.

Great deal on the explorer keys!! You lucked out there. . I think we deserve a lucky day once in a while. maybe even closer together would help.

 

[murphysranch]

I really like your thread. Soooo interesting and I'm learning so much. Thanks.

 

[Bruce]

just think what a cream puff car like that would be worth today... and I will bet it got better gas mileage than alot of these electronic nightmares they call cars too..

I'll take that bet People weren't all that concerned with MPG in '82 and Lincolns weren't small cars like the Talon

 

[Mike CHS]

I'll take that bet People weren't all that concerned with MPG in '82 and Lincolns weren't small cars like the Talon

I got 20 mpg in that Lincoln which is great considering how big that car was and is better than my Tacoma.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, to try to answer a few.... @Mini Horses , the twins are out of my hol/jer and the sire is a red holstein I think... so will be all dairy... Yes they are weaned... and yes I want to get them here asap just so that they are not on his feed bill... they are in with about 10 other of his heifers... but also because I have the grass too...

Thank you @murphysranch ... I do tend to ramble... I appreciate that you feel it is worthwhile to read... mostly just alot of years of learning the hard way.....

Considering that the latest "report" on the Explorer... you know you hit this button and that button and it tells you your current mpg.... was 16.9........YEP, @Mike CHS even your Lincoln was better. MY 1979 ford supercab truck got about 20 mpg.... it was only 2wd.... and it didn't have all the electronic stuff, or all the anti-pollution stuff...

It rained last night and off and on all day today... showers, stop, downpours, stop... that sort of thing. Will look at the rain gauge in the morning because there is a chance of showers again Sunday aft/eve...

I am too tired to go into all the "take the cattle" to the sale so will try to work on that tomorrow... some did good, some okay... sold all but 1 steer and DS said I should have sold him since he is being a real nut case... charging you in the barn... he is going to put him back out with some quiet heifers... maybe since he will be away from the other nut case he will get better. But it was about $.30 / lb less than what I thought he was worth as far as quality of calf....and I see him going to a sale when we pull these other fall calves off and make up some groups to go, probably in August... he will be bigger so won't match anything... but can go on a truck then and will have some weight gain and if he brings what I bought him back for, then the weight gain will be a plus.
Eyes are saying.... SLEEP REQUIRED.

 

[farmerjan]

Taking a 10 min break... been mowing the lawn. Had to make a "pit stop" and get a drink and move the truck and car so I can finish a little bit around them. Then heading to get milk and drop off reports for that farmer... I have one that wants to test tomorrow, so I will get the meters and hoses loaded tonight or in the morning. 200 cows....
I will go to do the nurse cow on my way home from getting milk after I finish the mowing and put the mower in the carport. They were calling on some showers/storms this afternoon... but it looks like they stayed north and then sprung up again east of the Blue Ridge Mtns... so we did not get anything but some dark threatening clouds that quickly passed over...
Got on here and made a few posts, and now am going to head back out the door. Be back later...
Hoping that "Miss Utility" comes tomorrow and gets it checked out so I can get garden plowed.... It is all mowed off. I am hoping they come in the morning so I can talk to them about the future fruit tree area on the other side of the house. They haven't been here as they said there would be an e-mail as soon as they checked it out... and no marks anywhere here either even in the back by where the elec co. put the high speed internet cable underground from the pole to the house.

We did get just a smidgen less than 1.1 inches in the rain gauge from the last 2 days... got several quick showers yesterday that got you soaked and then passed. Perfect rain actually.
Going to go across the road and see if the corn is coming up yet...

 

[farmerjan]

Well, those pop up showers happened... I had just finished the mowing and put the mower in the carport. Got the bucket for the milk (I take one and leave it and pick up full one... works great)... and the reports on the car seat. It was later than I thought so went to do the cow first... WOW... that was luck. The heifer (her own calf) had gotten the gate pushed far enough to get out into the other side of the barn and one of the bull calves followed... LUCKILY, she did not figure out to go out the creep gate to get to her mother.. or I would never have gotten her back in with the cow... Brought 801 in the end she comes in, and then got the heifer back around the gate and then went and found the bull calf that was missing, and got him in with the cow. Then I went and was checking the rest of the heifers with calves... and came up missing one calf... the only charolais out there so OBVIOUSLY missing. Rode all around looking and thought Oh NO... then went back up by the barn and there are 3 calves including the char up by the flat bed trailer that has the water tank on it... PHEW.... by then 801 was done with her grain and I got her out the gate then the little twerp almost snuck out behind me before I got the gate shut...I switched the gate so she can't push it as now she will push it against the wall instead of away from it, slipped the gate to the "inside " of the pen the calves are in. Plus made sure the other 2 gates were tied on the top and bottom so they can't sneak though a spot... See this place is rented and if you hang the gates they become part of the property... and we have no intention of leaving any of them if we have to give it up... the son is a PITA and if anything happens to the parents he "wants his half" of this property... and he says "cows are just evil beasts".... What a JERK..... the sister would be glad for us to stay there forever... so don't know how that will ever work out... there is plenty of money there... father is a realtor and mother has inherited several places... this place was her father's place... And they are all dumber than rocks about cattle and like to make the ones there into "pets" and then get so upset if they get moved anywhere else... we naturally don't tell them when they get sold (culled).... they understand the "boy calves" have to be castrated and sold... but hate to think about the ones there becoming "dinner" for someone....
While in the barn we got a fast and soaking downpour....clouds came up out of practically nowhere...

So then I went to get the milk and take the reports...they had not gotten the rain there... the road was dry a mile from the nurse cow pasture... but then there were clouds building over there so hope they got some more. They got about 7-8 tenths inch of rain to our 1+ inch. Talking about how short their alfalfa is due to the warm weather early then getting hurt with the freezes.... and how little hay there will be around first cutting...

Oh, and I went to Deb's and helped a little clean out the freezer.... it had gone off when they lost power, a transformer went bad and I didn't know it because it was before I moved into this house... and it was just her house... and when she found it some had thawed but not all so she just plugged it back in after they came out to fix the transformer... So DS is needing a place to store the 1/2 beef that is going to NH when he goes to get the backhoe... and the truck if I go too, and she said she could move a few things in the other freezer and it would be pretty much empty. So anyway, I got there and she had done most of it and was just cleaning out the bottom water and all... and then wiped it down and plugged it back in and we came up and she was showing me her pictures from the vacation she took with her friends to Maui.... Then we both decided that maybe it would be dry enough to mow so she was going to do some of hers and I came home to do mine....

Done for the night, took a shower and am going in to go to bed shortly.

 

[farmerjan]

Oh, about the cattle sale on Sat.... DS had to go to the equipment auction and we had sorted the ones to go Friday eve.. He was worried that one or 2 of the steers that had bad attitudes might hurt me trying to load... but I said I would see if I could get them in... if not he said he could come home from the auction if need be. I got there at 9:30 after doing the cow, and they all went right up the alley and into the trailer... WOW, how often does that happen? But then I couldn't get the truck started... he has been having to jump it to the solenoid .... only when the weather is warm...it starts in the cold weather... he has replaced everything he knows of... talked to another guy and they can't seem to figure it out... Well, it wouldn't start... and I can't reach up over into the engine even standing on something... so a guy that has been cutting some wood was there so he helped get it started... then I left.
Got there and the truck is starting to have some little issues and it cuts off when it gets a little low on oil... seems that it has a leak now... so I had to add oil and then a couple of guys helped to get it restarted... all those little quirks....but got unloaded and all was good. They did okay with grouping the calves... and then I ate some lunch and waited... They sell the goats and sheep and any pigs first... and there were hundreds of goats and sheep... one guy said he hadn't seen that many on a saturday since before the Easter holidays... DS texts me to see how things are going, and what the small calves brought and I said they haven't even started selling cattle yet...
Goats were in the 100-300 range per head...babies were 75 to 150 for most... some big billy's brought 400+ one brought nearly 600 but one guy really wanted him.... Lambs and sheep were sold by the pound except for a few little lambs... they brought 30 - 60 a head for little tiny bottle lambs... the ones in the 40-100 lb sizes were sold by the lb and they were averaging over $3.00 a pound... some as much as 3.40....
And then there were a few pigs... a litter of about 8 or 9 yorkshire piglets... probably 20-30 lbs tops... were 140.00 a HEAD. Like about $6-7 per pound.... HOLY COW !!!!!There were 2 that were butcher size, 250-260 lbs... and the gilt brought over $.80 / lb... and the barrow about $.60/ lb... Then they got to the calves and ours did okay. The one that went in the "graded pen"... meaning they are preferable in type and weight... brought 1.75/lb at about 540 lbs (?) and 4 others brought 1.60 lb... 2 and 2... the one set of 2 were rather tall and a little leggy and DS thought it would be good if they brought 1.40... the others he wanted 1.60... a couple of others were 157 and 147... not quite what he wanted but they needed to be gone. My cow and calf I split and they both did okay.... they were herefords and this is not good country for herefords.. but they also weren't very heavy... the cow brought 57.70 which was more than I expected since she was small and the heifer brought 1.10 when black heifers are bringing 1.50... one other black heifer did pretty good, over 1.45 and another odd steer brought 1.65... and I bought home the one at 1.32 ... and he is one that is mean.. but that was just not enough for the quality... he can go out with the heifers for the time being...
It was a decent return... steer calves are off a little and heifer calves were up a bit...
Best thing is they are gone... 13 less to feed.

Didn't get back to the barn after loading the one steer to come home, until nearly 9 p.m. I was tired....

DS bought the 2 calf hutches... turns out they are the deluxe model with the 2 attached feed buckets and a special window to open to feed them throught, and the special made in bottle holder into the side... worth about 700 new... Paid about 300 but the are in VERY good shape.... DS also bought a small trailer because I had been saying I needed a trailer to put the water tank on... BUT I had specifically said it needed to be as high as a truck bed so that I could run the water into the water troughs... of course he forgot that part... it is 5x8 with some sides... but it is too low to the ground for the water tank.... . I swear he doesn't half listen...
He did watch the pallets and although they were big and probably 12 ft long... solid... they brought OVER $100 each..... that was way more than I expected... I figured 40 or 50 each was plenty... so glad he did not buy them. Never know, might be more available in the summer or fall.... He did sell all his stuff... said prices weren't great but they were okay and there is that much less stuff sitting around...and money in his pocket...baler brought more than he thought... more than scrap price, and rake a little less than he thought but didn't lose any money on it and others there brought less.... couple other things he said did okay.
I think people are getting a little more conservative with their money with the economy getting tighter...
There's always next month too.... might be a few more things to go if he has time to work on them.
Scrap metal is up to $13 / hundred weight... he is going to get a load together... there is a pile at the barn he has been just tossing in one spot...
He was going to work on fence today since they got rained out yesterday... got to get these cows out on grass...
And there is hay ready to be made as soon as we see a window of no rain.... time to start...

 

[farmerjan]

BEAUTIFUL DAY today. Clear air, cool 52 this morning but just gorgeous out. Light breeze and sunny, warming up. I looked for the marks from Miss Utility.... only see the ones that I already knew there was the underground wire from the pole to the house for the internet connection... going to call them just to make sure I haven't missed anything. Then the garden gets plowed.... YAY!!!!!! Will get it rototilled in a couple days then just plant the whole thing and mulch....

Did the nurse cow, and ate bacon and eggs for a late breakfast... Going in to pack the samples from yesterday's test and get them dropped off. Going to plant some petunia's and plants, that DS bought me for Easter... think I will put them in another of the planters that I bought since the knees still don't do good with a shovel... Also have some gladiolus bulbs to plant.

It is so nice out... got to go out and enjoy it. Supposed to get some showers Wed eve/Thurs... then RECORD heat expected... 90's.... totally nuts. Will take the meters off the truck and put them in the storage box in the carport. A farm wants to test on Sat so won't need them until then....guess I will go.

DS talked to my brother... he came back to the piece of property he owns in VT to mow and all. Went by parents house in NH....NO ONE has been there since the weekend we were there. Other brother's trailer is still there with the stuff in it... nothing's been touched, he went in the house and said not one thing has been moved that he could tell. Guess they all think that it is going to get done in 2/ 8 hour days...there are things I still would have liked to gotten, but I am not traveling 12 hours just to get more wool and other stuff. The friends did go get the kitchen trestle table and chairs for me... that they said they would after we realized we didn't get it packed on the trailer... I may call them and see if they could get some of the wool and yarn out of the drawers so it doesn't go in the dumpster.....and I can get it when we meet and get the backhoe and the table and stuff. They wanted to buy a 1/2 beef, and DS is going to pick it up today and store it in Deb's freezer for now... They don't know but we are going to GIVE IT to them... I told DS I would donate the half of my heifer if he paid for the processing... instead of him selling it... the other half is sold so he hopes to get enough out of it to pretty much "pay for " the processing... So in essence I am donating the heifer for DS to sell part and give them the rest. They did so much for my parents over the years, they lived just down the road, but especially the guy was there every night to help get my mom into bed and things like that. There is another lady, single retired, that did alot and I want to see to it that she gets some of it. I want to take a freezer full of chickens up to them also when we go....So we will take a bunch of freezer chests with food for them as a thank you for all that they did... and because they are just nice decent people. I know the food will be "usable" and is better than money... they won't be able to refuse it either or it will thaw and go bad....

Okay, time to get the samples done and go outside...