Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Accidentally deleted a whole bunch so I posted the above so I don't have to retype it.

Talked to DS about 3. He was baling.. they got back later from the fence fixing and the heat had gotten to him some so he wasn't feeling too great. There had been about 6-8 calves in the barn but several did not have tags so would have had to been tagged then matched... just as well as he was not going to have time to finish baling and do calves and move them... "they" were going to a truck pull tonight and he was supposed to be home to her house by around 5...
He called me at nearly 5:30... he was on his way and had just finished baling... got it all up which is good. Glad I didn't even shut the gate and upset the calves this afternoon... ought to get a bigger group in tomorrow and not have to push to get them done.

Want to get the nurse cow's calves done too so as soon as these others are moved out, I am going to start letting her calves out loose. There won't be other cows for them to try to steal off of, so ought to come in with her to get fed as I will still work on her coming in to get grain and make sure they eat... til I can tell they are going on her out in the field when her own calf nurses... plus they will be able to come in through the creep gate and get grain in the barn too.... Hopefully they will learn to go on her when her calf nurses and get enough to eat... if not, they will get locked in again... I might leave them in 12 hours and then put her in with them, then let them out and leave her in for 12 hours... so they can get the exercise of being out, and maybe she will get her act together. She lets them nurse when she gets grain... but does not want them around her when I leave her in like when I am going to be gone and late getting home.
On top of it, she is in heat.... the bull has been following her around like he is her best friend and being a pain when I am bringing her in. It's only been 6 weeks... but if she breeds back then that is fine... At least I will have a reference date if she settles.

I had forgotten to hang the clothes early, but finally, got them out on the line... towels that dried fast in the breeze... and they smell so good. I was going to leave them until tomorrow but there was some thunder to the north and I said....nahhh.. and brought them in. I checked the radar and it looks like there were some storms/rain 10-15 miles north. Not supposed to get anything but I am sure glad that I got them in, and that the hay is done.

Time to call it a day...

 

[Mini Horses]

Sounds like most things got done . That's pretty good!

We're getting the weather late Monday. Maybe an inch of rain..or? Will be good on fresh cut fields for ya. Y'all will get it far earlier. Foggy this morn but clearing nicely.

Garden in a few.

 

[murphysranch]

I've learned so much from you. You mentioned tedding. Since I'm almost moved up to WA state, more country than town, there are hay fields. There was a tractor + machine I saw yesterday, that had two horizontal circle thingies that was spreading out the cut hay - sorta circling it out. Is that tedding?

 

[farmerjan]

Yes, that is tedding. The circular wheels pick up the hay that is in rows from the mower, flip it and "slings it out" to spread it out over a wide area... 2 wheels you would run down over a single row and it would spread it out both sides... 4 wheels you would run down over 2 rows... tractor in the middle of the rows and the wheels centered over each row of hay, and spreads it out that way... We use a 4 wheel tedder... less trips across the field. Then when we rake for round baling, we rake 2 full mown rows together to make a bigger windrow for the round baler to pick up... Plus, the way a "wheel rake" that we use works, is it rolls the hay in and it sorta lays each side "up against" the other side... the hay "sits up" a little better and then the breeze can blow through it and the part that was laying on the ground is up and exposed to the sun to dry more.
If you use the little "old fashioned" side delivery rake... or sometimes called a roller bar rake... and you want to rake 2 rows together... you go one direction... rake a single row all around the field, then go in the opposite direction and rake the 2nd row "against" the first row... so again, what was on the ground is turned up to exposure to the sun and drying breeze.
When we rake 1st cutting for sq bales, we single row rake to insure it is good and dry... and you rake each row separately... they are closer together, but you do not put so much hay in the windrow so as to not clog up the baler either... Sq bales it is much more critical to make sure the hay is DRY... no green chunks or anything... as they will heat and that is what causes fires.

 

[farmerjan]

The tedder would remind you of a whirlygig throwing the hay out to the sides... circular style.

 

[farmerjan]

I decided to go out and try to work in the garden again since it had showered... and low and behold, it is still sprinkling/lightly raining out. I thought it had stopped. So, not going out to get soaked through since I still have to go back up to do the nurse cow and calves.

Haven't heard from DS today so I think he was still not feeling great. We were going to get in and move some of the cow/calf pairs once we gave shots and banded the bull calves. I fed grain in the bunk today and they weren't in the barn at 9 this morning but would have been working their way up there around 10-11... It did not get real hot but I am sure that a bunch would have gone in anyway.

I did work out in the garden this morning after doing the nurse cow since it was a little breezy and there were clouds and sun so not terribly hot. Got another row of purple beans completely weeded down and worked alongside the cucumbers that were up but not spreading out yet. Opened up the row so they can start to spread a little. The crenshaws are starting to spread out a bit.

I was hoping that DS was going to work on figuring out why the mower did not want to start. I got him the new spark plug to put in, but he has worked on small engines and stuff before, so I prefer he fools with it. I am not a mechanic and don't want to be. I wanted to get the grass mowed so that I could see about collecting some to use as mulch in the garden. It is really grown since the mowing just before we went up north, and the subsequent coming home and it not starting.

Since the grass is coming up pretty good inbetween the melons and winter squash and stuff, I think since the ground is pretty "soft" from the tilling, I am going to weed eat it short, and lay the cardboard down before covering with old hay and such. That will help the cardboard lay flatter and then be easier to cover up and hopefully smother the stuff so the plant vines can run. There are "holes" from when the cows were loose, across the garden too so it is not fully even ground and I don't need to get the mower stuck in it either.

I moved all the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter cactus's, out on the table on the deck so they can get a good watering from the rain. Then I will move them under the table so they don't get too much sun. Make some more room in the house to spread out the violets. The new ones are getting bigger and will need repotting pretty soon... and I am going to move the duplicates into the other room to give these more room out here. I have about 20 small pots of spider plants to put into small hanging planters for the possible yard sale... thinking late July before kids are getting ready to go back to college... got a few pieces of furniture that might sell for that... plus clothes.
I have the 6 big hanging pots of spider plants out hanging under the maple tree on branches... the old plant has a bunch of baby plants hanging off and now I see about a half dozen baby plants on 3 of the other pots full.... This is a very prolific original spider plant that came from my parents house in CT where I grew up... It has to be at least 30+ years old.....

Well, I am going to go up to do the cow and be done for the evening. Actually hope that this light rain keeps up for awhile longer. Possible more tonight/early morning tomorrow. That would be great.

 

[farmerjan]

Cow done and the bull is still sticking to her like glue.... Have not seen him breed her and don't see any discharge....

Talked to DS and he said he felt crummy today and basically didn't do anything. Okay......

Came back from cow, and then went out and "used up" the 2 partially charged batteries on the weed eater to get a path almost to the garden since the grass is getting high and it was wet. Got 2 batteries in the building that are charged and will put these 2 on the chargers. Then I went on and used up the baling string I had and tied up the tomato plants... need 2 more strings to finish. It was getting too dark to see anyway.
It is 9:30 and my stomach is growling so going to find something for supper.... and then quit for the night.

 

[Bruce]

need 2 more strings to finish.

I've got a ton of used baling string, come on over

 

[Ridgetop]

Baling string is how 4-H families repair fences and build more! When you have several colors, it gets really pretty around the 4-H pens! LOL

 

[Bruce]

Dang, I only have green!! That would be a boring fence.