Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Just want to take a few minutes as I will be pretty tied up with the tractor seat again the next few days. Spent yesterday raking 4 fields, about 20 acres total I guess. It had gotten wet from the .5 inch rain, but then it was HOT so dried pretty good on top. Turned it all up, and actually looked pretty good. Alot of still "green color" from the bottom, and not soaking wet. It dried good in the 2 fields that were in all sun, no trees around the perimeters. Michael actually was feeling a bit better and got those 2 fields baled late yesterday evening. The other 2 fields will be ready today. He mowed the 20+ acres that we custom make, and 2 other fields that are about 3-5 acres each. These are all within a couple miles so we try to get all the ones done in each "grouping" to make it less travel time on the roads. I still have to go rake the 20 or so acres that he mowed before the rain at the other place yet. It is a little out of the "area" but the hay there is not usually real thick so whould be okay to just rake then he will go back and bale.
Weather is getting hotter. Sure for all of you down Texas way this is nothing, but 90's for days in a row is hot for here. We have actually had some pretty decent weather, 80's and a nice breeze most days. But they are saying it will start getting hot and humid now. Have a 7+ day window of only 10-20% chance of pop up showers from the humidity so we are going to try to get as much hay done as possible.
Have to go pick up the chickens sometime today also. And get the pen moved to my son's property so I can get the other ones out of the little pen they are in and off this place and out of the landlords place.
Haven't heard back from my RE agent yet to go look at the house & 3 acre place.

 

[farmerjan]

Also got the engine "ordered" for my subaru. Should be here in a week/10 days.

 

[farmerjan]

Some days you just wonder why..... We have a forecast of sun, hot 90's with 0-10% chance of rain. So what did we get.... a crack of thunder that scared the bejesus out of me, skies turning black with threatening clouds, and a "pop up" rain that drenched everything. My son was baling the one field. He got 2 fields baled last evening and these 2 were not quite dry. So he got one almost done, but 4 rows and it poured down. Now I will have to go up the hill, tedd out the field I raked, and then re-rake it. Maybe tomorrow..... It happened about 1 and by 4 the sun was out and not a cloud in the sky. Sure it was good for the sorghum and corn..... but really..... we weren't supposed to get rain.
I just love doing things over again. Wasted time, wear and tear, and fuel costs.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

They are brutal, please tell him ...best wishes for a smooth passage of the stones....poor guy

 

[Mini Horses]

Beer for the stones. Fluid to pass and alcohol to kill the pain.

Sorry about the hay rework. Some days you can't win.

 

[Baymule]

How much are you charged for processing the chickens? Is that whole or cut up chicken? We have 7 more to process and will slaughter them in the morning and get them on ice. Then go to town, run errands, grocery store, blah, blah, blah. So I probably won't process them until Saturday. I have three, one gallon bags in the freezer of necks, backs, skin and other parts I didn't want. I'll can that for dog food, mixed with a little rice. My husband mixes it with the kibble and they love it.

I hope you can get the rest of the hay cut and baled without any more getting rained on.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

How much are you charged for processing the chickens? Is that whole or cut up chicken? We have 7 more to process and will slaughter them in the morning and get them on ice. Then go to town, run errands, grocery store, blah, blah, blah. So I probably won't process them until Saturday. I have three, one gallon bags in the freezer of necks, backs, skin and other parts I didn't want. I'll can that for dog food, mixed with a little rice. My husband mixes it with the kibble and they love it.

I hope you can get the rest of the hay cut and baled without any more getting rained on.

They charge $5 per bird here....I will do it myself, five dollars is too much , I think

 

[Baymule]

They charge $5 per bird here....I will do it myself, five dollars is too much , I think

After just finishing up with 7 chickens this evening, wash, pick the pin feathers, wash, cut the oil gland off the tail, pull pin feathers off the wings with needle nose pliers, wash, cut off neck, toss it in dog food bowl, cut off wings, cut off leg quarters, Cut skin off breast and debone it, wash, cut off breast bones, discard, flip back over, cut in two pieces, toss in dog food bowl, disjoint leg quarters, wash, cut off wing tips, toss in dog food bowl, disjoint wings, wash, package everything in vacuum sealed bags. 4 thighs per pkg, 4 legs per pkg, 1/2 breast per pkg (I let the chickens get so big that each half of breast meat weighs 1 pound and a few ounces) 14 wing pieces per pkg, take to freezer.

All THAT for $5 a bird? Nope. Kill, scald, pick, take to house, wash, pick pin feathers, wash, bag it up and vacuum seal it for $5 a bird? Still nope.

As freaking tired as I am right now, at this very moment, I wouldn't dress out a chicken for $100. I take that back......for $100 I would be out there in the dark killing another durned chicken.....

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Why don't you just skin them ,then you forgo the feather plucking ?

 

[Baymule]

I skin layer roosters, old layers, old roosters. Cornish cross are sparsely feathered and really, pretty easy to pick, by comparison. Lordy, if I had to pick an old tough rooster, I'd get out the chainsaw to saw the feathers off.