Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Home for about an hour. Went down and raked the "top field" and then came down to go across the creek to the smaller field. But they are set up and "sighting in" their rifles for deer season... so I said I could come back later today to do it. It is drier than the top field so won't be that big a deal. The top field has had years of our cattle on it and the manure makes this late season grass very green and thick... it just takes longer to dry.
These people, who are friends for many years, have decided that they need to plant "deer plots" for feeding the deer, and that the cattle are not in their long range plans. They have a half a dozen on some part of the place they fenced off... he sells a couple of beeves a year to some friends... but this whole deer plot scenario is so stupid. In the 2 years we have not run cattle there for the winter... Dec to 1st of June, there is alot of scrub brush and weeds growing up and after awhile even the deer will not stay there because they can get better stuff to eat in the neighbors hayfields. For someone that is supposed to be a "knowledgeable big hunter" and all that, he sure is not looking at the advantages of the cattle in keeping alot of the crap out of there... PLUS we always bush hogged once a year to keep the briars and other crap cut down to manageable.... And the fertility of the fields is such that we get way more grass from the fields that the cattle run on in the 5-6 months, than we get on the cultivated and fertilized fields that are not fenced for the cattle.

Sometimes you just wonder.... and on top of that, it is next to the stone house where I used to live, and everyone that hunts around there, shoots all the big bucks that this guy is trying to "feed better racks on" and they are killing as many as they can because there is such a surplus of deer in this area...It is really almost comical as he is actually shooting himself in the foot; on the deer population because he won't shoot does and we are about 15 or 20 to 1 on does to bucks and that is way too many... So many that there are several farmers around here that got damage permits this year that they have never done because the deer are decimating the crops. All you have to do is shoot some deer and get the populations down to more forage/deer ratios... there will be a disease or starvation die down of deer if the numbers are not cut down in the near future.

The buff "ghost hen" was out there this morning after I turned the chickens out... I have no idea where she is roosting.... I will have to come back and make sure I get them in before dark. I am just going to act like I am ignoring her when I am out there.... There is so much to eat right now there is next to no chance she is going to go in the shelter....

Hit 71 on the recording thermometer.... it is really nice. I am going down to finish raking that field... ought to take maybe an hour or so.

 

[farmerjan]

Home and done for the evening. Got the field raked and DS still hadn't come to do some of the sq baling in the big field, he said he was going to do. Then I came up the hill and went out and the buff rooster was in the shelter, the 2 lt brahmas were going in and buff ghost hen, was no where to be seen. The rooster went right in the crate and the other 2 followed right in, shut the door and done... SOOOO NICE to have them be pretty co-operative like that.
They will go out loose again tomorrow and most every day that I will be home in the evening. One REAL GOOD thing happened... someone ran over the big old possum I saw the other evening out near the road by the cornfield.... ONE MORE VARMINT gone... Hope it was the one that kept coming on to the porch....
Have not smelled a skunk since that one got killed a couple weeks ago....

I saw at least 10 deer out in what was the corn field across the road from the house this evening... DS just got the wheat planted so it is not up yet... We have GOT TO do some serious DEPOPULATION... at least that landowner has told DS that they can shoot the deer this year since no one bothered to hunt last year.

Farmer texted me about coming to test this week... and has 10 turkey toms and 5 hens they want to get rid of... I had told them I would be interested if they wanted to sell a FEW.....don't have any idea where I would put 15 adult turkeys at this point... asked what I would give for them??? I don't know what to say... I do not like to price other people's stuff... don't want to insult them and not offer enough... but don't want to overpay either... Maybe they are wanting to get rid of them all ???? Too bad it wasn't 6 weeks ago and I could take what I didn't want to the poultry swap that @Mini Horses and I met at.... Gotta think on this one for a day or 2. They are several years old I think so not nice young ones... and they are Bronze ones, don't think they are broad breasted but might be. Thing is, I would take the pickup to the farm, can put the meters in the front (only need 8 and hoses) and then put the 2 frames with the wire on them that cover the back of the pickup and bring them home that way. I took 25-30 big fat meat birds to the poultry swap sale several years ago that way... worked good... no crates to haul in and out. Just had some shavings and straw, and lots of chicken manure... hosed the truck out after I got home and unloaded the ones I didn't sell... probably sold half of what I took. It paid plenty for my time... they were the ones that I called left behinds..... that I used to go get for free...

Talked to the son of the neighbor where I was raking the hay... he worked for a guy who built fence... but he no longer works for him and said the guy isn't building any fence right now... so I have to see if I can find another one to do it. Not even going there with DS anymore... Guess it is time to get at least some of this up here... If I clipped the turkey's wings, I could keep them in the electric netting for a bit.... Got to keep them on the property and OUT OF THE ROAD.....I wanted to run turkeys in the "orchard area" once I get the trees moved and a fence around that area. I was thinking next year... but if I can get these reasonable, I could always sell some to make the ones I keep, real cheap/or even Free.....They also had more layers than they wanted so might try to get a half dozen of them too.... Don't know what is a fair price to offer for the turkeys..... Seems that most of the ones we saw at the poultry swap were $30 a piece or something... might have to talk to @Mini Horses and see... I paid $30 for my pair of buff leghorns, which is a fair price for them although the female is so much better typed than the male... but these turkeys aren't show ones or anything that I know of... But I sure don't want to insult the farmers either...

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm no turkey person. Those I bought and sold were an unusual "gift" of a buy. But young and beautiful brought $75 each at auction. Most of the others there were scraggly and $30 ish. Olders certainly no more. Young poults run $12-20 each...depends type, age, condition. Week olds $12-15 ea. A friend used to keep a trio and incubate eggs. Probably paid for feed when it all played out. Ask them what they're thinking for a price....age you say they are, I'd think only breeder's at 25 each.

Use to want some, now I'm not feeling that. . I see them on CL with mostly $50-75 for adults....next month it'll be more . Generally single males. On occasion a pair.

 

[Baymule]

Will you be able to cook turkeys that old to be tender and not chewy? I never had turkeys, son in law always wanted me to raise a Thanksgiving turkey for him to cook-he's and excellent cook=but so far I haven't raised turkeys.

 

[Mini Horses]

Many years back -- 40+ -- I traded something for 2 turkey and a piglet. . Still remember they ate huge amounts! So, come Nov, I had a big job to harvest. Had to cover face to keep them from staring at me......took a hard hit with an axe. A LOT of feathers to pluck. But a big over 25# bird resulted. Was afraid it wouldn't be tender, though young. SO it was a scary cook but, was delish.

Those big birds can fly onto fences you'd not think possible. I like the Burban reds for looks. Hear they lay, brood well.

 

[SA Farm]

I haven’t eaten one over 3 years old, but he was quite tasty and tender still. I think free range tend to be tougher since they exercise more. Mine had to be penned, so that would definitely be a factor.
Hens stop laying around 5, toms can lose fertility as early as 3, so if you plan to keep a few to breed, keep that in mind for spring.
If they’re heritage, clipping the wings might not be enough to keep them in if they want out. Mine could still clear a 6 ft fence when clipped!
Mini’s prices sound right to me.

 

[farmerjan]

Monday eve. Been a good day and yesterday was okay but quiet.
Temps have been nice... 40's nights and mid 60's yesterday but 77 today. Sunny and really nice today. Yesterday had some sun and clouds then mostly sun later.
DS got all the sq bales done yesterday and most of the round baling done around the outside rows of the big field and the field across the creek. Finished the field across the creek today on his lunch time... said it only took a 1/2 hour to finish. He will have to go up and do the top field tomorrow.
He also mowed the one place, for the last time as we are losing it; owner is going to have the neighbor directly behind him start making hay on it next year.... I think there was some working out of hunting privileges for the owner on the neighbor's land behind him. It is a very productive field, but I will not miss going down the main road for a mile or so with all the traffic with the equipment.

He asked me to go up and see if I thought it needed to be tedded out... and I did go up there. It will need to be tedded out so he is supposed to get the tractor with the tedder there tomorrow and I will tedd it if he gets it there in enough time before I go to work. He was going to move it this evening, but decided to go to the sale down south that he went to last monday and prices were through the roof. Asked me if I wanted to go with him today... So I said sure... I could have stayed here and done something but why not. So it was agreed I would bring the truck and trailer down from the barn and meet him down near work so he wouldn't have to go the extra 7 miles up to the farm, then go right back down... plus saved time...
So, I got all the sample bottles in the trays for tomorrow... did some stuff here, and then got the truck and trailer and went and met him and we went. Weather was beautiful today ... and we talked about the plans for the hay etc, and then about the latest BS with the situation with parents house in NH.... and then about the plans for the calves he is trying to buy and put together into some groups to sell... what we have got to be bringing back to the barn etc.
He said it might be a wasted trip since they were so high last week and he didn't buy anything.
Well, they were off a good $.30 a lb or more for feeders from the previous graded sale last week. He wound up buying 19 of which about 4-5 were steers, the rest bull calves... they averaged less than 1.40 when last week they were in the 1.70-1.80 range.... not as many buyers there today either... Also bought 2 calves for a neighbor; one jersey bull calf at 400 +/- and another jersey cross/angus at 600 +/- lbs... that we will make money on... both bull calves but he likes to cut his own so that is fine... and I bought a charolais heifer at 725 lbs for under $.80 because she was too "white" and not the smkey color of the angus/char crosses. But she had a blackish speckled nose and the straight char calves have pink noses... but that was giveaway priced... I may or may not keep her... or turn her over and make some money. She was in heat and all the 5-6 wt bull calves were riding her... but I will just give her a lute shot in 2-3 weeks to make sure she doesn't settle and when we get the bull calves worked through the chute. She will go up to the nurse cow pasture with the other 3-4 heifers at the barn he held back because they had some runny eyes/pinkeye that he treated. Then all the heifers will pretty much be at the nurse cow pasture with the couple of cows that are not going to get bred back.
Got a couple of cows there that I need to get in, and taken to doug's barn, to get preg checked with the next group whenever we do them. So I will get them to start coming in the catch pen so that I can catch them when I want them in the future. Plus start teaching the heifers to come in so that they will be easier to catch and to move around in the future. Some (heifers) are going to get sold anyway... but this was a good place to put them this year where there is no bull to complicate things. And see how they develop along and all that...

So on the way home he was talking about other farming things, and then after we moved the ones around at the barn so that these could be put in and kept separate on one side of the bunk feeder, and they can find water and figure out what the feed bunk is... I took him back to the place we left his truck, in my car, and then he said that he was glad I went today, and that he really does appreciate me helping with the cattle and everything... I am thinking that maybe J said something to him about the way he is about things sometimes. Works for me.... nice that he was back to "discussing" some things with me. And about the money end of it and all that....
J has not come and gotten the Explorer yet, because her little boy came down with a bad cold and been running a bit of a fever too.... I said that was not a problem.... you know how kids get sick quick.... I told her it would not be going anywhere....

So, car is loaded with trays of sample bottles , all the meters and hoses I need for tomorrow. See how things go and if I will tedd or not.
Texted back the farmer about testing that has the turkeys, she wants to do Thursday which works for me... asked how much they want for the turkeys and that I might take them all if I can afford it... let them put a price on them. I will talk to her tomorrow to firm it up, or text her ....
Moved all the big pots of spider plants out on the porch table this morning and left them since it is not going to be as cold the next 2-3 days. Got to find the plant hangers to get up so they can all hang in windows here for the winter.... the smaller pots are all in 2 plastic totes in the "utility/laundry" room near the corner windows so I didn't bother to move them out... but I might tomorrow for the sun and warmer temps.
Just remembered the jeans I hung out Sunday... need to bring them in, in the afternoon when the sun is on them as there is enough dew in the mornings to actually make them feel damp.

Chickens were in the shelter this evening, it was well after dark when I finally got back here... so I guess I will let them out again tomorrow. Since they at least have the sense to go in there in the evenings and I don't have to go looking for them.

And wouldn't you know it that as soon as I mentioned it, last night I caught the faint whiff of a skunk ... It wasn't right near like the last one, but still.... .

Time to call it quits, tomorrow will probably be a long day if I have to tedd before work.

 

[Baymule]

What a nice day for you both. It’s nice to be appreciated and even nicer for him to say so. I’m glad you went and had a good time.

 

[Mini Horses]

Agree with Bay, 100x.

 

[Ridgetop]

<e too.