Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[SageHill]

Well dang - there you go again mentioning african violets!!! Last time you did that sent me on a 'go find 'em' run and came up dry!! I'll be back at it again now --if I come of dry a few more times I just may have to order some online. - think I'll hit my seed catalogs today need to get that started asap.
Have a great one.

 

[farmerjan]

@SageHill ... try Lowes or Home Depot now that the holidays are over. Most will not have any flowers left..and are often sad looking... but usually pretty cheap to clear out. There were about 10 at the one Lowe's the other day and the blooms were past... waiting for them to put them on the clearance shelf... usually at half price or less...

Not a good start to the New Year... cow had a dead calf.... called a dairy and they have one so DS is getting the cow in and we will go get the calf and try to get it on her... She is a good mother so hoping to be able to graft the calf on her. Farmer also has a 3 wk old jersey heifer calf that he thinks got frost bite hooves... wondered if I wanted to fool with her... he will destroy her otherwise... they have had too many calving there lately and need the space and he says they are not going to mess around with her... I will look at her also and see if I want to take on a project... She would come here to the house...

Got the doors open, heaters off, and getting fresh air in the house to get all the stale "sick" air out. It is up to 64 and the sun is wonderful..
Put a load of clothes in the washer... will try to do at least one more load to get hung. Like @Mini Horses said... get ready for the next round of crummy weather. We are supposed to have another really nice day Monday, and decent on Tuesday with clouding late aft and rain/showers into Wed.... temps around 60-65 the next 3 days... then back to "normal" of 20's-40's... That's fine... it is winter... but this break.... a "chinook" I think they call them out west... is just wonderful.

Eating a late lunch, sandwich after I got a couple of bags to go to the dumpsters. Probably go tomorrow. Want to do some vacuuming and cleaning up while all the plants are outside too. The sun and warmer temps have motivated me and not feeling like I am just blah today has helped.

Even put a gallon out to make sun tea.... Just want something more than milk, and juice, and water to drink.

 

[Mini Horses]

What problems will you have if hooves are frostbitten? Would imagine would depend on HOW deeply the damage -- but is this like a chronic issue once happens? Would just temps be a problem or is this honest lameness beyond that? Sad thing but, with wet ground and those freezer temps last week, I can see how tiny, tender hooves could freeze.

 

[farmerjan]

Well, things didn't go exactly as planned but not too bad. Went to farm to meet DS as he was going to go to another pasture. Looked at the black calf to put on cow... nice big strapping bull calf. Looked at jersey heifer. She is so little, and eats good. Both back feet are somewhat swollen and all 4 lower legs and feet feel warm. Farmer said he has not been paying as much attention as the son is doing more to manage the dairy part since he returned home a year or so ago... He is in his mid 20's or more... college and then worked for a year at his "profession"... Diesel mechanic engineering school... then was living on and working part-time on a dairy near the other job and then went to full time on the dairy, then came back here... anyway... father is going to talk to son about the heifer... agree that she needs some sort of treatment.... father said that she would have a much better life with me and not on the dairy and concrete... I will probably get her if they decide together what they are going to do. I think she is worth trying to salvage....
I honestly think it is more likely joint ill (navel ill) and it has gone to the joints.... she is 3 weeks old... they are in calf stalls.. like hutches, in an open front sided shed, but under cover and well bedded.... don't see frostbite as a reason for the swelling. Ears yes... but these calves have protection and the stalls are 8 ft deep from front to back, under the shed... and she has on a calf "coat" as do most of the calves.

Of course DS didn't get there, and so I brought the black calf to the barn... he was still at doug's getting ready to leave. I was pretty p.o.ed but what is the point. He said he was working on the truck... of course he couldn't call me... GF was there at barn so that explains some of it...he has become such a "pansy-a$$" since she feeds into his "oh you should take it easy and shouldn't do this, or work so hard".....
Got the calf in the barn and the cow in the head chute... got the calf to go on the cow and she does not seem to have much milk. I put a glove on and went in to palpate her and did not feel a calf but she sure looks like she hasn't calved yet. But he said she was nosing the calf and laying right by it when they went up in the field to get her.... I don't know.... she might have had some trouble, and so system has not started to come to milk yet.
Going to give her oxytocin in the morning when we get the calf on her. Try to jump start the system, get the milk letdown going, and help to make sure she has cleaned inside and help contractions to get uterus to get back in shape. See how it goes from there.

So, I finally got back home and locked chickens in crate... took and covered the spider plants over with paper feed bags and a tarp. Temp supposed to go down to 40 maybe tonight... only down to 45 last night.... and supposed to be warmer tonight so hoping it won't drop too low. Save some work tomorrow as I want them to try to get a couple of good days outside in the sun.
Brought the tea in, and it is ready to add lemonade... which I forgot to thaw so it is sitting out to thaw a bit, so I can get it out of the "can" and into the jar.

Got to run the clothes through a 2nd rinse so there isn't any "soap" .... I always do so that they don't cause me to have any "itchiness".... and will get a second load in so they will be able to get finished washing in the morning and can hang both loads.

Turned a couple of the heaters on so the house temp doesn't drop too much. The air smells so much cleaner after the doors being opened for awhile.

 

[Baymule]

I’m glad you are feeling better! The warmer weather is definitely helping. Airing out the house does make a difference too. Hope you get the Jersey calf, she needs you!

 

[farmerjan]

Monday.... Happy New Years day for state workers and such. Started out 43 and sun came up... Warmed fast but then got more clouds than sun. Still 60's... some sun still.

Got the one load hung and another in the washer earlier... Tried to call DS about the cow/calf... he texted me back and said he was up sick to stomach most of the night... I said I would just go do the cow. He said oxy was still in his fridge... so I stopped and got it. Cow came in, ran her up the chute...calf followed and went right on her from the back. Gave her the shot and grain and she was fine.
Then I let her out and she was ambivalent... got some hay for her and calf was determined to go on her and she was kicking some but calf was pretty aggressive. So, I let them stay together for another half an hour and then put the calf back in the alley so that it did not get too discouraged. Cow would moo a little bit, talk to it some, but not like she "really wants it"... I am hoping she will get more accepting after a few days... we will see. I may have to feed the calf a some milk replacer to supplement, but want it to be good and hungry to go on her... Will continue to give her oxy to stimulate the milk production and hope it all comes together.

Came home and just sat down to take off muddy shoes, and get a phone call from another owner... with the broken waterer.... that the cows were out in the neighbors small field... DS had GF move them into a different field... and I can guarantee she did not check the fence before she opened the gate to let them over there... I am pretty sure that there will be a tree across the fence somewhere up in the woods. In the meantime DS then texts me that he got a text from her (owner) about the calves... and he is on his way to the farm he has down near GF house because the cattle are out there and out into the landfill property.... Big tree took down a section of fence.... and he was going there to see about getting that situation fixed.... so could I go see if I could get them back and put them back in the field they were in before, and close the gate so he can go around the fence and find where they got out of the field they had just gotten moved into.

So, I head down there... and have no idea where they might have gotten out... but had to get them to follow through the yard, down the road, and back into driveway and in a gate into the new field, then switch gates around to get them back across the driveway into the "old field" where they had been before. Due to a cattle guard at the end of the driveway, you can only get them into one field and then have to go through another gate above the cattle guard to access other fields.
LUCKILY even these steers have gotten used to the "BUCKET" thing...... a couple were a little skittish but followed along with the other ones....

Talked to the owner... wife.... and she has the same "cold, runny nose, stuffed up, coughing, no energy, feel weak " whole BS thing that everyone has.... so believe me it is going around everywhere....

Finally got back here and then got the other load of clothes hung. It is partly sun and warm so they ought to mostly dry... part clouds and decent through tomorrow afternoon.... then clouding up for showers tues night and into Wed . So, ought to be good to get these clothes dry and in the house...

Trying to figure out what to eat for lunch... little late I guess but stomach is growling...

Loaded the bags of stuff for the dumpster and will get the recyclable paper stuff from in the house to take also. Took a bucket of feed out to the chicken shelter and put some in the feeder....

NEVER a DULL MOMENT......
I am sure not getting much done here....

The fun of farming... The big thing here are all the ash trees that have died from that emerald ash borer... then add in all the ice storms crap we had and then extreme wind... there are branches down everywhere... alot of good sized branches have come down in the pine trees around here... there are alot of long needled white pines and there are good sized branches just snapped off of them... The rest of my ancient apple tree here came down too... and so many good sized branches broken out of all sorts of trees... and some of the dead trees are broken off partway up and just crashed everywhere. It will be weeks of cleanup for the road crews...

Okay, going to make a sandwich and get something done here. It is so muddy/soft that you have to be careful what you do.....

 

[farmerjan]

Tues morning. 50 out now, might drop a degree or 2 but feels pretty warm... forecast shows partly to mostly cloudy but no precip until this eve and then some tomorrow, then temps drop back to normal. 20's and 40's.

Called DS yesterday to see how he made out down at other farm.... he was at barn getting some stuff to take up and see where the fence was bad at the pasture where I got cows in. I asked if he needed help and he said I could go if I wanted... I said I was making a sandwich for lunch, and he said what kind, and I said Grilled cheese... did he want one, and he said that sounded good... So, I made a second one and wrapped it and went up to barn. He had to feed some hay and was putting stuff on the back of the truck.... so then we left and went up there. There were a couple trees down on some hi-tensile on the opposite side of the fence from where they had been, so he was cutting them off and I walked down the hill on the side they had gotten out. Several places the 3rd strand of barbed wire was caught up on the 2nd... deer going through.. got them straightened out and then down in one spot there was all kinds of hair and saggy wire... plus the woven wire that had been stretched out when the posts came out along the pond was totally unattached from the 2 posts and I think they had just pushed it and gone under it and then didn't know how to get back so wound up in the little field behind the neighbors house there. We pulled and tightened wires, restapled the woven wire back to the posts... we are dealing with a swale there and all so not even ground or anything... Got it all done and then went down and let the cattle back into that field. It will keep them until the next time they find a spot or the deer mess it up or something. The thing is, there is woods on the other side of the fence all along there.. not like a nice green field tempting them. They had to go through this patch of woods to get to the neighbors small field... OKAY GUYS, just stay the he// where you belong....

Went from there to go feed some hay at a pasture where there are cow calf pairs that need to come back to the barn to be preg checked. DS wants to feed out the hay stored there to them before we bring them back...and there is a big field that they are still picking through.... rolled out 2 rolls and then set 2 others for them to eat. There are 30 some there so they will go through it in a few days but that is fine. They look pretty good... some big calves and some smaller but some were born in Feb/Mar and a few we stuck up there late that were born in June...
Finally got back to the barn about dark... DS got a few sq bales of hay and put them in the barn in the alley for the cow with the calf... we fed her grain and it went right on her... she half-heartedly kicked it off some, but was also kinda talking to it and after about 45 min we put it back on the other side in the alley so she would not hurt it overnight. She was more interested in it than that morning, so hopefully she is accepting it. I will go up this morning and put it back out with her and see how she does. Might leave it with her during the day today if she is acting more interested. Going to get her in the chute and give her another shot of oxy and see if I can get her milk stimulated a bit more...It would help if the calf was staying with her and nursing more to get the milk flowing better too.

DS is going to see if he can get off Wed or Fri morning to go do the 500 cow herd with me... should've done them last week but with the cold, then the ice and everyone feeling crummy, didn't do it. He has been pulling alot of extra time with his boss being off for several weeks.

There are pink skies to the East... some clouds and all but hopefully it will be a decent enough day.

Getting hungry, didn't eat anything last night and stomach is letting me know that now. Might just make another grilled cheese... it was good yesterday.

Got to take some stuff that is loaded in the car to the dumpster and might run by and get an estimate on the windshield replacement. It has had a couple hairline cracks and they have now gone across that it won't pass inspection and needs to be replaced. It's the forester and I use it for taking feed up to the nurse cow pasture and stuff... but am going to put tags back on it so it has to pass inspection. Just has not been a priority... got to call the "safelite" company that comes out to do it at your place and see what they want too. But my mechanic said that the glass place down south of here a few miles has done stuff for them reasonable so why not get an estimate. I will be a couple miles from there. I will make one trip, go to the cow, do all these little things on the list while I am out. Then I could go back by the cow after a couple hours and see how they are acting, then come home.
But first is something to eat, stomach is protesting loudly !!!!

 

[farmerjan]

So-so day... I never did eat anything... went out to let chickens out, loaded the rest of the stuff in the car for the recycling/dumpster...
Put the calf out with the cow. She does not look like she is coming into milk at all... not looking good for her. She was a little less tolerant of the calf and I am definitely going to give it a bottle this evening to supplement. I left it out with her and maybe she will be happier if it is out there with her...
Went to the dumpster with trash stuff, and put the paper in the recycling one. Went to the glass place... and they are on vacation until Jan 9th..... .
Swung by the bank ATM to make a deposit. Came back by the co-op and was going to maybe get the oil changed and all that, if they weren't busy, but there were several cars in line.

Talked to the vet's office... Mon Jan9th vet is going to be down this way... BUT... I have my eye dr appt that is scheduled a year in advance... and it is the whole dilate, etc... yearly exam... I wouldn't be able to see jack in the barn, if I could get back in time... so they will call me back and see when the vet is going to be back down this way but I am thinking the other farm has a regular check on the 3rd Wed... 18th maybe?

Been really cloudy but now breaking up a little... getting that "bright" cloudy look... fairly breezy so will go out to bring in clothes in a bit.

And finally made my grilled cheese for lunch. I am going out to empty and clean out the chicken crate while it is warm and easy to dump in the garden. Maybe the afternoon will get better...

 

[farmerjan]

Cloudy, sprinkly, but warm in comparison. Never got below 56 last night. Not going to last but a nice break... Especially after that miserable cold at Christmas. Actually too warm for this time of year but it will come back down in a few days. Helps on the heating bills so will take it.

Cow was very much "into" the the calf after leaving it with her. Not sure of her milk still, but trying to encourage that situation. She was talking to it and kept it with her last evening. I did not take a bottle up but think I will this evening and just see if he acts hungry...

 

[Mini Horses]

I hope between the oxy and suckling, she'll bring it on.