Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

@Ridgetop ... yes, the allergies are practically non-existent now that we are done with the big orchard grass fields and the locust trees are past bloom. Simply amazing... I took an allergy pill yesterday morning and this morning just in case... but nothing. So, thankful.

Oh, just wanted to add @Bruce that when i first plant sprouted potatoes, I cover them completely; not real deep, but they put up a much sturdier dark green sprout . It is not essential but sometimes the new sprouts are pale and actually get sunburned. Not life or death, they will green up as long as they are not subjected to 100 degrees of hot sun and no moisture for weeks. I have had them actually die back when they are too spindly and it is too hot out for days...

Saturday... DS called and then went to the tractor and I explained all that had transpired and he said it was very very lucky on my part to catch the problem with the cylinder and not lose any parts from the part of the arm that came off the spindle. Got it all back together... filled it with more hydraulic fluid as it lost quite a bit when the cylinder came apart... and it is back and running. The original problem was due to the hydraulic fluid being low... and we did find a leak at one joint and he tightened it and now it seems okay.
Do you all know that Hydraulic fluid is now $50-60 a 5 gallon pail.... used to be $25-35..... OUCH......

Got raking with the big rake... AND the reason I can not use the 6600 with the big rake because there are not enough hookups for the hydraulics. With the loader on the front; it uses hydraulics for both the raising and lowering, and the "tipping" the bucket up and down... that is why the tedder and the front end loader were working opposite... because it was plugged into the only available hydraulic fitting on the back (tedder only uses 1 hose for up and down only)..... which was working opposite of the loader... There are not enough hydraulic hookups in the back for the loader and the big rake which needs 3 hoses to work properly. So Had to get the Deutz back working or rake everything with the small side delivery rake. Problem is the deutz is a bigger tractor than the ford 4600 that I normally rake with, so it is not very maneuverable in the small tight fields.
DS did bring the side delivery rake up and when I couldn't get the hydraulics undone to switch rakes for the small tight fields... he came with the tractor and baler and helped me switch and then started baling. He had worked all afternoon on the hay barn and they STILL do not have the tin on for the roof; but the trusses are up, and putting boards across to be able to get the tin up soon.

Finished raking with the side delivery rake and DS finished the one big field, then I took him down to doug's as he wanted to get the cows with the small (spring calves) down to the barn area so they can get tagged and worked and moved out to pasture...They make their way down to that part of the field in the late afternoons.... a month late... but at least it is getting done. They need to be moved out so that he can get the cows with the bigger fall calves down to the barn for the vet for the preg chk on Monday. He is more motivated to get this stuff done, now that the time is getting away from him... Plus he had to go to the one pasture first thing this morning, as the bull got across the fence with the neighbors cows; and he has heifers in there that they don't want bred.... these are the heifers they wanted to use a pasture for and said they wanted them out of there 3 weeks ago and they haven't gotten them caught up yet. Their cows are coming in heat, and our bull went visiting... and they won't put their bull in there until the heifers are out.... welllllll.... get them caught so we can get them moved to the pasture you are sub leasing from us....
He just got that bull, from their catch pen, and put a different one out there in our pasture with our cows, and brought the one that got over the fence here and it got put in at the nurse cow pasture with the ones in there like my longhorn and a half a dozen other cows... plus what heiferw we have in there that are to be bred for spring calves next year.... It was time to get a bull in there so that was fine. No cows across the fences anywhere at the nurse cow place so he should stay in. Good fences and all that. There are several cows and a few heifers there to get bred for next spring.

So things are getting done finally... things with ex-gf are still up in the air as she has apologized for her actions, they have talked some when he went and got the sister's little boy... I don't know what is going to come of all this... not liking the sub-currents.... he says that he misses the way they used to be friends years ago... I just listen.... and when he asks me for an opinion, I just say, this is not her first time, how many other guys has this been her pattern, and if he was to even remotely consider some sort of a reconcilliation... WHAT IF she does it again.... I said it's a 50/50.... 3rd times' the charm or 3 strikes your out....does he really want to go through this a THIRD TIME.....
He talks to the sister all the time... always has and they are friends... I'm fine with that... and she said that he should realize that if most of the women around here knew him they would be lining up at the door... because most guys are lazy and inconsiderate... bums or users or worse.... and he told her that several people have told him he wound up with the wrong sister...including me..... and she laughed and said that if she wasn't involved with her boyfriend and it wouldn't be such a problem with the parents , that maybe she would be the right sister..... and then they laughed... but DS was totally surprised that she even said it because she has always been like a BF/sister to him....
He said he was happy with the gf......, when she said she wasn't happy and all that... and she said he changed his attitude to her, and all this BS (in my opinion)... and I told him point blank that I couldn't see where he was all that happy, and that he did more for her than for anyone else and he catered to her every whim and wish... he would drop things to jump every time she wanted to do something and go somewhere... I said think all the things she had you doing... and all the things that didn't get done that needed doing of your own... that she was never happy with her ex husband... A FARMER.... she wasn't happy with the current ex-boyfriend when he was doing all the FARMING.... that she was always unhappy with all the time DS was FARMING..... and now she is back with the current/ex boyfriend... and so when is she going to get tired of his farming again....
So if that's the case, then if DS and she were to get back together again, then maybe he needed to sell off all but about 25-35 cows and just be a hobby farmer and spend all his time doing what she wants when she wants it.....

Don't know if it makes any sense to him... he is going to do whatever he is going to do....

ANYWAY.... got the chickens in the crates and put out the last of the cardboard and newspapers that I had and covered with some mulch hay to hold them in place. IF we get the forecast rain on Sun night/Monday then that would be good. Will try to hill the potatoes that are up more, and then get mulch hay down those rows.

Got some plants into planters at the house... hope to work on them the next day or 2. Would be good for them to get transplanted before the rain... got a few things I want to get into the ground here too... Got the hanging baskets for the "trailing petunias" I picked up... all those $1 end of the season hanging pots I got....

Potatoes are looking better... still 2 varieties very slow to sprout The first planted red Pontiacs are looking good... The Austrian crescent fingerlings are doing real good... even the ones I planted last, that were in a bag in the potluck bunch... duplicates... but they have already gotten ahead of some that were planted in the second batch I put in...
Going to get the last of the sprouted ones in tomorrow... thought I would get to it today, but was in the hayfield and all longer than I planned since yesterday did not get as much done....

Went down the hill with DS and Jim, at about 9 p.m., so we could get our vehicles since DS and I had both parked down there to pick up tractors. There are no vehicles or tractors there now... just the hay. DS said the top field made 30 rolls... which was good... but normally would make 35-38.... DS did say he has been taking poultry litter up there for fertilizer... but it is not the same as when the cows were up there... Got 11 out of the long 4 acre field which is nearly normal.... (3 to an acre average most places)....
Hay making has gone well... nothing has gotten wet and it has all dried well with no humidity in the air.

DS is going to practice one last time for the roadeo... with the friend at their headquarters... said he should be back by 9:30-10 a.m; to get the cows and baby calves in and get them worked before it gets hot... check on the ones that don't have calves in that bunch... and then he will come bale all the rest of the hay before any chance of rain/showers. Then move those cows to a pasture later in the afternoon and then get the other bunch down into the field at the barn lot for Monday vet.....

Shoot, it is 11:30 already... I need to go to bed.... Have to go get my milk in the morning, didn't get there today with all the hay making.... drop off the brackets at the other farm too... then be ready to go to barn when he calls to do the baby calves and all....

 

[farmerjan]

Saw this and maybe you have but sounds helpful with current rx trends....mastitis & somatic help.

New Product May Help Farmers Manage Herd Mastitis Issues

No matter the season, mastitis is destructive and costly for dairy farmers. A new non-antibiotic animal device, OZOLEA-MAST, could be a solution to help farmers reduce severe mastitis cases.

www.agriculture.com

Hadn't seen it and would have to study it more... but it says it is only 1 ingredient.... ionized food grade corn oil....
not sure exactly how it would work... Might have to see where it can be gotten from... My dairy farmers might be interested... since I have very few cases of mastitis in the beef cows... doesn't really apply there... but will have to read up on it a little..... Not sure how it would work on a chronically staph or strep infected cow... and getting counts from 6 million down to 2 million is all well and good... but the milk companies pay premiums on cell counts of UNDER 150,000... not million... and they will get shut off at 750,000.... yes, in tanks of milk the dilution factor helps... and a high cow can be contributing 10-40% of the high count if she is WAY HIGH... in the milk testing I do, a cow with a count over 1 MIL is taken out of the tank... and treated... milk is not back in the tank until the antibiotic goes past the withdrawal time... so it would help that but that is still WAY TOO HIGH... I have farmers that will ship a high cell count cow... over 1 MIL.....
But there are possibilities with it... might have to tell a few and suggest they might try it...

 

[Mini Horses]

Don't remember where it started, or originated, or tested....just though of your dairy people. If out of USA they're counts may be far off from ours but, it was FDA approved in 2020. Just thought maybe a customer could use.

Do you all know that Hydraulic fluid is now $50-60 a 5 gallon pail.... used to be $25-35..... OUCH......

. Yeah, it's killer!!! Same with oils. Now I have  one small tractor and the 2 hydraulic filters are $100, add $60+ for fluid. $25 for engine oil filter. And mechanics are hard to find, super $ when you do.

You guys have multi, BIG units. it's a part of farming that most have no idea about....like the diesel. Because they don't use a tractor, don't need all that. They think they run on air . Tires??? Wow, there's another grand. It's scary. It's expensive.

I hope DS "thinks" hard about exGF.....I wish a farmers daughter would find him!!!

 

[CLSranch]

. Yeah, it's killer!!! Same with oils. Now I have  one small tractor and the 2 hydraulic filters are $100, add $60+ for fluid. $25 for engine oil filter. And mechanics are hard to find, super $ when you do.

When my clutch went out on the Montana I called a mechanic friend and he said they're charging $125 an hour. That's why it is going to set for a while. Don't know yet how I'm going to unload round bales this fall.
I wish it was running so I could charge the outrageous price for tractor work that people are getting closer to Tulsa. Then I wouldn't have to go back to work.
Also why I'm not changing the hydraulic fluid in the 9n again yet.

 

[canesisters]

....hummm
All of a sudden I'm not feeling quite so bad about not having a tractor on my little muscle powered farm

 

[farmerjan]

In for some lunch. Been a busy morning.

Did a load of clothes to hang since sun was out and poss rain not until after 3-4 p.m. . Wanted to get the jeans washed that had all the oil/grease/hydraulic fluid all over them. SOOO... got them done, hung out. Chickens out and went to the barn about 9:15. DS had texted me on his way home from the practice, and he got there shortly after. Got things set up in the barn, gates across driveway and got them in. Put about 15 calves through the chute but alot of cows have not calved yet... screwed up year for sure. They are going to pasture, all are mature cows, and some will calve there. Just how it is going to be; grass is 3-4 ft tall and they need to be there... One just calved last night so they are coming but slow and late... a couple are big as elephants. I will have to go out and check them regularly.
DS was going to start moving them and I said, I thought you were going to go bale the hay??? And he said, you think I should do that first? And I said Yeah...... if you move cows for 2 hours (3 trips minimum) and it clouds up and we get a shower you are screwed on this hay. Get it baled, the cows are in the barn lot, they have water, they can go in the barn for shade, they will be fine. So, he decided that was probably better.
...

So he went to bale, I went and took the brackets to the farm and went by and got my milk I never got to get last evening. Came home and he called and needed me to go by the barn because he forgot to let the steers in the other side after we got done sorting, so that he can get them in to take the one that is going to get butchered. I swear he cannot think some days.

I came on home and made a tuna fish sandwich. Put a dozen eggs in to hard boil.... The sky is getting a high cloudy look, breeze is picking up. I just looked at the radar and it shows the first wave staying south and breaking up mostly as it works east... but the next batch ought to get here overnight and it looks widespread... I sure hope so....

I am going out to get the clothes off the line. They ought to be dry since it is right around 80 and the breeze is enough to have the wind chimes going good. It is hazy sun/clouds out there. Humidity is up compared to the last 2 weeks.
Found a couple more newspapers that can go out in the garden... don't know if he is going to want/need me to help move cows out to pasture... don't need to match as the WHOLE group is going but we mostly have them all matched up. He needs to get the one with the brand new calf in, she is in the alley coming to the barn with her new calf, and get the calf tagged and she can go with it too... she is an experienced mother and did not come down to the barn with the others at first... stayed with the calf then wandered down with it after we had gotten them in. Only about half of them have calved. He also found a dead calf up back so one has lost a calf... and a cow that we lost... one of mine... she had some age on her so not like it was a nice young one... but still hurts.

So, I will go out and get the clothes and work a bit in the garden , so can quit and go help if he wants me to.
Might also get the soil into the hanging planters and get the trailing petunias planted. Got some other stuff I want to get set out along the porch and if it is going to rain, perfect time.
Need to fix that hose also, so I can at least run water to the chickens and to the garden....

 

[Mini Horses]

One thing about several jobs "waiting to do", when you're shuffling time, there's usually something else that can get done. Sorta

Sad about the cow & calf....sorry to hear.

 

[SageHill]

Sorry about the cow and calf.

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks everyone... The calf was most likely born dead, the cow who knows what happened. This is part of it. To have live stock you will have dead stock... you all have been through it.

Not as good an afternoon as it could have been and DS just ticks me off. He calls me, he has the first load of cattle and forgot the key in his truck to open that gate... The key is SUPPOSED to hang on a nail behind a post... but yesterday he was in there and some guy came to get hay that was on the wagon there... and when they came out there were some other people that had stopped and he said he didn't want to put the key back when someone else could see it so brought it with him... okay.....brought it back.... and then today left it in the other truck... In the meantime... he had taken time to go get Colt for a little bit... so of course he is running late to get things done... I had to go get the key in his truck at the barn, .... and then take it to him. Then came back to the barn, and he has to make 3 MORE trips to take them all and not crowd the calves in with the cows... and the bull did not get taken yet since he was in the back with the cows that are going to get checked tomorrow... IF he had not added nearly 2 hours to his NEED TO DO, WORK LOAD, then he would have been doing good and the bull would have gone on the last trip. I got the cow with the new calf in and gave it an eartag and the blackleg shot and all he had to do was band it (bull calf)... I was not going to get blamed for maybe not getting both nuts down in the bander... brand new babies like that sometimes are a bit harder to do than 2 day olds.

He stopped and got the neighbors bull on the trailer on the last trip to bring to the barn for the vet to work on his feet.

Anyway, after loading the last load, I came home and got the laundry in finally, went out and got the chickens in; because I thought we were going to get the cows off the hill when he got back to the barn..... but now that is going to wait for tomorrow ..... and he was taking Colt home...

AND I found out that with all this time "mismanagement" he did not take the steer so it has to go tomorrow between 7-8 a.m., and I am elected to trailer him over to the slaughter place. I hate using this trailer...

AND DS is going in to work tomorrow to help set up for the roadeo... will be 30+ minutes away... and expects to get back and get the cows and all in before the vet comes.

I cancelled supper tonight with Deb, who finally came out today for a week of teleworking... since I thought we were going to be getting these cows in...and 9 is too late to make someone wait to have dinner....plus I figured I would be tired and dirty.....

He acts like getting the cows in will be no big deal... if it is raining it will be a big deal... if they don't cooperate it will be a major pi$$ DS off big deal.... and he did not want to keep them in the lot at the barn overnight since the fence around that first lot is getting weak... it needs replacing... and there are alot of cows... he could feed a roll of hay... but it boils down to he had to take the little one home and the rest will just have to work around that.
I don't mind Colt... he's a cute kid... BUT we had a list that SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TODAY...... to be prepared for tomorrow... this was not the day to be running back and forth to get him and drop him off when there were pressing things that needed getting done.

I know what is going to happen tomorrow.... the cows will not cooperate coming off the hill and they will wind up making him mad after he is late coming back from this setting up deal.... I wanted to put it off a week or so and just have to pay the full travel charge... but DS says oh, they have got to get done.

Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised and they will come down off the hill and he will get back to the barn early enough to not be rushing...

God forgive me but I am not feeling too optimistic about a miracle tomorrow.

So he didn't need me anymore tonight. If it was the other trailer, I would have hauled the last cows there myself and let him take Colt home... but I don't like this trailer, it is bigger and it is a steep pull up the hill to this pasture... and it is hard to see around... I just don't like it at all... solid bodied aluminum... so I can't look through the steel pipes like the other one... I would have taken Colt home, not a problem with the sister,,, but he throws a bit of a fit if "Beezey" doesn't take him home... And I am not so sure he(DS) might be thinking he will run into ex gf... and I don't want to even contemplate that... I was really thinking he might be leveling out... but.....

I am just in a P.O.ed mood now with him... and everything went so well this morning.... but here we go with the priorities again.... he needed to concentrate on the cows and hay and all today....
Yes the hay all got baled, and tractor and baler in the building there at Deb's... wagon with some of the wheat hay/straw back in too... but the damn cows needed to be moved around so that there won't be any rushing around tomorrow... I know how things go all the time he does this crap....

 

[farmerjan]

Sorry, rant over.

I put out a few more newspapers and some hay over them in the garden... and I hope it RAINS tonight... not looking very good to get the soaking we need, though...