Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Don't believe it's their bull. Think it's a friend's and that he transported bull to use vet & chutes for work on it that day. Returning him after.

 

[Bruce]

May have to get some chickens in Texas just for fun.

And eggs

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.

Guess we will see. Hopefully the part that is under "ground" will put out more shoots. Nothing exciting happening yet.

There are not enough hydraulic hookups in the back for the loader and the big rake which needs 3 hoses to work properly.

You need a multiplier

I don't have one on my tractor, but I have 2 hoses I connect where the dump and curl hoses for the bucket go led underneath the tractor so I can use the side shift on the flail mower. It is inconvenient but not TERRIBLY inconvenient to switch the hoses but no using the bucket or forks when the flail is "borrowing" the hydraulics.

I should probably call Summit and see if there is something with a control I can plug into the 2 ports on the back of the tractor where the backhoe connects. Then I could connect the flail to that and not have to mess with the loader valve connectors. I suspect they have something but I also suspect it wouldn't be cheap. Might as well not get a top and tilt at the same time I'm not affording the aforementioned device

 

[farmerjan]

@Bruce yes a multiplier is what he has on one of the tractors... but the Deutz has 6 hyraulic plug ins and the 6600 Ford has 4... and it is hardly every used for anything except the bucket on front and the 3 pt hitch on the back with the spear on that... so... I made it work for the little bit I used the tedder... I will hopefully get the 4600 ford back once he gets the post hole auger off it... it is a good size to use the rake since it is very maneuverable in the smaller fields.... I will be glad to get "my tractor" back for tedding and raking.

 

[farmerjan]

@Ridgetop ... yeah bull was neighbors bull... long overgrown long toe outside both hind feet. Bull has great disposition, and none of the cows have a problem.. he does not keep any of his calves as replacements, they are all what we call terminal, and get sold. Now someone might buy some heifers as replacements... they go to the stockyards... he buys bred cows occasionally to replace any he culls out... BUT,,, they are in their mid 70's and talk occasionally about selling out... we do all his work now .... working calves, hauling ones to the sale when needed... he does not preg check any... and he and DS have talked about leasing it... we would be his first choice since we have been doing his stuff anyway.....
If he decides to sell out we would not be able to afford to buy his cows at prices right now... but maybe DS would work something out on a payment schedule.... that's for him to decide... I'm just the "go-fer"... tedd and rake hay, help with the cattle working... .

 

[farmerjan]

Cool night and morning. 52 and clear, breezy and mostly sun. Only hit 75 today. I went up and got the rolls of wheat hay moved from the one field I had put them... and DS got them into rows, to the other area to put the rest that didn't fit where he had put them. So they are over near the other "stack area" so he can take the front end loader and get them in the rows there and then he was going to spread poultry litter and get the sorghum seed in the ground there...still deciding if he is going to do corn in the other field because he wanted to use roundup ready corn to be able to spray the johnson grass and then plant back in orchard grass next year. Can't find anyone to plant it now.... we are "too small potatoes" with only 14 acres for anyone to want to bother... I told him to call my dairy farmer that sold out a year ago... not far away... maybe they would plant it and we could get it combined for shell corn this fall/winter... we fought to get it planted, then chopped before it got too dry last year. Everyone is "too busy" this year.

Going out to get the pieces for the hose where I can put in a cut off with a male and female end so that I can use it for different things, not just connected together. I am pretty sure I have a set in the storage building here. Then I am going to open up the package with the soaker hose and see what ends/connectors are in there... and get some of my already existing soaker hoses set up in the garden. The butternut squash seeds are coming through, the purple beans and the wax beans are coming through... expect the regular green beans to be coming through... there is another 30% chance for Wed through the weekend... spotty showers they say... and I think I am going to have to get it soaked once at least. The ground is getting hard again and I may not even try to hill the potatoes, just mulch heavy to keep the bases covered so the potatoes will develop...

I came in to eat a late lunch after being at the farm. Slept later this morning... Need to go out and work while it is comfortable out.
Farm scheduled for Thursday afternoon... Got another certified letter that I am not keeping up enough work units to qualify for dental benefits as a part-time employee.. Screw 'em this time. I don't need anything done, just got the panoramic x-rays done, I am going to just let it go. Another $25 in my pocket every 2 weeks... I will just try to put it away in the savings account for the regular cleanings and such... Not worth all this hassle. Have until August to get the average back up but don't think I would make it and not pushing to do so. Another reason to consider "retiring"... but will just keep up the few farms I am doing for now. Maybe by the cold weather I might change my mind.

 

[farmerjan]

Totally unproductive aft/eve. Deb called; after I had cancelled dinner Sun eve, I said I would catch up with her Mon but we were moving cattle until 11 pm last night when we dropped off the 3rd load at pasture. So I texted her today and said when she had a break from working (remote this week) to call me. So she asked about supper... wanted to go to a drivein... there is Sonic and there is an old family run one here local that is pretty good... so we went to Wright's Dairy Rite.... and then stopped at Walmart for a couple things she needed, and then came home and I gave her a little back road tour.... came home and locked in chickens... and waiting to see if DS calls for a ride as he came into Deb's just as we were going to leave, and got the tractor and was going to go mow hay. Said if it would make it rain then it was good; there is a 30% chance of spotty showers... the truck was still at Deb's when I dropped her off...
And the hay is drying up fast. So I will see about getting on the hose and stuff tomorrow.

Pretty quiet, and plenty cool out at 60.... going to check the radar, maybe fold the clothes, and then quit early for the night.

 

[Baymule]

Just got caught up on the last several days. It’s nice that your DS is getting more “taking care of business “ done now. Cattle all sound good, you do a great job of management and keeping up with who, where, bred, open, calves, etc. I could learn a lot from you on just that. I’m getting more lambs now and need to tighten up on tagging and keeping better records. I’ve been a mess the last 2 years, but I’m settling in and need to get my act together. I’ll grow up someday….. LOL

 

[farmerjan]

CHILLY to point of almost cold this morning. Cloudy, 57 and got up to 70... but it is cloudy and VERY WINDY.... gusts to 35 mph here. Feels like a cloudy chilly dreary FALL type day.

I wore a long sleeved T-shirt out to let the chickens out, and pulled some weeds in the garden. Also stuck in a few odd tomato plants that I was going to put up a separate piece of a panel for... so I crowded them in between a few along the current panels where there was slightly wider space between some there. Tired of watering them separate trying to figure out where to put them...
It is really just chilly out there...

I also potted up petunias into the hanging pots that I "salvaged" for cheap last year. Got about 10 or so .... They will look nice in a couple weeks as they settle in... So for $1 hanging pot, $2.50 of plants, and about $2-3 worth of new potting soil... So say $6, I have $15 worth of a hanging pot. Plus they just look nice and will look nicer as soon as they get to growing.... I don't normally do alot of flowers but have just wanted some this year... like the veg garden isn't enough work.... .

Got the soaker hoses all out, cut the jagged spots out and will put in the connector pieces. Don't have the male&female ends for the big hose, so I have to get some. Usually they start to put them on sale this time of year so will try to pick up a few extras. Would like to get it done today though... the "spotty showers " is looking less and less like any precip falling... so will need to get some stuff on the garden. Need to stop at the farm and see if the hoses from my parents are anywhere around there. I know that I left at least one hose there from the silage filling last fall when we were watering it a little because it was dry and wanted to make sure it had enough moisture to heat and ensile when covered. I need another 50 ft length I think. There must be some at the barn somewhere.

Nothing to do with hay today... and with the way it is looking no rain/showers in the forecast so I think he is going to cut more hay... it is rather dry because of not getting enough rain already... so it will dry on the ground faster... so we will be making as much as we can. Be nice to get it done and then have a break before the 2nd cutting...

Going to get something done... even if it is wrong !!!!

 

[Mini Horses]

They were cutting and tedding hay across street today...about 35 acres. Actually drier than usual , overgrown -- from the almost 3 wks of drizzle every day or two when it needed cutting. They baled another 40 or so acres 1/2 mile up road 2 days ago. Sunny, warm, windy all week. Actually, heavy winds today!

 

[Ridgetop]

and then plant back in orchard grass next year.

Isn't that the stuff you are so allergic to? Plant more sorghum and corn?

Cody says the weather has been so rainy that he hasn't gotten any hayfields mowed. No rush since most of the grass was winter rye and the Bahia hadn't come up yet a month ago. Don't know if they got the chicken litter on the fields yet either. As long as it will keep raining that will be good for the grass - better than drought conditions again.