Baymule
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Especially if it is “junk mail”! LOL
Farmerjan's journal - Weather
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farmerjan
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In for a late sandwich. It's up to 65 and is getting breezy... Checked the rain gauge and had right at .4 inch...
Dug 2 more varieties this morning, then saw where DS and jim had come up to get tractor unstuck with the other tractor so guess he didn't need me. Whatever. I went to McCormick's Mill day for a bit. Not alot of vendors and the bbq chicken done by the fire dept was already sold out. The guy doing the cobblers doesn't come there anymore.
Spent a little time talking to a neighbor and fellow farmer who does the corn grinding with the water powered stones.... then came home to eat.
Headed back out to dig more. The sun is warm enough that a long sleeved t-shirt is good for now. Might get the rest dug today, let them dry out and then pick up tomorrow. The ground is barely damp from that little rain. Easy digging so that is good.
Dug 2 more varieties this morning, then saw where DS and jim had come up to get tractor unstuck with the other tractor so guess he didn't need me. Whatever. I went to McCormick's Mill day for a bit. Not alot of vendors and the bbq chicken done by the fire dept was already sold out. The guy doing the cobblers doesn't come there anymore.
Spent a little time talking to a neighbor and fellow farmer who does the corn grinding with the water powered stones.... then came home to eat.
Headed back out to dig more. The sun is warm enough that a long sleeved t-shirt is good for now. Might get the rest dug today, let them dry out and then pick up tomorrow. The ground is barely damp from that little rain. Easy digging so that is good.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Well good for you! 
you had a fun diversion.
It would have been nice had you known Jim was helping early on. But it's also good he's using him when he should....it really didn't sound like a clean job
you had a fun diversion.It would have been nice had you known Jim was helping early on. But it's also good he's using him when he should....it really didn't sound like a clean job
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farmerjan
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Well, I ache... but the potatoes are all dug. The ones I did this morning were dry enough that they are in 2 buckets to come to house... the others will be dry enough tomorrow to gather up. I can barely stand up straight after all that bending over... 
Now comes the weighing and then the sorting through for all the damaged ones and all that sort of stuff.
Well, tomorrow I will not be doing much except riding in the truck for the morning at least...3 hrs out and 3+ back loaded.
It is already down to 55 from a high of 65 today. Sun is still out but the breeze is brisk. It will keep off any frost possibilities if it drops that much... but I don't think it will get much below 45 or a little lower.
I am going to put the chickens in early... and work on folding clothes and other stuff.... Got to do some dishes too... but I will do more sit down stuff than stand stuff tonight !!!!
Now comes the weighing and then the sorting through for all the damaged ones and all that sort of stuff.
Well, tomorrow I will not be doing much except riding in the truck for the morning at least...3 hrs out and 3+ back loaded.
It is already down to 55 from a high of 65 today. Sun is still out but the breeze is brisk. It will keep off any frost possibilities if it drops that much... but I don't think it will get much below 45 or a little lower.
I don't let it bother me anymore... he does what he does. It wouldn't have been too bad a job since both were in the tractors... I see that it is out and on "higher ground"... so that is good. I don't think it was too bad to get it out, but the tractor with the bush hog is 2wd and an old heavy one and the back wheels just SUNK.... the John Deere he used to get it out is big but a 4wd... so extra "umph"....Well good for you!
It would have been nice had you known Jim was helping early on. But it's also good he's using him when he should....it really didn't sound like a clean job
I am going to put the chickens in early... and work on folding clothes and other stuff.... Got to do some dishes too... but I will do more sit down stuff than stand stuff tonight !!!!
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farmerjan
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Sunday.... left at 5 a.m. it got down to 42 last night. Clouds and a little sun but quite breezy. Temp says it hit 58 but is dropping.
Got the cattle in the barn from the lot they had them in... there are only 30. There will be a "search" with other neighbors there to see if they strayed somewhere and then just kept going. The property next door is over 2500 acres I found out so they could have gotten through a fence, strayed over a hill (WV mountains out there) and then not found their way back... could have gotten spooked by a coyote or a bear or who knows... Could have fallen in a sink hole and died... The friend that owns it is going to talk to some others and the friend that lives out there, and was checking on them and feeding them grain twice a week to keep them coming to call, is going to alert all that hunt out there to keep a look out for possible carcass/bones.. Not a good thing financially..... but what are you going to do???
It was chilly out there, hooded sweatshirts were very welcome. Got loaded and headed back. The other guy who DS works with, and came to haul a load, was pushing to get back... Got back to the barn and when DS asked what he owed him... thinking $250.... he said 4 would be about right... like $400.... DS almost fell over flat... and paid him and has just about had a coronary.... he never dreamed a fellow co-worker and supposed friend would soak him like that... DS said if he had thought it would be that much, we would have gone back and hauled the 2nd load ourselves..... or gotten the friend that helped haul last year because he said $250 was too much when DS paid him... and he is a much nicer guy anyway... Not sure what DS was thinking except that this guy offered and said that he had time, and he'd be fair...
Holy COW.... He will never haul another load of cattle for us....
But, they are back, we got them in the barn and fed some grain and after looking them over, DS asked what I thought, and I thought that they looked pretty decent... and he decided to worm them right there, hold them in the barn lot and first field for 48 hours with just hay... then put them in the back field behind the barn where there hasn't been anything and has good grass... they came off grass so ought to just fill right up on it.... He has a guy coming out to look at them and give his opinion.. on selling options.
There are right at 90 calves at the barn... all weaned, all on feed and grass/hay... Some will be sold, DS needs to make some payments... trying to figure out whether to sell the heifers or steers and to sell the "bigger sized ones" or the smaller ones... There are about 6-10 that are off our cows that are just small and not very "good" as far as not going to go in with any group and will eat more than we think will be profitable, that will get sold anyway... the "bottom end" so to speak... plus we have a couple of cull cows to go.... not feeding them through the winter...
But, he wants to keep the ones that he thinks will be more profitable to keep to sell in the early spring and that will best utilize the silage as he has decided that he needs to open the pit and start feeding...
We also do not normally sell any in Nov... it is not usually a good month to sell...hunting season and not all buyers are there... the glut of calves off cows at pasture have gone through... at least not around here... so they need to be gone in the next 3 weeks. We do good selling in Jan/Feb normally... but need to at least get some gone...
So, hopefully Caleb will come and look them over, give his opinion, and DS has the guy interested that bought the WV steers last year... so 2 opinions at least.
Anyway, I looked them all over at the barn lots/fields with him and then he finally brought me home around 2.... I went out and let the chickens out, they were not happy but too bad... and then put all the potatoes into buckets to come in... I have to take my list out to make sure I put the right paper with the name in the right bucket so they are all still sitting in the garden so I don't mix them up. A couple look alot alike, some are easy to tell...I am trying to "do this right" as far as weighing and all so I know which ones I want to do again next year and which ones don't "turn me on" as far as production...or taste.... and I want to try some others next year.
I came in, made a sandwich, and am going to go back out, take the car out there and my list and get the rest moved to the house..
It will be another chilly night...although the clouds might help hold a little more heat in the atmosphere tonight. Going to close chickens up a little early just so I am not out there late.... in the cold...
Didn't get much done in the house last night, I quit and went to bed, so maybe tonight I will get more inspired....
Got the cattle in the barn from the lot they had them in... there are only 30. There will be a "search" with other neighbors there to see if they strayed somewhere and then just kept going. The property next door is over 2500 acres I found out so they could have gotten through a fence, strayed over a hill (WV mountains out there) and then not found their way back... could have gotten spooked by a coyote or a bear or who knows... Could have fallen in a sink hole and died... The friend that owns it is going to talk to some others and the friend that lives out there, and was checking on them and feeding them grain twice a week to keep them coming to call, is going to alert all that hunt out there to keep a look out for possible carcass/bones.. Not a good thing financially..... but what are you going to do???
It was chilly out there, hooded sweatshirts were very welcome. Got loaded and headed back. The other guy who DS works with, and came to haul a load, was pushing to get back... Got back to the barn and when DS asked what he owed him... thinking $250.... he said 4 would be about right... like $400.... DS almost fell over flat... and paid him and has just about had a coronary.... he never dreamed a fellow co-worker and supposed friend would soak him like that... DS said if he had thought it would be that much, we would have gone back and hauled the 2nd load ourselves..... or gotten the friend that helped haul last year because he said $250 was too much when DS paid him... and he is a much nicer guy anyway... Not sure what DS was thinking except that this guy offered and said that he had time, and he'd be fair...
Holy COW.... He will never haul another load of cattle for us....
But, they are back, we got them in the barn and fed some grain and after looking them over, DS asked what I thought, and I thought that they looked pretty decent... and he decided to worm them right there, hold them in the barn lot and first field for 48 hours with just hay... then put them in the back field behind the barn where there hasn't been anything and has good grass... they came off grass so ought to just fill right up on it.... He has a guy coming out to look at them and give his opinion.. on selling options.
There are right at 90 calves at the barn... all weaned, all on feed and grass/hay... Some will be sold, DS needs to make some payments... trying to figure out whether to sell the heifers or steers and to sell the "bigger sized ones" or the smaller ones... There are about 6-10 that are off our cows that are just small and not very "good" as far as not going to go in with any group and will eat more than we think will be profitable, that will get sold anyway... the "bottom end" so to speak... plus we have a couple of cull cows to go.... not feeding them through the winter...
But, he wants to keep the ones that he thinks will be more profitable to keep to sell in the early spring and that will best utilize the silage as he has decided that he needs to open the pit and start feeding...
We also do not normally sell any in Nov... it is not usually a good month to sell...hunting season and not all buyers are there... the glut of calves off cows at pasture have gone through... at least not around here... so they need to be gone in the next 3 weeks. We do good selling in Jan/Feb normally... but need to at least get some gone...
So, hopefully Caleb will come and look them over, give his opinion, and DS has the guy interested that bought the WV steers last year... so 2 opinions at least.
Anyway, I looked them all over at the barn lots/fields with him and then he finally brought me home around 2.... I went out and let the chickens out, they were not happy but too bad... and then put all the potatoes into buckets to come in... I have to take my list out to make sure I put the right paper with the name in the right bucket so they are all still sitting in the garden so I don't mix them up. A couple look alot alike, some are easy to tell...I am trying to "do this right" as far as weighing and all so I know which ones I want to do again next year and which ones don't "turn me on" as far as production...or taste.... and I want to try some others next year.
I came in, made a sandwich, and am going to go back out, take the car out there and my list and get the rest moved to the house..
It will be another chilly night...although the clouds might help hold a little more heat in the atmosphere tonight. Going to close chickens up a little early just so I am not out there late.... in the cold...
Didn't get much done in the house last night, I quit and went to bed, so maybe tonight I will get more inspired....
SageHill
Herd Master
Dang on the lost ones$$. Ouch - hope that they are found alive and ok. Yeah fingers crossed and all that. It ~is possible. Adding in that hauling fee - WTH -- did he buy his fuel in CA????
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Tell me the guy provided own gas!! 
he got $50 an hr....
How many calves were missing? Was the guy feeding ever counting? Maybe they are out there & will wander to feed trough
he got $50 an hr....How many calves were missing? Was the guy feeding ever counting? Maybe they are out there & will wander to feed trough
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farmerjan
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@Mini Horses ; Yes, the guy bought his own fuel... but still way over the top.... especially with him saying he would be glad to help...
Yes, Chance counted calves and checked fences twice a week. The 2 calves have been missing for 2 weeks; he and DS talk at least once a week....and he has spent alot of time looking. There was one that had died, and he found it right away... and looked like we had a worm problem so they got wormed immediately....... he has been pretty conscientious....he and his father and grandfather have done this for the friend that owns this place for the last 30 + years... Doc (owner) said a few years ago they had 1 that kept getting out on the road and they couldn't catch it... just one, all by himself
... they finally shot him before someone hit him with their car and there was a catastrophe or a lawsuit of some sort... and one year they had 2 that wound up over 10 miles away.... gone for over a month... why only 2 ???? They are cattle... who the he// knows why they go elsewhere... 
.
It is a faint hope that they got over on the 2500 acre place next door... maybe will be seen, and gotten back... there are several of the regulars that hunt out there... Doc's father owned the 2500 acres years and years ago when they were big in the cattle business, but the kids grew up and moved away and all but the house and about 100 acres were sold off to an outfit that also ran cattle for years... then it has been sold several times since and has once again gone up for sale.... but the family has hunting rights in the deed.... so maybe someone will see something... that's alot of land and cattle will go feral/wild.... or even to find bones/skeletons.....The family connections go way back between them so don't think there is any negative to it. They do get paid to do the cattle checking and get to run 2 head of their own there also... so an incentive to keep a check on things....
It's getting cold out again... down to 45 at 10 p.m.....time to hit the sack...
Yes, Chance counted calves and checked fences twice a week. The 2 calves have been missing for 2 weeks; he and DS talk at least once a week....and he has spent alot of time looking. There was one that had died, and he found it right away... and looked like we had a worm problem so they got wormed immediately....... he has been pretty conscientious....he and his father and grandfather have done this for the friend that owns this place for the last 30 + years... Doc (owner) said a few years ago they had 1 that kept getting out on the road and they couldn't catch it... just one, all by himself
... they finally shot him before someone hit him with their car and there was a catastrophe or a lawsuit of some sort... and one year they had 2 that wound up over 10 miles away.... gone for over a month... why only 2 ???? They are cattle... who the he// knows why they go elsewhere... .It is a faint hope that they got over on the 2500 acre place next door... maybe will be seen, and gotten back... there are several of the regulars that hunt out there... Doc's father owned the 2500 acres years and years ago when they were big in the cattle business, but the kids grew up and moved away and all but the house and about 100 acres were sold off to an outfit that also ran cattle for years... then it has been sold several times since and has once again gone up for sale.... but the family has hunting rights in the deed.... so maybe someone will see something... that's alot of land and cattle will go feral/wild.... or even to find bones/skeletons.....The family connections go way back between them so don't think there is any negative to it. They do get paid to do the cattle checking and get to run 2 head of their own there also... so an incentive to keep a check on things....
It's getting cold out again... down to 45 at 10 p.m.....time to hit the sack...
Baymule
Herd Master
Before Bennett sold out all his cows, he had 2 cows out that he couldn’t catch, then they disappeared altogether. A few months later they showed up in another pasture miles away. They went through the fence to get in that pasture, no telling where they had been. They joined the other cattle in the lot for cubes. Of all people, the pasture that they broke into belonged to Bennet’s brother.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Cattle will do that! Goats too but, they usually take several with them 
I have a couple who get out a lot...Olympic jumpers....but they stay here. Eat at "their" fav areas, come back to be let INTO pasture.
If I catch early on, blowing the horn (tractor or car) will get them to jump back in
mother/dtr pair. If she wasn't a good milker, I'd sell. Didn't milk her this year and should have -- she doesn't jump in milk. Gotta protect that bag! 
. Plus extra weight.
I have a couple who get out a lot...Olympic jumpers....but they stay here. Eat at "their" fav areas, come back to be let INTO pasture.If I catch early on, blowing the horn (tractor or car) will get them to jump back in
mother/dtr pair. If she wasn't a good milker, I'd sell. Didn't milk her this year and should have -- she doesn't jump in milk. Gotta protect that bag! . Plus extra weight.
