Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Home from the sale... prices are good... not top of the top, like a month ago... but still respectable... Both "heifers" brought over $1 / lb... the one was lighter than I thought... the other brought a little more than I thought so they averaged out to near $900 each and I had figured roughly near $1000 each so that was good. The calves... NOT great calves mind you as these were the smallest and so the "lower end" did pretty good... most were in the upper 3 wts... 370 + and one group of 6 heifers that made the "grade pen" were 417 lbs... and most brought in the 2.30's to the 2.60's... So most were in the $700-800 plus range... other years we wouldn't have gotten $3-500 each so it was good overall... Prices in general have backed up $.15-.40/ lb.... overall...
The cull cows have also backed off... $.15-.40 less per lb.... the very very best perfect ones brought in the $.90 range... many were in the .50's to .70... the cow was smaller than I thought, just under 900 lbs...she was short.... but brought close to $600, so it's good she is gone...
And DS said he wants to know who the dams were and could I see if they had small calves last time... and several are going to be "last calf" ones when they calve this fall..... several we know are just getting old.... 12 and 13 yrs old, for several of them...
So the ones we kept, out of ours, not counting the 30 WV steers... there are about 40-45 I guess... (there were 60 +/- of ours plus the 30 WV steers, so 90 total) are all in the 450-600 wt range, most in the 450-550... and they look good... better than what we sold... so that is good... we will wait and see how the markets play out... after the fall rush is gone...
And watch the world situation as that can affect cattle prices too... and what the cow herd numbers are after the fall sell offs and what the drought conditions have reduced numbers to... It is said that cow numbers (breeding age cows) is the lowest it has been in 60+ years... that will mean alot fewer calves being born and fewer for sale next year.... so higher prices.... if the economy doesn't collapse.

DS stayed as they aren't going to a halloween thing as I thought... he and xGF , or whatever her status is... are taking her daughter and the sisters' daughter to a water park as a combined birthday thing... this was planned before the break up... I don't think things are going well with him and xGF so now they are not leaving until tomorrow (Sun) morning and he is taking off work on Mon... and they are only staying 1 night... so there goes any thoughts I had of getting the 500 cow herd done this coming week....I am tied up Tues and Wed and we are getting in cattle of the neighbor's on Thurs aft for them to go to the sale next Friday... and I am working at the mill Fri aft and all day Sat..... so he stayed at the sale until they sold the "graded" heifers and then left. He bought a steer and 3 heifers so got them loaded... and brought the truck and trailer home himself. I stayed until the cull cow got sold (last thing of ours to sell) and then drove the car home... which was my preference...

We got another little bit of rain by the looks of it... I will check the rain gauge in the morning but I don't think is was very much... and the breeze is getting alot stronger... it hit 69 but didn't feel like it with the clouds... and tomorrow is supposed to be upper 50's...
I keep telling myself it is FALL.....going into winter all too soon.

Time for me to go to bed... Really hope to get the rest of the potatoes weighed and all boxed tomorrow...

 

[farmerjan]

Did anyone get to see the solar eclipse???? All clouds here so nothing much different...

 

[Baymule]

Solar eclipse? This was mine.

I think the eclipse couldn’t find Trinity county. Or maybe I couldn’t find the eclipse. LOL

 

[farmerjan]

Solar Eclipse was supposed to be like 12-2 or somewhere in the mid day time.... we were all clouds so not a possibility.

Woke up to 47.... not too breezy now although there was quite a breeze when I went to bed. The sun is trying to come out and alot of high clouds out there too. I am going out to let the chickens out and will check the rain gauge. I think we only got the .2-.4 they were predicting.
I need to go check on some cows today and hope to get a few more boxes at the "cardboard dumpster" there at the Pilot gas station and get the rest of the potatoes done this afternoon. Also want to go to the barn and check on the new ones... maybe give them a little grain in the feed bunk...

If it stays chilly it will be a good day to do some inside work.

 

[murphysranch]

Totally forgot about the eclipse. But it was overcast and it did get weirdly dark for a bit yesterday morning. Still, being darker didn't jiggle the old brain cells!!!

 

[Ridgetop]

Eclipse was great here. DS1 had bought the eclipse glasses to take to Texas for the total eclipse in March/April 2024. I used them to watch the eclipse, but it never got to the "Ring of Fire" but only to a fingernail moon look. Still very easy to see.

Crazy thing happened yesterday. DS1 went out and found an area of bare dirt SMOKING! It was right in front of the sheep pen gate and there was no flame, just smoldering and smoking. Nothing to burn there since it is only dirt with some hay dust and a few sheep berries. He dumped a wheelbarrow of water on it and scraped it over. We cannot figure out how it could have caught fire or just even smolder when it was dirt! No flames, just smoking dirt, but the ground is black there.

Maybe some produce like that at the mill????

Just what I was thinking! Maybe talk to the new owner about having a once-a-month Farmer's Market during the season?

I don't think things are going well with him and xGF

Hoping for a complete breakup! He needs a woman who will love him and be supportive and help with the farm. Not that loser thinking only of herself! Sorry to be so outspoken but he needs someone who will be good for him.

 

[Finnie]

Crazy thing happened yesterday. DS1 went out and found an area of bare dirt SMOKING! It was right in front of the sheep pen gate and there was no flame, just smoldering and smoking. Nothing to burn there since it is only dirt with some hay dust and a few sheep berries. He dumped a wheelbarrow of water on it and scraped it over. We cannot figure out how it could have caught fire or just even smolder when it was dirt! No flames, just smoking dirt, but the ground is black there.

He needs a woman who will love him and be supportive and help with the farm. Not that loser thinking only of herself!

And someone who doesn’t keep cheating back and forth between the same two men. I don’t understand how either one of them puts up with that.

 

[SageHill]

Crazy thing happened yesterday. DS1 went out and found an area of bare dirt SMOKING! It was right in front of the sheep pen gate and there was no flame, just smoldering and smoking.

Wellllll, ya' know the eclipse could have something to do with that. Some glass or similar close by could act like a lens and start things.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday eve... Was a breezy day after all... I didn't get going outside as early as I should have.. but oh well...

Got the meters and hoses out of the car and put away. Rain gauge had .3 inch like I was thinking... not alot but still something. Went down and checked on the new ones in the lot and they were laying around near where the roll of hay had been, in the sunshine. New roll of hay not far from them... Don't know if they have figured out to come in through the gate for water... but can put one of ours in there to teach them if need be.
Went and got a couple boxes from the "cardboard" recycling dumpster, while I was out....

Temps only got up to 63 and the breeze made it very cool out. I got working on the potatoes later this afternoon when the sun came around the tree so as to not be quite so chilly. Have 2 varieties left to do... that is on the agenda for tomorrow, to get them finished up.
You do know that of course the neighbor had the monthly "farmer's market" thing at his place yesterday... when I was busy.... ....

I would ask to take some to the mill for the apple butter festival... but not with working for them, because I KNOW how insanely busy it gets... I have gone to it several times since I stopped working there and it has gotten bigger since this guy took it over...

I sat and did the paperwork on the sold calves and figured up what they brought and all that... and which couple were mine and all that sort of stuff... Got to go through and see if I can find info on last years sales and who were smaller ones that got sold last year and compare to which dams had which calves... I have already earmarked 7 that will either have their last calf and get sold when it gets weaned (3 of them that are old)... and a few others should probably get sold with their little calves and let someone else own them and raise the calves... these cows need constant "extra grain" and cannot make the milk on just grass... they do not fit in with our program of feeding out calves on just pasture...
They have had 2 calves and none have been worth keeping... pregnant due to calve again...

Well, I am going to get a shower and quit for the night. Have a list of things I need to do tomorrow....

 

[farmerjan]

40 this morning and cloudy out so not much warmup... Possible snow flurries west of here but nothing much for us. Warming up the middle of the week.
Potatoes are done... finally... some did good and some not so good. Made mashed potatoes again last night with a different variety... they are smoother and taste more like the mashed potatoes that I grew up with than the first ones. Neither of these produced much so I am using them... probably won't grow them again.

Went to bank with cattle checks and got that squared away.. DS is supposed to be home later .... I am going to go down to co-op and have him check the tires on the car, got a little shimmy and want to make sure they did not kick off a weight or anything. Have him look at the brakes also as it does it more when braking and make sure nothing is loose or anything. Got to go check a water hose at the pasture that we had to hook up a small trough for the cattle on that stupid bunch grass they had planted and the cows just don't care to eat... supposedly the cows got the hose to leak again... it is a short piece that DS made to go from the frost free faucet, to the automatic waterer in the trough... PITA.....

Then coming home to clean a few things out of the car since I thought I would have the explorer back and planned to have it to drive for a couple days while this one was being serviced... then do stuff in the house since it is too chilly to do outside stuff. Just normal day to day stuff....