Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

@Ridgetop ... yes he threatened to sell our cows if they got over there again... like his pasture was so wonderful... that was the guy who told the landowner... in a text... that the landowner forwarded to DS.... that we were starving our cattle and they looked very hungry and we weren't taking proper care of them and all this garbage... I know I wrote about it somewhere back in the journal...
Not going to be a problem now... it will be all new fence along the property line between the 2 places...

Went and tested the herd that is over an hour north... by the time I got things ready here... went and fed the cow and waited for her to be done with the grain and turned her out... and then dropped off the reports at the owner sampler farm on the way... there was no time for anything else...
Had a nice afternoon there... I really like these people even though I have to set up 24 meters.... with their help.... and they are very appreciative of my testing them...
They gave me a good sized jar of honey from their bees... they have gotten back into them
... farmer used to have a commercial operation years ago, and just wanted to get back into them after many years... and wanting some pollinators....
They try to use few chemicals on the farm so that is really good...

Got home and brought samples in, locked in the chickens and done for the night. Can't stop yawning so going to bed. I did zipper close the door on the greenhouse and turned on the heater. It was only down to 47 so that was good. It is now back up to 56... and should hold around 56-58.

Haven't heard a thing from the guy that did some of the clearing LAST MONDAY..... planning to spend tomorrow and take the stuff he cut around the maple tree and the bush he sheared way back, and put it out on the burn pile in the garden. Then maybe try to see about cleaning up a bit more around the greenhouse shelter frame and if it can be moved around a bit. No, @Ridgetop , can't use a tractor or anything.. it is not very "sturdy" without the cover on it... and there is not the room to maneuver there... and it is not attached to the 2x4's I put on the ground to just keep it up off the dirt so the metal didn't rust... replacing that wood would not be so hard to do... I also need to take the weed eater out there and clean out the "outlines" where it is going to go so I can move those 2x4's to put it up on again too. I will putter at it tomorrow. Want to get the scrub brush and stuff moved so I can work on raking and bagging some of the leaves before they get rained on and made a sodden mess... they are pretty nice and dry and "fluffy" like , right now. They will mix good in the shelter for the chickens, for the winter.

I am sure there are things I have forgotten about today... but I am tired and done for the night.

 

[Ridgetop]

yes he threatened to sell our cows if they got over there again.

Wouldn't that be "rustling"? Cattle theft is a serious offence - grand larceny at today's prices!

Is it still a hanging offense in Virginia? Some states haven't taken the hanging penalty off the books yet. LOL

 

[farmerjan]

He's a big bag of wind... not paying attention to him. I don't know if it is a hanging offense here... wouldn't put that much energy into it... lead poisoning is easier...
It's going to be a moot point...new boundary fence before next years' grazing. DS just signed the ag tax papers for the owner we lease from, so not really concerned... He is just a back stabbing, two faced, pompous, self important, big mouth...

 

[Baymule]

He's a big bag of wind...

lead poisoning is easier...

He is just a back stabbing, two faced, pompous, self important, big mouth...

Why don’t you tell us how you really feel? Hahaha!

 

[farmerjan]

I was being "civil".... my not so civil opinions are not fit to print here...

I am back home. DS called about 5 and said there was a cow sale in town at 7, did I want to ride along? So I said okay, I was going up to put the cow in to eat and it would take about 45 min for her to eat and put her back out... he said no rush, he was at the barn feeding and would be done in about an hour. I went up since I was already in the car, then after putting her in, came home, changed my sneakers as I had on the older ones that hurt my feet if I wear them very long, but they are good for running up to the barn and stuff... got a sweatshirt, locked the chickens in, and went back, turned her out, and went to the barn. DS was still feeding, and about 15 minutes later we left.
Cattle were high.. There were 10 registered bulls that were in the $3-5,000 range... about normal. There were several cow/calf pairs in the $2600-3,000 range and then alot of bred heifers. $1600-2400... higher than I would ever pay for bred heifers. And they are smaller than I like to calve them. DS bought 3 of the 1600 dollar ones, for the guy we do all the custom haying for and work all his cattle. Why he wants more when he doesn't make enough hay to feed what he has now... and has to buy hay from us... I guess I will never get it... except that DS and I are doing all his work now for him.... working the calves in the spring, and then getting them up and taking them to town in the fall.... so why not add a few more. He did ship one cow that hasn't calved in 2 or 3 years ????
.

And I think he had one die this year... but he doesn't have enough grass to really feed them what they need and the calves were smaller this year... plus they were more spread out so he had several that were barely 400 lbs... and I think he kept 1 or 2 late calves back... to be sold next year. But really... he never preg checks the cows either... The farm is paid for, her parents place I think... he is retired... so he just putters with them...but why spend that kind of money for heifers when you are at the max as far as your grazing goes anyway.

So another guy bought 4 and he was asking if anyone was going in the direction of Stuarts Draft... and DS knows him and told him we could take them for him so we loaded the 3 on the front and then his 4 in the back and took them to his place ... just a little diversion on the way home.... made $100 so it paid for all the fuel and all... came back and he dropped the 3 at doug's barn and he will deliver them tomorrow afternoon after work. Don't want to turn them out in the dark at a strange place.

Then I just came home from the barn. Tomorrow I have to haul a load of water... the spring was down and planned to do it today, but James came and worked at the house... cut the saplings/scrub stuff from around the holly tree, loaded all the stuff he had already cut up, in the truck, and made several trips to the garden to put it in there for winter burning. Then he worked on the forsythia bushes and got most of them all cut way back... and put that in the garden for burning also... There is more to do, but he worked 4 hours again and that was fine... paid him and told him that I was working tomorrow if he wanted to come and work, but that I should be home most of the day on Thursday.

So that was my day. Got the samples packed and dropped off at the vineyard for UPS right after they opened at noon.... Took the extra meters out of the car and all the longer hoses and put the short hoses in for tomorrow's herd. Then all the short hoses will get put in the totes and I will have to change brackets for the herd next week. Friday's herd I do not need meters.

I need to get the bottles in the racks for tomorrow... do the cow in the morning, and then haul a load of water... then go to work.

Time to get a shower and go to bed.

 

[Ridgetop]

Sounds like the guy buying the heifers just wants a hobby. Hopefully he is paying you for the work you are doing for him with the cows.

 

[farmerjan]

This neighbor has had cattle for 40 years...as a side thing.... he is just getting to where he cannot do all that he used to do and his facilities are getting more and more "worn out" ; and so now we do not work them at his place but just load and truck them to our barn and we work them through the chute and all that is sturdy and little chance of things getting broken, or the people working them getting hurt, or anything. The cows are not near as quiet and easy going as ours are and there had been a couple episodes of the calves nearly tearing things apart, and we just said this is enough. We sort of inherited this situation from doug, who did all his haymaking for years and years... Yes, we get paid for all the haymaking etc... I think that DS gets paid a little for the cattle work... I am always the unpaid "grunt" because I do not pay for any of my cows "upkeep" on our operation... and get the full amount of the sales of any of my calves etc... I guess it works out okay in the overall picture. He keeps them also to get the land use tax exemption. That is sizeable on the 70 acres or more that he has there.

We figure that it costs about $700 a year to keep a cow... adding up the costs of land payments/rent/taxes for the value of the grass/grazing.... value of the minerals/salt/vaccinations extras.... hay and grain that gets fed...
Used to be we could figure $1.00 per day overall average to keep a cow. Now that is up to $2.00 per day. If a person did honest figuring of all costs, they would realize that they are not making much, if any, money. But that does not take into consideration the enjoyment of keeping the animals, companionship, the fresh food on the table and the exercise one gets in the caring for them. It cannot put a price on the enjoyment of a sunset on across the fields, or the peacefulness of the early morning. It cannot figure in the sense of achievement harvesting a bushel of vegetables from the garden....
This does not figure in a value for your own time... farmers work for "nothing".... but sometimes the freedom is priceless even when it can be a grueling job.

 

[farmerjan]

It got down to 38 degrees, and cloudy this morning. It is going to mostly cloudy today, with them moving out later this afternoon. No rain out of any of it. Nice tomorrow and then some clouds for Friday but now the forecast is saying that we will probably not get more than a trace from the front coming through as any rain will get wrung out of the clouds coming across the mountains in WV... next chance for some rain after that is next week a day or 2 before Thanksgiving.
Going out to do the cow and chickens in a little bit. I did find a nest and there were a couple eggs in it and have seen the 2 RI Red hens going into it... so at least I have a place to check...
Got to go up and get the truck and trailer and haul a load of water this morning, after I check on the spring to see how low it is. Sometimes it sort of "catches up" and if it is at least half full, I will be okay. But not counting on that. I would like to get some of these nice leaves raked up in the next few days too... Always something else to do.... and "work" gets in the way. Oh well....

 

[Baymule]

That’s how I feel about my sheep and dogs. Yes, it’s hard work sometimes and I have to make arrangements for them when I’m away, but I love it. It’s all money out the window right now, but maybe some day I’ll break even. Hahaha!!

 

[Ridgetop]

I don't think any ranchers/farmers really make any money anymore. They all have jobs to support their farms. But like you say, it is the lifestyle and other benefits that bring us the most in life.