Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Your area "extreme drought"...mine "abnormally dry"....per this morning news/weather reports. They were having news about the fire, so the drought & dry was provided. Yeah, smoke was stated as making for very poor air -- degree depended on winds, naturally. That's also why school closings, plus driving conditions, etc.

Hope you find those chickens you want while there Sat. At least a contact for some!

 

[Baymule]

That fire is bad. I hope y’all get rain, enough to slow it down or put it out.
Have fun tomorrow!

 

[farmerjan]

Home from testing and just ate the other 1/2 of the steak and the sauteed onions. Didn't make the the potatoes or the beans tonight. Testing went good, only milking 100 (usually 125-140) so that was good. Paperwork went fast and I left to come home, got here 9 p.m. Chickens locked in... no eggs, and done.
Samples in the house.
The vehicle fire on Interstate 64 going east was not contained yesterday, but is now considered 50% contained... it spread into the Shenandoah Nat'l park and into some private land Less than 20 acres....Hopefully it will be out in a day or 2.
There is not any fire in The St Mary's wilderness area just east of here that I can find, so that report was false. BUT, the Matt's creek fire that is burning in the Big Island area, that is causing much of the smoke, is just shy of 6,000 acres now. There are over 200 fire personnel fighting it.
Smoke was really thick here but when I got about 30 miles south, it was clear as the winds were pushing it north. The forecast has the winds changing and they will be coming from the north so the smoke should change directions and head south after tomorrow.

Going in to take a shower, wash the cow manure out of my hair, get clothes together and set alarm for 5 or so... Filled car with gas on the way home.... 2.89 gal for regular.... got a couple "broken down" cardboard boxes in the back of the car so will put the strapping tape with my glasses and phone to take with me in the case of finding some chickens... need to stop at the ATM at the bank on the way in the morning.

Explorer is going to have to go to the Ford dealership to see if they can come up with a solution to the blank screen that will not "communicate" with the other parts.... Wish it would roll off a cliff.....

Jim got the new hood latch on my father's truck that has been sitting here for over a year... charged the battery but said it is weak... Haven't tried to start it the last 2 days... bet it will be dead by Sunday when I have time to start it... Have to put it on my charger.... and it will need a new battery. Another reason to get rid of the explorer... so I can buy this off DS and get a better rate on the ins (it is a 1999 I think) and be able to use it.... has the extra doors for the "supercab" area, so easier to get in and out of than the old supercabs.... but not a full crew cab seat.

James came by to work some more today... showed him the vine I never saw... he was going to work on some downed limbs from the big walnut and the brush from the downed apple tree... I had to leave to go do the cow and then go to work.

Morning is going to come early... I've got to get done here...

 

[farmerjan]

Hit a few sprinkles on the way home. Used the wipers on intermittent for about .2 mile... big whoop... not enough to get the ground wet really.

 

[farmerjan]

Had a good day at the show... didn't leave til almost 7 but it was fine. Didn't sleep good, probably thought I would oversleep the alarm... so didn't rest good. Got home at 5, cow turned out, chickens locked in and it was dark...
I am tired so will elaborate more tomorrow... did not spend any money except for $20 on the raffle tickets and $7.50 for lunch... got a line on the standard New Hampshires' of the same bloodline I used to have... He will have eggs and chicks in the spring... will contact him again in Feb. I am committed to getting some...

I have to get with the guy who had the NH bantams that I talked to a few weeks ago... been so busy with work and all, I forgot... see if he still has them... and make a trip to PA.... if he does still have them, will see about buying as many as I can... then have some to work with to pick out for good breeders and for just eggs and sell off extra males or pairs... He had 20 when I talked to him and then I dropped the ball... hope he still has some. There were 2 pr of the bantams in the show, they were fair/decent... no big ones. The guy who has them was one of the poultry judges there today... and he doesn't have any adults to sell now so it wouldn't have done me any good to contact him to being any as he doesn't have any to sell now.
Supposed to be nice tomorrow... might be able to get some leaves raked up... also need to get serious about getting the "shelter" frame cleaned up around and turned for putting the cover on next weekend....

 

[Mini Horses]

got a line on the standard New Hampshires' of the same bloodline I used to have... He will have eggs and chicks in the spring... will contact him again in Feb. I am committed to getting some...

That would be good...you've been looking & asking at each swap. Hope it works out for you this year. The "hunt" can be so frustrating! I'm sure you enjoyed the day away -- diversion.

 

[farmerjan]

Good day away yesterday at the show. Gets a little boring as you wait for the judges to go through each class of birds... but if you can get close to one that doesn't mind, sometimes they will comment on the birds as they take them out of the cages and look them over... color, markings, comb shape... then type when they put them back in the cages... often time they close off the aisle the judge is in to keep people from getting in the way as they go down through... the aisles are not real wide... There weren't near as many birds for sale as I expected. I think people are culling sooner with the prices of feed.
These are serious fanciers too. Not like the swap where there are all sorts of "pretty chickens" that do not meet any criteria for the purebred breeds and varieties. People can like their "Easter eggers" and all that, but without these purebred breeds, there would not be all these other "varieties" that the hatchery's sell...
One thing that is no longer a big issue in the show birds is the egg laying abilities... just like show dogs, some of the original "attributes" of some of the different breeds has been "lost" or overlooked like the egg laying abilities. And there have been so many other crosses to produce better egg laying "breeds" that hatcheries push. I admit that I have had some of the "sex-links" strictly for their egg laying abilities when I was running free range layers. Not much longevity there though... 2 or maybe 3 years and they are "laid out" .... but that is what they are bred for...
The New Hampshires were bred to be a good dual purpose laying/meat bird that did well in colder climates. And this strain I want belonged to a very good friend of mine. He traded back and forth with this poultry judge on many breeds... they were what were called "stringmen" back in the day when they had many breeds and took them around and showed them... but both also liked many breeds and BRED them and kept good ones. This judge has about 16 breeds he said... and he told me he is trying to keep some of the better old breeds alive and up to standard specifications... it is a big time hobby for him.... I hope to get a good bunch of chicks from him in the spring. Might see what other breeds he has and maybe get a second breed.
I wish now I had gotten those Vorweck chickens at the swap in Sept since they are so stunning a color combination. They are not recognized in the American Poultry Assoc standard of perfection book... but if there are several people that raise them, then they can go before the assoc and get recognized after a certain number of shows etc. Maybe next year might try to add them if I find anymore...

Oh well, that is for the spring... gotta get the shelter moved around and these leaves raked to use for some bedding and fun for the chickens to scratch through in the cold winter time.

Sun is out, temps climbing nicely. Time to get going and get the water hauled to the cows too...

 

[Mini Horses]

When you talk with is judge for your New Hampshire's, ask if he's got any White Plymouth Rocks. Those & Barred Rocks do well for duals and seem to lay with the shorter days better than some. I'll be looking for both of those for spring additions. . You know I'm not showing, so show "rejects" work for me.

 

[farmerjan]

In for a sandwich and some tylenol/ibuprofen.... I ache from all the standing yesterday, and the stuff I have been doing around here.... and my wrist has been sore ever since I tripped over those rocks that night doing the cow and tried to catch myself in the catch pen. At least the "black eye" faded and the bruise I had is gone. Probably should put a wrist support on it even though it is not swollen...

Beautiful day out. Sunny and in the 60's... I am in a long sleeved T-shirt and comfortable.

Got the meter brackets changed for the farm Tuesday and in the car along with the hoses... I would rather be done and not have to deal with it in the rain Tuesday.

Have got all the electric netting "folded" into 2 neat piles with the torn up part marked with some surveyors tape so I can cut it apart or something. I am going to look at the videos that are put out for "repairing" it and see what the best way to go it. This way, I can get the tractor and bushhog and get the overgrown grass and weeds cut down at the house so we can get the shelter frame moved. I am thinking that maybe I will tip it over to move it around... it should tip pretty easy; I tried and it lifted pretty easily... thinking on it.

Started raking the leaves and got a couple bags to stuff them into. Then the wrist started to hurt so decided that lunch and a couple pain killers would be a good thing.

Need to go haul the water while it is warmer. The spring fed concrete trough was nearly 3/4 full when I checked it this morning so that is really good. But if I haul it today, they will drink today and tomorrow and then rain on Tuesday and I might get a big break.... haven't looked too far ahead to see if there is more rain in the forecast. It is a pain, but it has really helped to "stretch" the water in the concrete trough.

Nurse cow does drink quite a bit from the couple of small water troughs in her pen and I like to keep some in case I have to leave her locked in for a day or so like with work and being gone yesterday. Unlikely there will be too many more trips anywhere, but there will still be some later nights with testing that I won't want ot have to deal with her and all in the dark, so putting a sq bale of hay in the bunk feeder and leaving her in works pretty good. The calves are doing good... it seems like 2 is all she really can handle this time around and that is fine. They go on her, one on each side in the barn which is really good too. I have seen the holstein on the back also, so he is smart enough to make sure he gets his share. I probably will be letting them out with her in another week or so...
The calves he banded from up at the nurse cow pasture all are doing good.. a couple are coming in for grain when they see me come up... they have learned that when I am there, there is usually grain in the bunk in their "half" of the barn inside... and the one of mine on the longhorn, the oldest and biggest; his sack has turned completely black and is getting close to falling off.. I was concerned since he was a little older, but looks like the banding worked good. Got one in there that seems to be somewhat bloated most of the time... he eats and drinks, nurses his mother... so I am not going to panic... maybe whenever we have the vet I will get him caught up and have him check him out... I told DS so if anything should happen to him, he will not get all bent out of shape over it. Something not right, but doesn't seem to bother him too much. Did see one of the older heifers limping this morning... right rear foot/leg. Not swollen... don't know if she stepped on something or what. Will have to watch her.

Time to go out and go haul that water before it gets too chilly out. Then I can maybe work on some more leaves.

Water here at house is not good. Had no water pressure to speak of and it is taking forever for the toilet to refill... trying very hard to be very careful of usage. I am really wanting to put in a cistern to hold 2500 gallons as a reserve.... may only "need it" once every couple years... but it would serve for a good reservoir in case we get to where there is a problem with electricity... I could have a way to draw from it also... I am really concerned due to all the people living across the road and how much the water has seemed to be slower/less since they moved in the several families...all kin to the owner.... they renovated the one big building into living quarters... it used to be a "meeting hall" where they had country music on Friday nights..... I would bet my paycheck that they are on the same "water vein" as this well.... and it is not holding up well with the extended dry conditions. At least with a reservoir, it could fill slowly and not put additional strain on the well pump kicking on and off, so much... It would probably mean a second pump to pull it from the cistern into the house... but would give a bit of a break during the times that there seems to be a real drop in the water pressure.... since the cistern would have a more readily available water source with the pressure being more consistent from it... kinda like stretching out the water like at the pasture... not a constant demand every time the 50 or so gallons of the tank drops a little... and then kicks on... It could go out near the storage building that is out there since that is between the well and the house...maybe partially buried ... not enough of a slope anywhere here at the house for it to be gravity fed into the house or anything...

Well, sandwich done, going to get the truck and trailer and get the water.... clouds tomorrow so I can work on some more leaves then....

 

[Mini Horses]

Well -- our weather people suggesting your area could get 3-3.5" rain in this system. . Also they're saying closer to 2" here rather than 1" . You may get that needed water.