Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Ridgetop]

The way the samplers are set up on this farm, once I get my sample I cannot put the rest of the milk in the sampler back into the line... so it gets dumped. So I had thought about it last minute and put a couple of 2 gallon buckets in the car and a 1 gallon bucket I had... and collected that dumped milk into the buckets to bring home. I am going to use it to extend the milk replacer... I won't replace it because then when I run out the calves would get switched back and forth... but this way I can use it like half and it will not change the taste as much and they will get the added benefit of some real milk and save me some money. Wish I had a couple of 5 gallon buckets that were clean and empty to take when we went to test. I didn't get 1/2 of what we dumped... but some is better than none.

Great idea to save money on replacer. If you take buckets to each farm you can save some money and maybe have enough to get another bottle calf.

I like the 5 gallon (or any size) buckets with lids that snap on....

You can buy those 5 gallon buckets with lids at Lowes pretty cheap. If you get a couple more buckets you can bring home all the milk from each farm.

 

[farmerjan]

@Ridgetop ; The milk was only available since I could not put it back into the pipeline due to the design of the sampler... Most farms have samplers that lets me take the sample and then the rest goes into the pipeline with turning the valve; as does the milk in the meters I use for testing milk. And it just happened when I thought of getting this milk, my available 5 gallon buckets all needed a good washing... I have quite a few with lids but had been using them for potatoes and such. Since I cannot get them in the sink in the kitchen to scrub and all, I was waiting for a warmer day outside when I wasn't too busy to wash them... too busy being the "relative term".....
Most dairies use their treated milk for calf feeding... there are only a few where I can get discarded milk from... and this farm is a good one and I will make sure I have the buckets with me for the next test...all their treated cows are in a separate group, milked at the end of their milking herd, and they take the pipeline out of the tank when they milk and it goes into a separate smaller tank to use the milk for their calf feeding. So, I am going to try to remember to take buckets with me and then I can use it or freeze it for future use... the dumping from the samplers is just an oddity at this farm...one other farm has somewhat similar samplers and I dump it in a covered bucket in the barn and he sucks it up into the pipeline and it goes through the filter and all going into the tank.
There is one other dairy that does not feed "bucket cow milk" to their calves... and I have brought some home from there before in the past..
I need another fridge for things like this and for summer produce and such.

I got a 5 gallon bucket washed out today... and hope I might be able to do a couple more tomorrow while it is warm... before I go to test tomorrow afternoon.... I have to get the laundry in too. Well, I have a month to get another 5 gallon bucket or 2, washed out.

Packed the samples and dropped them off and went to the pasture to get the cows moved over. I was going to just open the gates, but they were all coming along when the first couple realized that they could go across the driveway to eat, and immediately put their heads down to eat... so I took car down in the field a little bit, and finally everyone came up... had 1 calf not wanting to walk across the asphalt, and then 2 more small calves came up the hill... and I wound up behind them in the car, "herding them " and they got right to the open gate and 1 started across and the other 2, I crowded them and the one that didn't want to go didn't have a choice... the other is a newer calf there on one of my other cows..... another one that wasn't supposed to be that far along.... but I guess I am glad. This is on a charolais/angus cross heifer of mine, and had a charolais colored calf.... pretty sure it is a heifer calf... this is out of a bought cow from several years ago...she has been very prolific... she has no teeth and came up open, so has her last calf on her now... and I think she has had 2 or 3 heifer calves that I have kept.... so a nice surprise... both these calves were not expected, both on my cows, and the new one down at the other pasture is also on one of my bought cows...
Moving them over to this grass is good. There is alot of green still mixed in with the taller stuff on the one side of the hill... we don't cut over that far... it is real steep.... although we used to cut it and I cannot believe that I used to rake on that side hill.... but there will be decent eating for a bit. The cows all look good there... in fact all our cows are in very good flesh... contrary to what that other stupid farmer that bordered the one pasture, said. I am surprised that the cows are in as good a condition that they are. The ones at the nurse cow pasture are roly poly "tub of lard" fat... on just grass. DS has just put in the first rolls there and they are really working on them but they were down back today in the warmer temps, picking through more stuff to eat. But it is getting eaten down and I do not want them to lose condition with the winter coming on. So, I will make sure he keeps them fed without wasting it. They need to clean up what he fed the other night...
Checked the water trough after I moved the others today, and checked at the nurse cow pasture; and both had water so they are set. Need to take some salt blocks out to the pastures. The smallest calf, last born, at the nurse cow pasture is starting to come in the creep gate so I will be able to catch her and her mother up one day, and DS can move her to a pasture to go with a bull to get bred back. Everyone else should have gotten bred before the bull was taken out....and the younger heifers moved in. 1 more in there to calve, she was behind everyone else... she will get held over to go with the spring calving cows; who will start in a couple of months.... and if she has any problems breeding back again, she will get sold... they get a pass the first time they don't breed back on time... no passes a second time around unless they are real good old cows that we purposely do not push to breed back.

So after finally getting them all situated, came on home. It was getting late, so I got some milk out of the cooler that still had some ice in the water to keep the buckets cold, brought it in, heated some water to make up the replacer and got the bottles made and went up and fed. Then came home and locked chickens in, closed up the greenhouse door and plugged in the heater... which I unplug when I open the door up, and came in, washed the bottles , washed the few dishes.. and am done. Have to leave at 4 to go to work.... so will go to bed at a decent hour. Got a list of a couple things that I need to get, like the nails I never got today; to do the 2x6's frame.... on the way home in the morning.

The temp got up to 71 in the sun on the thermometer... It really was nice out there.

The other farm I was waiting to hear from, called and they want next Tuesday afternoon... So everyone that needs to be done is scheduled..... until the following week when there is one that might want to test they said. I will call them Monday 18th...

I brought the boxes in to transfer bottles into the racks for tomorrow afternoon's herd.... everything else is ready... so I can just bring in the samples in the morning, and take out the racks with bottles for the afternoon and we are good to go... and I can spend as much time here outside if it is as nice out that it says it will be... before I have to go back to work.
I plan to hibernate Sunday in the house, out of the rain except for feeding the bottle babies. Cooking and baking I think will be the plan......

 

[CLSranch]

Every time you talk about letting laundry soak I get PO'd at our new washer. Not only can you not soak, it doesn't have a "real" deep water wash. I've tried to turn on and open the lid after it fills up but it automatically drains. New efficency can kiss my ...

 

[Finnie]

Every time you talk about letting laundry soak I get PO'd at our new washer. Not only can you not soak, it doesn't have a "real" deep water wash. I've tried to turn on and open the lid after it fills up but it automatically drains. New efficency can kiss my ...

Does your new washer not have a “pause” button? I was having the same problem with my washer automatically draining after a while if I left the lid open. Then I realized that it has a pause button where you can stop it in order to open the lid. (Lid is locked while it’s running/spinning) As long as I keep the lid closed, it will just sit there on pause for as long as I want. Now, I haven’t left it more than one hour, so maybe it would still auto drain if I do that. I just set a timer for how long I want to soak things, and then unpause it.

What I really dislike is not being able to fill it up with water when it’s empty.

 

[farmerjan]

That is why I will never buy a new washer... I watch at auctions for the older style washers... and DS has an "extra" at his barn he got from someone. One of my farmers has 3 extras, they buy at the local auction place.... just to be able to wash the towels they use for the cows... I sure hope this one lasts forever... I understand about the soaking aggravation... some things just need to be soaked... cow sh!t on jeans and shirts, socks, you name it. I soak nearly all my clothes when washing them... they just come cleaner... and I like to fill with water sometimes too and then add things......

Tested early this morning, stopped and got the nails on the way home at the co-op.... heading up to feed the calves their "extra milk" in the bottles. Samples from this morning in the house and bottles in the car ready to go... just have to bring in clothes when I get back and wash bottles out...Chickens let out and cleaned the one crate and put clean dry straw in it... covered a pile of straw with a part of the shelter cover I took off that was still fairly intact.... Not going to get the boards nailed by the looks of it....

I am already tired... this afternoon is going to be a drag.

 

[Ridgetop]

The new "energy efficient" appliances are all horrible! My old washer would do a wash in 30 minutes. As to soaking, it would soak and could even fill the tub and dye stuff. The new one takes 90 - 120 minutes depending on water temperature.
Same with the dishwasher! My old dishwasher would take 30-45 minutes to wash and dry the dishes. I had to buy a more expensive model to get the dry feature, and it takes 3 hours to finish. I used to be able to clear up holiday meals the same night with several loads, now it takes 2 days to finish clearing up the dishes, pots, and pans!
How is that "energy efficient"?

 

[Mini Horses]

I'll baby my stuff as loooong as I can!!! Really, things used to last 20 yrs, now no way. I couldn't believe -- when I look inside a new one a few yrs back, there was no agitator. What? How can an upright get clothes clean without it? A front load at least smacks them around as it turns. Geesh.

 

[Baymule]

I have a front loader. It rolls the clothes around, supposedly weighing them. Then applies the necessary water and not a drop more, then rolls them around for awhile, spin, drain, rinse, spin and drain. 56 minutes.

 

[CLSranch]

I'll baby my stuff as loooong as I can!!! Really, things used to last 20 yrs, now no way. I couldn't believe -- when I look inside a new one a few yrs back, there was no agitator. What? How can an upright get clothes clean without it? A front load at least smacks them around as it turns. Geesh.

Amen on both ends. I got a new to me fridge several yrs ago, and an old one from I don't know where for the garage a couple of years earlier. The one in the garage is still running and keeping the eggs and beer cold. The 20 year newer fridge is sitting on the porch waiting for me to get off my duff and move it. It's to heavy to get down the stairs with out help. (Also I have to clean out the garage, pull the other REALLY OLD fridge out that holds welding rods and trapping bait) That's coming from someone who moved a #400 wood stove in by myself.
After getting the garage cleaned I think I'm going to get someone with a Dew eaze bed to pick it up off the porch and put it in front of the garage. It will keep the moisture out of the welding rods much better than the other. It still seals better, it just doesn't get cold.

 

[farmerjan]

Home from testing a little bit ago... I am tired and legs and feet are sore.... I am needing some new sneakers, these are getting so they do not have the cushioning they had when newer.... and it makes my feet sore. Of course, I was on them for the better part of 12 hours today... a little sit down with driving and a half hour break or so during the day.
Made a mushroom and cheese omlet for supper... Brought the samples in so they can get packed.... but not until after next Monday eve... because farmer did not have any ink in the printer... and I could not print out the racking list or the invoice that I send a copy in with the check payment... I told him that I would swing by (very out of the way on Monday) before going to test Monday aft.... and get the racking list and a copy of the invoice. I purposely am not taking my computer there anymore since he got a new one... no possibility of messing his up in the exchange on the jump drive... let him take it home and do the uploading... but da#@ no having ink in the printer.... REALLY.... he knew I was coming since the beginning of the week when it was decided to do the 9th....
Sorry, just venting .... it just GETS OLD......

Sounds like @Mini Horses got the nice weather we had yesterday, today at her place. Great... it was really nice here yesterday.

Today started out cloudy and damp and rather raw... got home from testing and got the clothes in before I went to do the bottles, and we started getting some very light rain/sprinkles... there was an "outside chance" of a few hit and miss scattered showers... but it was more than I thought. SO GLAD, I got the clothes brought in while still dry...
Fed the calves extra milk since I knew I would not be going up there this evening... they have grain and hay in the bunk.
It was very dreary setting up and kinda chilly... then about an hour into milking, it cleared off and the sun was out just as bright as can be. The cloudy stuff passed on, but it is supposed to be getting cloudier as the front comes from the west... what everyone in TN has seen go through and tear things up... we are going to get some winds but they will not be near as bad... and rain changing to some snow late Sun night into Monday. Not supposed to amount to much more than a coating on grassy fields... but 1-2 " of rain they are still forecasting.

I am going in to get a shower and go to bed. My legs are still pretty achey.... that was alot of being on my feet for a long time... And no alarm for the morning... I intend to sleep if any way possible... all the way to maybe 7:30 ......Might feel human by tomorrow...