Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Calves fed, twin heifers did better this morning and look good. made sure they are out in the little lot with the 2 bigger ones so they can get out in the sun and play around a little; then came home. Chickens out... Talked to DS, he was going by in the state truck so stopped for a few minutes... his well at the rental house is still putting out muddy water, what he tried so far has not worked, although it seemed to run clearer for a little but is muddy again...so he is going to start with digging the stretch from the well to the first junction box/with the frost proof spigot, so see if there is a leak/bad place in that. Then put a new pipe in there to start... and put in a couple cut offs that can isolate different stretches of pipes to different places (house, barn, smaller "pig barn") since there are no cut offs except IN the house that he can find...
He said that him and jim will either come to try to get the shelter frame and cover up this afternoon or tomorrow since he agrees it would be nice to get it done before the rain on Sunday. It is supposed to start early Sun morning so needs to be done by Sat eve...

I took the feed out of the back of the truck that I picked up when I got more milk replacer, and put in the back of the forester. Going to take wire crate off the truck and park it so the water will run out the back when we get the rain... wash it out.

1/2 greenhouse opened up...need to soak the plants. I used water that had plant food in last time so will use plain water this time. It is really NICE outside... mid 50's and sunny. I am going to go out and do some cleaning up of some stuff laying around... and get the clothes off the line while they are warm and dry in the sun.

Need to eat some lunch, I never ate breakfast... just realized when my stomach started growling... Then back out in the nice afternoon to get things done while it is nice enough to do them.

 

[murphysranch]

I was thinking about your comment about the rain needs to perc thru the strata. This lead me to a drought map. Here is a map of current drought conditions across the US.

Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

 

[murphysranch]

Here is an even better representation. I pinpointed last year at this date vs this year. What a change!! Move the blue slider left/right for your area.

Comparison Slider | U.S. Drought Monitor

Displays the USDM maps from two selected dates, and allows the user to determine which is displayed by using a slider bar.

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

 

[farmerjan]

@murphysranch ... I go on the drought monitor every week after the new one is posted on Thursday's... I like to see what, if any, things change.,...but I really like that one you referenced with the slider.... Thanks.

Done with chores and in the house. Calves are eating pretty good and saw both of the heifers pee tonight. Also saw some fairly solid normal looking calf manure in the pen so that is good. I would like to see them do manure... maybe will try to hang around longer tomorrow... but they are looking very lively... got done with their bottles and after giving up on following me... took a couple minutes and then did the little hop and jump thing like the lambs and kids do... ran a dozen steps.... stopped and looked so proud of themselves... I will up their milk a little for the colder weather and rain coming... at least they are going in and out with no problem and the older 2 calves are mostly ignoring them. I left them in together tonight. I want the other calves able to come in with the rain on Sunday if they want to, so left the pens separate after I fed the twins and left the door open to the pen where they come in through the creep gate. The calf that 801 had isn't as pushy about his bottle, I think he is eating more grain.... I want to try to remember to get a couple good bales of orchard grass tomorrow from DS so the calves will have that to pick through while it is raining and this will help to keep them inside too...

Score one for minor miracles... found one of the da#@ed groundhogs... drowned in the water trough on the side where the calves come in the creep gate... Don't know how it got in there... trying to drink I guess... have no idea how it wound up into the water but sure did not hurt my feelings any. Fished it out... it hadn't been in there very long since I am in and out of there twice a day now... One less to get into the feed... it may have been going in the bunk after the grain I have been feeding the calves..

Cleaned up some stuff outside along the shed building and put some in bags to go to the dumpster... Some broken glass and old plastic buckets that were broken. Got the soaker hoses up on the shelves in the carport; just doing piddly little stuff while I was out there this afternoon. I will load some stuff on the truck to take to dumpsters tomorrow...Got the clean buckets stacked on the porch that I washed... cut back the roses along the porch.
Put the rain gauges back out since it is not supposed to be so cold with the rain coming until Monday when it might switch over to some snow.... but it is doubtful. I did forget one out at the chickens and it did crack from freezing... so I tried to glue it and we will see... Did not put that one out...

Clothes in the house to fold.

So that was my day... hated to see the sun go down since it was sooo nice for this time of year...

 

[Baymule]

Drought here, but it’s pouring down rain! Ponds are usually full by now, but are still low. Maybe this rain will help.

 

[farmerjan]

Drought here, but it’s pouring down rain! Ponds are usually full by now, but are still low. Maybe this rain will help.

The rain we are supposed to get is coming up along the coast, but I think some of that is coming from your direction.... hope it helps you guys get some more ground water to seep down into the lower levels.....
We have gone from extreme drought to more just severe drought... still drought, but improving...

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday.... Very nice out there... the calm before the storm I guess.... 33 overnight, up to 60 right now...

Calves fed, I did see the "smaller" more black of the twins do manure this morning and it was soft but not scoury by any means so that was good... Also the big holstein and his was very firm so they are definitely eating the hay at least. I think the groundhog was getting into the grain in the bunk because it is not disappearing as fast. Well, they are only 6 weeks old. The 2 bigger ones just laid down in the lot out in the warm sun when I left...
The blacker twin (has more black on it's back towards it's hips and tail) drinks good... gets right to it and doesn't fiddle with it but the one with more white doesn't like to put it's head down and butts the bottle and drinks so slow.... hadn't tried to switch nipples but might try the bigger calf nipple instead of the foal nipple and see if it fills it's mouth better so it will drink better... don't want to drown it but it drinks 1/2 the bottle in the time the other twin drinks the whole thing.
Bottles all washed and ready for this afternoon... One thing I can say, I can't let the dishes pile up since I need all the sink room to make up the milk replacer and then to wash out the bottles after so any dishes get done up right away.

Chickens out and fed. Put a bunch of stuff in the truck to go to the dumpster, got some more I want to pick up. Not that big a deal since it is only 3 miles down the road... but may as well take a bunch if I am going to make a trip.

Time to eat something since I didn't eat anything before I went to feed calves.

Going to see some "nativity scenes" that several people from different churches set up, at a neighbors church this evening. She has one there also, I am assumming they are coffee table size since she said she has to bring hers home... so we will grab something to eat and go see them and I will help her take it down or whatever, at 8 when the display ends. Beats sitting home.

I am going to go out and see if I can take some baling strings to tie the cover to the sides, to the "legs" of the frame so the cover will be "on it" when it gets set up. DS promised to help... but honestly, I am not counting on him. I hope he surprises me..... Sad to feel that way... but I will figure it out one way or another.

I am going to take a chicken out of the freezer to cook tomorrow and maybe a roast or some stew meat also. Plus planning to make the split pea soup tomorrow since it cooks for several hours... If it is going to be wet and crappy out.... going to heat the house with the oven going and do stuff in the house... get some meals made ahead of time too... I will put the couple of cooler chests away in the shed when I go out there also. They are scrubbed out and ready to store. I will keep the smaller one for the "extra drinks and such" that I pick up at Sharp Shopper... like the Pina Colada "drink" that they had on special... Tropicana brand... 2/1.50... and it is surprising decent, no high fructose corn syrup, and not thick but thirst quenching... I wish I had gotten more and they might have some more when I go this week. They are not 1/2 gallons, but like 48 oz or something... cheap beverage and not just junk to drink... a nice change from iced tea and milk and water...

So, time for something to eat... guess it is closer to lunch than breakfast....

 

[farmerjan]

Well, good and not so good news. Got the cover tied up on frame as best I could so that it would "go over" with the frame and not have to try to feed it up over the top... DS finally came around 4 to help with it... I had decided to try to take the truck over there and use several ropes to see if I could get it "over" so it could be upright..... It went over pretty easy and as we tried to get it positioned.... OOPS.... seems the frame for the new cover is peaked a tad bit more and the uprights are shorter..... it isn't quite shaped right for this A-Frame of the shelter logic ..... So we tied it down on the sides and one end is zipped by pulling it a little back so it won't pull the zippers apart... and the sides are all tied down to the frame; but there is a good foot clearance all the way around .... so for tonight and the coming rain it will be a temp cover to keep them drier in the crates...the front zipper door is not attached but it will keep out alot of the rain if the wind does not blow too much... and I will get out the frame for the new one and put it together... Well, I tried... and I am going to watch very closely on Ebay, to find a replacement cover, from a warehouse buy out or something. Probably should have bought the one I saw back in the early spring last year... but I had thoughts that I could repair the few small tears with the waterproof tape... but there were too many places that were just starting to come apart and then the one wind tore it in several places... then it was not fixable and the one on Ebay was sold. The plastic was just weak from the exposure to the sun... So, I will wind up with 2 greenhouses I guess... one for plants and one for chickens in the winter... Probably just put them side by side out there by the garden... I am going to get the new frame done as soon as it is not pouring down rain... and might just leave the old frame on the current 2x6 base and put a new base underneath the new frame. Since I don't want it to get torn I want to get the new frame together and it moved over...... Oh well, I tried, and except for minor difference in dimensions, and angles of the peak, it would have fit well...

I have had thoughts of getting just greenhouse plastic to put on it and see how that works... just put it over the whole thing and weigh it down all around the outside.... How would I measure for how big a piece I need??? It is 10'w x 20'L x 8'H(maybe a little more, but DS can reach the "ridge pole") at the peak ; A frame shaped.... I am no mathematician.... but I would have to allow for it to reach the ground on both sides and extend at least 1-2 ft to be able to use straw bales or dirt or something to weight it down and "seal" it to the ground so to speak... I realize that the greenhouse plastic would fit better on the quonset hut types of 1/2 round hoop houses... but I think that can be done... if reasonable enough, would be worth a try.... then I would have a plant greenhouse for the spring season....
So any of the smarter "engineer type" people out there... what size greenhouse plastic would I need to go over it in one piece???? I am not sure how to figure that... mostly the width since the length could be cut without any big deal....

Made the trip to the dumpsters earlier... then spent time cutting off all the snowball bushes that have come up along the one end of the porch... Going to dig some of them out this spring and maybe sell them... they are expensive for "dormant" plants at like Lowe's and all that have the garden centers.. like $9.99 for a single root piece... I could get them dug and planted in pots and sell a big clump for $15 that is already growing.... They are taking over so need to be thinned anyway... have to load all the cut off tall tops and some other stuff in the truck bed to take to the garden burn pile....
Got the coolers on the front porch for now... sorted through a box and I need to get the stuff washed and all of it out of the dilapidated box.... found a ceramic cow clock my mom had made me ... cute type cow... and I need to get the back unscrewed and see if I can get new batteries in it and get it to work...
Remembered to close up the 1/2 greenhouse on the deck before it got too cool in there.

Closed up the shed earlier so that is why the cooler chests are on the porch... to keep them off of the wet ground since they are clean... they will get moved out there... Chicken out of the house freezer to thaw since I also forgot to get it out of the shed freezer... cannot find the dry split peas... maybe they got pantry moths and I fed them to the chickens... will probably wait for my next trip to town... I can stick the ham bone in the freezer with the bits of ham I have...

Fed the calves a little early... the 2 small ones did better. I changed the nipple from the foal/lamb type to the regular calf nipple and fed the one with more white with it and she did better. She still will not keep her head down like she should, so that is still a bit of a struggle as she will lose the nipple a little and butt the bottle... but not near as bad as this morning and they finished their bottles at nearly the same time, she was just a little slower...

Making a little progress... so first thing is the new shelter frame...

Went with neighbor down to her church... what they had was very nice... all sorts of members from their church and a few others, bring their Nativity sets and they were all set up very nicely on tables... all around the room and then many round and a few rectangular tables in the middle.... I bet there were 300 + various sets from mini sized to big coffee table sizes... all sorts of different types from traditional to very ultra modern sleek styles.... some with just Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus... to other ones that had sheep and cows and goats and donkey and shepherds and Wise Men.... everything.... from thumb size mini's and up... Very interesting to see all the different styles... Helped her pack the several sets she had taken down there when they started to pull things down at 8 p.m.

Got home about 9-9:30.... and here I am... I had gotten the chickens lured into their crates in the shelter before I went so that I wasn't looking for them after dark.... and me tripping and falling flat on my face out there... so glad they really want the cracked corn I use to get them in at night.

I am going to bed and if I am lucky, will get the calves fed before we get much rain in the morning... all according to the weather, I might work on getting the new frame put together..

 

[Baymule]

Could you use the clear fiberglass panels, like R panels, on the roof? Then wrap the sides with plastic in winter, secured by duct tape?

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday evening. Cold, wet, raw out there now. It was dry when I got up and I went up to feed the calves with only a few sprinkles out there. Fed them extra this morning so their systems would get to working, and they would be fuller, and so when I went this afternoon, I wouldn't be having to fight them longer... they would hopefully be more content... and they mostly were...
One of the calves that comes in the creep gate was coughing and looked like he did not feel good. Got him in the barn with a couple others that were eating... called DS and said he needed to be treated before he got "sick"... DS was moving some hay around and had been feeding early while it was still dry. He said give him 20-30 minutes and he could get done what he was doing and come up there. So I went home, washed the bottles, and went to doug's barn and got some shots out of the fridge there... Penicillin for quick response, Draxxin for long term release... and vitB complex to keep his appetite up. Also a blackleg shot since he hadn't had one..... whoops... yes he did when he got worked and banded. Well, it won't hurt him... he got a 2nd one... So then I went back up there and after getting the rest of the calves out of the barn, texted DS and said he was in and ready to be run in the small head catch there... he said he'd be there in a little bit.... I sat in the warm car.... and waited and waited... finally he sent me a text and said 15 minutes.... and finally he showed up... I was not very happy... it had been nearly 1 1/2 hours since I first talked to him.... got the calf in the head catch... took 5 minutes to give him the shots... done. I tried to get the calf in the head catch but he would back out before I could get the bar slid over and the bolt in the hole to hold it... because you have to work up close, it is hard for one person to catch them.... DS went in behind the calf as he went into the head catch (gate alongside to make a chute) and pushed him forward so he couldn't back out as I pushed the wood "bar" over and caught him. Sooo simple but the calves are not always cooperative... and I can't push and catch at the same time; (my arms are just not that long... LOL)
I had thought about trying to put together the new frame... but after being up there so long, it started to get a little wetter out and I just decided that I didn't need to be out in the rain to do it... And checking the forecast, this is supposed to be gone by 9-10 tomorrow with some sun... maybe some snow showers but they look to stay well west... parts of WV are supposed to get 6-12 inches.... So, maybe tomorrow I will see about getting it together... switching the cover over to the "proper frame".....

Babies ate pretty good but the one I switched to the bigger nipple, was playing with it this morning and butting alot. GRRRR. Tonight she just pretty much drank it with very little butting of the bottle. They all drank good and came outside for a few minutes but all had gone back in the barn by the time I got in the car to leave.

So, I came home this morning, and got out bread from the freezer for doing the chicken stuffing... made a pan of brownies. Debating on a custard since I have the milk and eggs.
Then ran up to feed the calves and it was raining a bit harder. It has been quite "light" today... not near what they originally forecast. Looks like the heaviest rain stayed east of the Blue Ridge Pkwy.... south central and all across to the coast have gotten far more than we have.(@Mini Horses area )Got back, went out and got the chickens in the crates and tied the frame down to the 2x6 base boards in several places since they keep talking about the wind coming. Right now it is raining much more steady and there is a strong breeze out there. There wasn't maybe .2-.3 in the gauge earlier since it the rain was so light... but this will add up. Looks like we will get some heavier stuff for a few hours.

So, I am going in to make something for supper... Soup and grilled cheese for a change or maybe just an omelet with mushrooms and cheese since I opened a can of mushrooms the other day...

Not feeling especially industrious so I think a dvd movie is a good choice.... lots that could be done.... EH...