Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Thanks @Ridgetop ... stopped at the co-op and grabbed another sheep/goat fleece "undercoat" like the one I got for one of the twin heifers. $16.99 OR SOMETHING... Done, on the calf this evening; she was shivering while she drank her bottle tonight so this will help. She drinks alot slower than the bull twin..... but I am using the lamb/foal nipple which is smaller and she is not getting any in her lungs by getting too much milk too fast... so I will deal with it. The bull calf twin INHALES his it seems.... then tries to butt the bottle out of your hands and break your wrist in the process...

Went to the farm and got the cows/calves out of the calving lot (this is the one we call the Peterbilt field) since it is next to the Peterbilt repair shop.... Jim helped but he is not a cow person... so I finally managed to herd several stubborn cows and a bunch of calves out with the car after I told him to just go sit in his truck until DS came... It would have gone smooth if DS had just come and taken the bale truck with a roll of hay on it, and driven out the one gate, down the fenced lane, and into the the other gate instead of trying to drive some after calling some across... they are used to the routine with DS's truck... why DS thinks you can change their normal routine up without some difficulties, I will never know. So after jim was just sitting in his truck, I took my car and went back into the field and slowly "guided" the calves along the fence... the gate was partway open so they would be able to just walk along the fence and then follow the opened gate out... and got the last few out when DS got there with the truck and roll of hay.... so he said "should we take them to the barn and try to get them moved?" and I said NO, leave them in that smaller field tonight... if there is a new calf "hidden" in the patch of woods or anything, the cow will be hollering in the morning... and we will move them tomorrow up the hill to the barn at doug's, then trailer them in the daylight so the calves do not get lost from the momma's in the new pasture....So he rolled out the roll on the truck so they have plenty to eat this evening... then tomorrow they will get walked through the other set of gates to the lot at the barn, and up the hill to the barn to load out all the ones with calves to go to the field behind my house. There are 3 or 4 that haven't calved he said still. They will stay... get preg checked when the vet comes to do some that are coming home for the rest of the winter... if they are open/lost a calf, they will get shipped.

Plus, it was now after 4 and I wanted to go feed the bottle calves in the daylight.... I am tired of doing all this stuff in the dark anymore...

So came on home, got the calves fed, coat on the other heifer... and done for the night. Got the chickens in and that is it. Ate another chicken sandwich and now the rest can go into a pot for some soup.

Going in early to take a shower and find something to do... like there isn't a million things that need doing....

 

[Mini Horses]

If the fleece undercoat is one that would hold water if rains...spray it with a can of waterproofer. 1 can would do all 3. Won't do total job but would shed enough to get rid of it while they got to barn. . I'm sure the extra layer will hold enough body heat to help with shivers! Those little dairy calves don't come with a layer of fat .

I'm pretty sure your getting some of this col tonight. Prob 28-30 her tonight but only for a few hrs. It's been pretty chilly all afternoon after winds picked up. Winter

 

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses ... the little dairy calves sure do NOT have an ounce of fat on them.... I can keep the newest twins inside if it gets wet/raining out there... in the hay section that has no access to outside..... the other set of twins seemed to stay right inside when it is raining the other day... the one actual calf coat is supposed to shed water, the "undercoat" would soak it up I think. I will get a can of waterproofing for fabric (like scotch coat or something)....good idea thanks.

Temps today were 30 to start, up to maybe 48 with mix of sun and clouds, breezy, so chilly. Did not feel warm. Tonight is supposed to be in the mid 20's..... tomorrow more sun mid-upper 40's though... then COLD in the low 20's and 40's during the day for the next several days. Might get a little precip but not expecting much if any.... going to stay mostly south and east for New Years Eve....little bit of light snow west in the mountains of WV but the ski places will be loving that... They are back to making snow since it is staying colder at night now.

BUT another slight chance on Wed and then looking for some possible significant "PRECIP" on the weekend of the 6th.... looking much more likely to be snow....
Hope to get a couple of farms, in this week... the 500 cow herd and then another 250 cow herd... got to call a couple others.... We're going to get snow and there are alot of cows out at 4 pastures...

...... I am not happy about this...

It is down to 34 now... feels just cold.

 

[Mother Hen]

foam pipe insulation pieces

Pool noodles would work also, wouldn't it? They are cheaper than foam pipe insulation pieces

 

[Mini Horses]

Think pool noodles are solid? But pipe insulation is hollow to fit around. Besides, if You're like me you have some already.

 

[farmerjan]

I think most pool noodles are solid, but some might have a small hollow down the center.
The pipe insulation ones were about $2 each for a 6 ft length, of the 1/2 inch "pipe size"... slit all the way down the side and "hollow" to accommodate the size pipe. Some even have a sticky side on the slit so they stay stuck around the pipe, cost more, but you need to have the correct size for the pipe. The sticky does not hold up out in the hot/cold weather but none of the ones I put on came all the way around to stick together since they are being used to protect the shelter fabric from the screw heads (bolt heads I guess) and such from rubbing through and that is where the pipes are bolted together, so it can't go all the way around the pipe anyway. The ones I got for the 1 inch pipe size for the big "old shelter logic frame" were more.
But I got 10 pieces/lengths, used 4 on the new, thinner diameter frame pipes... on the top. $20 for the 10 pieces... I want to put a few on pipes in the "cellar" area under the house, some to help hold the heat in the hot water pipes that have to travel the length of the house to get to the kitchen...and after having the pipes freeze for several days 2 years ago with the bitter cold we had, it would help to just have them insulated. Small price to pay if it helps to keep them from freezing. Luckily none split or burst at the seams or anything back then.

28 this morning . Sun is out and forecast is upper 40's maybe low 50's today. Then dropping down a bunch tonight. But they have moderated the forecast a bit so maybe not into the lower 20's.

Even with the rains this past month, we are still in a drought condition... right here where I am we are on the edge of the moderate and severe line. Hope we get some decent amount of precipitation over the winter to get our ground water levels up.

Time to get up to the calves. Will let the new twins out in the lot with the other 4 today since it is sunny out.
Supposedly we are going to move cows and calves to winter pasture field behind me around noon or so today.

 

[SageHill]

Think pool noodles are solid? But pipe insulation is hollow to fit around. Besides, if You're like me you have some already.

Pool noodles, at least around here are hollow. You may have to slit them to fit over a pipe. BUT then try finding a pool noodle in the winter.

 

[Ridgetop]

. then tries to butt the bottle out of your hands and break your wrist in the process...

When my boys were in 4-H the calves would inflict great pain with the butting. DS1 said I should buy them some athletic cups for when they fed their botte calves. DD1 fed her calf in flip-flops and would come limping into the house moaning about her bruised feet. No frontal lobes yet apparently.

why DS thinks you can change their normal routine up without some difficulties, I will never know.

Their minds are affected by testosterone?

Pool noodles would work also, wouldn't it? They are cheaper than foam pipe insulation pieces

If you have a project where you will need those pipe insulations things and know ahead, yu can get the pool noodles when they go on closeout at the end of summer. BUT that is planning farther ahead than most of us think so . . . . OTOH if yuo are planning to enclose pipes for winter, and the pool noodles go on closeout in September, end of August, you are ahead of the game. For $2 apiece, with the slit already cut, buying the ones made for the job is just as good.

Some even have a sticky side on the slit so they stay stuck around the pipe, cost more, but you need to have the correct size for the pipe. The sticky does not hold up out in the hot/cold weather

How about using duct tape to hold them together?

 

[farmerjan]

I zip tie the ones on the metal frames... duct tape might come undone eventually in the hot/cold temps swings with the moisture... the zip ties are cheap and easy. The sticky sided ones stick to the other side of the foam as it totally encloses the pipe. not needed for what I wanted them for...

We worked the one group of cows that calved out in the peterbilt field... they were a PITA to get a few of them into the barn after making them come up the hill...banded the bull calves and all got blackleg shots..... there are 8 that we put out back, with their calves with another group that are just PITA ones to get them in... not going to fight with them at "grants" pasture ... behind my house. Took 13 cow/calf pairs there... 3 did not have calves and they are still at doug's for now .... there is the other group that is calving(have mostly all calved) in the "calving lot" at doug's that we are going to get in tomorrow and work through the barn also and get them out of there and to winter pastures to go with the bulls to get bred back for next year.... then he will start bringing home some from a couple places.... for preg checks and weaning off their calves..... the cows should be starting to calve in 90 days so time (past time) to get this done.

If I can get in a couple of the ones at the nurse cow pasture I will, so they can get moved also... 2 need to be getting bred back. Plus wean off 2 big calves and then there are about 8 that need preg checking when he comes to do others so we can move them down to the barn.... sure would like to do this stuff when it isn't so blasted cold out.....

It went from 28 to 46 today, not very warm... sun and clouds mixed and we got about a 5 minute spell of white "pellets"... looked like the tiny white styrofoam beads coming down... then it just stopped.
Going to make up some new lists of who is where while it is fresh in my mind.... will add more tomorrow.

Have some shrimp cocktail out thawing to "celebrate" the New Year tonight. Treated myself to one of those pre made rings from Walmart one day and stuck it in the freezer... Also have some chips and salsa... that is going to be quite a "supper" combination....

I went up and did baby calves after we got done and DS took 2 loads of cows/calves to the pasture behind my house as I switched gates around at the barn. Got the youngest set of twins back in the hay section, fed them and the others, and came home. Locked chickens in the crate and done outside for the night. Think I will sit and match and fold socks that are still in the laundry basket... watch a movie???? I set out to do that and then often do not watch a movie... get involved with the couple of forums and then it is 2 hours later... oh well...

 

[Baymule]

I’m watching the Jetsons cartoons followed by Looney Tunes for New Years. Tried watching Dick Clark’s New Year in New York, but it was boring to 2 little girls and boring to me too. Cartoons it is.