Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Friday morning. Got through the last 2 days, I was tired last night. Things went good at the herd Thursday aft...
Headed up to calves , and then get organized and get things done.
Have to pack samples and get sent off.
Sun is out nice, but rain supposed to come in later this afternoon..was thinking some laundry but it can wait...... then turning cold from what is coming from west and north... some of you are getting it sooner, then by Tues next week temps are supposed to really drop.

 

[farmerjan]

In the house for a little bit. Cloudy and getting "dark" out there, rain should be here very shortly.

Got calves fed, put some hay in the bunks and grained. They all seem to be doing pretty good. Had to put some long boards on the sheet metal on the roof as the wind had started to lift one of the sheets of metal up there. Weighed it down so the wind can't tear it off... have to get a ladder and see if I can get up there high enough to get it nailed back down...
Got a brand new little calf up there on a heifer that wasn't supposed to get bred until this coming June (although I had suggested to DS that they should have gotten bred with the other 4 this fall for calves early next fall) .....calf is about the size of the twin heifers... which is kinda good since the heifer that had it is not real big... so at least she had it by herself.... Another one that was left to run with the cows and a bull left in too long... I honestly didn't think she was bred, there are a couple that are fairly fat.... Have no idea of what is what with the other 4 (she was 1 of 5 that spent the summer at a place with no bulls.... one of the only 5 replacements we kept)... Guess they will calve or not at this point.
The calf looks healthy, up and nursing... sure hope she has enough milk for it.... don't think putting her in is a good option... I will have to start feeding them I guess... maybe trying to feed her some whenever I can since trying to get her in may or may not work... although if she is at the gate area I could sneak her in for some extra grain... At least there is no bull in there and won't be until June... so whoever calves will not get rebred until June... there are several that are supposed to be due in Mar/April this year.... maybe get them back into a schedule ?????
Seems the cows at the one pasture that we were going to move back to get preg checked, already were checked and most all have calved... so there is no big push to get them checked obviously... and there is a bull in there still, so they have had a chance to be getting bred back...
So, they do not need to be moved to get checked.... got to get some of the rest moved... I'm just at the "gofer" stage... if you want me to help, tell me, and I will do whatever.... I am not making any other decisions, at this point. Just a little put out.....

Samples packed and dropped at the vineyard. Took longer than I thought to get them all packed and strapped to go out. They said they would call me if the UPS guy doesn't come by 4:30 so I can run them 10 miles down to the UPS store.... they hadn't seen the UPS guy yet but neither had really been paying attention today... I suspect they will go out from there fine... but can take them down to get shipped this evening if I have to.

It is now raining a little... chilly out there with the dampness... Guess I need to unload the meters out of the car since it looks like I won't be testing anywhere before Wed next week. Not going to do it in the rain. This is supposed to be out of here by tomorrow morning... then I can unload the meters....

I'm going up to feed the calves in a few minutes. Get done and in the house.

 

[Mike CHS]

We have had 3 1/2" in the last five days.

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday morning. Got down to 37, hit 42 but back down to 39. Quite windy out there. Everything is wet and soggy this morning... but we only got .3 last night. Total of 3.2 for the week.
Wind will dry out the surface some so that is good.

Went up and fed calves and the new baby was laying up by the barn area... I was worried it might be chilled, and hungry and I might need to put it in the barn and have another bottle calf.... but felt warm and about 15 minutes into feeding the bottles, here comes the new momma, talked to it and checked the calf all over, and it didn't even want to get up to nurse so it must be full... then she walked off to the roll of hay... so she is doing all the right things so far. I will make it a point of checking on it again this afternoon... it is in a spot that is a little protected from the wind there....

DS called and there was a sheriff that called him about cows out next to me... turns out it was only 1 calf, got out through the high tensile wire... sheriff had already put it back in and DS had come up... he was in the VDOT truck as he was out on a call already... Have I ever said how much I HATE high tensile wire??? Especially since the DUMB A$$'s didn't put it up so it could be electrified???? .

Got to go get some feed at the coop to make sure I have enough to feed in the barn.... and for the couple for calves that come in still... since I moved 2 of them with the cows the other day... and to treat the new momma if she comes around with no one else close....

The dairy supply company in Harrisonburg, has some calf coats and they are $10 cheaper... and they are the only ones that have the small twin size ones... seems the coop hasn't made an order yet.. and they also are supposed to have the 3 qt bottles and the long handled bottle brush to clean them out with, so I will probably make a trip up there on Tuesday... see what I can get... might have the type bottles I like with the screw on cap with the "bigger mouth"... the new ones that they have down here have a small mouth and are very hard to get good and clean.... something a little different so you spend more money and buy new/different... It is easier for me to screw on the lids with the nipple than the ones that you "snap" over the ridge... I just prefer them. And the calf bottles I like have some ridges on the sides... at every pint measure on the side... rather than smooth... much easier to hold the bottle with the little indentations/ridges than a smooth side that is slipping as the calf is pulling... plus I hold 2 at a time.. so the smooth sided ones are almost too big to hold one handed with out something to grip...

Got a load of laundry in and hope to hang it... but the wind is pretty strong... they will dry if they don't wind up in the next county first from the wind.

Got to go out and water in the 1/2 greenhouse on the deck... wind has been moving it a little but it is staying pretty good... need to tighten up the couple of baling strings that have it anchored... definitely will not be going with any more that are not rigid out at the garden/chicken area... too much wind up here. So disappointed in the last one. Still waiting on the company to get back to me... I did only send a message a couple days ago.... hate that it didn't work with the winds here...

Got to do some house cleaning and vacuuming.... I so hate cleaning house. If the wind slows down a little I should go take the meters out of the car. Have to contact the herd that uses 16 with the brackets already changed the way they are now.. just to not have to change them and then change them back.... see if they will test maybe next Wed since I have the dinner Tues night. Then I have another couple to get scheduled.

 

[farmerjan]

DS called to go work some calves at the barn, seems he brought home the 20 from one pasture... and it also seems that when he took them there, it was one of the days that she helped him... so of course I never got a copy of the list and it was totally different from what I had thought... and he had moved them there with calves that had been tagged and worked at the barn... AND .... the ones that were still there she had wrong... missed 5 of them on the list... .
And he wonders why I get so disgusted. AND he says there were 20 calves there... but were only 19 the last 2 times he fed there... and the one cow he was pretty sure did not have a calf (thinks it died or the coyotes got it) he said he wanted to get the vet to check on Monday.... and then was in such a rush (as usual with no patience) and she got put out and moved with the rest of the cows... and they were not going to come back in... so there you go again... taking 5 extra minutes to make sure of things, and he// no, hurry up and do this or that. So she will just get bred back, the bull is already in there... and no calf to sell this year. His cow, not my problem.

So now I know where a bunch of them that he had said were up back ..("he thought") .... where they really were... and the others that I thought he had moved back there, were accounted for as we moved cows to places 2 weeks ago and I was getting really confused.... couldn't figure out how they could get moved if they were back at this other pasture... but they weren't actually back at this pasture. And seems he doesn't bother to look at my text's because he said he didn't see where I had texted him about the one at the nurse cow pasture that had calved that wasn't supposed to be bred yet... and how could that have happened.... she was with a bull somewhere... like when these bulls aren't getting pulled when they should be...

Still have several that are not accounted for that he probably moved up back on one of those days she was helping earlier this fall, before it all "fell apart again"... .

It was colder than all get out at the barn to tag and band the 5 that needed doing... and it was decided that they needed to just get all left together for now with the bull they have been with.... he says the bulls will get pulled the first of March.... to stop all these winter calves.... yeah we will see about that happening too...

Came home to get bottles and there are 2 calves out through the DA@#ED high tensile fence, along the road. I got them back in. Texted DS to bring a roll of hay and then lock them out of the "catch lot" where they keep going through the high tensile wire... a few minutes later he calls and is P.O.ed and asks "are there cows out at your house AGAIN? I just got a phone call again"... and I said I just texted you and told you there were 2 calves out and that I put them in and that you have to lock them out of the catch lot in front when you bring them hay....

So I came in, got the bottles and went up to the baby calves... the little one just born, is jumping around like little calves do... cute as a button.... she is being a very good momma, so I will just have to watch to make sure he doesn't look hungry... she has a small but definite udder... at least she won't get exposed to a bull until at least June... so will go nearly 18 months between calves. That will be good and I hope she doesn't get too stunted by calving this young. Not going to try to get the other one in there that has the small calf, let her switch to the spring calving group and not get bred back until June also...

When I got done, I came down and he was going to come with hay in 10-15 minutes... so I went in that pasture and got the cows to follow the car out of the "catch lot" and into the other part of the pasture, and then he came along with the truck and then he could get in and then out without them being stupid... and closed the gates to the catch lot so the calves won't be going through the high tensile wire there...calves are just like the goats... got to be where they aren't supposed to be... just because....

I finally came in, washed out the bottles and made some supper...

Temps have dropped to 27 already, wind has let up a little but still blowing. Going to be 20 probably tonight. It is January... too bad we are going to be doing all this stuff with moving the cows and preg checking in the cold instead of sooner like they should have been done, in Nov/Dec.... Still have 35 at one place to come home, and then there are probably 20 at the other place that are calving now, and he never got the older calves off... because he couldn't find the time to go get them.... they were supposed to go there until Sept and then pull the calves as the cows were supposed to get preg checked to calve... I am just tired with this BS of not doing things when they should get done...
And jim says he is talking to her again... said he is not obsessed with her, but possessed by her... I am just tired of the whole mess. Do what he wants.. I am going to try to move more of mine to the nurse cow pasture as they wind up at the barn for vet checks and such... and then maybe I can control things with them better... Actually plan to sell a few this year too...got a couple that are older that need to go... and I do not intend to replace them... Tired of not knowing who is where and and what and then his impatience with doing things at the barn... seems I am too slow to suit.... plus I give my opinion and it doesn't fit what he wants, so then I don't give my opinion and he gets p.o.ed and says that he has to make all the decisions. He's going to anyway.... so why say anything. And then being in such a big rush to do things and let out a cow that HE said he wanted to keep in...because he couldn't wait long enough to say , these can all go out right??? And I would have said, did you cut out 1297 that you want the vet to check???? And she would have stayed at the barn to get run through.

He wants me to get in the ones I can at the nurse cow pasture that need to get preg checked... I will see what I can do in the morning... There are about 10 or so I think... hope to get most of them in... luckily I went and got more grain this afternoon before the coop closed... and they are going to need hay up there tomorrow so they ought to be wanting to come in the pen for grain... A couple will not come back as they are bigger cows... they will go with the dry cows that are going to calve in the spring... there are some calves that need to be weaned but I do not want to move them now when it is so cold... my longhorn has weaned off her steer calf so not worried about her calf... he can get moved out later...she should calve again in the spring... she doesn't get checked since she would not go down the alley to the chute very well with her horns... he can't get in the creep gate anymore, so not a problem trying to get in with the baby calves anymore in the barn. There's another big steer that I can not get to come near the pen for the grain, through the creep gate.... hoping he will come with the cow... he is very independent... got him in to get worked and he has not been back in the pen since for grain... hoping he might follow the cow in and then he will get moved down with the weaned calves on feed at doug's... his mother is one that needs checking and to be moved somewhere else... she is not a smaller cow. Trying to keep the first calf heifers at the nurse cow pasture... so I can watch them better. Plus any that may have special circumstances...and some that I want to try to do some A.I breeding on this next year... good excuse to move some of mine there... I can use the smaller head catch there to do that....
I am quitting for the night. Didn't get any housework done since I went up to help work those calves... did get the plants all watered in the greenhouse on the deck earlier...
Tomorrow is another day...

 

[farmerjan]

Wind is miserable... Down to 25 last night... hit 40 in the sun but it is the coldest 40 I think I have ever felt. The wind is gusting and probably wind chill is around 25 or 30... or so it feels.
Got the cow with the sore foot in... she is limping again... . She needs preg checking anyway. Got the vet to look at the foot when he is there. All the others were way down in the field and they wouldn't have heard me anyway. Going back up in a bit to see if they have gravitated up to the barn like they do in the afternoons. Try to get some in.
Talked to DS and now he has to go into work... there is a call for lt snow/flurries tonight and since his boss is still off from the pacemaker surgery, DS is the "boss" and he has to work days... this is why he never wanted to be the supervisor overall... when they do snow and stuff, he wants nights so he can get off at 8 a.m. go do feeding and go to bed if he has to be back in at 8 p.m.... he says he is going to tell the "big boss" that he has to be off for 2 hours for a planned appt... he said he will come by and we will get the cows off the hill into the barn earlier... then he will come back around noon to get them in the barn and ready for the vet at 1... this is a royal PITA that would not have to be if they had gotten done before "winter season" with VDOT...
And he said he is talking to xgf again... they have decided that being friends is all that it can be, he says he is okay with that because it allows him to see the kids and do things without the friction.... and that he is over the "heartbreak" and that he has his eyes open and realizes that this is not a healthy situation... ... so,,, he said she offered to come to the barn and help with the vet if I was okay with it... with her daughter since she is off school... that she can help run the cows up the chute or fill the syringes as we do the preg check...since he has to "work" and all she said it might help... but that it would be up to me....
I'd just as soon not work with, or SEE her ever again...but he tempers his attitude and his outbursts and temper around the daughter... maybe it would make it go faster/smoother... I will be doing the paperwork though...
Since we are going to be pushed for time with his work crap... I just don't know if I can be civil after this last round....
Problem is, she is always going to be a part of his life... it is what it is... I cannot make it different or better...
I am beginning to feel like the Hatfields and McCoys and the whole mess with the son that fell in love with the girl from the "rival" family and the heartache it caused...

It is going to be COLD tomorrow and even worse on Tuesday and Wed.... I am going to text that farm and tell them that Wed won't work and with the cold we can just see how the weather goes.... the night temps are supposed to be in the single digits and teen for most of the next week by the looks of one forecast... the farmers have enough to do to just get things fed and watered and cows milked and all... I don't need to test so won't... Once everyone gets more acclimated to the colder temps, and the winds hopefully die down... we can worry about it. Possible snow/weather/ something again next Friday.

Eating some lunch... going to go back up to the cows and see if I can get anyone else in, to go down for the preg check... One saving grace... the ground is drying out on top and is hard from the cold temps last night.

 

[Baymule]

I hope checking the cows goes smoothly. Suck it up, be nice.

Too cold where you are! It’s freezing here and I don’t like it at all. Phooey.

 

[farmerjan]

Busy afternoon. Went back up and got in most of the cows... sorted out a couple that I didn't need and put the rest in the barn for a bit with some more grain... opened gate and got 2 more in... then got the only one left out, around the electric fence that I didn't take down, through the "open gate and section I did take down" and she came over to the barn area. She is not a problem, just was out grazing minding her own business... so then she and her calf came in along with a couple others... then got them sorted, quietly working everyone out I didn't need... Texted DS said they were all in , he said he was still feeding some and would be up in a bit. I guess he got up here about 1/2 hour later.....with the trailer; ex was in the bale truck and she fed out the 2 bales she had, then helped get the cows loaded... loaded out the barn then we ran the others in and loaded them... 1 full load ... he took them to the barn at doug's and put in the front lot so they can come in to get checked... sore foot cow in there and the one steer that keeps getting bloated...it was great to get in all the ones that needed to get checked.

I did notice that there is another heifer that was "supposed to get bred" this coming summer, that is bagging up and looking very close to calving. I didn't say anything... did not want her to get jostled in the trailer, and possible lose it or calve overnight down there at doug's; and if she calves, she calves...Looked it up and 4 of these 5 that he kept back, ( the 5th being the one from my longhorn that is only 16 months now) , are all old enough to be calving now... but DS was holding them back and 2 were a little small for their age...so the one that just dropped the surprise calf, and this one, are old enough to calve, so it is not quite the disaster it could have been... just hoping that the calf is small, like the surprise the other day... and if my records are right, they were at snyder's for awhile with the easy calving bull in there before we took him out... so should be a-okay for calving. They will have a tough row to hoe in this cold... but they will not get bred back to a bull until June so instead of having their first calf next spring (2025).. they will be having their 2nd... actually will be calving a little early this year, with the rest of their age group that they should have been calving with anyway. So in the end it will work out I hope.
So mission accomplished for my end... and I was civil... they left and I came home to get the crate for the chickens moved to the end of the porch and covered so the chickens have a safe place to be in... the hawk has been around again... and the cover certainly isn't doing any good with the frame collapsed... and got the milk bottles made up, and the the chickens were right here so used some scratch feed and got them in the crate for the night... went up to feed the calves... and the heifers and steers, and Jess the longhorn, that were there that did not need to go get checked, were all eating at the 2 rolls of hay... baby calves are all situated for the night.

Came home and Deb had come out for the weekend, so we had decided to get together for supper... so we went out to Chili's... I've never been there... It was okay, I would go again.... and I was tired of cooking for myself these last couple of weeks anyway. But it was nice to just let someone else do the work... Came home to her house and she had enough hot fudge to make us sundae's... so we ate and then I came on home... I had driven since I wanted to run the Explorer... like to try to drive it at least once a week....'til I can get it down to the guy to see about what it will take to get it sold... might just sell it outright to them....

So, I am in for the night... it is down to 25 on the recording thermometer... I had some trouble with the wind and the 1/2 greenhouse on the deck... tried to tear it loose from the tie downs... moved it a bit and bowed out one of the "T's" that had 2 pieces of the frame together... I have some left from the bigger one that got torn up so can fix it... I spent time just getting it tied down better and stuff... but it is okay now I think....
Rigid permanent greenhouse/sunroom is the only way to go around here with these winds... Really going to get serious with having something priced for being built... and then do some comparisons....

Forecast is now for some snow to come in around 3-4 a.m. maybe a couple hours, to 8 or 9... then nothing for a few hours then start again around 1-2p.m. Now the total is in the 1/2 to 2 inches... One thing, it will stick to the cold harder ground that mostly froze over, and it will not melt for several days if it gets as cold as they say it is going to... single digit nights for a couple nights, and not above freezing for several days...

Texted farm and said with the cold I was not pushing for Wed... I knew they would be trying to just get feeding and chores and milking done with the cold and to let me know when they want to test. Going to unload the meters, maybe Tuesday, as I don't think I will be testing this week coming.; unless they say different....That's fine... don't want to go out in this cold to set up meters anyway...

Still planning on the preg checks tomorrow... unless vet tells us different. I will do bottles in the morning, and then go to doug's whenever he says he needs me there. Guess she is going to come help... I did not say anything yes or no....not going to fight it...just don't cry to me if/when it comes apart again.... and going to get things done here that need doing on my own without asking anymore. Fence for one...

 

[Mini Horses]

Wow, cold coming! Snow . I know it's winter but not fun. Feed chores take on a whole new effort. . Here cold but less than you. No white.

These are days I think rolled hay would be great!

 

[Baymule]

Wow, cold coming! Snow . I know it's winter but not fun. Feed chores take on a whole new effort. . Here cold but less than you. No white.

These are days I think rolled hay would be great!

Rolled hay is great. I have a cow panel bowed over it with a tarp on it to help keep it dry. It sits at the end of the cow panels that divide the two pens, with a half cow panel on the “front” side. The back side is accessible only to the ewe pen and has a half hog panel across it. After they eat as far in as they can, I pull hay to them twice a day. Not perfect, but as things go, better than anything else I could do. One of these days I’ll be able to do something better but it will still be round bales.