Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[canesisters]

We got by with mostly just rain all day. Breezy but the horrible winds stayed south and east... they got hit in NC and a couple counties in Va in the Halifax area with a couple tornado/straight line winds... power out and trees down. I did not look at the rain gauges, will record it tomorrow.
Sorry to see @Mini Horses has power problems. @Mother Hen is in the general area that got alot of rain and wind.... also @secuono , @canesisters . Hope they are all okay. Temps got up to 49 and will stay above freezing.... there is chance of more flooding.... then more rain coming in Friday??? and temps dropping... going to be a mess of a week.
Thoughts with everyone affected by this messy storm.

That was a TERRIBLE storm. For the most part, my place didn't get hit too bad. A couple of trees down in the pastures but not affecting fences. Standing water everywhere... just sloppy for days and days.
I have a 'little' creek to cross on my driveway. I've been here nearly 20years and it's never come close to flooding. But it did in this storm. I was shocked to see the evidence of debris washed across the bridge. On Sat, I finally got a chance to get down in there and get a GOOD look. It took several hours but I think the bridge is ok. A little washing along the edges that made some gaps. And a good bit of my gravel is downstream now. Thankful it is still solid & passible!.

 

[Baymule]

@canesisters stay warm and safe in this freezing storm!

 

[farmerjan]

24 and light snow on roads... up to 29 so far.

DS got cows in the barn this morning during a "lull" with work... private contractors were coming in at 12 so he was having to assign them routes etc... I had to get the sore foot cow in, but that is done and we are ready.

Vet is running about 15-30 minutes late, talked to him and that actually is good... DS said he should be to the barn by 1:30. I am going back up in about 20 minutes... get the first few in the chute for whenever he gets there.
One of the twin heifers isn't feeling perky this morning but she did drink her bottle.. gave her a shot as a precaution... sorta like the big bull calf was a couple weeks ago... she did go to the bunk for grain though... the last set of twins will knock you over and butt really hard.... they are all staying inside the barn under the roof.

Just ate a quick sandwich and going to put boots on and head up there.

AT LEAST there is NO WIND today.... Cold but not miserable go through you windy cold...

 

[farmerjan]

Done and in for the night. Chickens did not go far from the crate and they are safely back in too.

Vet check went okay... but DS was his usual hurry up cuz he had to go back to work a$$hat self. Had a couple opens, and 3 heifers that were open... DS started to get all sh!tty about it and it was the bull and blah blah blah... so tired of the constant attitude. Then I had trouble with the ear tag plier and he blew up... I hate these rush rush, the cows are being stupid f*** bitches when you are the one with the attitude and they sense it and react accordingly...
It actually went fairly smoothly though, considering, and as soon as he had to leave, the vet and I did the sore foot cow and then the bloated calf... then I moved the one group back across the driveway to the field, and changed gates around and all that to get things set for the night. DS won't get off work until after 8... so glad I am not going to be around him later. Unfortunately, the ones from the nurse cow pasture did not get moved back so they are in the front lot and can come in the barn, but I know they are not happy. It will be a couple days before he will get them moved... and we are going to get some very very cold temps the next couple days. Plus some more weather coming in the end of the week.
There are 3 or 4 cows that are definitely getting sold that were open... one is mine... we are pretty sure that is the one the dead calf belonged to.

It seems the bloated calf must have had pneumonia at one time, even a mild case, as vet said his lungs are not as good as they could be. But he has no temperature and so he stuck a tube down him to relieve the bloat, and we talked about the Vagas nerve that is between the lungs and helps to control the bloat and air and stuff going into and out of the stomach/rumen. He also said that we could do a trocar which allows the bloat to stay down as it lets the air out but that there is a chance of peritonitis... so this calf is going to be a constant problem probably for the rest of his life. One of those "poor doers".... but for now we relieved the bloat, and gave him a shot of Dexamethasone, which will help with any swelling/inflamation around that nerve...which might make it work a little better.... it will give the calf some relief and see how it goes.

We never did get a break from the fine misty snow... and the ground is now white... with about 2 inches out there...
High temp was 29 and it is back down to 27... going to be a cold night but at least there still isn't any wind. There will be more accidents and such with the wet freezing on the roads tonight.

Ate the other half of the sirloin steak from the farmer... honestly it is no more tender than any other of my jersey beef.... and I like rare, so not cooked to shoe leather...Tossed the rest of the green beans as they were just tough... they were the ones I got from that farmer last summer... I am spoiled as I like my green beans "younger and more tender"... and it might be the variety... I think I will be tossing more that I did up from them... Oh well... compost if nothing else.

So, I am going to see about going in the kitchen and getting it straightened up a little. Staying in for the rest of the night.

 

[Mini Horses]

It makes it so uncomfortable and annoying to deal with the anger attitudes. I know, I have one! The days they're not in such moods, they're lovely people I hate it like you do.

Snow not as bad as could be & you have no work scheduled -- take it easy this week. Trip to feed calves is worst part.

 

[farmerjan]

Yep, you know @Mini Horses .... it is trying on the nerves... my only plus is mine works and pays his own way and things.... you have that added burden of a very talented person that won't apply himself....
Where did they ever get these anger/temper issues from??? GRRRR

No work scheduled and not hurting my feelings any either.. Not in this cold... I will see how the roads are and might get out tomorrow and go get the calf coats... switch out the one "sheep/goat" undercoat for a calf coat that is more waterproof... but they are doing pretty good so might just keep it for an extra. And they are not going out in the wet.....Plus the bottle brush and to see if the kind of bottles I like are there. Want to get another 3 qt bottle... in this cold there are some calves that really can use the extra little bit of milk once they get used to getting that much. Plus, I can use it to feed 2 calves just a little more and not have to carry extra in the car and then pour it into the bottles... I really would like to get 2 more bottles to be able to carry some extra and have it a little easier to grab a bottle and feed some more rather than going back to the car and pouring out of a jug into a bottle then feeding it.,...
And I might wait until Wednesday.....I have been juggling things this far... can do it some more.

There is that dinner tomorrow night too.... just 10 miles south of here so not going to be a problem....

Did you get much/any snow on your side of the state?

 

[Baymule]

Here I am, dealing with several days of below freezing and it’s a castrophe . But you do it like it’s a mild hindrance. You have my respect!

@Mini Horses @farmerjan where did your sons get those bad attitudes and anger! Do you really have to ask that question? Hahaha! From your a$$hat ex husbands! Certainly not from either of YOU!

 

[murphysranch]

Years and years of frustration have built up for your son. So now it gets blown off on you, the vet, inanimate objects, stoopid drivers, VDOT, and more. Little bits get blown. Its sad to watch and be the recipient of it.

 

[farmerjan]

Sadly, my DS is alot like his father... one reason I got divorced after 7 years... but blood and "genes" come through.

 

[farmerjan]

@Baymule ... I grew up in New England... and we used to get some real "winter" up there... so even though I am getting a little "more mature"... and don't especially like the cold as much as I used to... it is just "part of it" to get some more clothes on and go do what needs doing...
Now some of the guys on the CT cattle forum are having -10 to -20 temps..KS., Minn, Michigan, even into Arkansas and MO...... NO THANK YOU.... and the couple up in Canada... BC... showed their truck thermometers that are showing it at -42 C... which is about -40F also... but their cold is a drier cold and for them at 0... which is our 32 it feels relatively warm they say.

It is the wind that gets to me in the cold... and the da#@ed rain... if it is cold enough to be winter, then by all means please snow.... none of this 35 degrees and rain... too hard on the animals... the cows can take the snow but getting soaked to the skin with rain, is very hard on them in those temps.