Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Calves done and all in good shape. The cow we put in there yesterday is still up on the grassy area, and the calf was up under the porch against the house...it is high on that one side.... out of the wind... It was up and cow was watching where I was, closely.
Temp in the sun was up to 38... there is a little dripping so it is melting a little, but once the sun was off the recording thermometer it was back down to 25.... it is a hazy sun/some clouds. There is a breeze and it is cold, but breeze seems to let up some, so then it is not too bad.
Came in, got bottles washed, all dishes done up. Warmed up a piece of the steak... got one more portion left. That will be supper tonight. Warmed up some of the mashed potatoes. I had tried a different variety... Algonquins... Thin skinned, easy to peel, nice potatoes... but they did not get very soft and when mashed are still quite lumpy....think they would be real good for potato salad... maybe FF... I will try them a second time for mashed potatoes, to see if maybe I just did not cook them long enough... but the Red Pontiacs got soft quick and mashed quite smooth. The pontiacs also have more of small stringy pieces on the mixer beaters when mashed and the Algonquins are more smooth and creamy, except for the lumps.. Just different textures.. Interesting comparisons...
I see the tree branches moving a bit more so breeze is picking up. Oh, and I am taking 1 gallon of water up to calves, not 2. 2 , 1/2 gallon bottles. They had not drank much of it last night and had tried to turn it over but being tied up stopped that.... Oh, I put it outside in the sun so the black would absorb the heat/sun a little and hopefully keep it liquid longer today; tied to the fence naturally....
The calves all went into the bunk feeder when I poured the grain in there after bottle feeding... amazing to watch them all get their heads right in there and start eating the grain. I open the "hay section" for them at night to go in and sleep since it is cleaner and warmer for them... then I have to get them sorted out in the morning to feed bottles since I feed 2 at a time and you can't have more than 2 in together or all they do is try to get the bottle out of another calf's mouth with pushing and nothing gets accomplished.

 

[canesisters]

Drove home through a dense snowstorm yesterday. Probably 15 miles or so of that 'star field warp speed' snow that's so weird to drive in. Then popped out to a lovely, clear sunset at home.
Never quite got up to freezing today & the wind had been busy here.

 

[farmerjan]

Holy cow... it is cold... I don't know the wind chill but the temps have already dropped to 13 which was last night's low... it is supposed to get back down in the single digits, but the wind chills can be as low as -15* F.... BRRRRRR....
Bottles fed and everyone looked good. They had drank most of the gallon of water...doesn't look they could have dumped it..... I did not take anymore since they each got 1/2 gallon of milk replacer... it would only freeze up in a minute anyway. I will take 1 1/2 gal tomorrow morning as it is supposed to be maybe 30 but not as much wind after noon, and sunny... then one more cold night and then temps moderating...

Cow and calf and last years calf, we just put in there, were no where to be seen so I think they must have gone down along the one side where it is more protected from the wind... I drove around the house and all and they aren't there...and was not going to drive too far down over the hill and maybe get stuck, so they are on their own... but there are places there to get down out of the wind some... they were not at the hay rolls... but they can follow any of the cows to find them.... and cows will follow "trails" even in the snow...

Found a dead calf, probably from the heifer I thought was pregnant, and it is sad but think it may have been born dead... probably for the best since she was not going to get bred until June anyway... she will be over 2 1/2 when she calves but she was small and she did not look to have much udder so probably could not have taken care of it.... part of life. I will have to get it moved as soon as it unthaws from the ground. The other one that had the oops calf is doing great... the calf was hopping all around up at the barn this evening... like the little lambs do... hop up in the air, take off run 50 feet, then stop and look....I was laughing at it's antics... she is a good momma and calf is doing good, considering this weather. I did see the other 2 smaller ones, laying down in the hay earlier...so all accounted for....
Put another bowl of split pea soup in the convection oven....ate a sandwich with the sweet Lebanon bologna that the farmer gave me and then will eat the soup. I have a chicken out thawing to cook tomorrow... I can eat the rest of the steak tomorrow or Monday...

Since I don't have TV I am going to find another movie to watch... and probably go to bed early tonight.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday and it is really quite nice out there. It got down to 9* last night... sun is up, not much more than a light breeze and it is already up to 33 .

Got the calves fed, grain and fluffed up the hay but I have got to get some more for them.

The cow with the new calf and her yearling daughter is out walking around... went down to the water trough while I was up at the barn with the calves... hope she will go over to the rolls of hay... it will take a bit for her to fit in with the rest of them though.
Calves were out standing in the sun for a bit. Snow melting off the roof some... I put 1 1/2 gallons water in the bucket for the calves to drink and it is out in the sun, should stay liquid for the day.

Chickens done and cats have been out and of course, back in, quickly. .

Warming up some soup for lunch. Really want to do some laundry, the flannel lined jeans need washing as do a couple of the sweatshirts... today and tomorrow supposed to be mostly sun but not sure I want to take off the barn jeans to get them washed... maybe do them this evening when I am done for the day. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40's so I can brave some unlined jeans..... I would wait a couple more days, but we are supposed to get rain for several days so they won't dry on the line.

Got lots to do, just don't know if I feel like doing it today...

 

[SageHill]

Got lots to do, just don't know if I feel like doing it today...

Sounds like you already got a lot done!

 

[Mini Horses]

I'd consider drying at the laundromat, if I were you. I DO use my dryer in this weather. Not a huge cost & I'm done. I have several pair of lined jeans--wear them all the time! I'm a winter wimp, always cold.

 

[Baymule]

I vote for the laundromat also. Wash at home, take to get them dry.
Oh wait a minute, I was part of a conversation about that. Laundromats here only take phone payments. No quarters. No cash. You have to have a payment app on your phone to pay the machine. Nuts to that.

 

[farmerjan]

Can't risk the shrinking of the jeans.....Thank goodness our laundromats take quarters.... They will go on the line in the morning...already washed, as I changed and put on regular jeans early this afternoon and put in a couple of the sweatshirts and stuff too... I should have put them out this afternoon, it hit 40 in the sun and was actually quite comfortable if you were in the sun, but it was getting bottle feeding time. Snow cover shrunk in several places... There will be some bare spots showing tomorrow...
Was a nice afternoon considering it still looked white out there. It is already back down to 19 at midnight... Didn't get much productive done and did not get the chicken in since it was still quite frozen... I ate the rest of the steak and some more mashed potatoes. Vanilla pudding for dessert.

Guess I need to talk to a few farmers for this week. Wed and Thurs will be good days since it will be warmer... and I have the dinner on Tuesday evening... Also have an all day seminar on Friday...

Should be in bed but didn't do enough to make me tired earlier. Maybe now.

 

[canesisters]

"... didn't do enough to make me tired" ???
Geeze... lately just getting out of bed can sometimes be enough to make me tired

 

[Baymule]

Us ladies in our PRIME don’t have an off switch. It’s broken, like some of our other body parts. Replace the major broken parts, don’t worry about the stupid off switch, just gear it down to a low rumble, known as slap it up in granny gear.