Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Friday morning... got up at 4 as DS wanted to be at stockyard at 5:15 or so... in case of a line... no line, some of that is due to some taking them in on Thursday afternoons now... but that is not a good thing if you do not stay there and get them weighed while you wait to get a ticket on them... anyway... he hemed and hawed about whether to take any, and which group to take... and seems he and gf got the calves all tagged on Wed, while I was at that rotary herd, that we had moved home on Tuesday... so they got some of them sorted off and around that he could match up, then they did more yesterday (Thurs) while I was testing the herd that had cancelled... so he decided after all that to take the group from up in the back....
Plus one bat sh!t looney tunes crazy nut case heifer. Out of one of the calmest cows in the group... this thing went over the feeder conveyor in the barn, DS said he was sure when she come down on the other side after getting her front feet tangled up in it that the angle she hit that she broke her neck... but she got up after a minute... and so she was left in there with the steers and she went on the trailer with them this morning... I mean she was NUTS......has been high strung since she was a calf...but even worse as she got older...
Got the hay fed and the tarp of hay unloaded at the calves... it will get me through another 2-3 days... not as much as I thought but it was all loose and "fluffed" ... the real good stuff.
Stopped at the feed store and got a couple more bags of calf feed... they are eating quite a bit now... and I see there are at least 2-3 of the "babies" there on the cows coming in for feed so that is great.
Went to farm and tested... he said he wanted $200 for the 4 calves(2 sets of twins back before the holidays) and I told him it was not enough. He said that was all he wanted... that he wasn't sure the one set of heifers would live... I said have you looked at what they are bringing??? and so that got into a discussion of what they got for a couple of bull calves they sold... $400 plus... and have I seen what these black baby calves are bringing... and I told him about taking the cull cows last week and what we saw these black calves bring up there ..We both agreed it is totally nuts, and that selling right now, and selling all the bottle calves is the only smart way to go... but he still only wanted $200.... so I wrote the check... They are the kind of people that if I needed one to go on a cow, and they had it, they would charge me a "sensible amount" and not this insanity....
So, anyway... got to get the samples packed, go pick up milk at the farm although they do not have any more bull calves but don't want to lose the source... got 2 cows being treated for pneumonia and metritis, so not even mastitis milk which is great... go feed at the nurse cow pasture and do the bottles... I am going to start cutting them back to one bottle a day... and plan to sell the weaned holstein and "my calf off the cow", the bull/heifer twins and the bull calf here at the house... maybe next week or 2... might take the "baby" calves; and take the weaned ones next time we take other stuff up there since they are in and out of the barn... and they come in when I go up there, through the creep gate, so not a problem to catch them up... they like their grain and the good hay... but the going out and getting exercise is good for them too. Probably going to keep the orphan heifer for now since she is doing alot better since we got her there and she learned that me, and feed in the bucket, is a wonderful thing.... and maybe the jersey bull calf too.... these prices are totally insane and I can make some money on them and it only makes sense... Keep the heifer twins.


Then go back to town to the sale since they will start selling before DS gets off and can get to the sale... we never sell that one of us isn't there at least... there is one steer by its self, bigger than the rest, a set of 2, then a group of 10, and then a group of 4 and a group of 6... think that is 24.... well 23 steers and the idiot heifer... she will not come back no matter what she brings... but she is a nice heifer... so ought to do okay.... in someone else's place....

 

[Ridgetop]

DS said he was sure when she come down on the other side after getting her front feet tangled up in it that the angle she hit that she broke her neck... but she got up after a minute...

It is always the ones that you don't care about that survive - if she was a really nice heifer that you planned to keep she would have broken something! At least you will get some $$ for the aggravation. LOL

he said he wanted $200 for the 4 calves(2 sets of twins back before the holidays) and I told him it was not enough. He said that was all he wanted... that he wasn't sure the one set of heifers would live... I said have you looked at what they are bringing??? and so that got into a discussion of what they got for a couple of bull calves they sold... $400 plus... and have I seen what these black baby calves are bringing... and I told him about taking the cull cows last week and what we saw these black calves bring up there ..We both agreed it is totally nuts, and that selling right now, and selling all the bottle calves is the only smart way to go... but he still only wanted $200.... so I wrote the check...

Really nice of him. He knows that bottle raising calves is an iffy proposition. After 5 years of raising calves we had 6 in a row go down with e. Coli and die! Los a lot of money. Didn't get any more calves for the rest of the summer just in case. DS3 kept the cream separator operating daily and made gallons of ice cream out of the goat milk. I think we all put on some weight that summer! Twin heifers - great!

she will not come back no matter what she brings...

Been there - done that! Couldn't wait to unload at the stockyard! LOL

seems he and gf got the calves all tagged on Wed, while I was at that rotary herd, that we had moved home on Tuesday... so they got some of them sorted off and around that he could match up, then they did more yesterday (Thurs) while I was testing the herd that had cancelled...

It is nice that she is heling and taking some of the load (and stress from DS' grumpiness) off you! May not last, but for now

 

[farmerjan]

@Ridgetop ....Yes, for now I am just trying to be thankful and not going to get into the situation... She gets on him for his attitude and he ramps down with her... instead of the cussing and blowing up he does with me. Whatever...
Glad the calves got tagged and banded the bulls... Need to go up tomorrow and see about matching some that he is not sure of... and go to the pasture and check the 2 cows...that we left there...

Did not go get milk, talked to her at farm, and she said that the one cow they had not treated yet so only had 1 bucket...but it looked like they were going to have to treat her after all... so plan to go down tomorrow since the one cow is milking over 60 lbs a milking... so that is 1 1/2, 5 gallon buckets... I have 4 in the car plus a few 2 gal buckets in there also... will see what I can get tomorrow after the morning milking.

Back to the previous discussion on the baby calves... talked to a guy that does buying and some other things for several stockyards... he talked to me today at the sale when I went back to to watch the calves sell... and wanted to know how satisfied we were from the "graded sale" where we sold the bigger steers 2 weeks ago...I also asked him if he was there yesterday for the regular Thursday sale.... at that stockyard... did he see the baby calf prices.... one black calf ...baby calf.... he said it was a nice one... brought $900...... it was posted on their sale results also... he said most black ones brought in the $500-600 range and the holsteins were in the $300-400 range. He said that in Pa they are bringing over $1000.... he said he doesn't know what they are doing with them... but they are just through the roof... DS got to the sale this afternoon, before they started selling... and was talking to him also... we discussed the cost of selling at that sale... the total commission... including the handling fees and checkoff fees etc.. was over 1500.... that's like 1 calf's value we paid for selling them all... But watching the larger calves sell today, it seems we got a decent price at the graded sale...not sure it was worth the extra cost of a graded sale.....but still done....
And for today's sale... 2 weighed 677 avg... brought in the 2.50's .... 14 averaged 557 and brought 3.10 ....7 averaged 599 and brought in the 2.80's.... and the heifer had not yet been sold ... but she was not coming back home regardless, so whatever she brings, she brings...... Prices overall ranged from the low $2.00's to one smaller calf in the 350's that brought nearly 3.50......
I left to come home to do bottles... If you figure it out, the 677 wts, and the 557 wts brought around 1720... and the 500 wts brought 1690 or something... Granted, the calves were a little different ages, so sometimes it makes sense to feed for a bit... but keeping them longer is not smart. We have some in the 6-7 wts... and then the ones we are bringing home now... that will weigh in the 4-5 wts pretty much... There were some 350-4 wts at the sale and the better ones all brought $3.00 and some into the 3.40's.... a 400 lb calf at 3.25 is worth $1300 with little added feed... 500 lbs M/L..... is the sweet spot... always has been...but what do I know.
DS is thinking about grazing heifers out in WV and selling the rest of the steers... the heifers will hold their value as they gain weight... can always be sold as replacements, and help to hold their value at bigger, heavier weights.

I will go by and pick up the check on Monday when I go in for my yearly eye doctor appt... but it goes to prove that it does not pay to keep feeding them... and hopefully DS has gotten the general idea that this keeping and feeding is not giving you any more money and you have more outgo... Granted, they were not bringing $3.00 a pound back a month ago... and it looks like the prices may go higher... but I am not wanting to wait when the prices are what they are... they will only eat more... and what if things go south... something comes apart...and it can happen in a weeks time.... I want them sold... and he wanted to get the silage fed also... so there is that... but they are getting grain along with the silage so there is some directly out of pocket expense in the grain, rather than the silage that has been paid for awhile back and is "just available to feed"....

We got some light showery sprinkles and it was less than .05 inches in the rain gauge... it was a chilly day, damp..... Temps hovered in the 45's, last night, to 55 today... Sun partially came out for a little while this afternoon....might see a little in the way of rain/snow tomorrow... then drying out for a few days...
I will have to feed some hay tomorrow...

The rodeo is at the Lexington Horse center just south of here, tonight and tomorrow night... I think I will go tomorrow... I mentioned it to DS but he didn't say anything about hey, let's go... so I will go by myself probably... Don't want to sit at home all the time. If Deb finally comes out this weekend, I will ask her..

I am tired, going in to take a shower, wash my hair that I was too tired to do last night... and go to bed early.

 

[Ridgetop]

Can you feed sileage to the calves? Or do they need the hay to start off the rumen development?

With the lack of available heifers - bred or otherwise, and the cost of them, I think selling off all the steers and feeding out just the heifers makes a lot of sense. If the market drops on meat cows, you can breed those heifers and sell them as bred heifers or calve them out whichever is financially the best. Being flexible is how you have to roll in today's market.

I like selling my lambs young here since we don't have any grazing. Pull them off mama, put them in the trailer and off they go. Once we are in Texas, I may try holding them longer on pasture to see if it brings a higher price. According to Livestock Weekly which publishes biweekly prices in Texas on sheep and cattle, the best prices on hair lambs being paid seem to be on weights up to 75 lbs. Then the price drops a bit. If I can get the same $$ at weaning per lb. and save pasture, I am all for it. I don't have to wether them either so less work, and they don't take the backset on weight gain they do after wethering.

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday evening... Day went differently than I thought but not bad... Chilly 34 to start... only up to 47... Cloudy and then some light rain/drizzly stuff about noon and all afternoon... enough to get you wet but not soaked... but definitely cold feeling...

Was a little late getting up after the sale and all yesterday... I did wash my hair and went to bed with it still damp and woke up with it all kinked up on one side... had to use a wet brush to get it to lay down!!!!

Went out and fed the 2 calves here.. then went up to nurse cow pasture and the 3 "weaned" calves were out down around some of the hay when I drove up... had to call them to come to barn for grain... got them fed, got the other 4 fed bottles... carried grain in and fed and then fed out the last 2 flakes of the "real good hay" . Then ran up and dropped off the rent check for the one pasture we use for the "one and dones" and any other odd cattle... and went just a little further up the road and went to the pasture where the 2 cows were that we left behind the other day... Called them and they both meandered their way up to the pen and came right in and ate the grain with no upsets... I shut the gates and then went down and rode all around the pasture and did not find a calf anywhere... and she doesn't seem to have a big udder either... don't know why she slipped and went down twice that day, or why she absolutely REFUSED to come up to the pen... but came right in today. Called DS and told him they were in, I could leave them in to get moved or let them out and get them in another day... he said he could come get them late this afternoon...after he got some things done... didn't sound happy about it... and I said it would be no problem to just get them in another day, then he got "huffy" and said... I said I would come get them later" . Well scr you too..... but I left them in. Then he asked if I was going to feed hay at snyders(nurse cow pasture) and grants before it rained and got slippery... I said I planned to do that as soon as I got done checking on these cows...which I planned to do because they were needing hay... and I fed on Thursday... he said to being the silage cart back from grants to the barn when I came...
Got the truck from his green barn, had a roll of sorghum/mix on it and went and fed at nurse cow pasture... went and got them a roll of straight hay and fed that... then went and got both a roll of hay and a roll of sorghum and went to grants pasture "behind my house" (more or less... kitty corner sorta... I can see it from my house/driveway) and went in there and fed both... then stopped and hooked up the silage cart and managed to get it out through the gate as it is on an angle ... I have never brought a cart in or out of there... shut gate as cows had come up to eat at the rolls... and took it to the barn... called him and asked where he wanted it, and he said to go up behind barn and turn around by silo and he would be back in a few minutes and he would fill it.... okaaaaaay... didn't know I was supposed to take it back full.... so he came back from out back... filled it and I went back to grants with it... had to maneuver it back in through gates and unhooked it for the cows... came out and went and got my car back and left truck... Came home. Got the other car and headed down to get milk... she had 3 full 5 gal buckets and 1 partial of the 2 gal buckets...
She told me they had to do something about some cash flow, so took some cull cows and 10 - 600 lb holstein steers to the holstein feeder sale I wanted to go, to but worked that rotary parlor on Wednesday... and they brought $2.00 lb... she said they were really happy... her grandfather fights her and her father on most everything they want to try to do... but they told him they needed to sell something... and all his doom and gloom about selling them at that "light weight" ... although he is part of the cash flow problem as he pays things that he should not be paying out of the farm account and they are left to juggle things... anyway... those steers at 600 lbs, brought as much as the ones they sold late last fall at nearly 1000 lbs... with that much less feed in them...

No new bull calves, and there is no problem about me still being on the "list" to start getting any bull calves at the $150 agreed on price, since it does not pay them to go that far for 1 or 2 calves a week... and this is freeing up some feed for the cows... She said that there are a couple of cows that will be culled as they are not breeding back... aged cows.... and she is going to try to replace them with some of these heifers coming in fresh soon...
I said I would be back down there on Thursday for a chiropractor appt... so she will save milk on Wed and Thursday morning again for me...
Of course, you know I just put the 4 on once a day milk now that they are 8+ weeks old.... but will get the milk anyway as often as I can manage it...
Thinking some pigs.... and I am thinking I need to find a smaller trailer for hauling.... I do not want to use the 20 ft big aluminum one... and the 20 ft steel one needs a new floor again... so don't know when that will ever happen... I like the 20 ft overall... but a 14/16 ft one would be good for smaller loads etc... like when I want to take some of my holsteins to market.. or just going and getting baby calves... especially if it is rainy out...

Thinking ahead to being more "independent" of things here.... surprisingly DS mentioned that he needs to get the title straightened out with the truck that is here, so I can get it put in my name... and I said I would probably just do it joint so that if something happens to one of us, it does not have to go through any probate or estate stuff..... of course, waiting for him to do that might be a month of sunday's with 4 blue moons in that month too...
....... but he brought it up... so maybe progress... otherwise, I am going to be like @Mini Horses and start looking for another truck like she did for herself, then get her other one fixed or sold or something... My little ranger is great for somethings, but I would not want to haul too big of a trailer behind it... definitely not with full grown cattle of any number... not even a 2 horse trailer... nothing with much weight... it is wonderful for smaller loads and such on it... and I think I am going to take a hog panel and make a "rack " for the back for hauling just a few baby calves and such.... going to measure the size and see what I can do with it... because the xlg dog crate can only handle 2 calves at best... Put a top on it and be safe and more room... haul a couple of piglets maybe too....
I am really thinking that some pigs would be really good for the garden "tilling" in the winter... use one of the calf hutches for protection/housing... used to do it years ago... I miss my pigs... so that is on the burner simmering a bit...most people want them in the spring... I would want in the fall... maybe I need to get with @Mini Horses and we could be in a position to buy some like she saw that pen and didn't want 6... I could easily take 3 or 4 ... getting them in Dec/Jan or so, would be fine... good excuse to go east and visit for a day...
get out a little more and do for me....

Anyway... some thoughts... list of things to do... wants and needs... projects I want to try to accomplish...

Deb came out this weekend, and we had tenative plans to go to the rodeo... I don't think she was especially enthused, called to see if I wanted to do Taco's tonight... I suggested the rodeo for something different to do, she said it might be nice to go to the rodeo...
So, after I got back from getting the milk, she called and I said I was going to feed the baby calves and I would be at her house around 5... she said good. Got there and the rain was changing over to some snow like pellets... and she was not so keen to go out in it... I didn't figure it would last but I said we didn't have to go, and she said you wouldn't mind not going, and I said it was not life or death / make or break so we didn't have to go... so we stayed and made tacos... and talked for a bit, and I came home about 8 : 30 or so.....
So, I am in, it is getting late... and I am going to go in and go to bed... I did get a bale of good hay off the wagon this afternoon when I switched the truck for my car after feeding the rolls to the cows and all... and took it up to the calves... the 3 weaned ones were in the barn laying down, out of the rain, and the 4 were laying inside on the other side... They still had a bunch of the "loose hay" left from out of the tarp, but the bigger ones had finished what I gave them, so I gave them more...

I need to go up to the barn and check the eartags in the calves in the one back lot to see what steer calves are still there... so I can determine if either of the 2 that got sold yesterday with no tags (tags torn out of ears) were mine or if they are still in the back... 3 that got sold were mine, but there are 2 of mine not accounted for... so they might be in the back with the other steers, or they might have lost their tags and been sold... That will determine the amount he owes me for what got sold Friday... which I intend to collect...

Next will be getting the 5 moved out of the nurse cow pasture to go to the barn to be mixed in with whatever they match up with, for selling in a group... and I may very well take that old cow with that surprise calf and sell the calf separate and put the cow in the cull pen... she does not have much milk since her other calf never got weaned off... and this is definitely her last calf anyway... with what the calves are bringing, it might be smarter to split the pair and sell them sooner rather than later... her calf is one of the 5, I want out of there... she does not allow the bigger calf near her now... and it will get sold... it is a steer... nothing special, but still worth some money... clean house of all these steer calves and such... Even if they go higher... sold at a good price now, is better than not sold... even if they do not hit the highest limit of the market... we could miss the high week too...I am not like DS in that respect... I am in the "ship them now/soon"... get the other cows in better shape to go out to grass in the spring...

So he called before , and he got the 2 cows moved...I will go tomorrow and make sure she is not calling/mooing looking for a calf... if so, I will go back and make sure the there is no calf wandering around. But I don't think she had one yet... maybe she was looking for her big calf... but that doesn't explain her slipping and going down like that...or her refusal to leave that spot.. Today she was far away from there up on the hill side along the fence eating and did not act the slightest upset when she followed the other cow up to the pen... didn't act upset or like she was "looking" for a baby out in the field... but I want to make sure all the bases are covered. Sometimes they are just "notional".....

Time to quit for the night... making a list of things to do the next few days so I don't forget anything...

 

[Mini Horses]

yeah, we're both dealing with annoying DS issues, wanting to retire but, trying to decide what to do instead of our jobs. Two peas in a pod.

PRIME time has its own funny surprises.

 

[Ridgetop]

I am in the "ship them now/soon"... get the other cows in better shape to go out to grass in the spring...

That is the smart thing to do in this market with feed prices being what they are. You are doing a smart thing getting on your on with this calf business. Raising and selling a few hogs will be good also especially if you have some extra milk to put with the feed.

but that doesn't explain her slipping and going down like that...or her refusal to leave that spot..

Could she have calved and a predator took the calf?

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday morning.... nice chilly ? COLD actually, morning of 21 overnight... warming up today though. No breeze at this time....Sun is out but some hazy clouds.
@Ridgetop : could be something got her calf but she has no real udder yet, and she looks pretty big around so I am thinking she is still pregnant... doesn't have that "recently calved" look.... maybe she just decided NOPE, not going up near that pen where some big mean scary thing is going to happen, doesn't explain the slipping and going down... she is in the field with the other "due to calve" cows... so we will see...

I hear the calves here, wanting breakfast... Have some of the milk inside warming to mix with the milk replacer in a few minutes... It got some ice on the inside of the buckets overnight, icy milk/cream, with the cold temps; which is good to help keep it good to use since I do not have a fridge for it. Need a 2nd fridge for milk and garden stuff in the summer and all that...just the big cooler chest i set buckets in with some ice around them...

Thought I posted this but obviously not......

I did all the feeding, calves here, then up to the nurse cow pasture/barn.... the calves were all lazing around the barn, and the 3 jumped right on the grain... gave them another couple sections of the real good hay and gave the 4 in the other side, one small section also. Gave it to them outside in the sun, they still had some in the bunk feeder from the "tarp hay" I put out.
Then went to the barn, as DS asked by text, if I could feed the cow and calf in the little lot there where we used to have the blind calves... Seems he put my one older cow and her calf in that lot as she is a little run down.... and he said he would not be up there until this afternoon... so I went and fed her some grain and a sq bale of hay... she needs some pour on wormer, and then to go up in the field with the cows and small calves so she can get some silage up there... she is getting some age on her, and has really felt the strain this fall/winter...

So while I was at the barn, I went up and got the numbers on all the steer calves that are still there... so I could figure out if any of mine had lost tags and got sold on friday... there were 2 with torn out ear tags... and it seems that one was mine... 2 of mine are still at the farm there out in the lot... and I know of 3 that got sold but there were 2 that did not have tags... and so one must be one of mine... I have to go through and match up all the ones left, with the list of who they came off of, so will know who they belong to, and figure out who all he got sold...have a list of most all the tags of the ones on the trailers... so I can figure out who got sold, which ones were mine, which pen they were sold in, and what he owes me out of the check...
Took about an 1 1/2 hours walking through the field with the calves... had one tag that the front was totally unreadable... and he would not turn his head with his ears up... kept laying his ears back along his head, so I couldn't see the back...finally managed to see it... YEP... one of my 2 calves left there ........ but at least that gave me an accurate list of who is still there...I will stop and pick up the check on Monday and then can figure the commission per head, and get him to write me a check for my animals....

So I came in for a sandwich around 2:30... sat down and took a couple tylenol for the aching shoulder... forgot to take some this morning before I went out and it makes it ache worse sometimes...
It is mostly sunny, but rather breezy and was chilly out there, all day.
I was going to do some laundry to hang but it is going to warm up the end of the week with a little chance of rain, so will wait.

Had another farm text about testing....what is it with these guys??? I have the eye exam in the morning... could maybe test in the afternoon, except the one herd I have to be at by 12 and I am not sure I will be seeing good enough to drive up there with the eye drops they dilate with... if it was late afternoon, that would be one thing... got the 2x herd wanting to test now too.... plus trying to see if Lindsay can help with the 500 cow herd on wed... if not can do the 2x herd wed/thurs... Got my chiropractor appt on thurs at 2, could maybe do the 2x herd thurs/fri since I set up in the morning and they don't start til 4:30 but that will be pushing coming home from the chiropractor (1 hour south) ... and have to pick up the milk on the way home... might have to take jim to hospital for the surgery Tues morning so have had to leave that open for now... and cats are maybe going to get fixed, but the SPCA had reduced hours last week so I didn't get there to get it confirmed and pay... . Planned to go there tomorrow to see if they still have any openings... might have to wait for next month... male has been smelling her but not actively acting like she is in breeding condition... I know this is the time of year for them to come into heat and get pregnant. So much to try to squeeze in some days... could just call the local vet and see what he charges and get her spayed at least... wait on the male...


Can I run away from home?????

Soon as I hear back from Lindsay, I can at least get a few things lined up... could do the 2x herd Mon/tues if I don't have to take jim to hospital for surgery and the cat fixing doesn't happen... but that is going to be short notice... .....

 

[farmerjan]

Okay... a few things settled.... Lindsay cannot help Wed as the lady she is taking to hospital appt at 11, will be put under for some test... so no idea when she might be getting out... so Wed eve available to test someone.... Tuesday Jim is getting a ride to the hospital for the procedure they are doing... maybe a colostomy? in the morning, but he supposedly has a blockage so don't know what that entails... except that he won't need a ride home until mid-day at the earliest..all according to what they find..... so, I can plan something for the morning... going to text the 2 x herd and see if I can sneak them in mon/tues... can go set up after I get done with eye dr appt .... and don't have to be in barn until 4:30 mon eve to test... back Tues morning... then I could do the other big herd that wants to test on Wed aft... still have to talk to SPCA but I am thinking that it would be a minor miracle if they do not have all the spots already filled for the spay/neuter clinic on Tuesday... that would conflict with getting them down to the SPCA in the morning though... maybe it was not meant to happen this week with them.

 

[Ridgetop]

so I am thinking she is still pregnant...

Have some of the milk inside warming to mix with the milk replacer in a few minutes...

With our Nubians kidding 3 and four kids routinely, we often ended up with more babies than milk for a month or two. Instead of warming the milk, I mix the replacer with hot water. When it blended with the refrigerated milk it was a decent temperature. Didn't worry about it being too warm, lukewarm was ok.