Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Lol...when milking & hens laying, that's a great way to use both up some. Tasty, too!

 

[farmerjan]

That is the way my grandmother taught me to make custard too.

I sometimes use almond flavoring too.

Never thought of almond flavoring...

I will make custard my meal rather than the "dessert"... milk and eggs, 2 of nature's most perfect foods...

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday evening... Had a decent day. Started out real cloudy, kinda damp feeling. 44 was the low overnight. Hit 62 and we got some sun coming through late this afternoon.
Fed 2 calves at the house and they had eaten all the hay so added more to the holder. Moved the 16 ft panels a little to give them some "cleaner" tall grass area. Need to get them some shavings tomorrow for inside the hutch... it will just become organic matter into the soil so not worried about it "being there" for a bit. Me moving the hutch is just too much while the calves are in it.
Measured the back of the ranger so I can make a "cage" for it out of a hog panel... 4x4 will fit just about perfectly... so 1 panel will cut into 4 equal pieces, then I will need to put a "top" on it for safety's sake...less than $75 to make a cage,(2 hog panels) with 3/4 a panel left (use a 4 ft piece for the top).... It will sit up on the wheel wells and I will get some pieces to stick under it on the ends so it will ride on the wheel wells and not drop in an angle. I have a tool box on the back of the ranger and have lots of stuff in it so it will sit against the tool box... other wise it would be about 5-5 1/2 ft on the length of each side...
Went to get the truck to feed hay and DS had it at the barn... the engine in the red bale truck that he feeds alot with, has 450,000 miles on it... diesel, and it was running rough so he checked it and it has antifreeze in the oil... either a head gasket or something even more serious... so not running it ..... has it scheduled to go in and get checked out... but both places he checked with, that he trusts, are at least a MONTH out... so he is using the r/w truck...
SO, him and gf were feeding at the barn, he said it was awfully muddy out there but to go ahead and take it and if I got stuck then to call them at the barn and he would come up to the pasture .... I said okay... he is anal about feeding in certain places... and it is getting soft with the rains we have had... so I didn't argue about it... I went and made 2 trips to the nurse cow pasture and that is not a bad place to feed... and I am putting them in some of the "low spots" (whether he likes it or not) and on the hill a bit... so not a problem to get in and out... of course they had to "unroll" the bale of hay down the hill, and it went into the little patch of woods and a tree stopped it... so they are going to have to work on cleaning it up... put the roll of sorghum near where the other ones have been, they don't roll since they get real flat from sitting... and they are filling in some low spots also... it will take a year or 2 for the earthworms and all to break them down better... but they are adding organic matter with the "rotting" around the outsides... they do not shed water as good as the hay so there is more waste.... DS won't wrap them which would preserve them alot better... but what do I know...

Then I went to the pasture next to/behind my house and did not have any problem in there getting the rolls where he wanted them. You can see them from the road and where he feeds the silage in the cart, so had to make an effort to "do what he wants".... then hooked the empty silage wagon and brought it out and went down to the barn with it... Talked to him a bit about whether he was going to move the steers I had gotten in at the nurse cow pasture down to doug's barn... but he said he has several that have runny noses and he had to treat a couple... so I said then I will keep them in at snyder's (nurse cow place) but that I needed some hay for them... he said he was going to have to get some sq bales for a friend so would get me some out so I can feed them... I said okay... he was going to fill the silage wagon and then it could go back to "grants" (behind my house) ... but that they could bring it back so I didn't have to sit and wait on it... suited me fine. Then I came home, got the bottles and went up and fed the once a day milk feeding, and grain for them, and got some of the hay from the "unrolled" roll, to give the calves until I got the sq bales.

Came on back to the house. Took the meters out of the car I didn't need, changed the brackets on the 12 that I will need tomorrow to set up to test Mon eve/Tues morn.... can use the hoses already in the car...

I did get the clothes hung this morning too... it didn't look too promising, but only calling for clouds most of the day. It takes these flannel lined jeans a little more time to dry too...

DS called and said he was going up to get the hay, then when I got to the driveway, he was coming out and said that he was getting the hay from another barn for this person, but he put 7 bales on the top of the sq baler in the arena (at Deb's place) so I could get them easily... so I just went down and put 3 on the truck. Went up and fed one, put one in the hay section of the barn, since I had to carry it in because of the down tree blocking the gate to get in there... and left one on the truck. I then figured that I needed to put a couple more on the ranger, so tomorrow I can again feed one, and put more in the "hay section"... so went back by Deb's ( right next door) and put 2 more on the truck... so I have 3 on there.... I will probably put 2 in the hay section, feed one then get one more on the truck to feed Tuesday.... the forecast is for 80% chance of rain on Wed.... so want to have hay already in the barn so I am not trying to unload or drag it into the barn in the rain...
The plan is to load out the calves that are going to the sale, directly from that barn on Sat morning now... then come to snyder's and get the ones I have there... plus don't know how many of the holsteins will be going...depends on how many he has on there...... This Sat is not a graded sale so that is the plan since there won't be many that match each other anyway... I do not know how many he has at the barn to take, and he says he is going to set up the panels at the other pasture, bring them to the barn on Friday, pull the big steers/calves off and load and take on Sat... then the cows will get preg checked on Monday.... says he does not want them at the barn to get exposed to the ones that had runny noses and get runny noses too... This up and down weather, rain and stuff is causing alot of this I think... and he moved them around the other day when Caleb came and they worked the ones through for the graded sale next Thursday.... so, when you change things around,,, they get "exposed" to different ones... just like kids in kindergarten... "new germs"... even though they are on the same farm, they were all not together so it is just like the germs are "new" to them.... .

The wet and mud is not helping either... and honestly, it always seems that they get sick more at doug's farm... I do not especially like having the cattle there... they always seem to "catch something" .....maybe it is just that, that is where we bring them and they get co-mingled with other ones all the time.
As far as I know we are not taking any heifers..... we had 5 at a place last year, free gratis, and the guy called DS to bring some more this year... Looks like we will take the one bigger heifer at snyder's, and the longhorn's steer plus a couple more... they are both quiet, he has been a steer for awhile so not a problem... they will both come for grain when not crowded out by the big cows, so I will only have to get them in at my leisure at the nurse cow pasture...I do not want them at the barn at doug's now and to get sick....

So, fed bottles and done and in for the night. Going in to pack the samples to ship out tomorrow...

Ate the rest of the package of breaded shrimp and the green beans...

 

[farmerjan]

Monday night... heading to bed in a few minutes...Took a bit to "get going this morning"...a Did all the usual chores, went and set up meters at the farm... packed all the samples and took them to the UPS store this afternoon. That took some time.... On the way back, I stopped and finally got the headlight bulb changed.. and got the numbers of the bulbs... so now I can get the right ones if I need to replace any more... Luckily, the high and low beams are separate bulbs so that is good... boy, the bulbs nowadays are expensive....

Calves still had hay left in the lot so did not go back up with the truck, after taking the car with the grain and all in the back and the bucket of bottles in the front up to get bottles fed. I will take 2 buckets of grain in the morning, and the bottles, and the hay, all in the truck... after I get done at the farm testing...and get them situated....


Went back to farm to test at 4:15.... got out about 7:45...remembered the clothes... there was only the 2 pairs of flannel lined jeans and a couple shirts/sweatshirts and brought them in this evening... ate a little bit and am ready to go to bed to get up at 4:30 to be at farm by 5:30....

We might get a little bit of rain/showers, overnight... from the front that hit @Mini Horses yesterday/today... swinging back towards us and heading up into PA it looks like... but sun by mid afternoon... then more rain coming in Wednesday... 80% chance on Wednesday... So, I will make it a point to get in and feed some more at snyder's and probably one more bale at the pasture "behind/next to" me (grant's) so that there won't be any getting stuck stuff.... if we get much rain... Plus I have the 500+ cow herd Thursday afternoon... and DS is supposed to be moving the cattle from the last "summer pasture" home on Friday in order to sell the few bigger calves there, plus what is at the barn... and then be gone most all day Saturday at the sale... so feeding some extra tomorrow will get them through a few days... Won't put the hay where they can unroll it at snyder's so it doesn't get rained on all rolled out... they had most of the sorghum bale pretty much untouched today and ate about 2/3 of the hay bale they rolled off down the hill... so cleaning it up more today is good.... plus they are not eating near as much in the warmer temps we are having.... I will be off after I get done testing tomorrow, so will try to get all the rolls of hay put out, and get the sq bales in the barn up there so that I don't have to deal with it in the rain....

Sample bottles all ready in the car for the morning... I have taken samples the last several times testing in the evening at this farm... need to switch and do a morning or 2.... I will unload all the meters after I test and get them all in the carport since I need the back of the car for all the boxes anyway.... and I DESPERATELY need to clean out the car too... maybe I can get it done this time it is halfway emptied out...
Got a notice the registration is due for the outback... I do it for 3 years.... and the oil needs changing in the ranger and the forester.... Always something.... maybe in the rain on Wed, one of them can get done...Got a list of "stuff" that needs doing....
Right now top of the list is bed to get up at 4:30....

 

[farmerjan]

Decent day even if I did not get done all I thought I would.

Went back to test this morning, they are milking their limit and had something like 130 samples.... took 3 + hours to milk. Pulled the meters off the milk line after they went through the cycles, while I was at the house doing the computer work...
Came home and fed the 2 calves here, they are getting really "rough" with butting the bottles and all... They ate all their feed and hay in the hutch, refilled that... and filled the water bucket.

Did take the ranger with hay and feed and the bottles up and got hay in the barn and all them fed.

Had to take the samples to the UPS store since the UPS guy came early to the vineyard... so that took time.

It was cloudy and a little wet this morning... nothing like what @Mini Horses had... just a trace of rain but surface was wet... less than 1/10th.... Then it finally cleared off, and we had sun and it was quite nice out. Warmer.... but by late this afternoon it clouded up again. We have clouds expected all night, then rain coming in and supposed to be wetter tomorrow.. actual "rain"....
I did not get the rolls of hay fed today, and of course DS needs to use the truck this afternoon. I think he is moving the cattle panels down to the other farm so that they can get up the cows and calves there... some are supposed to get sold. I will go get it tomorrow morning before it gets too wet, and feed the hay tomorrow. The ground has dried up some today with the sun, so it should be fine for me to feed tomorrow. Cows can clean it up some and they were laying around today so weren't not very hungry. I am kinda glad that they have to clean up the roll that they rolled down the hill at the nurse cow pasture...

I am tired, it was a short night....

I am going to go out and feed the calves here in a bit and figure out what to make for some supper. I might take the meters out of the car when I am out there, before it rains, since I do not need them on Thursday, and need the car to be empty to take the boxes of bottles.

DS just came and fed hay, at grants behind me.... so he could get in and out of there with the silage cart... and I went over and stayed by the gate since they were headed out anyway... they went into the "catch lot" part to eat some of the grass just trying to come up a bit... can't leave them in there as the calves keep reaching through the the high tensile wire, and several wind up pushing through and are out on the roadside eating... too dangerous... It's a PITA with them... especially small like they are... So, they all were going in there as I got in the car to go over there when DS called me... so I sat there so they could eat a little, and he came back with the silage cart and they were not even interested... he dropped the cart and HAD to go because he is going to coach the softball team again this year and had to be at a meeting at 6.... here we go again.... I told him I would get them back in the other side, and close up gates... I had to call cows and walk down through the field... after closing gate at the road... and they all pretty much followed me until they realized that the silage cart had silage in it...then headed to that...
OF COURSE... there were 3 calves that did not follow... and they couldn't go around the BIG SCARY disk that was along the fence and they had to go out around it.... to get out the gate connecting the fields... no matter that they came right around it to go in the catch field... . So it took me 3 tries to get them to go along the fence, out past the disk and out through the gate they had come through a half hour before..... Typical silliness...
And of course, DS questioned why I did not feed hay, so that I wouldn't get stuck tomorrow, when we get all this rain and it gets soft... I said I would feed and it would not be a problem... he said, well,,, okay.....

GRRRRR.....

I mentioned getting the panels to take down to the other farm and he said, with an exasperated tone, "well.... they are all loaded in the trailer already"... La De Da....excuse me for asking...The attitude is starting again...
Lord give me strength....

I am done and in the house. I did go out in the freezer and get a larger chicken so it can thaw and get stuffed to roast ... took out another package of liver, and a steak, to thaw to have some meals this next week.... Have some green beans here in the freezer, and got some sliced peppers to mix in with some onions when I sautee them...
I am trying to do the "eat out of the freezer" thing.... and not spend money except for paper goods.... and other things... and not eat out, even for fast food, on the way to test... I will make some sliced chicken sandwiches, ahead, to take for Thursday, she is bringing her own "dinner"...

Stock market dropped 400 pts today... there is an undercurrent of unrest... the car dealerships are advertising that they "want and need your used vehicles, paying over KBB prices"... all that sort of stuff...may help the selling of the explorer....
The world is going to come to an end because Donald Trump is going to wind up with the Republican nomination...

Can't wait to get these steers sold...

 

[Mini Horses]

Rain here AGAIN tomorrow. . Grass is growing but, leaves of water..... I'm just planning to work pretty much all week

 

[farmerjan]

Wed evening. Been a fairly okay day. Got up early but had a nagging headache all day... Slept wrong, I know....Did calves here at the house, DS called and asked if I went to feed the hay and did I have any trouble with the truck...I said I was leaving in about 5 minutes, as it was getting close to starting to rain. He asked if I could go by and get a couple cans of diesel fuel so he could come by during his lunch time and get right to feeding before it rained much. I said okay... Left a few minutes later and went up and fed 4 rolls at the nurse cow pasture so that I won't have to go in there for several days with the coming rain. It started to sprinkle while I was feeding but not too much. The transmission started to slip on the last bale... this truck has had the transmission worked on several times... it is a PITA... and when DS asked my opinion, the last time he got it back, I said to sell it... I do not like automatic transmissions very much... and this one has been a real lemon... Enough... but the bad thing is the other bale truck is down with the engine problem that developed this past week... but then, isn't that always the way???
So, I went and got 2 cans of fuel as soon as I got done with the feeding, and he got to the barn when I was there... He is trying to get some dead trees down behind where the fuel tanks were, before they come down on the tanks or the shed roof next to where they were... he has moved them for now since he had purposely emptied them....
I came on home, got the bottles for the once a day calves, and went to the co-op and got a couple bags of feed to take up there. Did the feeding routine, fed some of the hay I had put in the barn, since it was raining some... not hard but getting a bit wet. I also dumped 4 of the partially full water troughs that were getting some algae and crud in them... figuring that if it rains much they will get some "fresher" water in them...

Came home and called to see if they had gotten anymore protein tubs in at the feed store, because I want to put some in with the cows in the pasture "behind" my house... There are several of my dairy crossbreds in there and they are thinner than I would like. Seems DS is not putting grain on the silage some times, and they are not getting enough protein in my opinion... so I am going to put a couple of tubs in there, and another one at the nurse cow pasture for the bred heifers and the couple of thinner cows (old cow with the calf and one of my hol x beef cows that has a small calf that did not get a dry off period and is not looking like she should either).... and they said they had 3 so I said to hold them and I would come get them this afternoon... and I guess no one put 2 and 2 together... so there weren't any there... I was NOT HAPPY..... Wasted gas, and a trip.... got a bag of the feed I like but had to put it in the cab because of the showery rain... They will have them for Friday....
Because , I have to test tomorrow and am not going to push myself to go there and get them on the truck, and come back to get the car to go to test... IF they could get them there in the morning... so I said I would just go there on Friday morning... as long as I get there before noon so I can get home in order to help move the cattle out of the pasture back to doug's farm Friday afternoon... if he want help... he might have "other help"... I never know...

So, in the morning I will get the meters out of the car, I sorta forgot them this afternoon... and load the boxes for testing... and going to go early so I can go out to lunch with a friend before I go to test... it is on the way so works out pretty good. I want to be in town by 1 so will need to be done here and leave by 12:30... She is going back to Alaska on Monday next week and has a busy weekend scheduled with her son and DIL and grandson, over the weekend.

So, I went by DD and checked on some buckets... none....and went to Walmart (right behind there) and did a little shopping. got an Easter card, some jelly beans, some discounted garlic bread, couple little things I had on a list... and came on home. Came in and done for the night. Going to get a shower and go to bed early again... didn't eat before, and now I am hungry... late to eat so I think I will go make a bowl of soup and call it good. It is still raining a little, not heavy... going to dry out for a bit tomorrow and then more coming in.... don't want to complain about rain, it has not been hard or anything, because of it being a colder and drier spring last year... we can use this for spring hay growth... but I would gladly send it to Texas if I could to help them.

Well, stomach is growling, so I guess I better feed it...

 

[SageHill]

Wed evening. Been a fairly okay day. Got up early but had a nagging headache all day... Slept wrong, I know....Did calves here at the house, DS called and asked if I went to feed the hay and did I have any trouble with the truck...I said I was leaving in about 5 minutes, as it was getting close to starting to rain. He asked if I could go by and get a couple cans of diesel fuel so he could come by during his lunch time and get right to feeding before it rained much. I said okay... Left a few minutes later and went up and fed 4 rolls at the nurse cow pasture so that I won't have to go in there for several days with the coming rain. It started to sprinkle while I was feeding but not too much. The transmission started to slip on the last bale... this truck has had the transmission worked on several times... it is a PITA... and when DS asked my opinion, the last time he got it back, I said to sell it... I do not like automatic transmissions very much... and this one has been a real lemon... Enough... but the bad thing is the other bale truck is down with the engine problem that developed this past week... but then, isn't that always the way???
So, I went and got 2 cans of fuel as soon as I got done with the feeding, and he got to the barn when I was there... He is trying to get some dead trees down behind where the fuel tanks were, before they come down on the tanks or the shed roof next to where they were... he has moved them for now since he had purposely emptied them....
I came on home, got the bottles for the once a day calves, and went to the co-op and got a couple bags of feed to take up there. Did the feeding routine, fed some of the hay I had put in the barn, since it was raining some... not hard but getting a bit wet. I also dumped 4 of the partially full water troughs that were getting some algae and crud in them... figuring that if it rains much they will get some "fresher" water in them...

Came home and called to see if they had gotten anymore protein tubs in at the feed store, because I want to put some in with the cows in the pasture "behind" my house... There are several of my dairy crossbreds in there and they are thinner than I would like. Seems DS is not putting grain on the silage some times, and they are not getting enough protein in my opinion... so I am going to put a couple of tubs in there, and another one at the nurse cow pasture for the bred heifers and the couple of thinner cows (old cow with the calf and one of my hol x beef cows that has a small calf that did not get a dry off period and is not looking like she should either).... and they said they had 3 so I said to hold them and I would come get them this afternoon... and I guess no one put 2 and 2 together... so there weren't any there... I was NOT HAPPY..... Wasted gas, and a trip.... got a bag of the feed I like but had to put it in the cab because of the showery rain... They will have them for Friday....
Because , I have to test tomorrow and am not going to push myself to go there and get them on the truck, and come back to get the car to go to test... IF they could get them there in the morning... so I said I would just go there on Friday morning... as long as I get there before noon so I can get home in order to help move the cattle out of the pasture back to doug's farm Friday afternoon... if he want help... he might have "other help"... I never know...

So, in the morning I will get the meters out of the car, I sorta forgot them this afternoon... and load the boxes for testing... and going to go early so I can go out to lunch with a friend before I go to test... it is on the way so works out pretty good. I want to be in town by 1 so will need to be done here and leave by 12:30... She is going back to Alaska on Monday next week and has a busy weekend scheduled with her son and DIL and grandson, over the weekend.

So, I went by DD and checked on some buckets... none....and went to Walmart (right behind there) and did a little shopping. got an Easter card, some jelly beans, some discounted garlic bread, couple little things I had on a list... and came on home. Came in and done for the night. Going to get a shower and go to bed early again... didn't eat before, and now I am hungry... late to eat so I think I will go make a bowl of soup and call it good. It is still raining a little, not heavy... going to dry out for a bit tomorrow and then more coming in.... don't want to complain about rain, it has not been hard or anything, because of it being a colder and drier spring last year... we can use this for spring hay growth... but I would gladly send it to Texas if I could to help them.

Well, stomach is growling, so I guess I better feed it...

Ohhhh you’ve got to try the Garlic Knots at Walmart - best soft garlic rolls ever!

 

[Baymule]

I got a half inch of rain Tuesday and it put puddles in the road where it was so flooded. I drove around them, got another half to 3/4” coming tomorrow. I posted a request on commissioners FB, for some road attention, as politely as possible. Those guys have been slammed. Thinking I’ll take my car to neighbors and use Kawasaki mule to drive through water. A neighbor lady drove her car through the water when the road was a river and it’s dead now. Motor, transmission, both gone. Insurance won’t pay because she drove through high water. NOT doing that. Please send all rain requests to North Texas panhandle. Not going to complain about rain here either, but why did I find Utopia down a dirt road?

 

[CLSranch]

@farmerjan I thought you'd get a kick out of this. (If I copied it right)

Wasn't sure about putting it in humor or coffee.