Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Home from the service and a lunch afterwards. visited with the family a little... DS had spent alot more time over there over the years and is better friends with the family than I am... plus taking his dad a couple times to go see him and trips to poultry shows too...

In to change clothes,,,, had to answer a few texts and phone calls for testing. Got some stuff in the works, 2 farms scheduled next week too....
Heading out the door to get on the mower for a bit... Been sunny and real nice all day.

They showed up this morning to start pounding posts at the farm..... YAY....

 

[farmerjan]

Back in. Thought I sent this, but then got tied up on the phone with another farmer... never seems to go as planned.
I did get the spider plants watered good and the Chrysanthemums watered. Got at discount price a week or 2 ago... plan to plant them and see if any survive for next year...
Got the bags of feed from the explorer that DS got the other day when at Rural King... transferred over to the forester... and yes, the tire is still flat... Might try to get the air tank and get it blown up to get me to the co-op... DS is too busy with the guys with the fencing, and I am not going to bother him now. Made up 3 buckets for the calves (I mix 2 kinds together) and got all that in the car.

There was some dampness so did not bring in the clothes... haven't been here to do so anyway... Put a load in to soak, so will finish washing and take them out to hang, and bring the others in tomorrow...

It is so dry, that the leaves are coming off the trees as fast as they are turning... I want to get out the lawn sweeper and get some of these leaves up and bagged for the winter. and cut the grass and then sweep it again with the dried grass in it too...
Took down a section of the electric netting so I can get in the garden easier... but no sense in taking alot down as I will use it to partially section off the grass here at the house once the perimeter fence is up... at least along a couple sides/parts. I have a "rough sketch" of where I want the posts for the future fence... for gates and such.... but it is basically going to be full perimeter fence except across the front and directly around the house/driveway area.

So after all that food today, probably don't need to eat... maybe a little later. Since it is already dark, I will work on something in here...

 

[murphysranch]

You mention soaking your work clothes, alot. What do you soak them in, besides water?

 

[farmerjan]

Arm and Hammer detergent, and Super washing soda by Arm and Hammer...... if there are bad stains that have set more... I use A&H detergent and 20 mule Team borax...
I have had several allergic reactions to things like Tide, and other detergents... never tried the newer different "sensitive skin" formulations of the different ones, because A & H detergent works just fine.

The washing soda also seems to make "less" detergent work as good and is sudsy...

I usually put the clothes in the washer, half full.. agitate a bit... then leave to soak overnight. I add HOT water to that in the morning... making it barely "warm".... agitate a bit again..... let soak again for a bit (usually when I am outside doing something).. then start washer at the beginning of the wash cycle again to wash the full amount of time... and let it run through all the cycles... Sometimes I do a second rinse since my hard water does not always wash out all the detergent well... takes a little more time... but my clothes seem cleaner AND I have not had any allergic reaction to them since. I do sometimes use some softener since my water is very hard... I like Snuggle for not needing much and making them not feel like a board when they are dry.

 

[fuzzi]

Arm and Hammer detergent, and Super washing soda by Arm and Hammer...... if there are bad stains that have set more... I use A&H detergent and 20 mule Team borax...
I have had several allergic reactions to things like Tide, and other detergents... never tried the newer different "sensitive skin" formulations of the different ones, because A & H detergent works just fine.

The washing soda also seems to make "less" detergent work as good and is sudsy...

I usually put the clothes in the washer, half full.. agitate a bit... then leave to soak overnight. I add HOT water to that in the morning... making it barely "warm".... agitate a bit again..... let soak again for a bit (usually when I am outside doing something).. then start washer at the beginning of the wash cycle again to wash the full amount of time... and let it run through all the cycles... Sometimes I do a second rinse since my hard water does not always wash out all the detergent well... takes a little more time... but my clothes seem cleaner AND I have not had any allergic reaction to them since. I do sometimes use some softener since my water is very hard... I like Snuggle for not needing much and making them not feel like a board when they are dry.

I use washing soda and borax with my laundry detergent, too. I buy Aldi's non-scented detergent, works well.

 

[farmerjan]

Friday morning... Have to go to a farm to get their on farm producer program into their new computer. Hopefully they will not have the problems that I had at the last farm since this is a new computer without all these child safeguard lockouts and such....

Never got below 60 last night... it is cloudy and there was a slight chance of a shower but doubt it is going to happen. The weather is supposed to transition to much cooler for the next couple of days as a "cold front" comes through.

Yesterday was a "do stuff outside" day in the warmer weather. I got all the buckets and lids washed that were sitting here since the water in the big black tub had warmed in the sun pretty decently. Hoses in the carport... stuff like that. Started mowing some grass... and then got out the lawn sweeper and tried it on some of the leaves that the mower had run over... It works better on the whole leaves rather than the chopped up ones that I mowed. I need to drop it down more so it picks up "closer" to the ground probably. But since that section of lawn is now mowed, all the leaves that come down off the big maple should get picked up pretty good. I am going to bag them to use later on... that way they will be dry. I am going to try to get the rest mowed around the perimeter so that it will make it easier for them to see where the posts need to go....will make 2 passes, one in each direction so the grass is in the mowed part and should be able to pick some of it up with the sweeper... and in a day or 2 I will take the sweeper and pick up the dried grass that I mowed too..

Other than the possible rain for last night and today; there is no more moisture in the forecast until late next week...

Need to start digging potatoes but the ground is like a brick... way too hard to try to do much. It will be cold weather doing it if we don't get some rain soon. It has been a whole month since any measurable rain... and that was only .6 the first 2 days of Oct. This is very unusual and rare here... we normally get 3-4 inches rain a month and get it scattered out during the month.

It has been a very strange year weather wise. It has been nice to have the clear sunny light breezy days with no humidity for the hay making... but..... not normal.

Spring is holding up at the nurse cow pasture with all the heifers we moved in there... but it is still less than the number of cows and bred heifers we took out, and only 2 are nursing calves so not as much water needed as when there were 6 with 300+ lb calves on them.
Grass is getting short though with no rain to keep it growing with this late warm weather... going to have to start feeding some hay... I'd like to put a roll in there and see how much they are interested in it.

Time to get things put together to take the jump drive and head up to the farm .... need to eat something before I go.

 

[farmerjan]

Friday night.... hit 76 today and the clouds were gone by 10... so not a drop out of the "possible showers"..... wish we had gotten a good shower out of it.

Went to the farm and of course things did not go very smoothly... was there 2 1/2 hours... and there is no phone reception inside the barn... so had to do everything by email on her laptop... and then they got on the new one with Team Viewer.... and finally got it all installed.
So then I looked at the laptop for the specs and got the reports I have created for them, put on the new desktop... so once she puts in the results of the vet check this morning, she will be able to print out reports she is familiar with... any glitches we can work on fixing next Friday when I go back to test.

Left there and came through town so I stopped at the stockyard to see what prices were doing... Got there right at 2 and they started by 2:30.... ...........



I am now the owner of a jersey cow and her little bull calf.... only paid about the going pound/cull price for her... this stockyard is NOT the place to sell dairy cows... definitely not.... but that was to my advantage... started her at $800 and got her for $900..... couldn't NOT buy her. I texted DS and said that he would have to come to town with the truck and trailer to get her......but just a little bit later DS comes in; he is on his way home from a dr appt...he hadn't gotten home yet..... and then he bought a single bull calf and then 2 that came in together. Prices were decent... he wasn't really looking for more... so at least he didn't have to come back just to pick up mine...

He left after the steers were sold, and went home to get the truck and trailer and I stayed to watch heifer prices... he got back and we loaded them up and came home...
By now it was pushing 8 p.m.

So, I got NOTHING done at the house today.... and basically he got very little done since he had to leave for the dr appt and then they were running an HOUR behind... he was not in a very good mood...

The cow is letting the calf nurse... she will need at least 1 more... we ran her up the chute and I checked and she has milk in all 4 quarters... no mastitis that I could see... and seems pretty quiet... got a solid mouth but teeth are a little short so not a young cow... decent flesh... calf is lively... LITTLE of course since it is a jersey... sadly a bull calf... but oh well....

We put them and the 3 bought calves together for the night with some hay in the small barn lot... they all went to the bunk to eat so that was really good. They have the one side of the barn, and the small lot and can find the water easily that way... she will go to the nurse cow pasture tomorrow... I will take a couple of barrels of water and put her in the one side of the barn lot for a day or 2... trying to find at least a 2nd calf to graft on her... I will let her out after a day or 2 and keep the calf in so she will come back in the barn for feed and for wanting her calf... that will hopefully help me to get another calf on her...

Not that I want to pay the ridiculous prices for another calf to graft on her... but...... and I certainly would rather not get one at the stockyard... but may have to go to the sale tomorrow...

It was obviously fate that had me there and before the sale started... "head cows" like that are sold first right after the baby calves... I probably would have bought a baby calf if I'd known she was there... but I hadn't walked out to look at what was there because I was just interested in checking out prices... since we are probably going to be selling some heifers soon... and we have those couple of cull cows to get sold. DS is talking about maybe taking them to another sale he has gone to with some friends a couple times... says that bred red heifer would do better there... Oh well, things happen for a reason...

And then to top it off, got to talking to a guy there... turns out a retired VDOT worker...knows DS ..... he has a jersey cow that he got from a niece or some relative.. who was running some cattle on some of his land and they were not taking care of them, not feeding them or watering them ...said they got looking really poor...... and he "kicked them off" and bought this jersey from them... she is supposed to be due in Dec... he is not really wanting to have a nurse cow... but refuses to sell her back to the niece that won't take care of the cattle right... asked me what I was going to do with the one I bought, and I told him that I used them as nurse cows usually... and then he told me about the one he had... I said if he wanted to sell her to let me know... he said he would because he would rather her go to someone that would give her a good home... so who knows, I might wind up with another one...

Better get this fence up here at the house I guess... May be milking a cow .... never know..... I may have to milk this one for a bit until I find a calf or 2 for her... I can do that at the nurse cow pasture (snyder's) if need be.... as long as she will come in to eat... have to get a neck chain on her... gotta find one...

 

[Mini Horses]

Dang!! Even tho it isn't in my best interest, I keep want a jersey to milk . She was a great deal actually....steer the calf, sell or butcher. They don't bring as much at sale, being Jersey & smaller but, $ back. . You know the drill.

 

[farmerjan]

Nice Saturday. 42 for low, up to 76 in the sun. Not much breeze at all so a nice day out.

Got a call from one of my farmers, he had a new bull calf that was a little on the small size, if I was interested. I said yes, and that it worked for him and me to get up there around milking time this afternoon...

DS called and asked when I wanted to get cow moved and I said whenever it worked best for him... so he said he was doing some feeding, he could call in about an hour or so... well it was over 1 1/2 hours, but I was here at the house so no big deal. Had to use the car to jump the ranger since I haven't driven it in 2 weeks and the battery is getting a little weak if you don't start it every couple days... DS called and so I left the ranger running, went up to snyder's and got the gates opened up for him to drive right up to barn...
Cow and calf unloaded easily and she seemed very calm and quiet.
DS was going to cut one place for hay after he got back down there. said he had plans for tonight so would be quitting a little earlier... He didn't say who or what... it is not anything to do with her.... He went and took the kids around for Halloween with the sister but I think she was there too.... she called and apologized for how terrible she had been acting and treated him... they supposedly had a long talk.... NOT GOOD in my opinion....
And she has broken up with ex boyfriend AGAIN.... that came from the sister the other day.... he told me...

So, I came back to house..... got 2 barrels of water to take to the cow in the barn pen, with the calf... she got some hay in the bunk feeder too... and she was quietly eating some of the grass in the pen that the calves have not touched.

Then I came back... opened the windows on the outback as it was getting warm in the sun... Loaded the big dog crate I use for the smaller calves. I had unloaded all the striped crenshaw squash off the back of the truck. There are a couple that have some soft spots... I need to see if I can can it for later use...
Anyone can just the plain winter squash...or pumpkin.... butternut squash.... Do I have to cook it first or will it pack in say cubed pieces ???? Water added???? I have the electric pressure canner now.... may as well try to salvage the ones with bad spots...

So, left for the farm about 2:30... takes nearly an hour to get there. This is the farm that I got the tiny twin holstein heifers from last year and the set of bull/heifer twins the following week... they did good and he will make sure they have colostrum.
Got there about 3:30... a few minutes later he was in the barn setting up to milk and we went over and I backed the truck near the calf barn. Looked at him... nice calf... not huge... and he said he has had 4 qts... - 2 bottles worth - of colostrum from the cow... Older cow so ought to have good antibodies... I said that was great. He didn't want a huge amount... $150.... which was very fair for him...
Came home, unloaded him in the pen with the cow... she went to smelling him and licking him some.... then I put some grain in the barn for her and her calf was going to town nursing... and it was going on all 4 teats. I am thinking that maybe she doesn't have a ton of milk... which will be good to start... I did not try to put this calf on her since he had had the colostrum... and I wanted to see how she was acting... he went in and out and she smelled and licked him a couple more times... so I left well enough alone. Tomorrow I will see if I can get him headed in the direction of her udder when she is eating some grain... and may even turn her out and keep the calves in... she will come back for her baby... and they will both be wanting to eat tomorrow afternoon... so she might be okay with letting them both go on her.
I feel sorry for her... she seems "lost".... but hopefully she will come around fairly fast and realize that she is "good here".... sure is better than her winding up in the slaughter cow pen and the calf just sold off... She seems real quiet and easy going... of course everything is new... but at least she is taking it in stride very well. Let's hope she wants to be a momma and will take the 2nd calf.

And came home to a dead battery in the outback... I had left the key on when I put the windows down.... DUMB....
So, I will deal with it in the morning... a quick jump from the truck ought to take care of that... but almost funny... had to use it to jump the ranger... it started right up with just that little boost... Now will have to use the ranger to jump the outback....

Deb had called to see if I wanted to come over for supper... so I said to give me a half hour to wash off the "cow/calf" and I would be there... She made chicken chili... is more soup like than what I think of as chili... not as thick as I expect chili to be but it was pretty good... a little spicier than I would normally eat, but not too bad. Had a salad and I took a Tiramisu "cake" thing I had in the freezer... I had picked it up at Sharp Shopper one time and stuck it in my freezer... I was determined I was not going to thaw it for just me... so this was perfect timing... we each had a piece and then I told her to split it, and we could both eat more calories than we should for another day or 2....

She will be gone for 2 weekends... she is going to FL to see her brother; leaving next Sat and coming home the following Sunday...

Came home about 8:30 and have been starting to go through some mail.... I have a pile with alot of junk mail but some good stuff inbetween so have to go through each piece...

Might be able to work on the leaf sweeping and more mowing tomorrow. Have to go up to the cow first thing and see how that is going... go from there.
Slight chance of "a few possible showers" on Wed... on one forecast... partly cloudy on the other one...

Turn back the clocks tonight... Thank you very much.... will get me in the house earlier to start doing stuff in here...

 

[Mini Horses]

Amazing how some animals will just accept any babe, others try to kill them. Sounds like she's a gentle soul. This could be a good one for foster calves Poor gal, I bet she does feel "lost" after leaving her farm/herd, then auction exposure, now another barn. Glad she has a calf with her as it doesn't leave her without a friend. When I buy, I like to get two -- a built in friend. Sometimes not possible.