Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

@Bruce , I would trade you in a minute, as would @Baymule for sure!!!! Hit 97 on recording thermometer yesterday, I saw it when I got home from testing after 8 last night. Today is supposed to be worse.... then dropping 20 degrees to more normal of 70's and 40-50's at night. MAYBE some moisture in the forecast for Mon-Tues..... PLEASE.

Got the part returned for the tractor on my way to work. Full credit, no restocking fee which was a nice surprise. Didn't get to go to Goodwill, but did get set up a little early instead of rushing when I got there. It was too hot to push it too much. One of my farmers that sold out stopped by at this farm and got to visit with him for a few minutes. I sure do miss testing them. Nice small quiet laid back farm.... he said he really misses the cows. He is the one that had gotten hurt, and just couldn't do it with the problems with his knee/leg.

Heading up to do the meat birds in a few minutes. Got to call the man back about when he thinks he will be able to take them so I can get things scheduled. Don't want a farm needing to test the same eve the chickens need to go up there.
Going to take a load of water and just take 20 gal out for the chickens and then I will haul the normal 5 gal buckets that I use there this eve. I may have to take 2 loads to the cows today, just because of the heat. Plus then if I fill them again this eve, I might not have to take it tomorrow. But I am figuring that I will be hauling at least one water a day for the next couple of weeks until we get some good soaking rain.

Have been on the phone leaving messages for testing and already got the milk samples from yesterday packed to go to UPS. So time to get out the door, get the water done first, then go from there. One more day of record heat to get through.

 

[Baymule]

On Monday, the high will be 78*

 

[farmerjan]

Well, the recording thermometer hit 100 this afternoon. It is near the house, brick on that wall, but I see where the bank was at 97 earlier so don't doubt that it is about right. You can feel it is a little cooler though as there is dew on the grass and plants tonight. Friday is supposed to be in the 80's then Sat only in the 70's.... YEA for fall temps. 60% chance for showers/rain on Monday..... not but maybe 1/2 " but soft and slow would be great.

 

[farmerjan]

COOLER RELIEF today. We broke 100 yr old records all across the state yesterday. So if global warming is caused by all the modern stuff, how is it that nearly all the records broken yesterday were set in 1919 and a few in the late 1800's?????
Temps are a nice 65-70 right now.

Going to go haul a load of water and then have to go check on some cows for a neighbor. He had back surgery and was doing okay, but has been having some pain and now is back in the hospital and it turns out there is a pocket of infection. Got to go in and clean and flush it out. I was checking on his cows that were due to calve right down by me and they are all calved, but now the pastures are drying up, no grass and water is getting critical for them too. I will probably have to go feed some hay for him to carry them over but he is as worried about the water. They can pick but water is essential.

We are still only supposed to get some showers on Monday, then back to sun. Exact opposite from last year's record rain... Ought to be able to bottle it and save it for when you need it. We are not too far behind normal averages for the year, but it was all in the late winter/spring/early summer.... Nearly 1/2 the state is in moderate drought now, some severe drought areas. More burn bans in effect too as it continues to get drier.

Looks like we are maybe going to have to feed some hay to carry the one place over. That's the place I am going to start breeding some cows AI. So far the other places are doing okay, but we need rain to get the cool season grasses to get to growing. Not going to sell right now if we can help it, as the markets are getting a large number of cattle. Partly is the normal fall selling of calves, but partly is the dry conditions now. People are getting rid of stuff because they will not have enough hay to feed now and then feed through the winter. We were looking okay for our round bales and short on the sq bale hay to sell, but now we are going to have to look at the round bales and do some figuring. Normally don't start to feed round bales until mid-Nov or Thanksgiving.

 

[Bruce]

Ought to be able to bottle it and save it for when you need it.

I believe that is called the aquifer
Sure hope your neighbor's infection is cleared up quickly.

 

[Baymule]

I get it. Grazed pastures here are crunchy and brown. Some Ungrazed or sensibly rotated pastures are green. There has been just enough spotty showers for our hay supplier to cover themselves and customers. We always buy early. Because of our lack of pasture we plan on hay year around. Usually the winter grasses give us a little relief, but it is powder dry right now. We are in a vastly different situation from you, if I operate in a hole, it is not critical. Taking 6 lambs to USDA slaughter November 12. Then will advertise the meat for sale. If I can make good sales, might break even or make a profit. Up to now, sales have been to friends because I haven’t had many to sell.

 

[farmerjan]

@Bruce ; only problem with an aquifer, it is usually underground and would require money/electricity to get it up to where it then could be used. I'd like to be able to just have it already at the ground level....
In all honesty though, any that would be in an aquifer won't do a bit of good for the springs that are close to the surface, nor will it help the pastures with moisture unless it is "tapped" and the water brought up and then used for irrigation....We are in that much of a dry state. And they lied because temp on my recording therm hit 96 this afternoon.

Hauled one load of water and will go haul another in a few minutes after I eat a bite. Cows still didn't go crazy when I was running it out, but only one group came up and the other group stayed down over the hill at the water trough off the spring.

Did go up and check on the cows for the neighbor, and am going to have to watch their spring fed water trough too. Don't know if I can haul water to 2 places if it gets any drier. We are going to take a couple rolls of hay in there so that if they aren't getting enough off the pasture they have the option of the roll of hay. If they aren't hungry, then no big deal it can sit there.

 

[Baymule]

Everyone should have a neighbor like you.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Everyone should have a neighbor like you.

Amen to that! Come to think of it, ever considered moving to western Arkansas?

 

[farmerjan]

@Baymule and @Senile_Texas_Aggie , thank you for the nice things you said about me. I don't think that I am that nice a person some times, but you do what you can to help fellow farmers. The ones that I am keeping an eye on the cows are the ones I used to goat sit for all the time. They have sold most all the meat goats, are not planning to have anymore kidding, and might just start buying some in the spring and feeding for the markets in the fall. The worm problems here are just overwhelming sometimes, like with all the wet last year, and the predators on the baby kids was rough. But, regardless, they don't go away to as many different antique shows that they used to, so it is good that they don't need a goat sitter/feeder with my ankle issues, it is tough. The cows are more the drive into the field and check them, go check the water troughs etc..

STA, sorry, no thoughts to move to western Arkansas.....

I hauled a load of water and everyone came up and checked it out and didn't drink but a couple of mouthfuls. I think part of that is that is was so much cooler today too. Had another new calf on the first calf heifers, a cute little black white faced calf (mom is bwf too).

It got down to 54 last night and never got above 63 today. What a temp change.... .... like COLD compared to yesterday. I think alot of it was that it was cloudy all day, and just felt chilly after all the hot sunny days. My son has a load of sq bales of hay on the trailer to take across the mountain tomorrow morning, and I might just go for the ride. I can help unload if I don't have to walk too far with it. Supposed to be cloudy again tomorrow, possible shower, then more possible rain moving in for Monday. Still only saying a 1/2 inch.
We are going to test the 500+ cow herd Monday morning, then I have another 110 cow herd to do that afternoon. Don't like to back them up on the same day, but that's just how it worked out. I definitely won't be doing any on Tuesday. Got to get my little truck cleaned out as I think all the boxes will have to be inside on Monday. It needs cleaning out anyway, good reason to make myself do it.

Got a message that the broilers are going out of the house either Monday or Tuesday, so I am prepared to possibly go get any left behinds. Sure wish these others would go to get processed. I plan to call them on Monday to see if he has any better idea how soon he will be able to do them. I plan to do all 28-30 that I have right now plus the couple of odd ones my son has to do. If I get any left behinds, then there are 2 that I might keep back as they are still smaller in the group of "smaller ones". But if there aren't more than a half dozen to go get, then I will send all these and be done for the year. You never know from one time to the next.

Going to pack up some boxes of books the next few days that it is colder and rainy/damp/dreary out. Trying to do some inventory lists and pack up what I want to keep, and what are duplicates and want to sell. Guess that will be waiting for next year as I just didn't seem to get to it this fall. But, I have some major house cleaning, moving stuff, to get this all ready for me to come home to with crutches and a knee scooter. Since I am the worlds' worst housekeeper, it is something I need to get going on now because I will procrastinate if I don't set some real deadlines for myself.

I have some sewing that needs doing, my son has given me some pants that need patches and such. All the kind of stuff I normally do in the wet weather/cold days that I would rather stay in. I did pick up some fabric to make him some cushions for his kitchen chairs; Farmall tractors and a farm scene to use on the back. Then he can reverse them on the chairs. Thinking Christmas....

BRRRR it's down to 58 already and I am chilled. Need to go get a sweatshirt to put on.