Baymule
Herd Master
You are easing back into the swing of things, just don't overdo it. Too bad about the gossip mongers at the farm near you. Michael would be a big help, you are right about not risking his job.
Farmerjan's journal - Weather
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farmerjan
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Started getting that rain/showers they were calling for. That is good, we could use some moisture in the ground. Only got a total of .3 last week and it perked up the grass a bit, but we are now dryfor this time of year. Sure no rhyme or reason to the weather anymore.
Duckfarmerpa1
Herd Master
You have to eat right to heal right!! More protein lady!! Your body burns extra calories when it’s in pain..or in the healing process. You need to stay ahead of that, with the work you do. Plus, I’m trying to put on a few pounds, just in case I get some random virus...I always lose weight. So I’m eating in advance!!
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farmerjan
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I have been eating better but today just wasn't hungry so ate light earlier. Had some chicken tonight and corn for a change. Going to take some shrimp out of the freezer and have that and broccoli maybe tomorrow.... oops, no, we will probably stop and eat at our favorite small family restaurant on the way home sine we will be coming right down thru there tomorrow eve. Decent food, cheap prices..... oops, maybe they won't be open.... well we can stop and see maybe get it to go???? I am going to take a chicken out to roast I guess too.
I don't need to worry about putting on a few pounds to fight off a random virus, I have plenty to be able to afford to lose some.
I don't need to worry about putting on a few pounds to fight off a random virus, I have plenty to be able to afford to lose some.
Baymule
Herd Master
Haha, maybe me working my a$$ off might result in my losing some of that A$$. 
Duckfarmerpa1
Herd Master
We allll need that little extra cushioning for when we fall on our tookus doing the chores...all at once!! If you’re anything like me, I typically carry too much at once instead of making more trips, which..ends in disaster.....therefore my friends are buying me a football helmet for my birthday!!
Bruce
Herd Master
I hope that doesn't backfire on you!Plus, I’m trying to put on a few pounds, just in case I get some random virus...I always lose weight. So I’m eating in advance!!
Duckfarmerpa1
Herd Master
No...I’ve never had a weight problem...even when I gained the baby weight...42 lbs, I was back in my jeans 2weeks after. In college I gained the freshman 10...my fat grandmother used to hit the cookies out of my hand and tell me that was for my brothers because I was too fat!! Talk about tough love!!
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farmerjan
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Today is again a much warmer than normal day for March. Hit 76 with mostly cloudy. Had a little rain over night only about a tenth, and a few sprinkle showers before 1. Then a few partial peeks of sun. Went up to the barn to help my son who was sorting calves as for what is going to the stockyards tomorrow. I was writing down numbers of who was going to what sale. The sales are still on and there is some talk of regulating who will be able to go in and all. One yard said they will only allow buyers in and so we will not be taking anything there anytime soon. We will not sell cattle when one of us cannot be there. If something sells for way too little, we will "no sale", it and bring it home again. If we cannot be there to watch, then they won't go. The sale tomorrow is going to restrict some but not like the one today. Unfortunately, I probably will not be able to go to the sale tomorrow if they are going to be very restrictive.
The special graded sale that we had some consigned to for Monday is going to combine it with the normal sale there, and the animals will not have to meet the VQA regulations now. They are trying to get some more buyers to commit to coming, as it will not be on the tele-auction. This whole last 2 weeks has made things so upside down. We will see how the calves do tomorrow, we are about out of silage and he had already stopped feeding it to the cows with fall born calves so that these feeders could have it. Problem is most would have been gone by now if the prices hadn't gotten so bad, then the whole "shutdown," mentality of the govt with the virus, has thrown things into a tailspin. The ones going next week would have been the last to go..... so we have fed out alot of cattle alot longer than we really had planned to.
We are sitting on about 15 head of 600+ lb animals that we were keeping for another guy and he said he has no where to go with them at this point so we are pretty much stuck with them for the present. They are not "top quality" and have sold some of the "mediocre" calves to him and it is a good place to sell calves that won't do real good at the normal sales. Like having a bad eye from pinkeye, or one has white feet and shows the "dairy" background in him and we would get clobbered price wise at the normal sale. He likes them a little bigger, and we can move animals that would not bring as good a price as they really are worth.
We also have 8 that will go next month, but that is pretty much a guarantee as they are going to a guy who we rent from, and he puts them on another piece of property near his house to just raise for the summer. It works out okay, he liked the calves we supplied to him last year as they are fairly quiet and calm ones that we raised rather than him getting them from another friend that usually just bought some for him. There had been a couple of "nut cases" in the ones that got bought and turned out. So last year we told him we had some that we hadn't sold yet, that he could buy for what we were getting for our others, and he took them and was VERY PLEASED with them. Mostly because they were much calmer and easier to work around. So we picked out 8 this evening that ought to do good for him that are pretty good calves, but are also easy going and calm. Got one real nice one, but he is always looking for a fence/gate to over so he is going tomorrow. Since he is paying good money for them, we want him to get good ones as well as quiet workable ones.
Saw where feeder calf futures went way up the last 2 days after nearly 2 weeks of steady declines to the limits each day. Maybe this will be the start of the turn around????? Green grass is getting here and the feeder/grazer guys are going to have to have something to turn out. My son said that if we sell these calves this week, that the prices will probably start to go up because we already sold..... but like I said to him, we are going to have to move some so if we sell some now and it starts to get better, we will still have more to sell in another month. We have some late weaned calves that are a little smaller that we will sell in April or early May..... Then calves to puill off the cows that calved this past fall, because the cows will have to be pregnancy checked and given a rest to calve again in Aug-Oct......
Would be nice to make a little money over costs somewhere down the line.
There still have been a record number of heifers on feed in the feedlots, so I still think that there will be a reduction in the cow herd, because they are not being kept as replacements but fattened, and hopefully a corresponding increase in bred cow prices in 2022 or 2023. I am thinking that we will maybe keep more heifer calves this year to be bred for calving in 2022-2023..... and maybe make a bit on them and sell down a bit...... Going to have to see how this corona virus plays out and all that this year.
The special graded sale that we had some consigned to for Monday is going to combine it with the normal sale there, and the animals will not have to meet the VQA regulations now. They are trying to get some more buyers to commit to coming, as it will not be on the tele-auction. This whole last 2 weeks has made things so upside down. We will see how the calves do tomorrow, we are about out of silage and he had already stopped feeding it to the cows with fall born calves so that these feeders could have it. Problem is most would have been gone by now if the prices hadn't gotten so bad, then the whole "shutdown," mentality of the govt with the virus, has thrown things into a tailspin. The ones going next week would have been the last to go..... so we have fed out alot of cattle alot longer than we really had planned to.
We are sitting on about 15 head of 600+ lb animals that we were keeping for another guy and he said he has no where to go with them at this point so we are pretty much stuck with them for the present. They are not "top quality" and have sold some of the "mediocre" calves to him and it is a good place to sell calves that won't do real good at the normal sales. Like having a bad eye from pinkeye, or one has white feet and shows the "dairy" background in him and we would get clobbered price wise at the normal sale. He likes them a little bigger, and we can move animals that would not bring as good a price as they really are worth.
We also have 8 that will go next month, but that is pretty much a guarantee as they are going to a guy who we rent from, and he puts them on another piece of property near his house to just raise for the summer. It works out okay, he liked the calves we supplied to him last year as they are fairly quiet and calm ones that we raised rather than him getting them from another friend that usually just bought some for him. There had been a couple of "nut cases" in the ones that got bought and turned out. So last year we told him we had some that we hadn't sold yet, that he could buy for what we were getting for our others, and he took them and was VERY PLEASED with them. Mostly because they were much calmer and easier to work around. So we picked out 8 this evening that ought to do good for him that are pretty good calves, but are also easy going and calm. Got one real nice one, but he is always looking for a fence/gate to over so he is going tomorrow. Since he is paying good money for them, we want him to get good ones as well as quiet workable ones.
Saw where feeder calf futures went way up the last 2 days after nearly 2 weeks of steady declines to the limits each day. Maybe this will be the start of the turn around????? Green grass is getting here and the feeder/grazer guys are going to have to have something to turn out. My son said that if we sell these calves this week, that the prices will probably start to go up because we already sold..... but like I said to him, we are going to have to move some so if we sell some now and it starts to get better, we will still have more to sell in another month. We have some late weaned calves that are a little smaller that we will sell in April or early May..... Then calves to puill off the cows that calved this past fall, because the cows will have to be pregnancy checked and given a rest to calve again in Aug-Oct......
Would be nice to make a little money over costs somewhere down the line.
There still have been a record number of heifers on feed in the feedlots, so I still think that there will be a reduction in the cow herd, because they are not being kept as replacements but fattened, and hopefully a corresponding increase in bred cow prices in 2022 or 2023. I am thinking that we will maybe keep more heifer calves this year to be bred for calving in 2022-2023..... and maybe make a bit on them and sell down a bit...... Going to have to see how this corona virus plays out and all that this year.
Duckfarmerpa1
Herd Master
So, calves born this year can’t be bred until they are two? Just too small? I keep reading your posts about the falling prices and the silage, etc... and I feel worried for you. I am concerned about being stuck with too many bunnies...not even a comparison!! I need to tell you something my son yelled at me about tonight. I didn’t really listen though. I sold rabbits today from people who live about 45 minutes away. Ben flipped out! He said that is how this Corona is spreading. Actually, a man in my town went to Pgh for work..came back and he is sick and got tested today. But, Ben wants me to stop selling to out-of-Townes. Much easier for me to do than you...you have very expensive cattle!! You can’t afford to miss out on a sale. But, I’m passing along my ‘talking to’ just to remind you to take precautions when you do travel to an auction, or have people at your farm. Without even thinkin* I shook hands with the people at the farm...didn’t occur to me until Ben was yelling at me. He said, if I’m not worried about myself, then worry about the people I come in contact with. Ok, my speech is over...I want you to sell your cows at a great price...and make a nice profit...I just hope you carry wet wipes!!
