Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

This morning I found we had had some rain last night quite a bit judging from puddles by road. Wasn't predicted but....came. Overcast most all day. So, no tractor time today. Maybe tomorrow. Tue/wed & Fri/Sat saying rain here. Yeah, I'm home all week

 

[Ridgetop]

So on the way home, got a call from DS.... water leak at a pasture, disaster as it had drained the 2,000 gallon tank, cows were out of water... see once it drains the reservoir tank... no water in their house. They had some new water lines put in last year to some frost proof spigots... for all this stupid rotational grazing on the switch grass they are so in love with.... and NEVER "thought about" putting in any shut offs to any of the lines... so instead of being able to shut off the line that was leaking...

What idiots! Hopefully filling the 2000 gallon tank doesn't have to pump on your $$$.

 

[farmerjan]

Nope, we do not pay electric there... the owner's headaches.... Come to find out the cows had "rubbed" on the upright frost proof hydrant, and it screws in to the lower part at the pipe... and gotten it loose so it was partially "unscrewed"...... would have been so simple to just have shut off's on the lines and then figure it out... without us having to move the cows.... but supposedly the owner got it screwed back in hard and it is not leaking.....

Just a quick posting since I just got home from the farm a little bit ago. Got to pack all the samples... and this herd I have to write down the sample numbers since it is not part of the herd scan because they are on a lab samples only type test... so more work for me to write them all down in the list they need in the lab....

Left to go at about 4 a.m..... temps have been fairly comfortable, mid 60's..... recording temp shows 66 for a low and it is only up to 69 now. Cloudy, misty sprinkles on the way home. Calling for chance of showers all day and most of the week is 50% plus.....
Going in to pack them, after just eating a sandwich for my "brunch" ......

Got a text from the farm that "borrows" the meters.... that I left there for the weekend back awhile ago and the husband did not mention to the wife I left them that time.... so they never looked in the office and didn't use them, she wanted them for tonight/tomorrow... but I texted her back after I got out of the barn testing this morning and said that I was using them the next 3 days, they could have them Friday morning... I could have made it work for this eve/tomorrow morning... but alot of extra work for me to have to change the brackets twice, and pushing to go get them in the morning before going to test and I just decided I am not going to do so much rushing.... Unless it is pouring this afternoon, I am going to see if I can get in some of the heifers at the nurse cow pasture to take to the barn for preg test on Wed..... and I just do not feel like making another run out to drop them off and all..... I need 16 tomorrow and have to change the brackets for them, then need 12 at the next farm.... and change the brackets back.... Just not doing it... I will need 24 next week with the brackets changed again....

Time to go in and get these samples in the boxes and lists made so they can go out today....

 

[farmerjan]

Got samples in boxes, wrote up list of bottles and got them dropped at the UPS store. Went by Lowe's looking for some glue to use where some screws bulled out of some plastic on a seat I have.... Going to see if it will work.
Came home and DS had called to see if I was going to get any cows in.... I said I was going that direction and would call him in a half hour... Went up, got most of the calves in, then got a couple buckets of feed and opened the gate "in" so they could go in and get some grain in the barn, a few went in that way... but a couple I did not want in wanted to go in... so I fed a bucket of grain out in the feeder in front of the catch pen, gave Jess, longhorn, some off to herself, and then put more in the lot and barn for the ones already in there... managed to get a few more to go in.... I called him ... it was about 45 minutes... and said I had cows in. Got the one small cow in with her bull calf, that has never gotten worked... I had said that the calf was not that good but he seems to think it is decent.... I was for selling her... but it will depend on her preg status... and we will work the bull calf at the barn in a couple days (maybe after the vet check).....and then they can stay there and the calf can go with the weaned calves once the band does it's job...
Anyway... I also managed to get in the 3 that are bred, due to calve soon... they were older heifers that got a second chance with the bull, got bred, and are big as whales... said they ought to go to doug's and be in the field with the ones calving there... and he actually agreed that they were awfully big... and he can deal with them there.... with the rest that are calving. So 3 big ones out.... not to come back...
I think he took a total of 12 with the cow/calf pair.... they will get preg checked and then go from there...... hoping he will take a to the pasture where the water problem was... he is planning on taking back the cows that were there, that are checked pregnant, for a couple more months since the grass is not doing bad with the rains we have had. I didn't bother to count since I can see who is still at the nurse cow pasture... and will be able to mark who gets checked and who doesn't, and they will be done the next time....
There was one heifer in heat at the pasture this evening... I didn't say a word to DS... it is one of his... and the bull is gone so she won't get bred. She is one of the smaller ones, so he can make a decision when the next group gets checked.... There are 5 with calves there, and then at least 10 more heifers I think. All the big calves have come in the last 2 times for grain, so will be able to get them in and then DS can get them and move them to the barn to band in the chute... all need shots too.... and all according to what the cow's preg status are, when they get checked, will determine what he does with them; where they go.

So, I fixed the gates back after we loaded them and he left. He said he was not going to the one calf tonight, but that he might sort out the 3 that are ready to calve soon, and put them across the driveway with the bred cows... but he said he didn't need me so I came home.

I got the meters in the car, changed all the brackets too so that I don't have to worry about that tomorrow at the farm. Came in, got all the bottles in the trays for tomorrow too. Now I am going to go in and get a shower and quit for the night. Tomorrow I want to try to get caught up with all the dishes.

We had some sun this afternoon, after sprinkles/shower earlier... Checked and had .1 inch in the rain gauge, so I dumped them.... The forecast is calling for some more serious, harder rain tomorrow and Wednesday.....
Doubt I will get any mowing done, oh well... one of these next days...
Have not been out to the garden in a couple days... gotta have TONS of tomatoes to pick... see if the green beans have finally set some beans since we got some rain... and see how that late yellow squash is coming along. It is warmer so it ought to do okay unless we get a couple cold nights.. but none in the foreseeable future. So, I might get some late yellow squash. And eventually will dig potatoes but the latest planted ones are still very green so not in any rush....

I'm tired, time to quit.

 

[Mini Horses]

Looks like the current Gulf disturbance will hit FL then head your way....bringing RAIN

 

[farmerjan]

He//, we just got a quick downpour type shower now.... and more unsettled weather for the next several days.....BEFORE... that "disturbance" in the gulf heads this way... Going to be some wet days...

Glad we got the cows moved, even though it was a PITA deal with the water situation, 2 days earlier than planned, ..... and getting the ones out of snyder's (nurse cow pasture) yesterday without getting soaked. Much easier to move them from the barn back to pastures, where we don't have difficulties in getting backed up "just right" to places when it is muddy. When we take them back to pastures, you can pull in the field and just open the trailer gate, they don't need to be in the pen and the truck backed in just so for a loading "chute" type deal.

Yeah, saw on the weather report this morning where it might come up and hit us. They have some models showing it staying more west of us... with only some fringes of wet... but it is way too far off to worry about an exact tract at this point.
DS got the rest of the no-till seeding of the OG done... so whatever we get.... unless it is so hard a rain that it washes badly....will be really good to get the seed firmly settled in the soil and a chance to sprout quickly with the temps staying in the 55-75 range.

I'm going to go to Sharp Shopper in a few minutes... today is "bread run" day, and have some things I have been putting off getting... since I wasn't very close that way... Got everything in the car for testing except the bottles, so will bring what groc I get, home to put away.... and then load bottles and go to work. May as well be in the barn testing if it is going to rain.
64 for a low, so comfortable, if wet, out there. I am sure hoping that some of the dry areas of WV and KY and TN have gotten some of this meandering low caused rain the last few days. The drought monitor has still got us in the moderate drought range though. I expect this week it might change back to exceptionally dry as the past weeks rains start to do the ground some good.
Once we get past some of these "stormy times" we will be going crazy trying to get some late 2nd cutting made.

 

[fuzzi]

Got samples in boxes, wrote up list of bottles and got them dropped at the UPS store. Went by Lowe's looking for some glue to use where some screws bulled out of some plastic on a seat I have.... Going to see if it will work.
Came home and DS had called to see if I was going to get any cows in.... I said I was going that direction and would call him in a half hour... Went up, got most of the calves in, then got a couple buckets of feed and opened the gate "in" so they could go in and get some grain in the barn, a few went in that way... but a couple I did not want in wanted to go in... so I fed a bucket of grain out in the feeder in front of the catch pen, gave Jess, longhorn, some off to herself, and then put more in the lot and barn for the ones already in there... managed to get a few more to go in.... I called him ... it was about 45 minutes... and said I had cows in. Got the one small cow in with her bull calf, that has never gotten worked... I had said that the calf was not that good but he seems to think it is decent.... I was for selling her... but it will depend on her preg status... and we will work the bull calf at the barn in a couple days (maybe after the vet check).....and then they can stay there and the calf can go with the weaned calves once the band does it's job...
Anyway... I also managed to get in the 3 that are bred, due to calve soon... they were older heifers that got a second chance with the bull, got bred, and are big as whales... said they ought to go to doug's and be in the field with the ones calving there... and he actually agreed that they were awfully big... and he can deal with them there.... with the rest that are calving. So 3 big ones out.... not to come back...
I think he took a total of 12 with the cow/calf pair.... they will get preg checked and then go from there...... hoping he will take a to the pasture where the water problem was... he is planning on taking back the cows that were there, that are checked pregnant, for a couple more months since the grass is not doing bad with the rains we have had. I didn't bother to count since I can see who is still at the nurse cow pasture... and will be able to mark who gets checked and who doesn't, and they will be done the next time....
There was one heifer in heat at the pasture this evening... I didn't say a word to DS... it is one of his... and the bull is gone so she won't get bred. She is one of the smaller ones, so he can make a decision when the next group gets checked.... There are 5 with calves there, and then at least 10 more heifers I think. All the big calves have come in the last 2 times for grain, so will be able to get them in and then DS can get them and move them to the barn to band in the chute... all need shots too.... and all according to what the cow's preg status are, when they get checked, will determine what he does with them; where they go.

So, I fixed the gates back after we loaded them and he left. He said he was not going to the one calf tonight, but that he might sort out the 3 that are ready to calve soon, and put them across the driveway with the bred cows... but he said he didn't need me so I came home.

I got the meters in the car, changed all the brackets too so that I don't have to worry about that tomorrow at the farm. Came in, got all the bottles in the trays for tomorrow too. Now I am going to go in and get a shower and quit for the night. Tomorrow I want to try to get caught up with all the dishes.

We had some sun this afternoon, after sprinkles/shower earlier... Checked and had .1 inch in the rain gauge, so I dumped them.... The forecast is calling for some more serious, harder rain tomorrow and Wednesday.....
Doubt I will get any mowing done, oh well... one of these next days...
Have not been out to the garden in a couple days... gotta have TONS of tomatoes to pick... see if the green beans have finally set some beans since we got some rain... and see how that late yellow squash is coming along. It is warmer so it ought to do okay unless we get a couple cold nights.. but none in the foreseeable future. So, I might get some late yellow squash. And eventually will dig potatoes but the latest planted ones are still very green so not in any rush....

I'm tired, time to quit.

I see you're sitting around all day again, watching the soaps and eating bon-bons.

Seriously, you're a busy bee!

 

[farmerjan]

Today was a good day considering that we got some rain early in the day... misty sprinkley stuff mid day, then some real rain with some lightning lighting up the sky by the time I came home... Rather nice that it basically stopped while I was taking down the meters and putting them in the car...
This farm has had over 4 inches in the past week... got several of the "heavier parts" of the clouds, since the rain that hit us on Saturday. They have been drier than we were this year, and this rain has been welcome... not much in the way of down pours, but some steady stuff with time in between to soak in. Still that is about 4 x what we had...and is getting muddy out there....
4 inches is alot in 4-5 days... would be good for some drier weather to let it get soaked in down through some layers of soil... especially with the storm possibly coming if "Helene" turns into the hurricane as they are saying. Heard on the news that Gov DeSantis has already issued emergency warnings or whatever it is , for something like 60+ counties...

They would like a little break in the rain though... they are getting ready to head to Madison, Wisconsin for the World Dairy Expo.... taking 3 Brown Swiss animals... they have some REALLY good ones.... for the show on the 28th.... this is one of the biggest dairy shows, if not the biggest, in the US... very prestigious....

So went to Sharp Shopper... got the bread I wanted... Tues and Sat is bread day... those fancier more expensive loaves of Pepperidge Farm that are like 3.79 or 4.19 or something in the grocery store... are 1.79 because of them getting close to going out of date...plus other stuff that is discounted... sometimes I get some bagels or english muffins... So I got several loaves and will put some in the freezer and give DS a loaf . Got some stuff for him, and some stuff for me... Came home, got it in the house and then put sample bottles in the car and left to go to the farm. Stopped at the bank as I went by and put back some of the money I took out for Saturday, since I didn't buy any chickens... but will be getting some in Nov from one of the breeders that had a bunch for sale... he shows and the ones at the Swap were nice... but were his "culls"; so I asked if he would have a good trio of them.... Buff Leghorns.... or 2 pair... in Nov and he said he would bring me some. So, I will be getting chickens at the poultry show in Nov..
Also, he is going to the HUGE poultry show in Columbus Ohio... and is going to keep his eye out for some of the "Vorwerk" chickens and some NH's for me too. He is a poultry judge, and was a good friend of the dairy farmer that had all the breeds of poultry that I got my original NH's from...50 years ago.... who became a very special friend in my life.... and died unexpectedly of a heart attack about 15 years ago...
I think that next year I am going to make plans to at least go to Columbus and see the show...They have 3-4,000 show birds there..... Want to go there at least once in my life.
There is another big show that I went to a couple times, in Janurary at the Eastern States Expo ground in Springfield Mass...Usually 1500-2500 birds.

So, I will be ready for some more chickens, and if he finds anything in Columbus, I may get them the early part of Nov, instead of the 3rd weekend.... I feel good about it and am in the process of getting a large poultry run put together and set up and then will work on the other couple of coops and things that have been sitting on the trailer for several years at DS's barn..... so I can run several different breeds. I miss the chickens and want to get back into them... and am planning on things getting done this year, one way or another...
Deb keeps telling me she will be glad to come over and we can start taking down the ceilings upstairs in the bedrooms.... I may just get her to help me with this stuff first. I think that she wants something to do with herself when she is out at the farm that she is not having to do "alone" all the time....

Testing went good and came home in some pretty hard rain by the time I got here... Heard it a little while ago, but it has let up right now. Forecast shows some more serious stuff in the very early hours of the morning.
Vet pregnancy check tomorrow afternoon... all pregnant please....

Got a text and my 225+ cow herd that tests every other/every 3 months, wants to test...I told them Mon or Thurs next week... they said Monday... so I set them up for that... I have to change the brackets on meters for the Thurs herd... not sure if I am going to do them just Thursday or Thurs eve/Fri morning...their call.....
Then DS will be taking some stuff to the sale, Friday...... depending on the weather maybe... some steers, the crazy heifers, and any open cows...

I've got to drop off the meters for the farm down the road that is "borrowing them" to check milk weights on their cows... to use over the weekend... then will have to get them back and change brackets BACK again for the farm for Monday... and I have to leave here by 11 the latest to get there to set up... it's a double 12 so need 24 meters and hoses for them....

Tuesday is chiropractor... Wed is the CT scan for the shoulder... DS has a dr appt but is going to get the neighbor to take him in case he cannot drive home... I offered to change my CT scan, but he said that Rodney doesn't work on Wed, he works part time.... and he has gone with him before so likes to take a ride... So, okay.....

Need to get a shower and go to bed... Hopefully it won't be pouring rain in the morning, I can bring in the samples and get them packed and drop them at the vineyard around noon, before the vet comes.. I can help do stuff in the barn then just run them the 2+ miles up there for when they open at noon... Vet is at 1....m/l... never know when there is an emergency....

 

[Finnie]

I think that next year I am going to make plans to at least go to Columbus and see the show...

Columbus is only a four hour drive from me. I’ve always heard about that show, but never really had a good reason to go to it. It sure would be something to see. I will have to think about going next year too.

 

[rachels.haven]

Buff leghorns are so pretty. I hope you get a nice set.