Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

The 2 storms I got were huge masses of rain, moving northeast. Houston and small towns to the northeast of Houston got hit by tornadoes yesterday.

 

[Ridgetop]

How about ceramic floor tiles placed underneath?

Floor and walls can get pretty hot from those stoves.

My aunt had an old wood stove that heatd her little house. She put down ceramic floor tiles under it and then to help radiate the heat into the large living room, she put up sheets of shiny metal behind the stove.

Believe me... I would be lost without my clipboard and piles of papers to reference back to.....

Paperwork is a pain but good records are invaluable. I keep paperwork too, and use a large White Board with all the ewes breeding dates. When using multiple rams, I put the ram on the top of the list of ewes expsed to him with the dates he marked them. Then when they lamb, I enter the date, # of ram and ewe lambs on the board. Then I transfer the inforation into my notebook ready to register.

 

[farmerjan]

Been a cloudy chilly damp day. 28 to start... up to 44 but there were a few peeks of sun before noon then just got cloudier and some sprinkles by 4....

I took the truck to the dumpster and got all the old cardboard and bags of garbage off the truck this morning... I was thinking I might try to work on the poultry pen... But it was really cold and damp out so was thinking... eh.....

Brought the clothes in off the line when we had a little break in the clouds and some "almost sun" out there... they were dry so that was great.

DS called... broke the end of the hydraulic cylinder "tabs" that hold it in place... so the whole cyclinder all moved instead of the piston in the cylinder... and arms of the bale bed were on the ground and could not lift them. So, I came down to the field where he was getting the hay.... actually helped him lift the arms up... each of us on one arm on each side of the truck...they move together... and got them up over the bed where he could strap one tight to keep it from moving... and strapped the cylinder so it would not move around in the center of the bed of the truck... and he could drive it to the barn... he did get ahold of a friend that he will take it to tomorrow and see if they can fix it...

Then he called a few minutes later... could I come get him as he was taking the dump truck to the pasture.... he was supposed to get a load of wood loaded so he could go deliver it before it rained... he needed to use the tractor there that he was loading all the wood from a huge oak that had come down... but now he would have to take it back to the farm because he needed the tractor to do the feeding since the truck is not workable... and he tore up the radiator and all in the other bale bed truck the day before with the 2 stupid cows that kept going back through the gate and giving him so much trouble...another whole story...

So he came, got the wood loaded on the truck... took the tractor and got hay to feed at the nurse cow pasture... took 2 bales since the beef heifers all bully the jersey... and bullied the 2 holstein heifers we just moved, as well as the smaller holstein bull calf that is weaned...so I had asked him to put 2 rolls in there... and with the rain coming, it was good to get extra fed out... so he put one across the fence, got another... I had opened the gate down the road a bit...... so he came in, and put the one in the round bale feeder and then went and got the one he had put across the fence, and took it up nearer to the barn so they are spread apart some so the jersey can get a chance to eat some without them all crowding around one... then followed him to the barn and brought him back to get the truck ..... He went on to the barn, to finish loading some more wood for a full load... and had to do all the hay feeding at the barn now with the tractor.

I went back to the nurse cow pasture... after mixing 6 buckets of feed to put in the forester... got the jersey and her 2 calves in the barn... fed her and put feed in the other side for the weaned hol bull and the young black calf... they came in to eat also. Kinda nice not having the big hol heifer twins in there as they are pushy.... Then I decided with the weather coming I would leave her in and put hay in the bunk feeders for her. I opened up the inside gate so she could go on both sides of the barn... and the 2 calves that go in and out the creep gate, could also have the whole barn and hay in both sides. They can go out if they want, and the black one will go back out to his momma some, but this gives them the chance to be inside ... and get some hay and not confine the cow to one side. The side where the nurse cow and calves are, is smaller, so this gives them more room and the other 2 can still come and go out loose if they want to overnight. The black steer that was going round and round to get out did not come in for grain and I just left him be... he will in a day or 2 when he doesn't feel like he is gong to be "trapped" in the barn again... I will be glad to ship him since he will tear things up too easily. Funny, his year older brother, the white one... is the same way in the pen... yet the heifers the longhorn has had, have not been like that . Which actually is fine... I want the heifers to be tamer, quieter... and it usually is the other way around... The steers that will get sold, are the pets; and the heifers you want to keep are the jerks....

So then, came home to the house... got the mower out and hooked up the lawn sweeper that I had left out to use... and didn't use... so decided it needed to get back in the carport under cover... Did that, got things moved around... unloaded 5 of the batteries at the deck then took the mower into the carport, and took out the last battery, got it covered with the tarp in case the rain blows in there...
Got the batteries in and will get them charged up. They should not be out in the freezing cold all winter... Then store then in the other room for the winter.

Finally came in as it was getting dusk... it was misty/sprinkling a little.

We are supposed to get rain off and on, and be just wet and damp and chilly tonight. Rain forecast for tomorrow some and then heavier rain Sunday. We need the moisture.... but it makes it cold and crummy out with the temps so low... Almost wish it was snow instead.... the cows do better with snow than cold soaking rain.

Got a roast in the oven cooking... probably going to cook some potatoes for mashed potatoes... warm up the house and then watch a dvd or something and fold some of the pile of clothes... and maybe shred some more paper stuff.
It is raining a little more and somewhat foggy out there now... glad I got done things I did earlier.

 

[farmerjan]

Got up to wet... raining some... very foggy earlier and still a bit out there now. Rain is supposed to let up for the better part of the day... but clouds all day... then more coming in this evening and it is supposed to be heavier and more wind; but warmer... 40's overnight and upper 50's today and tomorrow.

Obviously staying in except to go up to the cow later... I will let her stay in again since it is supposed to be so wet. I'll feed her, her grain and another sq bale inside, with her 2 calves, and the other 2 calves can come in through the creep gate and get some hay in the dry too. Especially the weaned hol calf... he will benefit from being in if he wants to be. The jersey is not fond of him but doesn't go out of her way to bother him unless he is right where she wants to be to eat something... but with both sides of the barn, he will be able to stay in and eat without her getting too bothered by it.

Time to get on the clothes folding I keep putting off.

 

[farmerjan]

It was wet and cloudy for the morning and actually got a couple glimpses of sun this afternoon for a bit. We had .6 inch in the rain gauge... it is muddy slick ground out there. Such a difference when the ground is warm and it soaks in fast, plants actively growing.... compared to cold ground and slow percolation into the ground.

Temps hit right about 60... supposed to stay in the 50's tonight... some showers this evening and then some serious rain tomorrow afternoon.
Went up to the cow and the her 2 calves had come out through the creep gate... probably followed the other 2... and it was a little sunny right then, so I gave her some grain.. put grain in the other side and a little out in the trough in the outside lot so they could find it... and after she got done, I put her out and the calves should be able to find her okay. She went right to the one roll of hay... but the cows had pretty well demolished most of it... must've been a good tasting bale... and the rest of them stood around looking pitiful... like where was their feed. They don't need it and especially not with another roll of hay they haven't touched... So the jersey was contentedly eating hay, and her and the calves will all stay out overnight. It is not cold and the rain won't hurt them.

It is misty sprinkling now... it will be a real sloppy mess up there tomorrow afternoon if it comes to raining like they say so I will go up there earlier in the day to feed.

 

[Baymule]

The storm that swamped me, spawned tornadoes and tore up areas around Houston. This storm swept clear across the country, even up to Canada. It’s dumped a lot of rain. Sun is supposed to make its debut today and all week. We sure need it.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday morning. It only got down to 53 last night... we got some misty sprinkly rain overnight. This morning the wind has picked up and is blowing in fierce gusts... it is misty damp and the clouds to the south and west are getting darker... we should get some serious rain here around noon I think.
It is supposed to blow through fairly fast, be gone by tonight I think. Sun tomorrow then temps will drop back to more "normal" winter like cold.
It's winter... Thankful for the slight reprieve in temps though. Easier on the animals when it is not so terrible cold with rain.

DS sold the 2 cow/calf pairs yesterday to a friend that buys and sells cattle. Got a decent price, and their troublemaking ways are gone. We have put up with them for years... and with their age, they will get to raise these calves and then possibly be culled... which is what we were going to do. But he got as much for them with 2 week old calves by their side as they probably would have brought at the end of the summer, with the calves being weaned off and the cows sold for cull cows. Why feed them now.
Sure wish we had that other miserable witch out of the other pasture that we have to deal with taking off with her calf all the time... oh well, once in, she will be sold also..
Since the vet appt got changed we have a couple weeks to get them caught up and brought to the barn. Might have been a good thing with the horrible wet weather this weekend... it is a lower area to get the truck and trailer in and out of... might have gotten hung up... actually hoping it gets cold and the ground "firm" (hard or frozen) in the next week or so to get them in. DS has to get the panels moved down there and that is the truck he was hopefully getting the bale bed cylinder fixed yesterday afternoon.

Haven't heard the wind blow this hard in a long time... it is really gusting out there. Lights flickered a little bit ago... let's hope the power doesn't go out.

 

[SageHill]

I'll take your rain, but you can keep that wind. Out here that's when the firebugs get itching.

 

[farmerjan]

Wind has dropped off somewhat... however we have gotten very little rain out of it today and it was supposed to be a "significant amount"... Radar looks like there might be another small section of rain coming and into this evening.... temps are going to stay in the low 50's through tomorrow and we are supposed to get sun tomorrow... we'll see... If so, might try to get on the poultry pen..

Had to take a couple minute break from the clothes folding and paper sorting/shredding...

Had a farmer I used to test call to see if there would be any possibility of going back to testing...

NOOOOOOOOO..... for pete's sake... REALLY..... he cannot even get any answer from our general manager.... can I just go shoot the B@$#%..... Guess I will see what I can do to get things together for him...They are milking over 250..... used to be 150-200 about 5 years ago.... 3x a day milking... would want me to only come to the mid day milking... like 11 a.m. or something... would like to start back sometime this coming month...
I will have to take meters... double 8 or 10, can't remember... she will have to answer me one way or another... if I could get him to just go independent... then he would not have to deal with her and he could pay me direct to do the actual on farm testing... might be the way we have to do it... but he wants to get the record keeping system to use... I will have to make some phone calls I guess... I tested for his dad, he took over the farm, few years later, got into some financial difficulty and our gen mgr cut him off... got real nasty and he tried to get the bill paid off and things back right... things are better and he is a decent person overall..... I did ask if he had any financial debt to DHIA and he said as far as he knew it was taken care of... but that if there is any problem, they will pay..... said he had not seen any bills or anything and what they sent to collection was paid... I said that the new policy is that I had to have a check when I leave the farm after testing and he said that was fine... sooooo.....
Going to lose the one 250 cow herd to the robots in a couple months... and getting another???? NOT in the plans..... they do milk faster with the bigger parlor....

Wind is picking up quite a bit again.... and it is raining a little more now...

 

[Baymule]

And you were considering semi retirement…..