I thaw my frozen turkey in the refrigerator
Farmerjan's journal - Weather
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frustratedearthmother
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Come to think of it - so do I. Haven't had to in years since DS took over holiday cooking.
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farmerjan
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If there was room I would have put it in the fridge... but since the room is not heated, it is pretty cold.. and it is only partially thawed this morning so have it in the kitchen to thaw it more now...
Baymule
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Me too! I don’t want to deal with ice and snow!
Ridgetop
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Sorry to hear about DS' friend. Hope he can recover but if not so sad for family. Give DS our sympathy.
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farmerjan
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Tuesday morning... down to 15 last night. Sun is out, everything is glittering with the ice on everything. We had 5 or so inches of snow, then a 1/2 inch of ice... Then we had some flurries last night... maybe an inch if that, to cover. It is up to 30 in the sun, but there is wind so not very warm. I am going out to clean off the cars, so I can go out if needed. Get them started up and running.
DS said that he would need me to go down and plug in the tractor later on, he is taking Sue (wife) back over to the hospital where Nelson is, an hour away... and said he would do some more feeding later. It costs a small fortune to leave the tractor plugged in all the time, and plugging it in about 1-2 hours before wanting to use it is more than sufficient to get the block warmed up, so the diesel will start and run.
Did not get the bread pudding made yesterday, but it will be going in the oven in about 15 minutes. Then I will go out for an hour or less, to clean off cars, and be ready to come in and take it out and warm up.
Then the chicken goes in the oven. It is about thawed now. Dishes done in sink, will take a little water out to the NH cockerel and get him situated for the day. He is in the sun so will be comfortable in the covered area.
DS said that he would need me to go down and plug in the tractor later on, he is taking Sue (wife) back over to the hospital where Nelson is, an hour away... and said he would do some more feeding later. It costs a small fortune to leave the tractor plugged in all the time, and plugging it in about 1-2 hours before wanting to use it is more than sufficient to get the block warmed up, so the diesel will start and run.
Did not get the bread pudding made yesterday, but it will be going in the oven in about 15 minutes. Then I will go out for an hour or less, to clean off cars, and be ready to come in and take it out and warm up.
Then the chicken goes in the oven. It is about thawed now. Dishes done in sink, will take a little water out to the NH cockerel and get him situated for the day. He is in the sun so will be comfortable in the covered area.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Prepping for expected snow in Texas now.
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farmerjan
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Tuesday night... It hit 40 when the sun was directly on the recording thermometer... but was just barely 30 when the rays of sun were not on it.... it got cold really quick.... it is already down to 18 at 9 p.m. Going to be colder tonight than last night.
DS wound up running the tractor early so did not need me to go start it. He got home from C'ville at the hospital... and came and got the truck that was here. Then went to feed. I took the forester up to the jersey, and with the tracks I made with the truck yesterday, got in and out okay... except there was some drifting.. got in okay. Fed the cow and her 2 calves, and the other 2 calves in the bunk on the other side of the barn area... put another sq bale out for them all. Broke the ice up in one tub... most of the ice was loose on the top... since the sun hits that side and the black tubs soak up some of the heat and melts some of the ice around the edges. Plus, some was dripping off the roof so there was water for her and the calves to get some... Texted DS and said they needed more hay... I did not go down over the hill to see the bale in the ring, the bale up nearer the barn not in the ring was GONE... I was going to let the cow out but the wind had picked up and decided to just let her stay in since she had water. I may have to let her out tomorrow if the water freezes up more. The spring fed trough down the hill is still doing okay with running....
DS came in with hay while I was there so I did the gates after he left to make it easier for him. About a half hour after I got home, he called to see if I could bring hot water, one of the water troughs was frozen and he could use some help... So, I got 2 5 gal buckets of hot water about 3/4 full, put them in the car and headed for the barn... Transferred them to the truck and up the hill we went... could not get the trough unthawed... and he thinks it is in the line from the hill top well to the trough which is not very far. The only saving grace, is that he went and opened the only valve that connects this trough, to all the other troughs, which have all been running over... and the valve from the well across the road is obviously not working to cut that side off from this side... there is the well at the top of the hill, to this trough, then a cut off valve, and then all the rest of the troughs ..... with no other cut offs until you get to the cut off from the other well across the road that comes from the house....there was water going into this trough after he opened the other valve... they put in a new well pump and the pressure is toooo much... so DS had gone and turned off the valve from their well to the barn system... and was running the water troughs from the well up the hill. Then they all started running over and he cut off the well up the hill to all the troughs except the one right near it... and it turns out that the cut off from their well is obviously NOT cutting it off... since all the troughs have water and are still running over... so by opening the valve just below the trough at the top of the hill, the water is pushing all the way up the hill to this trough so the cattle were getting water... he cut off the well at the top of the hill, and will deal with the frozen pipe problem after this artic cold wave passes... figure out what caused the problem... Best case is the cows got water...
By now it was about dark... he still had to feed silage at the barn... and is going to start feeding silage up the hill to these cows with calves too, starting the next day or 2.... because it is just so cold...they need the added feed.
I am going to get some protein tubs for the heifers at the nurse cow pasture since they could use the extra nutrition... although not having calves on them, and just getting bred now, they are not as needing it like the ones with calves... and he is portioning it out at the barn so he has enough to get through to spring... he is feeding an average of 1 ton a day, so should have enough for 200 days..we figure that we have 200 ton m/l in the bunk..... with this cold he can feed twice that and get through til April... so part of why he will start feeding those cows with calves.
He is planning to get the group of cows moved to the barn for the vet check still planned for Friday...
Also, got a vet check scheduled for Nelson's cows in about 2 weeks. They are going to run out of hay way before the winter is over... because with all of DS's "nagging" they still did not buy enough hay to get them through... and with this cold they are going through hay so fast that they will be out in a month. There are also animals, old bad feet, lame etc... that need to be sold, and any open cows need to be shipped too...
The good thing is Nelson is showing some improvement... has been moved to the "stroke" area of the hospital... He recognized his wife, son, and DS.... considering they were not sure he was going to survive 24 hours, was on a ventilator, this is HUGE progress. He will be there awhile though...
IN the meantime, DS is going to push getting some of this stuff done...with the cows and preg check etc... without the "hemming and hawing" that goes on with Nelson being there...They kept way too many heifers for the amount of ground they have, have some old cows and some that they "don't think calved this year"....and since they cannot even begin to make near enough hay, there needs to be a reduction in numbers... the son just does not "get it" with things on the farm... he does not want to be a farmer.... and just is not willing to do the work that needs doing, or accept some of what "has to be done"... he wants the "perks" but not going to do what needs doing... so DS is going to be the one to get things "shaped up".... Nelson has talked to DS about it before and just this fall told DS that he is relying on DS to make sure that things get taken care of there.... DS would like to just lease the farm and do things the way they should be done... and it might come to that... but for now, things have to be managed better...
There is a silver lining in his not working right now... so he can just take things over that need to be done... which he could not do if he was doing the 12 hr crap with work...and things like this water situation.... he would be out there all day trying to figure it out and feeding and then trying to sleep to put in a 12 hr night...
This weather is why I wanted our preg checks done sooner... I don't want to be dealing with this kind of weather... it just makes me mad.... these are the cows that he bought this summer from that friend... and we took 4 big calves off them... and 2 have calved again... I HOPE it was on 2 of those 4 cows we pulled the calves off....... there are a couple of bigger calves out there now so I sure hope they are not calving very soon... the guy ran his bull with them all the time so they could be bred any amount of months... need to know their status... and most did not even get eartags... so they will have to have eartags and all that... any that are not bred he said he is selling... I think that it has been 4 months since they were with a bull so have to be at least 4 months minimum.... I think. I have to ask DS. There has not been a bull there since he got them... we had taken all our cows out except the one "stupid one" that headed for the woods with her calf everytime..(and 3 others that he got out when he took the first load of the "new cows there, our 3 came in the pen but stupid hereford did not).....now they are hungry enough that they are all coming down to eat... and he is hoping to get them all in the pen and the gate closed before she realizes she is "trapped".... Praying that he can manage that... if she sees a second person she takes off so I can't go help with that... don't want to change the routine at all.... I will probably go separately, in my car, and stay out in the driveway at the house.... once she is in, I can go in and help load them... and babysit so no one gets out while he hauls the first load....will take 2 loads... maybe 3.... Stupid idiot is getting sold regardless of what her preg status is...
I did not make the bread pudding yet... there was still a big clump of ice in the milk bucket... and it did not break up with the whisk... BUT.... I did get the chicken stuffed and put in the oven to help to heat the house this evening... it will be for eating tomorrow... I am going to put it back in the oven tomorrow aft for a little bit to finish browning it, and get it heated up for supper tomorrow night; but it is cooked.
Have got to get an appt with the chiropractor, for this sciatic nerve pain down the right leg...just been alot going on, then the weather...and going to be more... The weather that @Baymule and the other TX members are supposed to be getting will travel east and north... and we are due to get it Fri-Sat... 3-6 inches they say... guess we will see.
It is now down to 13... been doing a few things inbetween...
Stove is in, so going to pick it up in the morning... blower is on order... I want to get it set up so I can utilize the propane and in case we should lose power... There was some thawing for a little bit today, but not calling for much the next 2 days... BRRRRRR
SOOOOO THANKFUL for that heated mattress pad... bed is toasty when I get in and then I turn it off and it is comfortable all night...
DS wound up running the tractor early so did not need me to go start it. He got home from C'ville at the hospital... and came and got the truck that was here. Then went to feed. I took the forester up to the jersey, and with the tracks I made with the truck yesterday, got in and out okay... except there was some drifting.. got in okay. Fed the cow and her 2 calves, and the other 2 calves in the bunk on the other side of the barn area... put another sq bale out for them all. Broke the ice up in one tub... most of the ice was loose on the top... since the sun hits that side and the black tubs soak up some of the heat and melts some of the ice around the edges. Plus, some was dripping off the roof so there was water for her and the calves to get some... Texted DS and said they needed more hay... I did not go down over the hill to see the bale in the ring, the bale up nearer the barn not in the ring was GONE... I was going to let the cow out but the wind had picked up and decided to just let her stay in since she had water. I may have to let her out tomorrow if the water freezes up more. The spring fed trough down the hill is still doing okay with running....
DS came in with hay while I was there so I did the gates after he left to make it easier for him. About a half hour after I got home, he called to see if I could bring hot water, one of the water troughs was frozen and he could use some help... So, I got 2 5 gal buckets of hot water about 3/4 full, put them in the car and headed for the barn... Transferred them to the truck and up the hill we went... could not get the trough unthawed... and he thinks it is in the line from the hill top well to the trough which is not very far. The only saving grace, is that he went and opened the only valve that connects this trough, to all the other troughs, which have all been running over... and the valve from the well across the road is obviously not working to cut that side off from this side... there is the well at the top of the hill, to this trough, then a cut off valve, and then all the rest of the troughs ..... with no other cut offs until you get to the cut off from the other well across the road that comes from the house....there was water going into this trough after he opened the other valve... they put in a new well pump and the pressure is toooo much... so DS had gone and turned off the valve from their well to the barn system... and was running the water troughs from the well up the hill. Then they all started running over and he cut off the well up the hill to all the troughs except the one right near it... and it turns out that the cut off from their well is obviously NOT cutting it off... since all the troughs have water and are still running over... so by opening the valve just below the trough at the top of the hill, the water is pushing all the way up the hill to this trough so the cattle were getting water... he cut off the well at the top of the hill, and will deal with the frozen pipe problem after this artic cold wave passes... figure out what caused the problem... Best case is the cows got water...
By now it was about dark... he still had to feed silage at the barn... and is going to start feeding silage up the hill to these cows with calves too, starting the next day or 2.... because it is just so cold...they need the added feed.
I am going to get some protein tubs for the heifers at the nurse cow pasture since they could use the extra nutrition... although not having calves on them, and just getting bred now, they are not as needing it like the ones with calves... and he is portioning it out at the barn so he has enough to get through to spring... he is feeding an average of 1 ton a day, so should have enough for 200 days..we figure that we have 200 ton m/l in the bunk..... with this cold he can feed twice that and get through til April... so part of why he will start feeding those cows with calves.
He is planning to get the group of cows moved to the barn for the vet check still planned for Friday...
Also, got a vet check scheduled for Nelson's cows in about 2 weeks. They are going to run out of hay way before the winter is over... because with all of DS's "nagging" they still did not buy enough hay to get them through... and with this cold they are going through hay so fast that they will be out in a month. There are also animals, old bad feet, lame etc... that need to be sold, and any open cows need to be shipped too...
The good thing is Nelson is showing some improvement... has been moved to the "stroke" area of the hospital... He recognized his wife, son, and DS.... considering they were not sure he was going to survive 24 hours, was on a ventilator, this is HUGE progress. He will be there awhile though...
IN the meantime, DS is going to push getting some of this stuff done...with the cows and preg check etc... without the "hemming and hawing" that goes on with Nelson being there...They kept way too many heifers for the amount of ground they have, have some old cows and some that they "don't think calved this year"....and since they cannot even begin to make near enough hay, there needs to be a reduction in numbers... the son just does not "get it" with things on the farm... he does not want to be a farmer.... and just is not willing to do the work that needs doing, or accept some of what "has to be done"... he wants the "perks" but not going to do what needs doing... so DS is going to be the one to get things "shaped up".... Nelson has talked to DS about it before and just this fall told DS that he is relying on DS to make sure that things get taken care of there.... DS would like to just lease the farm and do things the way they should be done... and it might come to that... but for now, things have to be managed better...
There is a silver lining in his not working right now... so he can just take things over that need to be done... which he could not do if he was doing the 12 hr crap with work...and things like this water situation.... he would be out there all day trying to figure it out and feeding and then trying to sleep to put in a 12 hr night...
This weather is why I wanted our preg checks done sooner... I don't want to be dealing with this kind of weather... it just makes me mad.... these are the cows that he bought this summer from that friend... and we took 4 big calves off them... and 2 have calved again... I HOPE it was on 2 of those 4 cows we pulled the calves off....... there are a couple of bigger calves out there now so I sure hope they are not calving very soon... the guy ran his bull with them all the time so they could be bred any amount of months... need to know their status... and most did not even get eartags... so they will have to have eartags and all that... any that are not bred he said he is selling... I think that it has been 4 months since they were with a bull so have to be at least 4 months minimum.... I think. I have to ask DS. There has not been a bull there since he got them... we had taken all our cows out except the one "stupid one" that headed for the woods with her calf everytime..(and 3 others that he got out when he took the first load of the "new cows there, our 3 came in the pen but stupid hereford did not).....now they are hungry enough that they are all coming down to eat... and he is hoping to get them all in the pen and the gate closed before she realizes she is "trapped".... Praying that he can manage that... if she sees a second person she takes off so I can't go help with that... don't want to change the routine at all.... I will probably go separately, in my car, and stay out in the driveway at the house.... once she is in, I can go in and help load them... and babysit so no one gets out while he hauls the first load....will take 2 loads... maybe 3.... Stupid idiot is getting sold regardless of what her preg status is...
I did not make the bread pudding yet... there was still a big clump of ice in the milk bucket... and it did not break up with the whisk... BUT.... I did get the chicken stuffed and put in the oven to help to heat the house this evening... it will be for eating tomorrow... I am going to put it back in the oven tomorrow aft for a little bit to finish browning it, and get it heated up for supper tomorrow night; but it is cooked.
Have got to get an appt with the chiropractor, for this sciatic nerve pain down the right leg...just been alot going on, then the weather...and going to be more... The weather that @Baymule and the other TX members are supposed to be getting will travel east and north... and we are due to get it Fri-Sat... 3-6 inches they say... guess we will see.
It is now down to 13... been doing a few things inbetween...
Stove is in, so going to pick it up in the morning... blower is on order... I want to get it set up so I can utilize the propane and in case we should lose power... There was some thawing for a little bit today, but not calling for much the next 2 days... BRRRRRR
SOOOOO THANKFUL for that heated mattress pad... bed is toasty when I get in and then I turn it off and it is comfortable all night...
Baymule
Herd Master
Ice, cold, snow all combined make caring for animals so much harder. I’ll be glad for your sake, when it warms up a little.
It’s 26F here now, but will rise up to the 40’s, tomorrow same thing, but with rain. Will rain all night, but stop in morning. Saturday night will be last night in 20’s then it will be above freezing.
The snow and ice is just above me. All I’ve had to deal with is breaking ice in the mornings. I’m not complaining.
It’s 26F here now, but will rise up to the 40’s, tomorrow same thing, but with rain. Will rain all night, but stop in morning. Saturday night will be last night in 20’s then it will be above freezing.
The snow and ice is just above me. All I’ve had to deal with is breaking ice in the mornings. I’m not complaining.
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farmerjan
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"COOL" 7 degrees overnight... Sun is out and it is up to about 18.... Whooptydo....
Heading to get the stove in a little bit...
Heading to get the stove in a little bit...
