Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Weeelll, I've said things that can't be taken back and I don't care. In fact I confirmed it -- heck, I even put it in writing, a text. When DS complained, I told him to carry his arse and I had no regrets. Oddly, what I said has come to bite him as so, so true. I'm about to start round two. Of course, I have no business to consider with either of them. But I understand your constraints! And frustration!! And anger!

 

[farmerjan]

Been a grey raw cold day. It hit all of 38, and is back down to 34 now. Supposed to start raining with some icing over... temps are perfect for it.

Got the clothes all off the line... They weren't damp, just chilly.... there was a breeze so that kept them "dry".... Then DS called to say he was going to feed some hay to get ahead of the forecast. So I was taking some of the meters out of the car which I won't use again until I do this double 12 parlor, and he is getting the gate opened and the cows are heading towards the truck... I thought, here we go again... what if they don't follow the truck... so I got in the car, went over there and watched the gate and he said he was going to go get another bale so I waited til he came back with that one... they had stayed over at the hay eating... and went up and opened the gates at snyder's pasture. I put the jersey in... finally decided to name her Betsy as it is easy to call for her...gave her grain, put grain for the 4 calves that come in.. and put a bale of hay in the bunk feeders for them and left her in for the afternoon and night. Calves can come and go through the creep gate but they will most likely stay right in there in the comfort and dry.

DS came in with a roll of hay for them also... then I closed the gates and
went back to the house, got the vaccines I had taken home a couple weeks ago when everything was freezing up in the bitter temps... Made up a bottle half full to add hot water to later, not knowing how long it was going to take...
She was there and had my clipboard that I had left with them the day before... they got the cows all in to the barn and so then we were sorting the calves and cows... got the cows all into the side to run up the chute for the preg check.
Friend came by that DS is selling silage to, and then he stayed and said he would help out...
DS had bought 2 bulls and a heifer last Sat and we had the heifer in the chute to check... don't want her preg at 650 lbs... Turns out she was about 65 days so gave her a shot of lute and he said that she should have another in 2 weeks to be safe.... get her to abort it early... let her grow some more and make a decision about whether she is one to keep to raise and breed with a group of ours... or just graze and then sell this fall... worth alot more if NOT preg since she is too small/young to be bred yet...
Vet came and DS was doing his best being so charming... and pushing everyone to do stuff fast.... he had all sorts of patience with gf when she was having trouble giving the shots but got real short with me and said, what is the problem, you have been doing this for years, when I had a little trouble getting a plunger pushed on a shot... yet she can do no wrong.... I was so glad to get done.
The actual preg results were very GOOD... only 1 open cow out of 30 checked... MY COW with the twins... he said she has a uterine infection... who knows why, she may not have completely cleaned even though there has been no smell or discharge, or anything else noticeable... Gave her a shot of lute and she will get another in 2 weeks... hopefully it will clean her out... also gave her a shot of LA200 . So her and her twins will stay there at the barn with the bought heifer so they can both get a 2nd shot....
4 were shorter bred... 1 is only 70 days, and she has a smaller calf on her... 1 is 3 1/2 months and 1 is 4 months.... 1 is 4 1/2-5 months;
Of the rest...... 3 are 5 months... 4 are 6-7 and the rest are 7+.... like ready to start within 30-45 days.... There was one more cow there, mine, that had a big calf on her and surprise... dropped a new calf about 5-6 weeks ago.... she had been checked possible short bred the previous time, (so obviously was bred) and we put her up here at this pasture to make sure she could get bred.... She did not come through the vet check and there could be a possibility she is short bred back again...... she will get stuck out somewhere with cows and calves... probably behind my house at Grants pasture... there is a bull in there so good chance she will come up bred when these get checked in the later spring. I hope....

With having sold several old and open cows of mine I don't have a whole lot to calve this spring... maybe 5 and 2 or 3 heifers.... my numbers are down... there are 4 heifers at snyder's (nurse cow pasture) that are being bred now...

With lower numbers, might be the time to more seriously consider making some changes too.... I am going to go down into southwest Va where that friend that has cattle is, that tells me about places for sale... and do some serious looking... late this month or early March is the plan... Just take a day and go do some looking..

So after we got done with the vet, "they" were going to do some feeding and such... didn't need me helping it seems... so I left the half bottle mix for them to add hot water to heat it up, and feed the calf his "extra"... although the cow looks like she might be coming into more milk... HOPING she is.... DS said she stood right there and never moved around this morning and the calf sucked good... so we will see...said something about bringing her to snyder's with the other small calves... but maybe he can keep her there for another week and then if she seems to be doing okay, turn them out with the ones that are starting to calve now...

I went and dropped off the samples from yesterday... and came on home...

Got to get bottles ready for tomorrow's testing... have a chiropractor's appt at 2 then testing at 3:30.... so that will work good. I'll go do the cow in the morning and let her out... supposed to be partly cloudy/ some showers, but temps back in the 50's???? CRAZY TEMP SWINGS....



Guy is coming to look at the steers Friday morning... he said he might be taking some to the local stockyard cattle sale, after the guy looks at them....where we do sell steers... and now DS is not going to the sale on Sat... he says he has a wedding to go to... and I asked who was getting married, and he said it was a guy he didn't think I knew... he goes to the truck pulls... and she said she went to school with him... so that tells me "they " are going to the wedding, but it's a big secret I guess... So no decisions will be made about what heifers to sell or keep, and the steer on the longhorn won't need to be gotten in on Sat morning either... Maybe the next week.

 

[farmerjan]

Oh, forgot to add... Vet got a blood sample... going to test for the theilaria and BV... said Lepto test are not very accurate... see if we need to change up our vaccinations... maybe nothing will come out of it... Just be a fluke thing that the 2 had dead ones...