Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[SageHill]

Wow - I had no idea cows milk that much (in weight) I guess I never thought about it.
I think we only have 2 or 3 dairies left in the county. The one near me, and across the street from
where I taught herding for 20+ yrs has expanded what he does to keep the dairy going. He's added
trucking and also has a compost facility where he takes in whatever "yard" waste (you pay to dump off) and
sells the resulting compost and mulch. It's pretty brilliant as most often there is a line to get in to drop or
pick up/buy.
Here's a link to his dairy.....

Frank Konyn Dairy

San Diego Dairy providing farm tours, high quality compost and soil amendments,

www.konyndairy.com

 

[Ridgetop]

and they sold like 10 or 20 of the "lame group" to a guy... he was going to take them home and m ilk them... not for cull cows... and he probably paid cull price which right now is about 1800-2000/head.

He got a great deal since he can use a good dairy and add great milking replacements to his herd.

 

[farmerjan]

In the house for some lunch. DS called and wanted to know if I needed any help to get out or up to snyder's... so I said it would be good if he could drive up to the nurse cow barn and make a "path" to get in easier... but the forester is absolutely wonderful about getting around in the snow.

So he came by the house, I was out cleaning off the car, and came in and out the driveway so the "plowed snow" from the road was broken down a little. Then He went down the road, with a roll of hay, and went into snyder's... the gate opens in and it is a b@#%h to get the gate opened there with any snow since it drags the ground... STUPID owner put it up so it sat on the ground instead of setting it up 4 inches or so.... anyway... he went in and I followed him up and he drove over the snow, to pack some so I could get around in front of the barn and then went and put the roll of hay in there just so that he can stay ahead with the wet mud coming with the melting.
I went in and put grain in for the cow with the graft calf... she is okay when I stand there but when I went to put grain in the other side... and was doing other stuff, she kept butting the calf away... she is never going to mother this calf. The calf did get on her and nurse out all 4 quarters.... but she is not bonded to it and I doubt she will ever get better about it. So, for now, will just deal with her... At least she is out of the mud and mess at his barn and has the ability to go in and out into the lot so not like she is locked in a 10x10 "stall/pen".

I then fed the jersey, her 2 calves and the other 2 that come in for grain... she is going to get "more than her share" but for a couple days I can deal with it. As soon as the weather decides what it is going to do, I will start "kicking her out", again, out of the barn lot, loose into the pasture and the calves can come and go. The other cow went into that pen after I opened up the gates and put a sq bale of hay outside for them to eat out there and not have so much manure and mess in the barn. The jersey graft calf went back on the black cow... then nosed around and went over and the jersey stood right there and it nursed her some. Of course she does not have much milk since her 2 calves still nurse her... and she isn't making alot of milk anyway... but the bought graft calf went right to town. Then it went back over on "it's adoptive mother"... she was too busy with her head in the bunk cleaning up grain... Hopefully they will both go out and eat the hay, and maybe the black cow will be a bit more quiet and calmer since she is not "alone"... and maybe the graft calf will be able to sneak on her some. I am hoping that after a few days, I will be able to let her go out loose also, and then will come in when I go up there, wanting grain. If that is what it takes to get her to tolerate the calf for a little bit, then that is what I will do. She does like her grain... so maybe. Betsy (jersey) comes to the barn when out loose, even with her calves out there all the time since they can go out the creep gate; as soon as she sees the car come in there... she is a grain hog and that is okay... I will do whatever it takes to keep her happy and the calves still getting to nurse her some, for the next few months at least. Just hoping she settled to the angus bull when he bred her last month... really want to see how she will do starting out a new lactation, and all that I can control from start to finish. Get her going right, and have a good nurse cow again.

So, finished up and came home. I backed up a couple times to pack down some of the snow so I can get in and out easier here... granted it makes the packed stuff slower to melt, but I think that if it does much raining like they predict, it will all melt pretty fast. I got the snow off the hood and the windshield of the 2 wd truck that had the flat, parked across the driveway, as he wants to come blow up the tire and get it moved out. That is where he comes and goes to get the hay across from my house to feed grants and snyders pastures.

He said he was going to take a roll of hay to the bred heifers that are still out at pasture... should have been home here by the holidays like the ones we just got moved and preg checked... because they were due to start calving from mid-feb.... but again, here we are with things not getting done like they should....
So he gets in there and the snow is deep, but he got in, and the heifers start coming down through all the gates ... they were up in sections 4 & 5 because the owner had finally gotten the fences done in Dec.... and DS wanted them to be able to eat some of the "stockpiled" grass... which was fine, but there is a limit to utilizing things... and so he keeps wondering why the one was coming slow... and guess what.. one of the heifers has already calved... mshe was coming slow as the little claf was following her all the way down. She was the first one due... and mid Feb was not out of reason... so he said the heifer was mothering it real good... he unrolled some of the hay so the calf would have a place to lay in the dry... and the heifers were all around the rest of the roll that he put a little away from the unrolled stuff. I am glad that she is sensible enough for the hormones to be a momma, to be kicking in good. One of the reasons I like heifers a little older to calve... they seem to be more inclined to be mommas...better instincts on what to do....

Hopefully things will go okay with her... He fed them down in section 1, near where we set up the catch pen and load out. It will be at least a week or more before we can get in there to load them... but they are down where they will be easier to feed and check over. Got 3 more that are about a month behind her, then the rest will be close behind them... I hope to he// that weather will let us get them out sooner rather than later...

There was a crust on top of the snow but nothing like the iced over snow from the last time... It crunches as you walk and break through the crust. I cleaned off the side of the hanging bird feeder that was all iced over.. Cleaned off the hood and windshield on the truck across the road.... I will go start it whenever he calls so it can warm up and he comes to blow up the tire to get it to the barn. Then he can deal with the tire there. Hopefully it has a slow leak and he can get it to the barn and out of the way of going in there to get hay.

Made a tuna fish sandwich for lunch. I have a headache again today. Would have liked to go down to the chiropractor again this week... have an appt next week but would have liked to do one this week too... need to get adjusted some more to get this straightened out.

We are getting some misty type "rain"... which is not really a rain... it is staying about 34-37 so far today... hope it does not drop temps too much today.

Cancelled the farm this afternoon.. I have no interest in going testing anywhere. I am going out to bring the samples in and get them packed in a little bit. Then will go back up to the barn to the cows.... make sure the jersey calf can get to eat again... keep him stimulating her to produce and keep him interested in her...

What we do for these animals.....