Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[Baymule]

My chickens have closed up shop. I am getting half the eggs I normally do. @babsbag are your tomatoes blooming?

 

[Mike CHS]

Our tomatoes always slow down when the night temps stay fairly high but we haven't had the high temps you guys are having (yet). I always start more tomatoes in June to get a decent fall crop and it's usually more than the earlier planting.

 

[Mini Horses]

always start more tomatoes in June to get a decent fall crop and it's usually more than the earlier planting.

And I'm going to pretend that my late garden was just THAT -- preplanned.... Thanks for the reminder.

Actually, in my area I can plant many things "late" and they do very well in our Fall temps. 2nd crops of the faster maturing items, etc.

 

[babsbag]

I can plant late too, we don't typically get our first frost until the middle of Nov. and Oct. can be as warm as May.

@Baymule, there are a few blossoms. I will be buying some blossom set spray this weekend but I think it is the heat. The plants look amazing. I have one out there called Heat Master but I planted it late; hoping it can handle this weather.

 

[misfitmorgan]

We had a similar experience @Baymule but we were loading hay on someones open top trailer....

That was the start of the severe thunderstorms last night, knocked out power to almost 150,000 people...including us...joy lol. Estimated restoration time is 11:30pm tomorrow night.

 

[Bruce]

So YOU caused the torrential rain by loading hay into an open top trailer?? I bet everyone around isn't saying "Thanks" Next time use a trailer with a top.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Hey that is what the customer brought, who am I to argue?

 

[Latestarter]

So the CAE/CL/Johnes tests came back for the 3 adult goats (Thursday). Everything was negative except Bang; she got a "borderline" for CAE. There are no titer numbers provided on the report, just a "N" (negative), "BL" (borderline) or "P" (positive). I have called and left a VM and sent an Email to the company asking for them to please provide me with the actual test result numbers as that will determine if and when I retest Bang. They want me to retest in 30-45 days, but if the numbers are low borderline, I'll wait 6 months and re-test. They (the lab) doesn't charge to retest a BL, but I'm sure the vet will to cover the blood draw and postage/shipping.

Man is it hot and humid here... 95 degrees and gotta be 85%+ humidity. 10 minutes outside and I'm soaked. I have to say though, after 10 minutes outside it's the perfect time to go grocery shopping... You're wet, stinky, and everybody keeps their distance (made a note to self; Self, wait on shopping till after the sun sets and the temp drops!) The past few days storms provided me with a little over an inch and a half of water. Supposed to be a chance of T-storms over the next 3-4 days. All the pastures need mowed, including the front one that I just did last Saturday My tarp covered hay has developed rodents. They have chewed through the tarp on top of the hay (leaving holes for the rain to get in) to get at spilled grain particles on top of the tarp where I stack the feed bowls when not being used. So I took one of my mouse baits and placed it under the tarp near the grain barrels. Hope they're hungry

I've seen quite a few black rat snakes around, only one large one, but none by the hay bales. Accidentally ran over a copperhead down the road a while back. The light and shadow on the road made it look like a stick and it wasn't moving. By the time I realized what it was it was too late to swerve to miss it and I ran right over its head. I saw it in the rear view flailing so stopped and backed up and finished it off then removed it from the road. It was a good sized snake, maybe 3 feet long and very thick through the body. Shame to kill it.

So just got a call from the lab and he said the statistical difference between the percentages of the high and low end of "BL" are really of no value... I explained that it had value to me as the low end I wouldn't worry about it and the high end I would. I explained that I'd retest in about 6 months for the "BL" but had planned on annually for the negatives just to establish an ongoing baseline & history. I asked what they actually charge for the testing and he said $8 for the first test, $7 for the 2nd and $5 for the third. So if I draw my own blood and send it in the tests I paid $35 for would only cost $20 + shipping. He told me there are lots of videos online that show how to draw blood, but since I have nobody to hold the goat for me, it would be hard to do myself. Since the re-test on a BL is free, I might check with the vet and see how much they'd charge me to do the retest through them and maybe do it in 45 days as recommended. Maybe I'll use Bang for "stick" practice and send it in myself. Won't SHE just be thrilled!

Got a text from my son and his arrival date has changed a bit as he has an appointment he has to make on the 17th. So they'll leave after he's done with that. Still puts them here on the 18th. I'm OK with that. Started stocking up on groceries today for the grand's arrival Good stuff like juice box drinks and pop tarts for breakfast as well as other meal type stuff and snacks. Also got me another watermelon. The last one only lasted 4 days. I cooked up a whole roast chicken Thursday evening, so I'll be munching on that for a couple of days. Other than that, same stuff, different day, life goes on. So I click to post this (Friday) and my internet isn't working... it's reloading. Multiple resets and it's still down. Now Saturday morning and it's back up. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

 

[Southern by choice]

So the CAE/CL/Johnes tests came back for the 3 adult goats (Thursday). Everything was negative except Bang; she got a "borderline" for CAE. There are no titer numbers provided on the report, just a "N" (negative), "BL" (borderline) or "P" (positive). I have called and left a VM and sent an Email to the company asking for them to please provide me with the actual test result numbers as that will determine if and when I retest Bang. They want me to retest in 30-45 days, but if the numbers are low borderline, I'll wait 6 months and re-test. They (the lab) doesn't charge to retest a BL, but I'm sure the vet will to cover the blood draw and postage/shipping.

So just got a call from the lab and he said the statistical difference between the percentages of the high and low end of "BL" are really of no value... I explained that it had value to me as the low end I wouldn't worry about it and the high end I would. I explained that I'd retest in about 6 months for the "BL" but had planned on annually for the negatives just to establish an ongoing baseline & history.

do it in 45 days as recommended.

The statistical difference when a BL comes up .... it doesn't matter if it is high end or low end because the numbers are only a few varying degrees.
The concern is if you retest and see she is truly BL.
BL now could be borderline but she may have been positive at kidding.

This happened to someone we know.
they purchased an 8 month old goat - the goat was coming from a "tested herd" but they didn't test for CL or Johnes
They tested the 8 month old goat and the CL results came back first- Neg so they were happy UNTIL they received the CAE results- POSITIVE
They called the breeder- breeder was very upset and perplexed
Come to find out the vet was NOT testing for CAE but TB/Brucellosis only
When they tested the dam she was "1" number lower than Positive meaning BL. But that was 8 months after kidding- which means she was positive when she kidded.
The whole herd got tested.
All were BL/POS and kids came out positive

Those numbers can rise during pregnancy/delivery so it can be an issue.
BL end up POS

For example if the test cut off is 35 and 30 is borderline a 28 which is neg is still very close and with pregnancy can climb.
So if 30-34 is BL it really is insignificant... you are running the risk of CAE.
You can do prevention.

Wait the 30-45 days retest... but before you go to breed her test her again and look at those numbers if on the higher end retest 2 weeks before kidding because you may need to pull kid and heat treat all colostrum before feeding.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

CAE can pass in utero sometimes.