DH and MIL were moving hay wagons into the barn since it looked like rain; then he helped the neighbors with the 1,000-pound big square bales we got off the wheat field; sent DS1 out to disk so Grandpa could plant a hay field they had plowed up; and to top it off, two black heifers ... hereinafter known as Thing 1 and Thing 2 ... calved at the same time. Both had black bull calves.
I was just cooking burgers at the restaurant while all this was going on. Maybe having a job in town is a good thing ...
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
First cutting ...
... of wheat hay.
Hundred-pound bales.
The kids and I probably aren't going to be much help with those.
Hundred-pound bales.
The kids and I probably aren't going to be much help with those.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Mowing hay
Summer's here. We have hay down on two different farms. DH and Grandpa plan to plow up each of those fields later and plant a new crop.
That said ... I should have stayed at work today instead of coming home early. I got roped into helping change a tire on the hay rake; watched Grandpa tweak the ground-drive mechanism; and helped DH hitch up hay wagons and the rake.
With all the long grass growing up around them, the wagon tongues were not only heavy but tangled in long grass. DH had to help me with the elevator.
Spring colors are so bright they looked computer=generated: brilliant blue sky and clear spring green of the new leaves. By the end of summer everything looks tired, dusty and faded but now everything is new and all things are possible as far as having good crops and good prices.
That said ... I should have stayed at work today instead of coming home early. I got roped into helping change a tire on the hay rake; watched Grandpa tweak the ground-drive mechanism; and helped DH hitch up hay wagons and the rake.
With all the long grass growing up around them, the wagon tongues were not only heavy but tangled in long grass. DH had to help me with the elevator.
Spring colors are so bright they looked computer=generated: brilliant blue sky and clear spring green of the new leaves. By the end of summer everything looks tired, dusty and faded but now everything is new and all things are possible as far as having good crops and good prices.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Cow Are Out ...
... In a good way. We finally got them out into the pasture. Three of the cows calved in the barn, not the best environment.
It's picture perfect breezy day, not a cloud in the sky. The wind in the long grass makes it look lives waves on Lake Michigan, alternating bright green with silver green.
Note to self ... Panda's two daughters have calved; the first had a bull; second had a heifer.
Button calved today with a big red bull calf. She's walking like she's three sheets to the wind, probably partly paralyzed from that big calf.
I hope this does not mean the heifers will have a hard time.
It's picture perfect breezy day, not a cloud in the sky. The wind in the long grass makes it look lives waves on Lake Michigan, alternating bright green with silver green.
Note to self ... Panda's two daughters have calved; the first had a bull; second had a heifer.
Button calved today with a big red bull calf. She's walking like she's three sheets to the wind, probably partly paralyzed from that big calf.
I hope this does not mean the heifers will have a hard time.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Fire!
Grandma called and asked if DH was around ... because they had set the cows' big round bales on fire and it was sort of blowing towards the barn. And did we have any garden hoses?
As I was putting my shoes on I remembered the big fire extinguisher we have here at the house. I got it for when we are brooding baby chicks. The combination of sawdust or straw plus heat lamps can be a fire hazard. I've never had to use it, though.
I rushed out to the barn and found the big round bales at the fence line feeder burning. So the smoke and embers blew into the concrete cow lot, not right into the barn.
Grandma and Grandpa wrestled with the garden hoses. I kept thinking the volunteer fire department could put this out in about 30 seconds. Did we need the fire department?
Smoke billowed all across the cow lot and out across the wheat fields. Some was white, some was black. A weather change is on the way so it rolled along the ground. Couldn't see through it. No wonder people talk about smoke screens.
The fire extinguisher was good for about one bale. I had to rush into the calf barn to get their water hoses out because I figured Grandma wouldn't have seen them in awhile and they were too heavy for Grandpa to carry.
Out I went with all the hoses I could find. Of course most had ends missing.
Piece by piece they put together enough hose to reach the length of the row of bales.
As I came staggering out with more hoses there was DH. He'd seen the smoke from the other farm and rushed home.
Finally we got all the hoses hooked up and flames extinguished, although the hay smoldered, flared up and smoked for hours.
For lunch I suggested hot dogs over the fire but DH wanted to come up to the house for a hot lunch. Pot pie to day. All I had to do was turn on the oven and pop them in.
But, no wonder my clothes don't last long, what with the mud and soot and everythign.
As I was putting my shoes on I remembered the big fire extinguisher we have here at the house. I got it for when we are brooding baby chicks. The combination of sawdust or straw plus heat lamps can be a fire hazard. I've never had to use it, though.
I rushed out to the barn and found the big round bales at the fence line feeder burning. So the smoke and embers blew into the concrete cow lot, not right into the barn.
Grandma and Grandpa wrestled with the garden hoses. I kept thinking the volunteer fire department could put this out in about 30 seconds. Did we need the fire department?
Smoke billowed all across the cow lot and out across the wheat fields. Some was white, some was black. A weather change is on the way so it rolled along the ground. Couldn't see through it. No wonder people talk about smoke screens.
The fire extinguisher was good for about one bale. I had to rush into the calf barn to get their water hoses out because I figured Grandma wouldn't have seen them in awhile and they were too heavy for Grandpa to carry.
Out I went with all the hoses I could find. Of course most had ends missing.
Piece by piece they put together enough hose to reach the length of the row of bales.
As I came staggering out with more hoses there was DH. He'd seen the smoke from the other farm and rushed home.
Finally we got all the hoses hooked up and flames extinguished, although the hay smoldered, flared up and smoked for hours.
For lunch I suggested hot dogs over the fire but DH wanted to come up to the house for a hot lunch. Pot pie to day. All I had to do was turn on the oven and pop them in.
But, no wonder my clothes don't last long, what with the mud and soot and everythign.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Peeps!
A flock of moms carrying cardboard boxes and leading toddlers headed to the first-grade pod in the elementary school.
DS2's first grade class hatched chicks in a Hova-Bator incubator with a fan. Out of 24 set, 19 hatched so his teacher had to use the wisdom of Solomon in giving out the chicks to the kids. Some parents didn't want chicks so about two-thirds of the kids were interested.
DS2 ended up with three. He named all three Chirpie, Charlie and Fluffy but can't tell them apart. We might be able to later.
We put them in a potato box from work, along with pine bedding, a lightbulb, feed and a little drinker. The feeder and waterer will fit any size Mason jar, so I attached them to jelly jars.
Plan is to make a chicken tractor for them and keep them in the garden vs. finishing them for meat. (I want DS2 to keep eating meat!)
Now I have to find out all I can about chicken tractors.
A novel idea could hatch from this -- a hippie eco-friendly type gal butts heads with a conventional "heavy iron" kind of farmer. Not that sounds like me in real life. No. Not at all ...
Taking three first-grade chicks is a lot more work than starting a bunch of 50 or 100!
DS2's first grade class hatched chicks in a Hova-Bator incubator with a fan. Out of 24 set, 19 hatched so his teacher had to use the wisdom of Solomon in giving out the chicks to the kids. Some parents didn't want chicks so about two-thirds of the kids were interested.
DS2 ended up with three. He named all three Chirpie, Charlie and Fluffy but can't tell them apart. We might be able to later.
We put them in a potato box from work, along with pine bedding, a lightbulb, feed and a little drinker. The feeder and waterer will fit any size Mason jar, so I attached them to jelly jars.
Plan is to make a chicken tractor for them and keep them in the garden vs. finishing them for meat. (I want DS2 to keep eating meat!)
Now I have to find out all I can about chicken tractors.
A novel idea could hatch from this -- a hippie eco-friendly type gal butts heads with a conventional "heavy iron" kind of farmer. Not that sounds like me in real life. No. Not at all ...
Taking three first-grade chicks is a lot more work than starting a bunch of 50 or 100!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Dropping calves
I never liked that term. Most of the time the cows lay down to calve. Yesterday one of our black-baldy cows had a bull calf -- first-born of many brethren. I think we need a few sistern in there, too, because the cows are getting older and we need replacements.
Here's where DH and I part way. He wants all Angus, the solid black ones, because of calving ease, mothering ability and rate of growth. I think you can get all that and better temper, too, out of colored breeds -- Shorthorn or Hereford.
Ideally we need both. If we sell cattle at auction, black cattle bring the best prices because buyers assume the animals have Angus background and will produce high-quality meat. If we sell them for freezer beef, color doesn't matter. I believe we can get as good growth from the other two British breeds.
I wish I had not started thinking about replacement heifers. We have favorite ones among the old cows and I hate to think culling them.
Here's where DH and I part way. He wants all Angus, the solid black ones, because of calving ease, mothering ability and rate of growth. I think you can get all that and better temper, too, out of colored breeds -- Shorthorn or Hereford.
Ideally we need both. If we sell cattle at auction, black cattle bring the best prices because buyers assume the animals have Angus background and will produce high-quality meat. If we sell them for freezer beef, color doesn't matter. I believe we can get as good growth from the other two British breeds.
I wish I had not started thinking about replacement heifers. We have favorite ones among the old cows and I hate to think culling them.
Monday, May 4, 2009
We've started!
Boots on the ground and all that. DH, Grandpa and DS1 got started plowing and disking today on the neighbor's farm with the sandiest soil. I had to run them back and forth from the field to supper and back, which meant I got to go four-wheeling in the truck.
It's still a little wet but we are behind. On the other hand, the cold wet spring will make for a big first cutting of hay (I hope) which is our biggest cash crop.
It's still a little wet but we are behind. On the other hand, the cold wet spring will make for a big first cutting of hay (I hope) which is our biggest cash crop.
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