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Yeah…I’d just soon live without snow & ice.
Hello from Deep East Texas
- Thread starter gman4691
- Start date
I think you're getting ready to receive your wish. Supposed to freeze in Houston and will damn sure freeze in Stonewall. This global warming has caused more freezing in the past 3 years than I can remember for a long time
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I'm guessing since the weather is getting crappy again, one or more of the girls may start having calves. This year some of them are picking the worst times. Brought some feed home at lunch time today and saw them in the pasture beside the house. Saw a momma cow licking a youngster...don't know if it was one of calves that have already showed up or if it was a new one...maybe I'll find out tomorrow. If the weather isn't too bad, I might get back to "fabricating" the second valve box guard. Still have some primer and "Maui Blue" paint, all the necessary steel, and plenty of 6011 welding rods.
On another note, the tool we designed for removing the cab off of a tractor with limited overhead space has a number of people up the food chain buzzin'. Guess they never thought of lifting the cab from the bottom instead of the top. I'll have to keep a low profile to temper their expectations...lol. By "up the food chain", I mean folks in the company that are not at our local store (corporate types, I suppose)...not hard for a farm boy to impress cubicle dwellers...lol again.
On another note, the tool we designed for removing the cab off of a tractor with limited overhead space has a number of people up the food chain buzzin'. Guess they never thought of lifting the cab from the bottom instead of the top. I'll have to keep a low profile to temper their expectations...lol. By "up the food chain", I mean folks in the company that are not at our local store (corporate types, I suppose)...not hard for a farm boy to impress cubicle dwellers...lol again.
BC
Well-known member
ttttt
You need to file a patent on that tool.
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Yup…that was a new calf yesterday - little black heifer born to a white momma (ear tag #7) and ear tag #3 had a little bull calf - I'm guessing 6-7 hours ago from the looks of it. #7 had a little black heifer last year & #3 also had a black heifer last year. Now we've got 5 or 6 nights of overnight lows in the 20's and maybe upper teens…chance of snow Tuesday. Got them well stocked with hay, put out some cubes this AM and probably some more tomorrow. So, that's 8 on the ground so far…would have been 9 if not for the stray dog…that still ticks me off. But got a good count this morning…All present and accounted for. Not the best pics of these two but here they are…not being cooperative for the photo op. But both nursing.
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Geez…the wind has been cold…all day…goes right through you…forecast lows in the upper teens tonight…ugh!
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Saw 2 more little ones while feeding today bringing the total to 10…so far…the girls are keeping with the theme of calving in crappy weather…sigh
Black one was probably born yesterday…light colored one appears to have been born around mid-morning today. Haven't determined the sex of either…I'll try to get a better look Saturday or Sunday.
Cold weather should move out in a couple of days…the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned…lol
Black one was probably born yesterday…light colored one appears to have been born around mid-morning today. Haven't determined the sex of either…I'll try to get a better look Saturday or Sunday.
Cold weather should move out in a couple of days…the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned…lol
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we had a nice black baldy bull calf born day before Sunday during some pretty chilly weather
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Downright pleasant out this afternoon. Hopefully, I’ll get a better look at the calves tomorrow. Showing a chance rain in the forecast over the next few days. Of course, we usually get a little February surprise, and once in a great while, a March surprise with temps…can’t claim springtime just yet. Looking through binoculars this evening I thought I counted 11 little ones…can’t be sure but that’s what it looked like…hard to get a good count with binocs…guess we’ll find out tomorrow.
Low temp tonight forecast to be 30 degrees…a good break from the 20’s over the last few nights…at least for this east Texas farm boy.
Low temp tonight forecast to be 30 degrees…a good break from the 20’s over the last few nights…at least for this east Texas farm boy.
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Had to go to the Crockett store today. On the way, I got a text message from the missus telling me a calf had gotten separated from its momma. She said she was going try using a dog leash to walk it back to momma. A few minutes later, I got a text message the said, “Success!” So there you go…farmin’ with charmin’ Carmen…it’s mighty alarmin’…the missus was gettin’ it done…lol
Follow up: momma and calf together and doing fine
Follow up: momma and calf together and doing fine
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Finally, got some sunshine. Put out cubes and more hay today...no new arrivals noticed. Will be worming in a couple of weeks or so and working calves. That means we'll be working calves again in a couple of months or so. Would like to hit the cows with a good dose of injectable vitamin supplement but I'm told I'll have to get a prescription for that...sigh...nothing is ever simple. Have been keeping minerals out and they've been using it but they've been a bit picky about eating the hay this winter. We haven't had much of a winter so far so they've been nosing around eating whatever is growing and ignoring the hay until they get really hungry...this is why I don't like calving in the winter...limited forage and calves pulling mommas down. If the rye grass in the hay pasture behind the house will get a bit taller, I'll turn them in there again...they liked that before...maybe I've been spoiling them...lol
Working on second valve box protector today. Making plans for re-setting a water trough in the pasture next to the house and plans for building a covered feed trough for when we fence-line wean these calves later in the year. Will separate them from the rest of the cows and feed them for 2 or 3 months before taking to sale. Contractor hasn't started on barn yet due to crappy weather (wet and/or cold) but I expect that project will begin before too long. Talked him into re-setting the other two water troughs for me as part of that project (that will be a relief as they've needed to be "re-done" for quite some time - never have liked the way they are currently set up).
Will be determining the spraying strategy for weeds in different pastures. Need to get rid of bluestem in the rehab pasture - it has come a long way and I don't want it to turn into a pasture full of bluestem. I've heard that there is no selective herbicide for bluestem. Prescribed fire is one suggested method. Another guy told me has has had some luck with Panoramic 2SL. The only issue there is that you shouldn't use it until the coastal bermuda has completely greened up and it shouldn't be used in the hot, dry part of the summer (at least for this application)...timing could be a bit tricky. Talking to local VFD about trying to burn that whole 30 acres before things start greening up...that pasture would probably benefit from a good burn on top of the mowing/spraying/fertilizing/liming over the past few years...looks much better than it has in quite a few years but still has a bit to go before it's where I want it to be.
Probably be a couple of more cool to cold spells in February and maybe March...that's pretty typical in these parts...but springtime is on the way...then it will probably rain for days on end...lol. That means more downed trees to deal with in all likelihood.
Working on second valve box protector today. Making plans for re-setting a water trough in the pasture next to the house and plans for building a covered feed trough for when we fence-line wean these calves later in the year. Will separate them from the rest of the cows and feed them for 2 or 3 months before taking to sale. Contractor hasn't started on barn yet due to crappy weather (wet and/or cold) but I expect that project will begin before too long. Talked him into re-setting the other two water troughs for me as part of that project (that will be a relief as they've needed to be "re-done" for quite some time - never have liked the way they are currently set up).
Will be determining the spraying strategy for weeds in different pastures. Need to get rid of bluestem in the rehab pasture - it has come a long way and I don't want it to turn into a pasture full of bluestem. I've heard that there is no selective herbicide for bluestem. Prescribed fire is one suggested method. Another guy told me has has had some luck with Panoramic 2SL. The only issue there is that you shouldn't use it until the coastal bermuda has completely greened up and it shouldn't be used in the hot, dry part of the summer (at least for this application)...timing could be a bit tricky. Talking to local VFD about trying to burn that whole 30 acres before things start greening up...that pasture would probably benefit from a good burn on top of the mowing/spraying/fertilizing/liming over the past few years...looks much better than it has in quite a few years but still has a bit to go before it's where I want it to be.
Probably be a couple of more cool to cold spells in February and maybe March...that's pretty typical in these parts...but springtime is on the way...then it will probably rain for days on end...lol. That means more downed trees to deal with in all likelihood.
EasTex
Well-known member
Does your vet sale vaccines, wormer, etc? Mine does, and the price is comparable with Valley Vet and no freight. My vet also has Multimin 90. Real easy, no issues.
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Have to have a prescription for Muti-Min...that would mean loading a cow up and hauling her to the vet clinic and having them determine whether or not to write the prescription. I do not have a way to haul cattle (someone takes mine to the sale barn for me). I can get the vaccines and wormer I use from a local feed store...evidently, a multi-vitamin supplement can only be purchased with a prescription. I can buy injectable individual vitamin supplements but would have to buy one for each vitamin I wish to use.
You need Multimin90. Do you have a vet that you use? If so, he/she should sell it to you at the office.
EasTex
Well-known member
You don’t need to haul her, if your vet sells it. At least I have not had to do that. They do the prescription when I go pick up the Multimin. Just give your vet an call and see what they say.
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Talked to the vet…they want to see one of the cows in person before writing the prescription.
As for the valve box protector: Have you ever set out to do something and ended up doing something completely different? Pretty sure everybody does it from time to time. Well today, for reasons I can’t explain, I went to work cleaning out Dad’s shop…about 70 or more years accumulation. Filled up around 10 of the big contractor garbage bags and didn’t even make it half way…lol. You can tell he was a depression era kid because he didn’t throw away anything…and I mean ANYTHING. Geez, there were even burned out light bulbs, busted tail lights from vehicles that have been gone for 40+ years, etc. A little bit of treasure here and there but mostly stuff for which neither I nor virtually anybody else would have a use for…such as a bander with one handle broken off. Did however find a 2 burner fish fryer he and I made about a million years ago…will have to get a can of fuel and get it up and running. Evidently, the big chicken snake that used to live in there moved on or died…lots of fat t*rds…lol again. Or how about a coffee can full of 1” lengths of different hose - all blown out…old radiator hoses (also blown out), air hose, etc. My favorite was a stripped out and bent bolt with the head broken off…should have taken a picture of that…alas, I was deeply entrenched and didn’t even think about it until just now…oh well.
As for the valve box protector: Have you ever set out to do something and ended up doing something completely different? Pretty sure everybody does it from time to time. Well today, for reasons I can’t explain, I went to work cleaning out Dad’s shop…about 70 or more years accumulation. Filled up around 10 of the big contractor garbage bags and didn’t even make it half way…lol. You can tell he was a depression era kid because he didn’t throw away anything…and I mean ANYTHING. Geez, there were even burned out light bulbs, busted tail lights from vehicles that have been gone for 40+ years, etc. A little bit of treasure here and there but mostly stuff for which neither I nor virtually anybody else would have a use for…such as a bander with one handle broken off. Did however find a 2 burner fish fryer he and I made about a million years ago…will have to get a can of fuel and get it up and running. Evidently, the big chicken snake that used to live in there moved on or died…lots of fat t*rds…lol again. Or how about a coffee can full of 1” lengths of different hose - all blown out…old radiator hoses (also blown out), air hose, etc. My favorite was a stripped out and bent bolt with the head broken off…should have taken a picture of that…alas, I was deeply entrenched and didn’t even think about it until just now…oh well.
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Back to the shop cleaning saga: worked on it some more this afternoon.
Sidebar: there is a side panel on the tractor that Dad had broken at some point and "patched" several times from the looks of it. The corner has been dangling for several years…not a problem as far as functionality but mildly irritating to see every time I get on the tractor. Asked one of the parts guys at work how much a new one would cost (about $200) but didn't have him order it…
Carmen came out as I was about to call it quits for the day. I saw a flat box standing in the back corner and saw what looked like John Deere green through the partially open top. Upon closer examination, lo and behold, it was a brand new side panel Dad had bought at some point and I guess he forgot about it. Carmen helped me put it on the tractor thus the minor irritant has been eliminated…Farmin' with charmin' Carmen - it's mighty alarmin' - gonna turn that gal into a farm girl yet…lol…geez…some of the stuff I find out there…mostly trash but the occasional piece of treasure…made my day finding that little jewel…lol
Sidebar: there is a side panel on the tractor that Dad had broken at some point and "patched" several times from the looks of it. The corner has been dangling for several years…not a problem as far as functionality but mildly irritating to see every time I get on the tractor. Asked one of the parts guys at work how much a new one would cost (about $200) but didn't have him order it…
Carmen came out as I was about to call it quits for the day. I saw a flat box standing in the back corner and saw what looked like John Deere green through the partially open top. Upon closer examination, lo and behold, it was a brand new side panel Dad had bought at some point and I guess he forgot about it. Carmen helped me put it on the tractor thus the minor irritant has been eliminated…Farmin' with charmin' Carmen - it's mighty alarmin' - gonna turn that gal into a farm girl yet…lol…geez…some of the stuff I find out there…mostly trash but the occasional piece of treasure…made my day finding that little jewel…lol
