Australian Talk.

[jilleroo]

Stay safe you folk down the SE corner of Qld - a very wild day is unfolding. Here's hoping for good rain across the Darling Downs, Roma on the Western Downs has had a couple of inches already I see.
Diana, it's as dry as a dead dingo's donger here too! We've had dreadful wind from the low which has only served to blow away what feed there is. We've started the agistment heifers on M8U in roller tubs (giant yellow holey balls for them to spin) and son's 300 cows plus progeny on the block we bought last year have cottonseed free choice. Everything else is right for a couple of weeks. We've got 10,000 gals of molasses and M8U on hand, about 10t of cottonseed, 30t more en transit and another 100t contracted. There's also a few tonne of dry lick and other feedstuffs about the place. So hopefully before we've worked our way through that lot, it will have rained. Of course, some folk have received great rain and racked off on holiday, half their luck! Tomorrow hubby is off to inspect agistment as we still have several hundred heifers on hand that need to shift, apart from the ones we already have away and are feeding molasses. Agistment is almost non-existent but we've been working our contacts and have a couple of good prospects. Wish us luck! The grass so badly wants to grow here, its the growing season, but it just can't get moisture. Best wishes Diana for a good break there shortly for you too.
All the family were here for several days and it was chaos but wonderful fun. Hubby and the two sons did cattlework and branded the last 250 calves. I took the 2 yr old boys out to "help" when possible and was otherwise busy nursing new babies (one or other of which was usually crying or dirty!) or cooking. Roast dinners, macaroni cheese, sponge cake, trifle, lamingtons, apple crumble, scones, rocky road - we only have the family together twice a year and they love mum's cooking - and lots of it. Friends came also and all the kids swam in the pool and rode the ponies.
The cold room has blown up and hubby has been unable to coax it back to life. Tomorrow is a hol of course so will have to wait until Tues to get sense out of someone. Good chance to give it a thorough scrub out so will go and get myself organised.

 

[wbvs58]

I hope you both, Diana and Jilleroo, get some good rain very soon. I think our total now is over the 100mm mark and heading towards the much needed 150mm mark that I reckon we need to get to the supersaturated point to get the run off for the dams, overall very pleasing, should make it a bit easier to sell cattle in the near future.
I must admit I haven't paid that much notice of a dead dingoes donger Jilleroo, but I will take your word on it, you obviously have more experience than me.
We are staying nice and cosy indoors, Jed is even very happy to be in his box. It is windy but not to the extreme as on the coast. At least the wind generator is doing it's job and no need to crank up the genny.
I spent the most of the day over in the shed and made a start on the feed trough I had planned to build next, actually I got it finished just after lunch. It just needs some conveyor belting fitted to it to hold the feed, that will have to wait until I go to Toowoomba on the 6th Feb for a doctors appointment and I'll pick it up then. Next job now is to replace the last of the old rickety fences in the yards, I have all the steel cattle rail and will prefab them in the shed and will be able to install them when the rain moves on.
Ken

 

[Havinago]

Well had a soaking in Brissy 2day but not as much as our farm up nrth! We had 4 inches a few wks ago there but had about 2 ft in the last few days! We bought another 80 weaner steers last week for cheap i dont think ill see prices like that again for some time. We are lucky with the rain as it always rains on the coast before inland. They were drought stricken 100 klms away. We hit 2 sale yards the first lot were bloody cranky had a bastard of a time in the yards trying to get the pouron on them. We have a narrow runner that we get them in to do this. Im learning that weaners can get into some crazy positions! One ended upside down and wasnt moving but my neighbour pulled his tail and he just popped up. I was worried thought it was dead. Amazing how much quieter the 2nd lot were and werent a problem. Well we are fully stocked now so hopefully the prices rise with this rain in time. How many of you use a prodder in the yards? My neighbour got bowled for 6 by one of the bigger greys i was blown away by how cranky a weaner can get, i was really cautious after this and didnt want to get to close to them. Are they like dogs and can sense when your scared of them?? Cheers Havinago..

 

[Suzie Q]

No Ken. They just hadn't been along there to see it. It is on this side of the creek and they spend a lot of time on the other side of the creek or up here eating the hay we have given them.

Less for them to eat today. I let them above the house yesterday.

We will either end up covered in water hyacinth from upstream or no water hyacinth left on the property. Fingers crossed for B!!!

 

[wbvs58]

Looks very wet there Suzie.
We had 118mm in gage this morning, making a total of 167mm. The best rain that you could ever hope for, no heavy downpours, just steady rain and ground is close to being saturated but no run off. The big dam is basically full but not overflowing yet, other dams still 12-18 inches from spillway and they should fill over the next couple of days as water seeps down through the ground. I would say that not a drop of water that fell on the place was wasted, all has soaked in. No washouts, no damage to driveway, all real good. Still raining this morning but back to the very light stuff.
Ken

 

[Suzie Q]

We have also been lucky and only had showers and no downpours. We have had a bit of wind, but so far I don't think damaging.

 

[jilleroo]

Well we've been off phone and internet for twentyfour hours but have had the TV and radio to keep up with the phenomenal downpouring of water from the sky on the coast of our State! Holy cats, poor old Bundaberg is just about floating away!
You had the ideal rain Ken, and Suzie too. Did it rain much around Surat, Bollon and Roma? My niece said her feedlot is awash at Millmerran, she's out on her horse amongst them as usual.
It's a balmy 42 degrees celsius here (about 105f), not a cloud in the sky, 10% humidity. A horrible hot wind courtesy of the low.

Havinago, you just need to move around those weaners as quietly as possible. Using a hotshot or prodder won't improve their disposition - I'd never used one on brahman weaners. Weaners certainly can contort themselves into interesting shapes in a race but just keep calm, no raised voices or arms waving around, certainly no hats flapping at them or dogs racing about. Just use a poly stick to guide them up with if you need to but beware of being kicked - they can reach a lot further than you think. The first lot don't sound like they've been weaned very well, or they're just plain frightened. Giving them some feed in the yard and just spending some time with them is good, but you probably don't have that precious time available. Sometimes our weaners are so quiet you can't kick them out of your way. The next lot can be mad as cut snakes and just about tear the whole yards down if someone sneezes. Quiet and steady is the way to go, no cowboy antics. Lucky you, buying in before the rain - good management!

 

[wbvs58]

Yeh Havinago, I second what Jilleroo said. I have a jigger, it stays in the truck, never ever used while working the cattle. The only time it comes out is if I am having trouble with one loading on the truck and holding the rest up and I want to get it moving fast and only if they have clear space in front of them.
Hope you do well with them, you certainly bought at the right time.
I don't know how far west it went, I think Goondiwindi had some fair rain so maybe Surat picked up some.
Ken

 

[wbvs58]

Another 28mm in gage this morning, total of 195mm now, all dams are now full. Makes it about the best rainfall event since I've been here, certainly the most gentle.
Ken

 

[Suzie Q]

Our rain gauge goes to 150mm and about 2 cm above that. It was overful .

Hubby's manager rang. He can't get to work and neither can anyone from Jimboomba, so Ian might be the only one who can get there.

I don't think I can get to Boonah yet, maybe this afternoon. I need to go to the chemist and to get petrol. I can last a few days without both though if I have to.

 

[burglar]

151mm total for me. 2 dams completely full, the third (which was bone dry) is 1/3 full. Big dam though.

Ken, how much did you get on your other property?

We move into the house next Friday.... Have a few more fences and the yards to build then will bring in a few cows and steers. I am sure I wont get the same price as you Havingo. Nice timing mate.

 

[Havinago]

Jilleroo and Ken thanks heaps for the heads up. I thought we were been a bit too aggressive with them. I would rather let them settle down in the yards for a few days before working on them but were very time poor.We did use some poly pipe to move them along and i know what you mean about how far they can kick! We are very worried about them tho with the floods. We have alot of high land but do young weaners know to stay away from the moving water? They were only out in the paddocks 2 days before this. There was already a mob of 50 on our block so i hope they have all teamed up. Burglar we did do well bought as low as $250 and got some well grown steers in the 300's. But didnt do real well if there is a heap missing! The area is isolated and i cant call neighbours to find out how they are as all phone lines are down. Waiting and hoping.. Havinago.

 

[wbvs58]

Dale, I don't record it there myself, I rely on my neighbour Mario. He recorded 165mm.
Good about the dams. You will find that the water will seep down through the ground from the higher areas for several days and your big dam will be a bit fuller every day. I bet your house tanks will have a usefull amount in them now. How much rain was there out at Glen Robin?
I think there might be a bit of 3 day happening. I had a yearling heifer early last week go off by herself for about 36 hrs and today at lunchtime I heard a calf doing a lot of bellowing and went down to check it out. I found it's mother down the paddock amongst the trees looking a bit hollow and very sluggish and not interested in feeding the calf.
I have the backrub out and have not noticed any Buffaloe fly. I might get them in in a day or so, I have to brand the calves so I might give them a spray.
Ken
PS
Havinago, they are pretty smart, they don't intentionally walk into danger if there is high ground for them then that is where they will be unless they get trapped in a corner up against fences. Washed away fences will be your biggest problem.

 

[burglar]

Ken, Glen robin was about 220mm coolreigh was about 140mm. Some one told me today that Liston had over 400mm. My tanks are full also. Wish I had more as they were full Saturday afternoon before my last 60mm came. Still very happy about the rain on all counts. Saves me buying water for move in day and the grass up there is looking good.

 

[wbvs58]

I haven't heard but I reckon 400mm would be right for out Liston way Dale.
Is it this Friday or following Friday you move in? Have you got a generator sorted yet?
I mowed the grass around the house this morning, doesn't get done very often. I didn't lock Jed away, Bo makes herself scarce when I mow. I couldn't see them anywhere then I looked down towards the yards and saw Bo camped in the shade of a tree, Jed was down there also except he was in with the cattle working a few calves. He is very keen on the cattle, he doesn't chase them, just likes to work them a bit. He actually has the older cows pretty well bluffed they don't know what to make of him. I have to watch him all the time to keep him away from them.
Ken

 

[burglar]

Ken, we have a 6.5kva diesel generator with an inverter. Hopefully do the job as we wait on ergon. We move in next friday the 8th.

 

[wbvs58]

I branded the calves and preg tested the cows around at the other block this morning. One old one I want to recheck but the other 9 will be nice early calves.
This arvo I did a few repairs. I had to work out why the pump would not start, was just a switch the water must have got in, anyhow I have it bypassed now to start it until I pick up a new one.
I had to find a short in the electric fence, fortunately I did not have to walk too far to find it.
The chainsaw wouldn't start so I had to get that sorted.
Tomorrow I am going to do some branding and a bit of preg testing here.
That generator should get you out of trouble Dale, just be a pain feeding it. What brand is it?
Ken

 

[Havinago]

Hi guys, i had a good phonecall yest reassuring me that the farm is all good no lost cattle and the grass is thriving! We had 1.4m of rain after 100mm the week before. Alot of other unfortunatle people up our way lost alot of cattle on lowlying properties which is really sad. I saw a pic today of 2 cows on the roof of a house with water up to the gutters. Can someone advise the best age to sell a steer im thinking around 18 mths- 2yrs old? Im not interested in growing them out to bullocks id rather turn them over every 12 mths roughly. Cheers.

 

[burglar]

Ken, it is a Kengen. I figure feeding it is not going to be fun, probably $1500 a month. I hope Ergon will be out soon, however I am sure they will be busy fixing flood damaged lines for a while. Good news about your PTIC's with all this rain, when do you think you will start offloading these girls?

 

[Suzie Q]

At least the generator will keep the freezer going Burglar. I have heard a lot of reports of people having to throw out freezers full of food.

Sigh the herd started coming in the house yard over the cattle grid behind my car. One got her leg caught and I thought she was going to break her leg. I went to turn the electricity off so I could get through to her, but I really didn't know what to do because if she panicked she would just take it over the top of me.

She managed to get her leg out before I got to her and phew it doesn't look broken. 'The cattle grid however has moved, so I won't be able to get the car out until it is fixed. I tried to move it and it is too heavy for me, so I will either have to pull it back into place with the car or a tractor or something. I might just leave it for hubby. I don't have anywhere to go today anyway.