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Just had two magnificent winter days after two big heavy frosts. Big frost in the morning, down to 2 already.
Australian Talk.
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Suzie Q
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It has been a bit warmer overnight here the last week or so, but was fairly cold again last night with a huge fog this morning.
We have been without a bore for several months now as it was hit by lightning and it has taken this long to sort out the insurance yada yada yada. I am starting to see a tinge of green to the cultivation. Other than that there is plenty of brown as the grass has been killed off by frosts.
I went to Farmfest as well. A different day and I was disappointed that there was only a cattle show going on and not the demonstration type things I saw last year.
We went to a tractor day in the City yesterday. Why take farmers into the City? I have no idea. Boy things have changed. We saw nothing but concrete for over half an hour going in there. These are areas that used to be farms growing fruit and vegetables and dairy and now concrete is all you can see.
It was free to get in, but then we go to other tractor shows that are free to get in and they did subsidise lunch, but then the prices are ridiculous so it brought them down to normal prices. Although drinks and fruit were free so that was good. Although parking cost us $14.00!!! Of course it is free to park anywhere around here, so that was a huge amount to us.
It was nowhere near as good as Farmfest as it was only the brands that AGCO sells. So you couldn't compare to other brands, so was a bit boring for me. More interesting to hubby as he is a mechanic and they had engines set up in show cases to see how they work.
In the end I watched a guy with a knotter from a square baler. He asked me a question and I just said, "Well we were going to buy one until we found out it cuts a pigtail and so we are not buying one now."
He explained to me that the big square baler leaves a pigtail and the small baler does not. Which I know is not true as we bought a truck load of hay with someone with that small square baler and then had to spend over half an hour picking out bits of baling twine, so as the horses don't accidentally eat it. But hey I am female what do I know?
Hey I was bored, so I went and got hubby and he came over to watch and hear about no pig tail. Two more sales men who swore it did not leave pigtails and hubby got a price, etc, etc, etc.
The blokes we buy from were there and very good friends and down to earth. Hee hee hee. This is the guy who when we bought the valtra tractor told us it was a nice yellow not a horrible yellow. We would like it as it is calf sh!t yellow!!!!!!
So I went over and teased him and told him he had lost a sale because of telling us that that baler doesn't leave a pigtail. Hahahahahaha.
He just looked at me and said, "What?" I told him that the guys over there told us that that baler does not leave a pigtail and he just said, "BULLSHIT!!!"
This guy not only sells hay equipment but they also make hay and are hay contractors so he knows what he is talking about.
So I took him over there and he showed me where the pigtail was in the machine and knew one of the guys who told us it didn't and told him that of course it does. You should have seen that guy back down!!!! Adamant to us that it doesn't leave a pigtail but to this guy just agreed with him straight away and admitted he didn't know.
Well hey I needed some entertainment!!!!!
Our sales guy might be trading in a Lely Welger square baler soon. It does not leave a pigtail. It is from a deceased estate so it might be worth looking at. Except hubby now only wants to only buy new stuff and this baler would be about 15 years old, but anyway we can have a look we don't have to buy. That is if it does get traded.
Today hubby has started putting the roof on the new shed. A friend is coming to help with the roof. He has arrived so I had better go.
We have been without a bore for several months now as it was hit by lightning and it has taken this long to sort out the insurance yada yada yada. I am starting to see a tinge of green to the cultivation. Other than that there is plenty of brown as the grass has been killed off by frosts.
I went to Farmfest as well. A different day and I was disappointed that there was only a cattle show going on and not the demonstration type things I saw last year.
We went to a tractor day in the City yesterday. Why take farmers into the City? I have no idea. Boy things have changed. We saw nothing but concrete for over half an hour going in there. These are areas that used to be farms growing fruit and vegetables and dairy and now concrete is all you can see.
It was free to get in, but then we go to other tractor shows that are free to get in and they did subsidise lunch, but then the prices are ridiculous so it brought them down to normal prices. Although drinks and fruit were free so that was good. Although parking cost us $14.00!!! Of course it is free to park anywhere around here, so that was a huge amount to us.
It was nowhere near as good as Farmfest as it was only the brands that AGCO sells. So you couldn't compare to other brands, so was a bit boring for me. More interesting to hubby as he is a mechanic and they had engines set up in show cases to see how they work.
In the end I watched a guy with a knotter from a square baler. He asked me a question and I just said, "Well we were going to buy one until we found out it cuts a pigtail and so we are not buying one now."
He explained to me that the big square baler leaves a pigtail and the small baler does not. Which I know is not true as we bought a truck load of hay with someone with that small square baler and then had to spend over half an hour picking out bits of baling twine, so as the horses don't accidentally eat it. But hey I am female what do I know?
Hey I was bored, so I went and got hubby and he came over to watch and hear about no pig tail. Two more sales men who swore it did not leave pigtails and hubby got a price, etc, etc, etc.
The blokes we buy from were there and very good friends and down to earth. Hee hee hee. This is the guy who when we bought the valtra tractor told us it was a nice yellow not a horrible yellow. We would like it as it is calf sh!t yellow!!!!!!
So I went over and teased him and told him he had lost a sale because of telling us that that baler doesn't leave a pigtail. Hahahahahaha.
He just looked at me and said, "What?" I told him that the guys over there told us that that baler does not leave a pigtail and he just said, "BULLSHIT!!!"
This guy not only sells hay equipment but they also make hay and are hay contractors so he knows what he is talking about.
So I took him over there and he showed me where the pigtail was in the machine and knew one of the guys who told us it didn't and told him that of course it does. You should have seen that guy back down!!!! Adamant to us that it doesn't leave a pigtail but to this guy just agreed with him straight away and admitted he didn't know.
Well hey I needed some entertainment!!!!!
Our sales guy might be trading in a Lely Welger square baler soon. It does not leave a pigtail. It is from a deceased estate so it might be worth looking at. Except hubby now only wants to only buy new stuff and this baler would be about 15 years old, but anyway we can have a look we don't have to buy. That is if it does get traded.
Today hubby has started putting the roof on the new shed. A friend is coming to help with the roof. He has arrived so I had better go.
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another beautiful day after another big frost, vaccinated a few bulls for 3 day. Put out some hay, finished the new chook coop for the Ancona hens and rooster. Have to build another soon, have 12 so far. We have Gold Laced Wyandottes both large and bantam and Silver laced Wyandottes, large only so far, Buff Columbian Wyandotte Bantams, Black Pekins and Splash Pekins. We also have a few Blue Laced Gold Wyandotte bantams. I would like some Mille Fleur Pekins one day.Better get going have to feed a few more animals yet.
Suzie Q
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The roof is on. It will be a few weeks before he starts with the flashing and moulds.
Just one round bale to feed out, put the tractor down to hold the irrigator and turn it on and spray the mushrooms and outside jobs will be finished for another day.
Just one round bale to feed out, put the tractor down to hold the irrigator and turn it on and spray the mushrooms and outside jobs will be finished for another day.
Australian
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Winter is always busy here, with feeding etc. Back to work tomorrow night for the first time since March. Been off with a crook shoulder ( had an op at the end of March) going well now. Was to have a team for the EKKA but can't get there, sold two of the bulls I had entered and one of my steers died ? Three day, was down for a month, ate and drank all the time but couldn't get up. He was a ripper of a steer a South Devon Angus.
Thats life down on the farm.
Thats life down on the farm.
Suzie Q
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I am so sorry to hear about the steer Australian. We have had some cases of 3 day sickness when it comes to the area, as they say it is carried by birds. Touchwood, all our beasts with it have at least been able to get up when we go to them. Even if they don't move very well.
....and as the name states it has touchwood only ever lasted for 3 days.
We blood our cattle against 3 strains of ticks fever. That way if a beast goes down we know that it is 3 day sickness and not tick fever. If they have 3 day sickness they recover. If they have tick fever they die.
We also have a product in the fridge called Key. If you can go up to a beast and are able to kick it and it doesn't get up then you give an injection of key. Touchwood we have never used that..... it is probably out of date!!
When a cow was down next door with calving paralysis, they asked me to feed and water her for 3 days while they were away. I don't know how long she was down before that.
I mentioned this to the previous owner of our farm and he said she needs to be 'lifted' 3 times a day or she will die.
I had no way of lifting her. I found out later that they did own a contraption for lifting a beast by the hips and I do have a front end loader, but they never mentioned it to me. When they came home they shot her.
....and as the name states it has touchwood only ever lasted for 3 days.
We blood our cattle against 3 strains of ticks fever. That way if a beast goes down we know that it is 3 day sickness and not tick fever. If they have 3 day sickness they recover. If they have tick fever they die.
We also have a product in the fridge called Key. If you can go up to a beast and are able to kick it and it doesn't get up then you give an injection of key. Touchwood we have never used that..... it is probably out of date!!
When a cow was down next door with calving paralysis, they asked me to feed and water her for 3 days while they were away. I don't know how long she was down before that.
I mentioned this to the previous owner of our farm and he said she needs to be 'lifted' 3 times a day or she will die.
I had no way of lifting her. I found out later that they did own a contraption for lifting a beast by the hips and I do have a front end loader, but they never mentioned it to me. When they came home they shot her.
Suzie Q
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It looks like I might have sold a rental house. So we might get new farm machinery soon.
I brought a new horse into work for a riding school. I said I would like him if he didn't work out. Yesterday I received an email saying that he is not working out and they are giving first dibs on him.
I know since I have been there that he has been fed up. He went home with one of the girls to look after him after he injured himself a second time being let out with the school horses.
I haven't ridden since I last rode him. I couldn't afford the petrol to go and see him, but with selling the rental house hopefully everything is looking up now.
This is a horse that I think Hubby will also be able to ride.
I brought a new horse into work for a riding school. I said I would like him if he didn't work out. Yesterday I received an email saying that he is not working out and they are giving first dibs on him.
I know since I have been there that he has been fed up. He went home with one of the girls to look after him after he injured himself a second time being let out with the school horses.
I haven't ridden since I last rode him. I couldn't afford the petrol to go and see him, but with selling the rental house hopefully everything is looking up now.
This is a horse that I think Hubby will also be able to ride.
Australian
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We've had a few big frosts but generally it's been a good Winter. Our cattle look nice and fresh, much better than most years. Calves are starting to arrive in all our breeds.
Colin
Colin
Suzie Q
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Same here Colin. A few frosts, but it warms up during the day.
I went on to DP to see about Sim. He is not happy at DP. He doesn't like the small yards and he doesn't like all the other horses. He is stroppy and attacks them at feed time even though they are in separate yards. He is loosing weight.
When he was out at their workers in a larger paddock, he was happy and chilled and putting on weight. They just want him to be happy. They have had other offers but because I said I liked him she has kept him for me. We can pick him up any time.
We took Brody to my friend's place. What a palaver. Brody did NOT want to go and went into the lagoon instead. Then into every other bit of water he could. Our place is covered in water. If I had of been on horse back that wouldn't have mattered, but the quad couldn't go in there.
His yards were G O R G E O U S. OMG I wish I wish I wish!!! He made them himself from timber from his property. Brody will have 19 girls in his harem.
Then we went on to get his bull and the farm was an absolute nightmare for us. Gates only 2 inches wider than the truck and on a cliff side. I mean a cliff side when I say it. When I got out of the truck I was on the upside. Ian would have gotten out on the down side. It was scary. Nowhere to turn around. It was only wide enough for the car tracks. We had to go in and back up to the ramp and then back back down the driveway.
The poor poor poor thing. She came over to me to tell me that this property is no good for bulls and steers, it only fattens cows!!! That bull went from the stud I bought Brody from and he has the bulls too fat in my mind. Then he went to this farm where they only had 1 bull and 4 cows and they didn't feed them anything. He had been there about a year and he wasn't even their bull.
It would have broken your heart if you saw him. We put him in our yard and went and got a bale of hay for him. We put it down to take the baling twine off and he was desperate to get out of that yard to the hay. I don't mean just putting his head through the rails. I mean he was desperately trying to get his whole body through the rails to get at that hay. We threw it over as quickly as we could. I have now fed out a round bale to the cows and am going and taking wheel barrows of hay over to him.
Oh and 2 new calves yesterday morning!!!
I went on to DP to see about Sim. He is not happy at DP. He doesn't like the small yards and he doesn't like all the other horses. He is stroppy and attacks them at feed time even though they are in separate yards. He is loosing weight.
When he was out at their workers in a larger paddock, he was happy and chilled and putting on weight. They just want him to be happy. They have had other offers but because I said I liked him she has kept him for me. We can pick him up any time.
We took Brody to my friend's place. What a palaver. Brody did NOT want to go and went into the lagoon instead. Then into every other bit of water he could. Our place is covered in water. If I had of been on horse back that wouldn't have mattered, but the quad couldn't go in there.
His yards were G O R G E O U S. OMG I wish I wish I wish!!! He made them himself from timber from his property. Brody will have 19 girls in his harem.
Then we went on to get his bull and the farm was an absolute nightmare for us. Gates only 2 inches wider than the truck and on a cliff side. I mean a cliff side when I say it. When I got out of the truck I was on the upside. Ian would have gotten out on the down side. It was scary. Nowhere to turn around. It was only wide enough for the car tracks. We had to go in and back up to the ramp and then back back down the driveway.
The poor poor poor thing. She came over to me to tell me that this property is no good for bulls and steers, it only fattens cows!!! That bull went from the stud I bought Brody from and he has the bulls too fat in my mind. Then he went to this farm where they only had 1 bull and 4 cows and they didn't feed them anything. He had been there about a year and he wasn't even their bull.
It would have broken your heart if you saw him. We put him in our yard and went and got a bale of hay for him. We put it down to take the baling twine off and he was desperate to get out of that yard to the hay. I don't mean just putting his head through the rails. I mean he was desperately trying to get his whole body through the rails to get at that hay. We threw it over as quickly as we could. I have now fed out a round bale to the cows and am going and taking wheel barrows of hay over to him.
Oh and 2 new calves yesterday morning!!!
Australian
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Started of a bit coolish and cloudy but the sun came out and it was a nice day. No frosts for the last couple of days. Supposed to be a bit of rain coming.We"ll take it.
Suzie Q
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There is supposed to be a bit of rain coming here as well.
No sign of it yet.
No sign of it yet.
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Later today the word is for the rain. I listen to Southern Queensland radio and it says its coming across the southern part of your state later today. Overcast here but not too cold.
Suzie Q
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Yes it is here.
Gardening Club was held at their wet weather venue and it worked out great. It didn't actually rain, so we went and visited the couple 's garden afterwards as they put work into people coming to see it and then nobody would have seen it.
It has been steady most of the afternoon so the lucerne (alfalfa) will be loving it after us having finally been able to water it once with the irrigator.
I filled the bull up!!!! I took him his lucerne this morning and he just put his muzzle on it. When I went back he was eating the grassy hay he hadn't eaten overnight.
I rang someone to ask what to do and I picked up a bag of pellets for him I gave him half a dipper as I am used to horses you have to ease into new feed. He loved it and licked it clean. I am supposed to feed him that twice a day, so I am hoping for a break in the weather to do my few afternoon jobs and give him another half a dipper, and some more hay.
Gardening Club was held at their wet weather venue and it worked out great. It didn't actually rain, so we went and visited the couple 's garden afterwards as they put work into people coming to see it and then nobody would have seen it.
It has been steady most of the afternoon so the lucerne (alfalfa) will be loving it after us having finally been able to water it once with the irrigator.
I filled the bull up!!!! I took him his lucerne this morning and he just put his muzzle on it. When I went back he was eating the grassy hay he hadn't eaten overnight.
I rang someone to ask what to do and I picked up a bag of pellets for him I gave him half a dipper as I am used to horses you have to ease into new feed. He loved it and licked it clean. I am supposed to feed him that twice a day, so I am hoping for a break in the weather to do my few afternoon jobs and give him another half a dipper, and some more hay.
Keren
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havent had much of chance to be on here lately. busy as always. work has been crazy with the sheep project in full swing. the last sheep were euthanased today so now its just our permanent residents, the fistulates and our pasture management ewes, plus the birds and native animals but my job is now a whole lot easier, I can regain my sanity lol we've had a few problems with some abortions, a live premmie lamb, and a couple of retained placentas but for the most part the project has gone well.
winter here in perth seemed to last for about a week lol its actually quite nice at the moment
winter here in perth seemed to last for about a week lol its actually quite nice at the moment
Suzie Q
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That sounds really heart wrenching Keren. Cyber hugs (((((Keren)))))
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Had about 3/4 of an inch of rain. Beautiful. Supposed to be more on the way. Then a cold snap late weekend. It's hard to believe it's still Winter. Our lawn is green and many areas that are sheltered have green grass. Have to tag our bulls and heifers for a sale at Casino on Saturday. They head off tomorrow mid morning. Will just give them a bit of a trim up and maybe a bit of a brush up ( the South Devons at least ) Got two SDs and two Brahman bulls and 5 Brahman heifers. It will be hard to say how it will go. No sale thay come home. Heifers back into the herd and a two of the bulls out into a couple of "new herds" They are too good to get their heads off. The suns out.
Suzie Q
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There is no green around here except the lucerne crops. Frosts kill the grass, so everything is brown.
I went and rode Sim yesterday. I felt safe, so have said yes to buying him.
I went and rode Sim yesterday. I felt safe, so have said yes to buying him.
Suzie Q
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Sunday we wormed and vaccinated the new bull and let him out in the next yard so he had double the room.
You should have seen him cavort around. He loved it.
Then we went and loaded hay and unloaded it at DP and stopped at Red Rooster for lunch.
We didn't sweep the hay out of the back of the truck at DP, because a different place and a different baler, but again baling twine all through it. So I spent a couple of hours in the garden putting it around my plants and picking the baling twine out of it.
Watched a DVD, fed up everyone in the dark and then slept soundly during the next DVD!!!
You should have seen him cavort around. He loved it.
Then we went and loaded hay and unloaded it at DP and stopped at Red Rooster for lunch.
We didn't sweep the hay out of the back of the truck at DP, because a different place and a different baler, but again baling twine all through it. So I spent a couple of hours in the garden putting it around my plants and picking the baling twine out of it.
Watched a DVD, fed up everyone in the dark and then slept soundly during the next DVD!!!
townfarmer
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Colin
How did the "All Breeds"sale go on Saturday?
Andrew
How did the "All Breeds"sale go on Saturday?
Andrew
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The sale was a dud as I would say. Lots of changes need to be made before I go back again. Lots of good bulls and not many buyers. Lots of people but no one with money. I would say the clearance rate would be lucky to have been %50. We bought two Brahman heifers for $1,000 each, we got them first bid. They should have made more than $2,000. The sale format needs to be changed from pen selling to a sale ring. The saleyards are not set up for a stud type sale.
