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Ya gotta do what ya gotta do
Hello from Deep East Texas
- Thread starter gman4691
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Trying to track down the owner of a cow I saw on my place this evening. It was getting dark but I saw her close enough the read the ear tag (#16) and from the markings on her face, I'm pretty sure she's not one of mine. When the rest came hustling over for cubes, she lagged behind and seemed a bit skittish when she saw the truck. I got a quick but pretty decent look at her. Called the two best possibilities but they didn't think she was one of theirs. She's welcome to hang out and eat with mine but somebody is bound to start missing her at some point. Although she did look a bit thin. Should get a better look Saturday if she's still around.
Weather is supposed to get sloppy tomorrow and Friday…cold and wet…possibly some sleet…I'll be glad when it passes on through…high Sunday forecast at 60 degrees…with the temperature swings and wet weather, it's a wonder we don't all have pneumonia around here…winter in east Texas. Still glad we're not getting what you folks up north are getting. Y'all be safe and stay warm and dry up there.
Weather is supposed to get sloppy tomorrow and Friday…cold and wet…possibly some sleet…I'll be glad when it passes on through…high Sunday forecast at 60 degrees…with the temperature swings and wet weather, it's a wonder we don't all have pneumonia around here…winter in east Texas. Still glad we're not getting what you folks up north are getting. Y'all be safe and stay warm and dry up there.
plastic ball valves are pretty much useless in my opinion, spring for brass ball valves. not cheap but work so much better.
It is 11F, real feel -6, wind 20 mph, Wind gusts 35 mph. I sure would like to know how they calculate "wind" and "wind gusts". It is a blizzard outside (has been for 4 days). Not much accumulation in the fields - snow is blowing sideways - doesn't touch the ground until the snow hits something - like barns, house, trees. Got 2 feet out the door (always make sure you have a door that opens IN!!!).
Have had 3 calves last couple days and still have them in the barn. Normally, turn outside at 24-36 hours old. They have a bedded down calf shed. But, takes a newborn a bit to FIND the sheds. It would be brutal on them with no protection. I "believe" this is the last brutal day.
I'm not complaining about the temps - woohoo - frozen ground. Wind is a KILLER.
Have had 3 calves last couple days and still have them in the barn. Normally, turn outside at 24-36 hours old. They have a bedded down calf shed. But, takes a newborn a bit to FIND the sheds. It would be brutal on them with no protection. I "believe" this is the last brutal day.
I'm not complaining about the temps - woohoo - frozen ground. Wind is a KILLER.
Mark Reynolds
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@Jeanne - Simme Valley, its cold here, but we have had 2 days without snow so we are pretty much dug out and the roads are clear. Now that we are in the 'clear' again, Mother Nature has plans to bury us again tomorrow and Saturday, although I don't think as bad as the first of this week.
Chevroid
Member
Thanks for sharing the info on the Stull Range Cube Feeder. I have the same issue with feeding the cattle & this is perfect. Where did you get yours as Nacogdoches is just up the road?
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Always
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Boles Feed Store on South Street…they may have to order it and might take a week or so for it to come in…tell them Gary Coker sent you…good folks there…I'll edit this and add their number…mine was a little over $700 for a 200 pound capacity feeder…some assembly is required and the instructions aren't that great but if I figured it out, I'm pretty sure anyone can
Boles Feed Store: 936-564-2671
913 South Street
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I only hit "like" cause there's not a "dislike" button…lol…seriously, y'all stay dry & warm up there
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36 degrees and raining here…pretty miserable…the rain should move out around midnight.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I hope ! You will freeze to death in this crap , we would be better off if it fell below freezing.
greybeard
Well-known member
Yep. Wind here tho is higher than the forecast indicates.
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At work, one of the techs had a John Deere 6130 that needed the cab removed. Problem: It was already in the bay where we couldn't lift the cab from the top with the forklift (like we generally do outside) - not enough overhead clearance. So they were going to try it with a skid steer with forks on the front. Problem: the skid steer couldn't get it high enough to clear the chassis. Needed to lift it about 18" to clear everything…not enough clearance at the bottom. A dilemma
I told the tech we could make some fork extensions for the skid steer forks that would be small enough to fit inside the square tubing (2"x2") that makes up part of the bottom frame of the cab. He said that sounded like a good idea. We got some 1-1/2"x1-1/2"x1/4" square tubing and welded it onto two 4' pieces of about 2"x 6"x1/4" rectangular tubing and put weld-on 3/8" chain hooks near the front of the rectangular tubing (so as to attach chains from tubing to skid steer to prevent the extensions from sliding off the forks). We slid the 1-1/2" stuff into the tubing of the frame and pulled the skid steer forward inserting the forks into the rectangular tubing and attached the chains. Lifted the cab right off without incident. Lifting the cab from the bottom instead of the top.
I am going to claim that as a successful engineering feat. A pretty simple design and that tech is probably the best welder in the shop. Fabricating tools to get the job done. Thinking of calling it the "Goobertooth Versatool". Has a nice ring to it. Maybe I'll hit it with some John Deere green and yellow paint.
Chalk one up to the facilities/grounds maintenance guy. I can get pretty creative trying to do things solo on the farm. Of course, not everything goes as planned but we live and learn. All in all, a good day.
I told the tech we could make some fork extensions for the skid steer forks that would be small enough to fit inside the square tubing (2"x2") that makes up part of the bottom frame of the cab. He said that sounded like a good idea. We got some 1-1/2"x1-1/2"x1/4" square tubing and welded it onto two 4' pieces of about 2"x 6"x1/4" rectangular tubing and put weld-on 3/8" chain hooks near the front of the rectangular tubing (so as to attach chains from tubing to skid steer to prevent the extensions from sliding off the forks). We slid the 1-1/2" stuff into the tubing of the frame and pulled the skid steer forward inserting the forks into the rectangular tubing and attached the chains. Lifted the cab right off without incident. Lifting the cab from the bottom instead of the top.
I am going to claim that as a successful engineering feat. A pretty simple design and that tech is probably the best welder in the shop. Fabricating tools to get the job done. Thinking of calling it the "Goobertooth Versatool". Has a nice ring to it. Maybe I'll hit it with some John Deere green and yellow paint.
Chalk one up to the facilities/grounds maintenance guy. I can get pretty creative trying to do things solo on the farm. Of course, not everything goes as planned but we live and learn. All in all, a good day.
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Today: had been having trouble getting the tractor started. Found a couple or three fuel line leaks letting air into the lines. Cleaned and tightened up those connections and tractor cranks right up…easy as pie.
Built a rack for cube feeder that allows me to use it on the rear forks of the tractor. A 7' long piece of EMT conduit serves as a kind of handle extension for opening the feeder. Only took 2 trips to Lowe's…lol. Actually fed cubes without having to get off the tractor - for the first time - works pretty good. The handy dandy extend-o-matic handle extension isn't pictured.
Found and repaired a broken spot in a fence that allowed the cows to get across to the very back pasture where it's harder to keep an eye on them. Got them all back over to this side of the creek and closed them off from going back there for a while at least. Let them in the rye grass behind the house again until tomorrow afternoon.
During all of this, discovered new baby #7 shown here (2 days old)…born on the worst day this week weather-wise (cold and raining Thursday).
Built a rack for cube feeder that allows me to use it on the rear forks of the tractor. A 7' long piece of EMT conduit serves as a kind of handle extension for opening the feeder. Only took 2 trips to Lowe's…lol. Actually fed cubes without having to get off the tractor - for the first time - works pretty good. The handy dandy extend-o-matic handle extension isn't pictured.
Found and repaired a broken spot in a fence that allowed the cows to get across to the very back pasture where it's harder to keep an eye on them. Got them all back over to this side of the creek and closed them off from going back there for a while at least. Let them in the rye grass behind the house again until tomorrow afternoon.
During all of this, discovered new baby #7 shown here (2 days old)…born on the worst day this week weather-wise (cold and raining Thursday).
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EasTex
Well-known member
Looks good! Are you buying bulk cubes or just filling it up with 50# bags?
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50 pound bags…I feed 2 bags at a time…really don't feed enough to buy bulk.
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Well, crap…a stray dog killed a calf this afternoon. If had been carrying a rifle, I could have handled it then and there. The calf hadn't been dead long when I found it. The dog was a large, light-colored dog…about the size of a Great Dane but with a different shaped head. I'll be watching for him to show up again. If he gives me a good shot, I'll take it. So I'm back down to 6 calves…sigh…lost one last year to buzzards…now this…grrrrrrr
wbvs58
Well-known member
Bluddy, mongrel dog. We had 4 dingoes pass through today. The only time they would be an issue here is with a new born calf before the cow rejoins the herd, my cows come running when there is trouble. Sorry that you lost one.
Ken
Ken
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Looks like night time lows Sunday - Wednesday will be 20's and maybe some upper teens…sigh
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I know we have snow in the forecast !
That's BS !!!
I'm going into hibernation.
I hate tv and I can't hardly read right now . My eyes are still adjusting from surgery be next month before i get a new script. I can see a cat squirrel running a limb at 100 yards.
It's the reading that's a challenge as each eye is very different on near sight.
