How's everything goin'

[TB-Herefords]

I was just wondering how everthing was going for everyone? Supposed to get up into the 90's this weekend around me. We have a fourty degree difference between day and night. We had a really good winter I hope a really hot summer doesn't ruin that. I was able to run more cattle than last year on an early season pasture I have. Also I was able you pick up a some feeders. I have picked up few extra acres this year If all turns out it looks like I will pasture into November or December. There was another thread about cutting hay I havn't seen anyone cutting around here but a week or two and they should be. We put in a new hay crop this year so were a ways off from cutting. We had most the planting custom done. The guy suggested fertilizing twice a year in march-april then again in June. We put down the first spread. The cost came out to 70.00 per acre. That would run me 140 per acre just in Ferterlizer. That don't include labor, desiel. Another guy I know suggested just once should be enough. My cows are looking great calves are getting big. I think this year I will have one of my most uniform set of calves I have ever raised. I have a plan to hold them till November and market them at a seven plus weight. With feed prices the way they are better market for heavier calves. I plan to wean in September pasture calves till October. Then lot'm till November. I have had great gains on hay in the past. We feed a straight alfalfa hay. I also provide a mineral supplement. Question is will I see the price difference for holding them back and feeding $150 plus hay. Will find out.
I got water to change and if I can remember my camera I will get some pictures up.

TB

 

[Jogeephus]

Everything is going fine here but we need rain bad. Don't know what you are fertilizing with but split applications as suggested make a lot of sense and are more effective - with N & K anyway. I plan on holding my calves longer too. I got to get as much per head as possible to overcome these higher production costs but like you I don't know where the breaking point is going to be. For me its going to depend on the rainfall.

Back to the fertilizer. I know I said it made a lot of sense to split it but if you are putting out much P - I'd dump it all now. I waited a week and in that time it went up $200/ton. Thankfully I didn't need much of that element. My fert bill is going to be outrageous. If it gets much higher beef prices are going to be sky high in two years cause won't nobody be raising cows in Georgia.

 

[bigbull338]

sounds like you had a good year.an your spring is starting off good as well.yes fertalizer prices are higher than cats back.we to are getting enough rain.so itll be awhile before we can get any hay baled.an the cows are in bellydeep grass.

 

[mnmtranching]

TB H, Its to bad corn is so high, by adding a few pounds of corn to the alfalfa hay would sure add some energy to that ration. At 140 per acre fertilizer costs, is it going to be hard coming out on it. Good rainfall is a must.

Looks like we finally got some growing weather up here. 3/4 inch warm rain yesterday. Sunny, mild weather. You can almost see the grass grow. :clap:

 

[I luv herfrds]

Finished calving last night. :banana: Cows and calves are out to pasture, hoping the grass grows this week when it warms up. 90's are predicted here too. Think that is too hot though, 70's would be better.
The spring crop is in the ground and is coming up and looking good.
Everything except putting in my garden is done.
Got my chicken and turkey chicks, got some duck eggs in the incubator and I need to set up my live trap for a skunk that has decided to come visiting.

 

[TB-Herefords]

I went to my grandfathers to help brand around the first; generally I'm their a week to help get some wood also but this year the road in was drifted shut. Great but on the other had the grass on the bench was just greening and not to growthy the snow on the bench melted a while ago. I think he will need a few summer rains to get much growth out of the grass. He lives south of whitehall, Mt. I felt like sea levels even we got a lot more moisture around me. I had some 06' fall replacement calves that weaned out a little light; I put them on the purina four square stocker grower 14N. along with some alfalfa and Mineral supp. They got heavy in a hurry. I feed the grower for about a month; then pulled them off and stuck with hay and mineral for then next three months they did good. Right now they are on pasture and looking good. I've always tried to avoid adding a ration unless it's needed. Just because cost no other reason. Weather wise we went from easy mild 70 to 90's in about three days and now we have a 40 degree difference between day and night. I Luv Herefords do you calve late or just a few late cows. I have been building my herd over the last few years and I always buy a few at an annual fall cow sale. Year 06' I bought five heifer all mid feb calvers. One was a may calver. 07' I bought four solid mouth cows that were eairly march calver. One calve mid may. So I have two pairs still at home. Since they are twenty miles from the bull I plan to breed them this fall and sell them as fall calvers. I often wonder how they could mistake a five month fetus with a three month fetus. Oh well; that's the sale yard game.

 

[I luv herfrds]

We start calving the first of March. Last years extreme heat (106) knocked them late. The late ones were (1) first year heifer and (3) 3 year olds. The rest of the herd was done before the first of May.
Bulls are going out this coming Wednesday.

 

[Rookie]

Unseasonable cooler weather be hurtin us here in N.E.Ks. My hay, first cut, is largely fescue grass. It be WAY behind what it should be. Scary thing be, I got me fescue in spots be only 10" tall makin seed head. Most a what I be seein around the area looks about the same. Seein some brome makin seed also. We been havin plenty a rain, but I recall about one night so far this year in what the temperature stayed above 50 so far. :shock:

 

[Victoria]

It's HOT. 29 C today and by Wednesday we'll be back up to a high of 5 and rain. If we don't all get pneumonia I'll be surprised. Shingles have nearly cleared up thankfully. The calves look good. Got our AI'ing done and a flush. Got less eggs than I wanted but I did get 5 so at least I wasn't empty handed. Got to put different eggs in some recips next week and then I am done with all of my breeding projects. :banana: I am tired of needles and charts and and and....