So it's still not spring

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Nesi, I think that is the problem with everyone and even the animals. The swings in temps have been hard to deal with. I think that is partly why I got this cold, and why the cows are having a hard time too. I wouldn't mind getting a couple of weeks of 35 to 60 even with the rain... but 80 for 2 days then down to 30's and frost at night; is just way more inconsistent than what I can remember in a long time.
I am afraid that we will turn to the 80's again, and then it will stay hot and dry out. Drought monitor today says a "normal" next 3 months, adequate moisture through June and into July but extreme drought in the southwest still.... Thing is, we will barely be done with first cutting if it ever starts to grow, and if it turns dry we will not get much 2nd. Got a local farm sale in early June, settling an estate, and we are thinking to buy a good portion of the last years rolls of hay. It's close so not an unreasonable amount of hauling. Ought to go reasonable to cheap, as everyone will be making this year's hay. Want to have a good number of "reserve" rolls to go into next winter. We have been rolling out some 2 yr old hay when we were getting all that slushy snow so the calves had a place to lay out of the wet. Cows ate alot of it surprisingly, and the rest will add organic matter back into the soil so a win/win all the way around. They are out picking but the grass has been slow here.
 
farmerjan":1bg48w03 said:
Nesi, I think that is the problem with everyone and even the animals. The swings in temps have been hard to deal with. I think that is partly why I got this cold, and why the cows are having a hard time too. I wouldn't mind getting a couple of weeks of 35 to 60 even with the rain... but 80 for 2 days then down to 30's and frost at night; is just way more inconsistent than what I can remember in a long time.
I am afraid that we will turn to the 80's again, and then it will stay hot and dry out. Drought monitor today says a "normal" next 3 months, adequate moisture through June and into July but extreme drought in the southwest still.... Thing is, we will barely be done with first cutting if it ever starts to grow, and if it turns dry we will not get much 2nd. Got a local farm sale in early June, settling an estate, and we are thinking to buy a good portion of the last years rolls of hay. It's close so not an unreasonable amount of hauling. Ought to go reasonable to cheap, as everyone will be making this year's hay. Want to have a good number of "reserve" rolls to go into next winter. We have been rolling out some 2 yr old hay when we were getting all that slushy snow so the calves had a place to lay out of the wet. Cows ate alot of it surprisingly, and the rest will add organic matter back into the soil so a win/win all the way around. They are out picking but the grass has been slow here.
Click to expand...
Around here, we don't seem to get the wild swings, or at least don't have the humidity to make them particularly bad.

I have far more hay in my shed that I'd like, might feed some of it out between the grazing of the first and second cuts.. I have never bought hay and hopefully never need to.. We have the water, but any injury or medical issue that would put me out of commission for a few weeks could affect my ability to put it on the land.. Usually we get snow in December and can graze till then, latest I've started feeding is New years, but it certainly isn't impossible to get a pile in November.. an extra 6 weeks of feeding can add up quick.. we did have a darned cold snap in November last year that kinda caught me off guard.. still had the main irrigation lines pressurized.. got down to about -14C (8F).. I couldn't shut them down, wouldn't have the time to drain them before they froze solid, so just had to open up the flow and hope for the best.. was far too close for comfort though
 
Nesikep":get2eewn said:
farmerjan":get2eewn said:
Nesi, I think that is the problem with everyone and even the animals. The swings in temps have been hard to deal with. I think that is partly why I got this cold, and why the cows are having a hard time too. I wouldn't mind getting a couple of weeks of 35 to 60 even with the rain... but 80 for 2 days then down to 30's and frost at night; is just way more inconsistent than what I can remember in a long time.
I am afraid that we will turn to the 80's again, and then it will stay hot and dry out. Drought monitor today says a "normal" next 3 months, adequate moisture through June and into July but extreme drought in the southwest still.... Thing is, we will barely be done with first cutting if it ever starts to grow, and if it turns dry we will not get much 2nd. Got a local farm sale in early June, settling an estate, and we are thinking to buy a good portion of the last years rolls of hay. It's close so not an unreasonable amount of hauling. Ought to go reasonable to cheap, as everyone will be making this year's hay. Want to have a good number of "reserve" rolls to go into next winter. We have been rolling out some 2 yr old hay when we were getting all that slushy snow so the calves had a place to lay out of the wet. Cows ate alot of it surprisingly, and the rest will add organic matter back into the soil so a win/win all the way around. They are out picking but the grass has been slow here.
Click to expand...
Around here, we don't seem to get the wild swings, or at least don't have the humidity to make them particularly bad.

I have far more hay in my shed that I'd like, might feed some of it out between the grazing of the first and second cuts.. I have never bought hay and hopefully never need to.. We have the water, but any injury or medical issue that would put me out of commission for a few weeks could affect my ability to put it on the land.. Usually we get snow in December and can graze till then, latest I've started feeding is New years, but it certainly isn't impossible to get a pile in November.. an extra 6 weeks of feeding can add up quick.. we did have a darned cold snap in November last year that kinda caught me off guard.. still had the main irrigation lines pressurized.. got down to about -14C (8F).. I couldn't shut them down, wouldn't have the time to drain them before they froze solid, so just had to open up the flow and hope for the best.. was far too close for comfort though
Click to expand...

If you were here that could snap started then and did not let up till this week.
 
been warm and nice..

but grass isn't growing almost at all.. all greened up.. growing so slow.. just got a nice rain as well.


going to have to sell some cows soon if things don't speed up.
 
Oklahoma will likely set a new record for the coldest April since records were kept.
 
Snow is gone minus a few remaining glaciers hidden in the shade of trees. First areas that opened up now have grass growing. Some places I have a good inch to inch 1/2 of new growth. Every day for past 2 weeks has been 50F and above. Some guys already fertilizing. Others going to hit fields next week.
 
Corn going in the ground at Armstrong BC this week.

Would still need powder to put in a furrow at home.
 
Snow still leaving the fields here, but leaving fast. Mostly bare with more to come from in the trees. Song birds out in full force, 24 degrees here today, pretty warm for my constitution but I'm not going to complain.
 
Fields are about 20-30% snow cover here with some deep drifts still in places, the woods is still probably 80% snow cover. Been in the 20s every night so the frost is slow to leave the ground, in the shade only the top 6 inches or so it thawed out. Soil temp is still in the 30s and with frost still present the top is saturated. Probably 3 or 4 weeks before we get any field work done UP here.
 
chevytaHOE5674":wozzcs6m said:
Fields are about 20-30% snow cover here with some deep drifts still in places, the woods is still probably 80% snow cover. Been in the 20s every night so the frost is slow to leave the ground, in the shade only the top 6 inches or so it thawed out. Soil temp is still in the 30s and with frost still present the top is saturated. Probably 3 or 4 weeks before we get any field work done UP here.
Click to expand...

We're finally thawing out. Hopefully you will be soon too. Then again, the forecast is for rain turning to SNOW tomorrow. (head pounding wall emoji)
 
Silver":a6om5sih said:
Snow still leaving the fields here, but leaving fast. Mostly bare with more to come from in the trees. Song birds out in full force, 24 degrees here today, pretty warm for my constitution but I'm not going to complain.
Click to expand...
That's celsius, right?
 
18 degrees F this morning. Ground is froze UP good and solid. Neighbor was heading north a few miles and going snowmobiling today....

I'm not really complaining as this is pretty typical for us. When you have a winter with 280 some inches of snowfall and are 1/4 mile from a body of water with a 34 degree temp and ice cubes the size of small cities floating around ,spring is typically late to arrive and takes a good while to thaw everything out.
 
Nesikep":2c8nlfzt said:
Silver":2c8nlfzt said:
Snow still leaving the fields here, but leaving fast. Mostly bare with more to come from in the trees. Song birds out in full force, 24 degrees here today, pretty warm for my constitution but I'm not going to complain.
Click to expand...
That's celsius, right?
Click to expand...

That's right. Getting a nice green tinge to things here now. Frost must have went out of the fields today, the water all fell out of the low spots.
 
Got snow today and now very windy w/ cold rain, supposedly turning to snow overnight. Gonna swing from 30 to 80 between Tues and Wed. Had a calf born Fri we are watching closely. She's def cold and not sure how much she's nursing. May need to get her in barn tomorrow. Have 2 more due, hope they wait a couple days.
 

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