Winter's last gasp or spring's first breath.

[lakeportfarms]

Actually not really a gasp of winter today for us it's more like spring now. Quite nice outside with highs in the upper 40's, but this past weekend was when we removed the herd(s) from their various pastures and put them on their hard surface sacrifice areas as the frost starts coming out of the ground.  The snow is rapidly receding, and the mud is taking over where I've plowed and in the thin spots from last winter.  Though it's supposed to get cold again tomorrow for a bit, we'll still be in the mid to upper 30's for highs during the day.

This is my least favorite time of the year though.  They are adjusting to the new conditions and pens, and even though the cows don't have less space than they use during the really deep snow months, they also don't have the option of going beyond the bounds of their containment.  And no fresh snows and freezing temperatures to cover or turn their manure into frozen bricks...no, it needs to be addressed somehow by me cleaning it up.

Once the frost is out of the ground and it has dried up a bit, we have some other sacrifice areas that are more substantial in size that we can put them on, that is also natural ground.  They'll mess it up some, but a few quick passes with the cultivator and some rye or oat seed when they're off grazing the other pastures and they'll have a nice spot to return to graze mid-summer.   Looking at the pastures now where they have been wintering, and I wonder if it will ever recover well enough to graze.  Somehow not only does it recover but it is where the grass is most thick and lush.  But if I was new at it and not seen it before I'd be sweating!

We have a good crop of steers for the spring and early summer that will be grain finished this year, both Highlands and Dexters. They'll be fed the best alfalfa hay we have, and get a generous scoop or two of grain a couple of times/day.  I'm looking forward to seeing how they turn out, they came through the winter very well conditioned despite the cold temperatures. They've rarely tasted grain before, so they'll enjoy their last 3 months around here before their date with the butcher 

[Deleted]

81 here right now. After today it is going to drop down closer to normal but still above average. Highs in the 50s

[lonecowhand]

What an amazing temperature swing you guys experience! I think we're only about 60 right now. Pretty impressive, Mike.

And Hans, the steers will enjoy every minute of the next three months, then it's your turn! Have you grain finished before?

[Blessings Farms]

60 here today but forecast for highs of 30s and 20s by
week end. No snow left on property but plenty of mud then
frost but a great improvement.

[wvdexters]

We hit 70F !!!

It was absolutely beautiful and sunny. The frogs are singing down at the pond. Yyyyyeeeessssssss!!!!!!!

[genebo]

78 here today.

The Dexters were laid out in the pasture, soaking up the sunshine. Little Bradan's chest was heaving, like he was hot!

He probably was. This is the highest temperature he has seen during his whole life.

[lakeportfarms]

Nice weather for some of you! 81 is amazing Mike! Frogs Karrie??? Wow! Due to the still cold lake, we have a hard time getting out of the 40's for quite a while. Even Memorial Day it can be pretty cool with a lake breeze. For the AGM, we'll be brushing the Dexters with a hair stripping brush until our arms fall off on those that we'll be bringing. I actually am looking forward to some cold nights in the teens and 20's and sunny days in the 30's and even 40's. I do all the tractor work first thing in the morning on the frozen ground, then hopefully it dries up the water from all the snow melt sitting on top of the frost in the first 6-12" of dirt. About as soupy a mud as you can get.

We've never finished any with grain, however we've had some requests for it, and frankly that's fine with me because our numbers are too high now to exclusively grass finish them. So we'll see, but I'm sure they'll be quite good.

[wvdexters]

Yes Hans Frogs!! But now these are hardy little fellows. LOL!

They start up here pretty early. And then sing so loudly while the sun is out. I enjoy it so much and then I worry about them all out there when it gets cold again. It was either last yr or the yr before we could here them with close to a foot of snow on the ground.

Oh, and I also saw 3 robins earlier in the week, and yesterday 2 geese flew overhead. Now how cool is that!!!

[wvdexters]

OK OK Just an update

The frogs are still alive, but I have certainly been pulling for them. They've had a pretty rough time of it.  Snow, sleet, wind..... But things are looking up for them again,  at least for the next few days. 

[genebo]

The frogs around here have gone back to sleep! It's quiet.

Today my bride was digging up antique bottles and unearthed a beautiful box turtle. It was alive, but was still hibernating. She covered it back up. Then I came along, grading the drive. She flagged me down and told me to come see something cool. She unearted the turtle to show me! Of course she buried it again, but I'll bet that was one mad turtle!

[Donlin Stud]

Enjoy the beautiful warm days

We are in the first month of Autumn and its starting to show itself.

Last night we put the fire on for the first time as the temp was meant to suddenly drop to 3 degrees celsius ( I think that is 38 over your way?) but it didn't. Cloud cover and another coastal shower kept the temp up in the mid teens.

Mind you the moos must 'think' the evenings are a little coolish. They are starting to use their paddock shelters of a night now.
It could have something to do with the thick coverings of straw we put in over the weekend too.

Hubby kept shaking his head the whole time we were spreading it out because we went to the effort and expense of several trucks of sand for the shelters to give comfort, warmth in the winters and coolness in the summers (plus its darn easier to quickly clean out).

I kept telling him the straw will be like big fluffy doonas......

[lonecowhand]

Okay Donna, you've done it again... "doonas"?

[Donlin Stud]

Oh whoopsee

They are blankets stuffed with fillings of down and/or feathers and/or wool etc.
Depending on the thickness you only need one of.

Most of us have two - a thin one for summer and a thicker one for winter.

Heres a link to explain:

www.bedlinenonline.com.au/info_doona_duvet_quilt.php

[lakeportfarms]

Donna,

They really like the sand. I'm not sure if you've used it before, but we've put it in all of the high traffic areas and it really helps keep the mud down, plus when the time comes it's easy to scoop away the manure and waste hay, etc...and you can spread it without worrying about getting stones into everything. I read about people using gravel all the time for their high use areas and I think "what a mess it will end up becoming!"

I sure wish we could get rid of the remaining snow we still have on the ground and get on with drying things out and seeing the first hint of green grass! And my water line is still frozen going to two of my sacrifice area auto waterers the frost had gone so deep earlier this month! I'm expecting a broken line somewhere...

[Blessings Farms]

Donna,
A quilt . Our church ladies still hand make these and they
are extremly warm they use sheeps wool from a farmer at church.
Nancy also makes us comforters or memory blankets.

[wvdexters]

Yes, I love to quilt!! What a way to help pass a cold winter. It's a very old tradition, but a good one

[lakeportfarms]

It is premature until May around here for "Winter's last gasp" , and I was reminded of that early this morning as I drove into the farm with 12 F temperatures and a fresh 8" of lake effect snow overnight...lol   It's usually pretty rare to get the lake effect snow in the spring, but the ice has substantially melted on Lake Huron over the past couple of weeks and we had cold enough temperatures and the right wind and atmosphere conditions.  It's a light fluffy snow, so it will go away quickly, and with 55 degrees forecasted on Thursday maybe the last of the snow will be melted but for areas where the biggest snow piles are at!   I'm so ready for some green grass in the next 7-8 weeks

.

[genebo]

A little of both around here. Last week it was mid 60's and we pressure washed the house. Today it's snowing light fluffy snow. Next week it's supposed to hit 70 degrees.

The peach and pear blossoms are covered with snow.

[Blessings Farms]

14 here last night 40 tomorrow and 40 and 50 next week no real prec. so
are top soil is starting to dry enough to drive around most places. Dont
think it is over though just got a bad felling.

[lakeportfarms]

Genebo, so you had blossoms on the trees and snow? I hope your temperatures weren't cold enough to do any damage to the fruit trees. It usually takes quite a while to warm up around here following winter, because the lakes are still cold. That is what makes the lakeshore areas so ideal for the cherry and apple orchards around the state. I have to admit this time of year I look at the photos some of you down south are posting and wonder if it will ever arrive...but I know it eventually does!

You must have raced at the National Capital Open around the ellipse in early/mid April during your cycling days too. Though I was in college at the time and had to work around school (I tried to set up my classes on Tuesday and Thursday only) I remember going down in the "team" van with the bikes in the trailer when I was riding with the Schwinn Wolverine team and how pretty it was in the Washington area with the cherry blossoms. And the temperature was so warm compared to Michigan. I enjoyed those trips for another reason...the Wolverines at that time were well known for the top women riders like Connie Paraskevin, etc...and so it would be about 6 of the women in the van, and just me....lol I was a bit famous with the riders even before the race started, several at the start line made remarks about how I was the lucky guy traveling around with all the girls

[wvdexters]

The last couple days/nights have been very cold/windy but this week is looking good. I had to get out the heavy gloves and put the water heater back in the bathtub! LOL After having such a cold dark winter, I'm so anxious for spring. I keep trying to remind myself it is not even April yet.

Gene, Hopefully the cold didn't get your fruit trees. We didn't get one plum a few yrs back because of a hard freeze.

I have spent the morning trying to get things organized and working on my spring "TO DO" list. Now that the sun is starting to warm things up a bit, it is going to be a busy day.

[Deleted]

It was cool weekend were spent all weekend working on fence. You needed a coat but not gloves. The wind yesterday would almost blow you over. 70 this week.
I have a lot more fence to repair in the coming weekends. Trying to get as much done as I can before stuff starts growing to much. I hate trying to work on fence when it gets all grown up in weeds brush and vines.

[wvdexters]

Early spring is definitely fencing season. We have a few runs of old fencing that need to be taken out and replaced this yr. Plus we always have to walk all the lines and check for downed or "stretched out" sections from deer. They have their favorite paths and they can really do a number on fences.

I do have to laugh, earlier today I was working on the oldest section; it came with the place when we got it. And when I cut the woven wire fence from the tree the post beside it just fell over fence and all. Here the doggone thing broke right off at the base and was just basically up there for looks.... I sure am glad these guys aren't fence checkers. LOL

[lakeportfarms]

Going on 6-7" of heavy wet snowball packing snow from last night. It's still snowing but due to end soon. With temperatures due to get to the 50's Thursday, I'm NOT plowing it this time  even though we may get more snow Friday evening. It is pretty, the wet snow sticks to the branches, and for the moment has covered up the dull brown of the transition between winter and spring.

Still have the frozen water line though.  It may be some permanent damage was done, I would have thought it would have defrosted a little bit by now.  There are still frozen areas and snow piles hanging around though, so hopefully I won't be doing any digging when the ground finishes thawing out.

I look on Facebook at the photos those down south are posting with green grass and trees in blossom.  It's hard to fathom having that right now!

Karrie, seriously consider going to hi-tensile fencing for that which needs to be replaced.  Our deer problems have been eliminated with the replacement of the field fence with hot wire.  For the secure areas where you may be calving it's still probably better to have field fence, but we love our hi-tensile everywhere else!

[Deleted]

We have a few of those just for looks fence post to and yep the deer can really stretch it out. Most of our fencing is barb. I am currently working on the newest 68 acres we bought. This will be the first year putting animals on it since we bought it. We have just been haying it up till now. The neighbor says he has never seen any cows on it so we have no idea when the fences were last use. All in all the fences are not as bad as they could be but defiantly need repair. I was working on a section this weekend one area tore out by trees coming down the stream during high water. Another couple of areas that the metal post were bent over and some busted off. ether from cows pushing on it or I suspect that they may have had some hay bales get away from them and role down the hill through the fence. Any new fencing in the future will be high tensile but as long as it is still good enough to repair it gets repaired with barb.

Hans, I have a couple of corner post needing replaced this weekend and will be trying your single post with a brace method.

 

[lakeportfarms]

Hooray! My water line 6' down that was frozen has finally thawed, and we have water again to the two auto waterers and a hydrant! Sheril and I were getting tired dragging hoses to troughs, and then getting busy and forgetting the water was running and the trough overflowing adding to our water woes.

[genebo]

I'm glad that your water line has finally thawed. No leaks? It's a shock to hear that a line 6' deep froze solid.

[lakeportfarms]

We have our fingers crossed there are no leaks. It's hard to tell now because there are many spots where the line runs that still have melted water from the thawed ground (and snow/ice piles). When things dry out, I'll be looking closely for wet spots where it might be seeping up, along with listening for the well pump cycling even if there isn't any water being used.

I'm sure it froze where the snow was packed from driving over the top without the insulation of the loose snow.

[lonecowhand]

Good news for you, Hans! What size line is buried? Is it PVC schedule 40? It's gonna be hard to tell if you have any issues, it'll take a longgggg time to percolate up six feet. I guess we know why they make you put your house footings at 8' deep up there!

[lakeportfarms]

Ok, it's 25 degrees out and 2" of snow last night. Winter obviously isn't ready to give up yet. On Monday I drove to New York and all through Ohio and Pennsylvania they had green grass that was growing and things were starting to bloom. We barely have any green here at all on our grass, and it certainly isn't growing! Last week I went down to Detroit, 90 miles away, and it was a beautiful day, 75 degrees and sunny, and when I drove back mid afternoon and near the lake, it was 41 degrees! That gives some of you an idea what an influence a big cold body of water can do when the conditions are right.

It almost never seems to fail that I can put the cows out on short but nicely growing pasture around May 15th, no matter how cold and hard the winter and spring. This year, I'm really starting to doubt that will be the case...but if it translates into another summer like the one we had last year, it will be worth it because last summer was an exceptional year for growing grass.

Bill, the line was just regular 160 lb. flexible sprinkler type pipe.  I think the pipe will be OK, but I'm worried about the plastic fittings (elbows, T's, etc...) that are used in a few places.  In hindsight I should have used PEX with brass fittings, but I seriously never thought at 6' I'd have problems, at least where I didn't have hydrants or risers at the auto-waterers.  This year once I'm sure that there are no leaks, I'm going to mound up the ground in some of the areas, and bury the hydrants even deeper by constructing a box around them as high as I can with some foam around the riser, and then straw and dirt to expose as little as the metal riser as possible.  And I think next winter I'll break open a few bales of straw and spread them thick where the tires from the tractor pack down the snow at the areas of the pipes.  This is where I think it froze this past winter.  And make sure the snow blower is all greased and painting any small rust spots, etc...Of course, with all that preparation, it means we will get a milder winter.  Maybe that's the plan