Great week for outside work

[Blessings Farms]

Weather has been good and even this week ok. Fields are finally drying. Straw is made but not the best.

We may make bed and feed after corn is off. Hay well still a issue so heavy and damp have been rolling

two to three times and still get some to damp. Any we put in barn is being salted heavy.

Even got 1 1/2 acre fenced for the males and now the pasture area at new place is complete.

Hope everyone else is getting farm work done.

Funny how things change 40 yrs. ago could go 6 1/2 days and not stop. Now 6 days 12 - 16 hrs

and I had 2 long naps Sunday afternoon.

[jamshundred]

It was hot and humid here for the past few days.  There was rain in the forecast but none fell.  Rain is forecast for everyday this week as well.

Can you believe it is almost August?  Kids will be going back to school here in just a few weeks.  

Judy

[genebo]

It has been a busy few days here, cutting, repairing, raking, repairing, baling, repairing, loading, hauling and stacking.

We filled all my storage areas and then sold and gave away bales. We really had a bumper crop.

It was so satisfying to have so many bales that we could help some farmers who really benefited from the hay. I love being able to see where the hay is going and know it is helping.

Besides, I sold some guineas and bought some ducks. Got to show off my Dexters and goats, too.

I lost 8 pounds getting up the hay, so today will be an ice cream day. Yippee!

[Deleted]

no hay getting done here. today was suppose to be our dry day. It is pouring so hard right now it looks like night. Hoping later in the week there will be a window but it is not looking like a very long of one. I never thought I would be doing first cutting in august. 

[genebo]

I still have several hay lots to cut. If anyone close enough to haul it needs some hay, let me know. I'll bale it for you.

[Blessings Farms]

They got 20 acre bailed today still have 60 to go. Now I have to get wagons
home and unload. Seems like a lot of tonnage per acre. No rain here for last
8 days, forecast 40% chance wed. only. Mid 80's and 70% humidity.
Mike hope you get that window to bail seems like it is slow to dry right here.
Gene some days it seems like I fix more than I do.

[genebo]

Dave,

Does it look like you will put away enough for winter?

[Blessings Farms]

Sure hope so. I am doing my math and buying what I can now.
We do feed a small amount of grain also in winter just for
a extra. I know it varies but what amount of hay do you
plan on for a Dexter cow per day ?

[Deleted]

Do I understand you right? You are doing 80 acres in square bales. Either you have a small army or a whole lot more energy than me. I tell you I could not stack that many bales.
I only do round bales. I do track every bale I feed. I have been using 3-3.5 bales per head per year. I realize yearling calves eat less and bulls eat a whole lot more. but I find it easiest to calculate every head the same as long as I keep roughly the same percentage young to adult it has been pretty constant. So I figure my yearly need and then make sure I have extra just in case.
2.25 inches yesterday. It topped my fences in several places and did rip out some barb. More rain today if we dont get to much volume I will try to cut tomorrow.

edit to add my bales are about 5*5 but I pack them tighter than most. They weigh as much as may peoples 5*6 bales. The only down side is when you get them stuck on the spears and cant get them off.

[lakeportfarms]

We could use a little rain here. Nothing is brown yet other than over the septic field, however I guess we've been spoiled the last couple of years. We'll have 350-400 4x5 tight net wrapped round bales up for the winter, about 270 stored now and hopefully I'll have another 100 or more second cutting in late August. Our apple trees are loaded with apples this year, and hopefully we'll get some good grass growing weather in September so I can grass finish some steers and have them eat the apple drops for a couple of months. We get a pretty good price per pound for those steers, our customers love them!

[Blessings Farms]

Yes Mike 60 - 70 lbs. and I quite today and got home around 7;30. Almost
2000 bails in two days and they are not half way. I have been working at the
shop from 5;30 am. and unloading in afternoon. Going to stay in shop for a
few days so I can rest up this was a lot easier 40+ years ago. Forecast is
for showers in morning. 3 young (20's) farm boys do most of the hard labor
they get a cut of the profits for their collage funds.
Nancy and I have around 200 stacked in barn we are about 1/2 way.
Mike what is weight of your round bails ? 3 x = per cow.
I planed on 1/2 bail a cow a day and add 50 bail maybe not enough.

[Deleted]

well over 1000# I have never weighed them. I have 800# of extra weight on the front of my tractor and if I hit a bump or take off to hard it will still bring the front off the ground. Keep in mind feeding squares is more efficient than rounds.