katrina
Well-known member
Baled 240 acres last night and didn't use one spool of twine..... Can't explain that feeling.. :?
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Dry Dry Dry
- Thread starter 4Diamond
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leanin' H
Well-known member
We got a thumping from the wind yesterday which was pushing in a front for today. We ended up with 2 100ths according to the gauge. Better than nothing but hoping for more. Had a 1400 acre fire east of us but they have it contained tonight.
Cedarcreek
Well-known member
We got .1 this afternoon. Didn't even make the yard muddy enough to track into the house. Did make the air smell nice.
Haytrucker
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Rain showers around this evening. Saw some hail clouds, but not the product. The weather of late I'd guess we're only .50" short on growing moisture this week. A little ahead of usual.
We got a very welcome rain Friday night. !.33" which brought us to a little over 4" for the YEAR, out of our total likely precip. of maybe 14" of snow and rain, both in a year. We were blessed to miss out on the nasty weather to the southwest of us, but not enough to get the really heavy rains not far from us either. We hear up to 3+ inches only a few miles away.
We have had rains just when things were looking pretty desperate, for which we are duly thankful. Also thankful that we had such a mild winter and plenty of grass from last year so our cows were able to graze all winter with very little hay needed for them. We have lots of hay left, an enviable position, I know. We NEVER sell hay, though prices last winter made it tempting.
There is a lot of sweet clover, so cattle are taking advantage of that right now. We have only about 60 cows left to calve. Spring pastures will last at least till we brand June 1 and 5, weather permitting. Grass was six inches high in some places here by April 10, when we normally HOPE for about an inch growth, then it got hot and stalled growth lately, but summer pastures are looking pretty good and hopefully will look even better in a few days from this rain.
mrj
We have had rains just when things were looking pretty desperate, for which we are duly thankful. Also thankful that we had such a mild winter and plenty of grass from last year so our cows were able to graze all winter with very little hay needed for them. We have lots of hay left, an enviable position, I know. We NEVER sell hay, though prices last winter made it tempting.
There is a lot of sweet clover, so cattle are taking advantage of that right now. We have only about 60 cows left to calve. Spring pastures will last at least till we brand June 1 and 5, weather permitting. Grass was six inches high in some places here by April 10, when we normally HOPE for about an inch growth, then it got hot and stalled growth lately, but summer pastures are looking pretty good and hopefully will look even better in a few days from this rain.
mrj
Faster horses
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While we were gone, we got .25". We need a general rain. Usually
we get some during the Bucking Horse Sale...guess that's what brought
on the quarter inch. Looks like here the alfalfa might make hay, but
the grass hay isn't looking so good.
In SD it rained pretty nice. Not sure how much, but that country is
drier than I've ever seen. Big runs at the northern hills auction markets from a big area.
We're wearing out the knees of our jeans praying for more rain...
supposed to get something Tuesday.
Good luck to all of you that need moisture.
we get some during the Bucking Horse Sale...guess that's what brought
on the quarter inch. Looks like here the alfalfa might make hay, but
the grass hay isn't looking so good.
In SD it rained pretty nice. Not sure how much, but that country is
drier than I've ever seen. Big runs at the northern hills auction markets from a big area.
We're wearing out the knees of our jeans praying for more rain...
supposed to get something Tuesday.
Good luck to all of you that need moisture.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Some ranchers to the north and east of Newell are hauling water to pastures for their cattle. Could be a long summer for them! Mel
Faster horses
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I know that in other years they have had to do that. Is it because
they depend on resevoirs for stock water? Are there not many wells
in that area because they have to go so far for water? I've often
wondered about that. Thanks for your reply.
they depend on resevoirs for stock water? Are there not many wells
in that area because they have to go so far for water? I've often
wondered about that. Thanks for your reply.
garn
Well-known member
Getting pretty dry around Central Iowa as well. Last rain received was over 2 weeks ago. Both the 6-10 & 8-14 day long range forecasts are calling for above normal temps and below normal precip.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Faster Horses the area has little shallow ground water only reservoirs and dug outs. In order to have a reliable well they have to drill into the madison formation which is extremely expensive. Mel
When my mother lived in southern Indiana they had problems getting water as the shale was about 10' down and drilling into that was not usually sucessful.
They would take backhoes and dig down to the shale at the bottom of hills, put in 5' diamiter concrete tiles standing on end back up to ground level and put sump pumps in them, pumping to cisterns and then jet pumps from the cisterns to the homestead.
Worked much better than I ever expected! Any time it rained at all the water would soak to the shale and start down hill right into their " wells " it was amasing to me how much water would go into the cisterns with as little as 1/4" of rain.
On one farm here I dug a ditch across a gully and lined the ditch with heavy plastic. On the up hill side of the plastic I burried 3 plastic 55 gallon drums with the bottom one full of 1/2" holes and back filled the barrells with #4 gravel. Put a 1/2 HP pump in the barrells and have all the water I need to run pressure washers, washing machines and toilets in the work shop - - - I do not allow anyone to drink it as I'm not sure of the quality but it has been working about 25 years.
I got the plans to do this from the local county extention service - - - they said most gullys run water year round but only on top during hard rains. I have never seen water run in this gully but the barrells never run dry and the bottom in only about 12' down.
They would take backhoes and dig down to the shale at the bottom of hills, put in 5' diamiter concrete tiles standing on end back up to ground level and put sump pumps in them, pumping to cisterns and then jet pumps from the cisterns to the homestead.
Worked much better than I ever expected! Any time it rained at all the water would soak to the shale and start down hill right into their " wells " it was amasing to me how much water would go into the cisterns with as little as 1/4" of rain.
On one farm here I dug a ditch across a gully and lined the ditch with heavy plastic. On the up hill side of the plastic I burried 3 plastic 55 gallon drums with the bottom one full of 1/2" holes and back filled the barrells with #4 gravel. Put a 1/2 HP pump in the barrells and have all the water I need to run pressure washers, washing machines and toilets in the work shop - - - I do not allow anyone to drink it as I'm not sure of the quality but it has been working about 25 years.
I got the plans to do this from the local county extention service - - - they said most gullys run water year round but only on top during hard rains. I have never seen water run in this gully but the barrells never run dry and the bottom in only about 12' down.
North Ridge Ranching
Well-known member
Up here in the north we are doing alright but we weren't wet. We are getting almost a province wide rain today and it will make a huge difference for our hay crop and pastures. We had about .75" by 3:00 this afternoon and it is suppose to rain all night and tomorrow. This is exactly what we needed. I hope some of you that really needed it got some. I know how you feel because we went through the same thing 10 years ago. My grandmother, who was 90 said it was the driest couple years she had ever seen. I still can't believe it was that long ago, seems like it was just yesterday.
3words
Well-known member
I sure wish i could share with you guys,were sitting at 2 inchs so far and they say we could see it off and on until sunday.I'm not complaining,but i would like to finich getting the crop seeded.
Like North Ridge we were doing alright, although it hadn't rained here yet this spring. However since yesterday we have accumulated about 9/10". If it would have waited 2 hours we would have finished seeding, but I'd sooner have the moisture!
miocene
Well-known member
HEY SILVER,glad to see your getting the moisture,we could use some down here. Are you going to be at the bcca agm.in ft st.john next week? i will be as i,m rmanning the simmental booth .would like to meet spmebody from this site besides the few i already know.
It rained all afternoon yesterday and through the night my coffee cup rain gauge is full to the top since sunday were wet. I did get all the cows on grass tuesday so I should be fine I'll hide out in my shop a few days finish up a trailer then go farming for a week.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
Our cup is running over with clouds but not enough rain to settle the dust this week. :?
miocene said:HEY SILVER,glad to see your getting the moisture,we could use some down here. Are you going to be at the bcca agm.in ft st.john next week? i will be as i,m rmanning the simmental booth .would like to meet spmebody from this site besides the few i already know.
I won't be attending the meetings as I'm not a director, but I hope to be able to make it in to see some of the goings on. I guess it depends on weather and my day job (gotta pay for my cow habit somehow). If I do get in I'll head for the Simmie booth for sure!
