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snow will it ever leave?

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tamarack

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Got about another 10in this weekend and turned cold -30 last night no calves due for 20 days thank god. pic is my old dodge bale feeding truck dont use it unless the tractor breaks down.
DSCN1456.jpg
 
It's just not letting go. Got about 6" of fresh stuff here over the past few days.

And to think that one year ago it was up to a sunny 27C here for a day or two. It forced the apple trees to bud and then froze them off costing most of Ontario its apple crop.

Seems like when we turned the clocks ahead, they got turned ahead to December!!
 
We are hard into calving - and it is snowing again - all calves are born on snow this year. Wife is out checking right now. I wish we had delayed this year - too late now.

I really want to see this stuff leave - we are getting down in feed as well and could use a bit of a break.

C'mon spring!

Best to all

BC
 
Last year we were have days in 70 and 80's this year we are making the mid 30's. Todays storm is supposed to drop between 12 to 18 inches of snow. Life was looking up with some bar ground before this storm.
 
All that makes it better if you have 70 cows Ai'ed to calve in a 3 day breeding period. My barn that never got used last year is plumb full.Snow and cold not to mention a pair of wolves keeping it interesting.
 
tamarack said:
Got about another 10in this weekend and turned cold -30 last night no calves due for 20 days thank god. pic is my old dodge bale feeding truck dont use it unless the tractor breaks down.
DSCN1456.jpg
Click to expand...

I think if your tractor breaks down, you also won't be using your truck for a day or two. :shock:

Your place looks suspciously like here. We have another truckload of feed on the way this week, and hope we don't need it, but it is better to be prepared. I am hoping for spring before we calve and we don't start until May 1st. I know why we left March behind. We have had another 6" this week and -30C.
 
All that makes it better if you have 70 cows Ai'ed to calve in a 3 day breeding period. My barn that never got used last year is plumb full.Snow and cold not to mention a pair of wolves keeping it interesting.

I hear you Denny. Synced a group of heifers for April 1st. Full into calving at -25.
Shoot straight on those wolves. The worst trouble I ever had was a pair tha must have denned up close. Got the male and my troubles ceased.
 
After the warm, sunny weather of last week we have had another 4 inches of snow and morning temps of below -20c. This morning is -25 with a nice east breeze. Supposed to start snowing about 5 this evening through tommorow. A little wind along with the snow.

Not due to calve until Apr. 10 but we will be well started by then.
 
Well, now the wife has her car and truck parked outside - I had to use her garage for a couple of new moms and their babies - she tells me I am cleaning up the mess when I kick them out - I tell her she is because it was her plan to calve a bit early this year.

I bet I win this one - not!

Snow is still coming hard - more than a foot and I am getting tired of digging.

Two more calving tonight I am sure - not sure where they will go right now - maybe in the sheep pen in the corner! At least it will be warm and dry.

Last year I was in a T-shirt right now

Best to all

bc
 
Broke Cowboy said:
Well, now the wife has her car and truck parked outside - I had to use her garage for a couple of new moms and their babies - she tells me I am cleaning up the mess when I kick them out - I tell her she is because it was her plan to calve a bit early this year.

I bet I win this one - not!

Snow is still coming hard - more than a foot and I am getting tired of digging.

Two more calving tonight I am sure - not sure where they will go right now - maybe in the sheep pen in the corner! At least it will be warm and dry.

Last year I was in a T-shirt right now

Best to all

bc
Click to expand...

Hang in there, bc, it will get better!
 
Were suppose to get another 8 inchs of snow on thursday and friday now.And since march came in like a lamb,the lion starts on the 30th and the 31st to.
 
High Plains said:
You complainers just suck it up and enjoy your moisture. :wink:
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How about you just take it for us? :D We were still wet in the fall,after 3 years of basically just rain.
 
3words said:
High Plains said:
You complainers just suck it up and enjoy your moisture. :wink:
Click to expand...

How about you just take it for us? :D We were still wet in the fall,after 3 years of basically just rain.
Click to expand...

Yep- same here if you take all this weather...I spent from midnite on dragging in sleds with calves in them- then when I had hotbox full- I parked my pickup in the lot and started throwing calves in the cab (actually a quicker warmer than the hotbox- but getting harder for this arthritic old fart with a bad back to throw them into :wink: )...

I think this weather is even affecting the animals... I had a 5 year old cow that is the biggest pet- a real cakehound - that has been plumb gentle with every calf she's had....This morning when I was dragging in calves she got out of the heavy pen (and I was too busy at time to get back in) and then when I went in to feed the main bunch of cows- she ran out the gate and headed across the prairie... I got her back in- to see a few minutes later she had jumped (tore down) a section of fence and took off about a 1/4 of mile across the hay meadow where she layed down and had her calf...Then when the son tried to weigh the calf and bring them in- she was snorty and tried to take him...She followed the sled and calf in- and since the sun was out and getting warm we thru her and the calf in some straw... And I'm betting this evening I can go out there and she will again be wanting a cake handout...
Coincidentally her second calver daughter calved about 10 minutes before her- and while being a very attentive mother was plumb easy to handle- just like her mother was every other time...
 
With the equipment I have now that would be a minor inconvenience but when the blizzard of 1978 came my "loader tractor" was a WD Allis Chalmers with a Kelly "Trip Dump " bucket and a heat houser.

I had a D 19 Diesel with a heat houser and a 9' grader blade on the back.

It was 3 days of hard work before I was able to feed - - - I had about 45 brood cows ( due in mid April thank goodness ) and about 100 steers on ground ear corn - - - luckily the steer feeders were full at the start of the blizzard and I was able to get feed ground and keep things going but it was a miserable time for man and beast. Don't remember losing any but it sure would have been nice to fire up a 980 Cat and open everything in a couple of hours! I think the cows missed one days feed as I was feeding small square bales at the time.
 
Sure sounds like some of you are having a time of it! I do hope that things get easier for you before long. It's been easy calving weather in our area. We're dreadfully concerned about this drought but have to leave that in God's hands I reckon'.
 

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