Still Green here...

[Anonymous]

We are sure in much better shape than lots of Montana and the western states...While checking cows and fields yesterday I snapped a couple of pictures...


Grass is still green- and the spring fed coulees still running water...

Cows are cycling good.. And bulls seem to be doing their job...West Fork going over to check out Juanada Ritos girlfriend...

A yearling bull- Lazy Bar B West Fork 17049647

2 year old bull - Lazy Bar B Juanada Rito 16741353

And altho the dryland hay isn't as heavy as last year- it will still be a fair cutting...

The dryland wheat fields are looking better than I have seen in years...

 

[4Diamond]

Hay don't look bad, what is it?

 

[Denny]

It's real green here we've had 3 inches since monday so about 18" since mid may.I've got some hay down thats been rained on three times now.But it's better than the alternative.

 

[3 M L & C]

I think we have had a total of about an inch since late april.

 

[HAY MAKER]

Stock looks good OT, so do your pastures, amazing what some H2o does.
good luck

 

[Anonymous]

Hay don't look bad, what is it?

Hay is mixture of alfalfa and wheatgrass's- mostly crested..The good moisture years it makes hay- the bad years its supplemental pasture...I dumped .35 of an inch out of the rain gauge that we had picked up on that place on the 4th...

Long range forecast is for hot (mid 90's) and dry... That wheat is going to need at least one more good shot of rain to make a good crop..

 

[Anonymous]

The granddaughter and I ran around this morning and took a few pictures of the Durham fields.. This is on the irrigated land- but probably the nicest looking crop I've ever seen on this place...
Should be some good straw...

Used Pidge as my measuring stick.. Wheat taller than her..

The neighbors winter wheat field...Won't be long and that will be ready to go...

 

[Anonymous]

Just to update on the photos I posted of the wheat fields and don't mean to sound like gloating- having been there and done that over the past 60 years with droughts and knowing we could be in that same situation next year-- but still pretty happy with the years crops...

BUT we just finished the last of the dryland wheat fields- the worst spring wheat fields at the north place we had that we saved for last- that surprisingly ran just under 39 bushel to an acre on a field with a 22 bushel/acre crop average..

This just like the 60-70 bushel an acre bottom land crops we got is the most ever off this place in the 60 years I have lived here-- and according to my 90 year old uncle who was born on the place the most ever...
Another nice thing is that we were able to leave about a foot tall stubble on these wheat fields today that run adjacent to the pastures- so the cows should have some good fall grazing...

And this is not extraordinary for this area this year- as I am hearing of many with 60 bushel crops-- and like a neighbor of mine who added in 5 new grain bins this year- and filled his quonset and shop building- and is now having to dump wheat on the ground because the elevators are full and the BNSF railroad can't get it hauled off fast enough...

But like the neighbor and I agreed- that is a problem that we will gladly accept any year... :wink:

 

[leanin' H]

Glad to hear ya'll are having a great year Oldtimer! The good Lord sends his blessings to each of us in His own due time. I must need to learn a thing or eight in order to get His time frame and mine lined up! :lol: Hope your fall and winter continue to be to your advantage. That sure is a cute lil' gal.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks H-- last year we got no crop off the dryland because of too much rain that we couldn't get it seeded- so maybe the good Lord is giving us back this year...

Anyway- I hear of so many around the country droughted out- so besides being totally surprised at the crops and happy at the yields - I am also thankful...

 

[Cedarcreek]

I'm only 90 miles south of you and I had about a 25% hay crop. I went by some spring wheat today that is about 10" tall and fully headed and too thin to cut.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm only 90 miles south of you and I had about a 25% hay crop. I went by some spring wheat today that is about 10" tall and fully headed and too thin to cut.

Yep- I seen the same Cedarcreek... The family just on top the Milk River Hill going toward Ft. Peck is the ones I talk of that have been having to dump on the ground because of the big yield bumper crops (even bought a new combine and sent one of their older ones over to help combine our place)----- and 30-40 miles south out in the Missouri breaks they were talking about early weaning because it was so dry... Luckily they picked up a good rain the first of the month- that will probably get them thru...

I darn sure aren't going to complain....

 

[Soapweed]

Glad you are having a good year, Oldtimer. Enjoy it, as there are no guarantees about next year. A neighbor who lives forty miles south of us last year had 36 inches of rain from April 1st to the end of the year. This summer, his country has only received three inches. Quite a contrast from one year to the next.

I can recall two summers of above average production, only to get hailed out in September. In 1967, an equinox September 21st hail storm with accompanying tornado pulverized all of our meadow aftergrass and destroyed our beaverslide hay stacker. In 1976, a severe hailstorm on September 14th dumped over three inches of rain in the guage, and washed out big gullies in all the hills. We couldn't get back and forth to town in anything but a four-wheel-drive pickup until the two-track trail road was fixed in several spots.

There can be many a slip between the cup and the lip.

 

[Shortgrass]

Just to update on the photos I posted of the wheat fields and don't mean to sound like gloating- having been there and done that over the past 60 years with droughts and knowing we could be in that same situation next year-- but still pretty happy with the years crops...

Nothing like a drought or two to make a fella savor every aspect of the really good years. Real glad for ya'.