Weather Where You Are

[ducks4you]

Shouldn't dairy cows be in barns? How sad. Or were they in barns? When I lived in Kansas they were always having beef cattle die out in pastures and even grass fires. They would get caught out there and die in the fires, but I had read something about New York and other states up in the N.E. that they had these big huge barns and all the dairy cattle came in and showed huge piles of snow almost burying everything, but the cows in the barns happy and warm.

That's what I thought. I Think some farmers toss a coin and don't invest in shelter buildings for their cattle. They would survive with even a metal pole barn bc they would nestle together for warmth and ANY fodder, good or even poor or even moldy would help to keep them warm. Their manure mixed with bedding after cleaning would make great compost.
Still, SO sad!!
I know that my 3 horses, with a loft above with hay and straw, and in stalls in my wooden barn, raise the temperature by 20 degrees F, and I could probably crowd about 18 cows in there with them. My old hay man used to keep his beef cattle in a run that had a shelter underneath his big barn, so they could come or go. IF they are used to that, more would survive.
I think that many livestock owners don't understand the behavior of their animals. My horses, who have a fenced in turnout in front of the barn, will, when turned out to mow it often crowd in the one open stall, a 10' x 12'. They don't fight in there, even when there is hay. Might if there was grain.
Still, What a shame!! Dairy cattle are often treated no better than commercial chickens.

 

[thistlebloom]

I'm thinking that these dairy farmers took good care of their stock. They are their livelihood after all. It's easy from a distance to say what they should have done, but we don't have all the particulars. This was non typical weather, and from the article @digitS'
linked to, they were working hard, long, hours to save them.
It's a terrible loss for them.

 

[ninnymary]

Driving up to Kansas. My wife's mother passed after a long long fight with Alzheimer's. We are going to the funeral. A few years back my wife missed her aunt's funeral due to weather delays and cancellations this time of the year. We both grew up driving in snow, her more than me, so we'd rather drive than be at the mercy of flying weather.

Those that have lost people to Alzheimer's can kind of understand the emotions. You have had time to prepare, the person that passed is not the person that you once knew, yet emotions run really high. Death is never easy but in some ways this is easier than when her father passed from heart failure.

Ridge, my mother in law passed a little over a year ago after battling alzheimer's for about 10 years. I agree, she wasn't the person we knew so in a way it was easier, although the battle was long and hard on everyone. My father in law just passed after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He only lived 3.5 weeks after diagnosis. It gave us time to prepare but it was hard because it was so quick. They had given him 3-6 months. But we are glad he didn't suffer long. His passing was harder on my husband than when his mom passed.

My sympathies to you and your loved ones.

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

I'm thinking that these dairy farmers took good care of their stock. They are their livelihood after all. It's easy from a distance to say what they should have done, but we don't have all the particulars. This was non typical weather, and from the article @digitS'
linked to, they were working hard, long, hours to save them.
It's a terrible loss for them.

I agree Thistlebloom. These farmers were working hard to save their animals and their livelihood. Everyone was pitching in and I don't believe these were clueless, non caring farmers.

Mary

 

[digitS']

I was out driving a little south, yesterday. Returned after a few hours.

The snowfall wasn't especially heavy but the winds were up around 20mph. Rolling hills and farmland. Driving south, it was fairly easy to see the contours of the hills and closer objects like signposts and the berms left by the not-frequent-enuf (!) snowplows. Driving North - nearly white-out conditions. Light at one's back doesn't help! Light is reflected back by distant hills and the snow in the air, both close and far. Everything, disappears!

Wind picking up here. The schools, that might be a couple hours late in starting, all seem to be open. There might be some trouble getting the kids home. Must be difficult calls, at times.

Steve

 

[bobm]

That's what I thought. I Think some farmers toss a coin and don't invest in shelter buildings for their cattle. They would survive with even a metal pole barn bc they would nestle together for warmth and ANY fodder, good or even poor or even moldy would help to keep them warm. Their manure mixed with bedding after cleaning would make great compost.
Still, SO sad!!
I know that my 3 horses, with a loft above with hay and straw, and in stalls in my wooden barn, raise the temperature by 20 degrees F, and I could probably crowd about 18 cows in there with them. My old hay man used to keep his beef cattle in a run that had a shelter underneath his big barn, so they could come or go. IF they are used to that, more would survive.
I think that many livestock owners don't understand the behavior of their animals. My horses, who have a fenced in turnout in front of the barn, will, when turned out to mow it often crowd in the one open stall, a 10' x 12'. They don't fight in there, even when there is hay. Might if there was grain.
Still, What a shame!! Dairy cattle are often treated no better than commercial chickens.

Virtually all of the dairy farmers , at least in the West that I have seen , heard about or read about keep their cows under roof protected from elements such as rain, snow, cold and hot sun in loafing sheds with feed within feet of every cow. Land is far more productive and much more profitable to grow alfalfa for hay ,corn for silage and other grains as feed rather as pasture land . Also , all feed is converted most efficiently to milk as well as body maintenance if kept under roof than walking energy off long distances twice a day from pastures to the milking shed. All dairies have Veterinarians of site or on call. Doing anything differently and a farmer will be out of business in a very short order.

 

[Carol Dee]

i'm ok with it. glad i don't have to drive often.

when do you normally put your early spring crops/flowers in?

After last frost date. Mid April.

 

[canesisters]

Cold and rain for days ...
Renaming the pasture the shallow pond.
The sun finally came out today and the wind is BLOWING!!! Hopefully drying things up some.

Noticed something odd this morning. Friday when I came to work, it was dark and I had to use my little pinlight to key the code to get in. Today it was already well after sunup... ??? Maybe it's been so grey, overcast, rainy and nasty for so long that I didn't realize the days had gotten that much longer. It was a nice surprise.

 

[ducks4you]

After last frost date. Mid April.

Back to gardening...interesting that Mid American Gardener had an often seen guest panelist, a U of IL Professor Emeritis, who said recently that OUR last frost date is really now May 15th, and sometimes we can get a frost as LATE as June 1st.
My MIL used to wait until after Mother's Day to put out any warm weather crops, and she would have agreed with this.
Even if the temperatures are good enough to call the last frost date April 15th, we still get hard freezes after April 15th and I have lost several seasons of fruit blossoms bc of this. Plus, I lost 2 tall tomatoes last year with fruit that snapped off bc of high winds.
Just something to chew over and I KNOW that you, @Carol Dee, are further north than I am.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Its been pouring here...flash flood watches for the small streams. Rogue River is rising too!