From the Barns: Long list of projects

One thing about having livestock on your farm, you always have job security. By that I mean there is never an end of something needing to be done. I have tried to spend some time this week planning and thinking out a strategy to attack these tasks and everything that needs to be sourced to accomplish completing them. Quite frankly, it is overwhelming.

The list is long and includes projects like multiple Environmental Quality Incentives Program practices, mostly which involves laying water lines and installing automatic waterers, also a good amount of fencing, most of which will help us with controlled grazing management. I also just purchased 7,500 feet of used oilfield pipe and that is going to be used on the interior feedlot pens. That will involve a lot of welding. David also has his own project going on down at the Russell Farm, replacing and building some new corral pens and alleys.

As the cereal rye and ryegrass begins to play out, we will also be looking to plant sorghum-sudangrass once again this summer to give us some annual forage grazing. With that seeding will also come spraying to kill weeds and grasses ahead of that and most likely some fertilization, as well. Hopefully manure spreading will be part of that plan.

I haven’t even mentioned the cattle working and processing that needs to be done. Today we ran the 117 yearling heifers through the chute to give them their second round of pre-breeding vaccinations. Their synchronization protocol will begin May 15 with the vet here to do tract scoring and pelvic measurements and they will also receive a 14-day CIDR. Two other trips through the chute culminating with timed AI breeding on May 31.

The spring calving cows will also go through similar working starting about end of May. We are also wanting to run all the fall calving cows through to give them a spring deworming and vaccinations and then move them to some other summer pastures where they will stay until time to calve. In addition, we have 200 head of yearlings that need to be given a finishing implant and placed in the feedlot.

So, there is no shortage of things to be done and I often wonder how in the world we will get it all done. In planning, we do have to prioritize the jobs and the cattle work has to come first, because much of it is time sensitive. The other work we will do as time and weather allows, hoping we can get it all done well and in a timely manner.

We have shipped out some fat cattle this past month and are sending out two more loads this coming week. Maybe one or two more within the next 30 days, then it may be late July before we start selling fats again. We have placed some new cattle recently, but overall numbers still down.

We have only been purchasing feeders that are tied to or similar to our genetics. We are really focusing on that type of calf to feed. With cattle so high, we have been reluctant to go full out on buying cattle like we normally would. The cattle we are buying are costing plenty, but hopefully with the strong carcass genetics they will pay for themselves with good grid premiums.

Obviously, there will be very little slack time over the next 60 days. Hoping breakdowns are at a minimum and the weather to be cooperative. I don’t think any of us will be bored, that’s for sure.