Happy New Year!!!

Well, another year has passed!  Just reflecting on what has been accomplished, what went right and what went wrong.  Gladly I think we made more right decisions than wrong ones this year.  However even a wrong decision is still a decision that had to be made!  Success comes from learning from your mistakes and others and changing before you have so you are ahead and not behind!!  Change is the hardest thing for humans to do, it has been studied for many years.  Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to learn something new, make a new friend, change the process you use to do your daily routine.

As we head into a new year full of opportunity I challenge you to do something different this year.  Instead of making resolutions that most likely won't be fulfilled look back at the past year.  Write down a few things or decisions that were right or went very well and list a couple reasons why.  Then write down a few things or decisions that didn't go so well and why.  This will give you a chance to use hind site and learn from the good and the bad so you can make better decisions in the coming year.  Once you have done this don't dwell on what went wrong look forward to the fact that you don't have to make those mistakes again!!

Lastly sometime this weekend take a chance to set a few goals.  Goals are only good if they are achievable.  For instance, if a football teams simply plans on how to win a championship game and fails to plan how to first get to the game they may never be there to play!

Pick a high goal that you wanna achieve.  Then set some smaller easy to reach goals that will help you reach the big one.  This will set your path to making the right decision when the time comes because while everyone else will be trying to figure out which way to go you will already now and be on your way!!


Ok, now on another note some picks from our busy week here on the farm and some quick updates.  Been working on reorganizing the garage to make it a usable shop/garage instead of a 2.5 car storage bin!  Pickup of some plywood, insulation, and a small heater and invited the neighbor boys over for food, beer, and some guy time in the garage.  So far we have the ceiling in and insulated and the walls are 90% insulated.  Now all I need is some plywood for the walls and I will be ready to use it for what it was intended!!

 We have free natural gas from a well on the farm so this is the most efficient and cheapest way to supply heat for when we need it.  Notice the walls aren't done yet, I added a temporary piece of  plywood behind the heater till I am ready to finish it so we could have some heat to work. 

I went out to check the creek to make sure it was not frozen over so the cows could still get water to drink.  The girls all wanted to know what was going on so they came to see what I was doing.  The herd check went well also.  Six out of eight are pregnant.  Jo Jo headed back home and I picked up two more steers to raise for meat to get us through till we are producing enough steers of our own.  I am planning on getting pics of them soon.  They are both Shorthorn Hereford crosses.

 My wife cooked a fresh pork butt for the boys who were helping this week.

 She soaked it in a brine solution for a day or so and then slow cooked till perfectly done.  She then sliced it down thin for several different dishes.  She made sandwiches, mashed potatoes, green beans, and sweet potatoes.  The leftovers were served the next day.  She used the pan juice to make gravy, more mashed potatoes and beans. 

 

The last day she made a bunch of hamburgers.  We were all washing up to set down to eat when she placed the plate on the table.  My son, he is 14 months old, was already there and waiting.  Just like me he is a meat eater and thought he just won the lottery!!  He did manage to eat a entire burger with a side of chips all by himself!

Lastly, a fitting way to end the post.  My daughter made a snow angel the other day in the lawn between the house and the garage.  It was getting warm and the snow started to melt so I got a quick pic to save the memory!

Happy new year everyone!!  Here's to a successful and fulfilling new year!!

Kenny

We have got to make some changes to the fence!

I was sitting in my living room Christmas morning enjoying watching my kids play with their gifts when I see what I thought was the orange cat, Gachan, trying to get inside the front screen door of the house.  I had let Daisy out of it earlier and didn't shut the screen door completely and it was slightly open.  So I stand up to let him in and realize it isn't the cat.....its a pig!!  Two of them to be exact, Lisa Left Ear and the red belted pig we just got last weekend.  I hollered at the wife and kids to look but the pigs trotted off the porch before they got their. 

Next thing I know I hear my family at the back door talking to someone.

 Apparently they figured since no one had brought them their milk snack for the day they would come to the house and find out what was taking so long!  I then chase/led them to the barn to get them a snack till Steven could get here with a little milk.  Steven lives on a dairy farm and since we took Pig Pig away he has been bringing over some water and milk from the farm for them to drink.  This helps them get through weaning without any setbacks in weight gain and keeps them from looking for her.  Furthermore with the colder than normal December we are having the creek has frozen partially over and now they cannot access the water. 

I ended up having to open the barn door and let them back in through there as they wouldn't go back under the fence. 

I don't mind them checking things out down around the barn.  However we live near a very busy road and I do not wanna wake up to piggy pancakes!  I also spend a lot of time taking care of the landscaping as it is my specialty and I don't need their help!  So today I am going to go out and lower the bottom wire some more to stop them from getting out. 

As for the auction at Kidron, I was a little late.  I thought it started at 11am.  It actually started at 10:15am.  So I was the last in line.  The fire wood sold decent and the hay did ok as well.  Not what I normally sell at but got me enough money to get some supplement tubs for the cows and should leave enough left over to pay for the herd check we are having this week!  The pic is after he started unloading, he already had 4 bales off.  Forgot to take one of the full load.

We also made a new batch of feed for the piggies.  We did a pretty large batch this time so we wouldn't have to make any for a while.  We are looking into some other options for what to put into the feed for winter but for now we have to use what we have.  So we ground up a bunch of alfalfa they had over at Steven's and several bales of the grass hay I have here.  Then we added the supplements and a small amount of corn for some extra energy and then let it mix.  So far they are eating it very well and growing quite fast!

Kenny

The piggies have a new friend!

Well, I am on vacation till January 3rd.  So I thought I would take a load of hay and firewood to the auction in Kidron tomorrow.  So I headed out after getting home from work and started up the truck and tractor to hook up trailer and load.  While everything was warming up I popped into the barn and turned on the lights so I could see outside and while there checked the piggies.  At first I didn't realize what I saw, kinda did a double take!

That was when the cat turned and looked at me like I was the one out of place!!   So I snapped a quick pick and left them to relax.  This is not our cat, however it does stay in the barn.  There is another cat out there that is a Siamese mix.  They are both somewhat friendly and quite healthy.  We already have two house cats but they can always use the help catching mice. 

Update on my truck.  Obviously if you are reading this you noticed that I am getting ready to make a run to the auction with the trailer.  I last told you that I was starting a decent sized repair.  Well, it went well and the truck runs great!  I also managed to get one of the two front u-joints done.  I fully intended to take pictures of the process but about twenty minutes in realized handling my phone with the mess that was all over my hands was out of the question. 

Wish me luck at the auction.  You never know what will happen till its over!

Kenny

Cleaned the barn today.

Got home at a decent time today so I decided to clean the piggies pen and let them loose today.  Took a little time but now they have all fresh bedding to snuggle up in.

After they were born the little ones have been peeing in the barn.  They don't do it where they sleep but still in the barn when they are there.  So hopefully by letting them out and completely cleaning the pen they will stop going in the barn all together and do it outside all the time.

Irregardless they still were very happy that I cleaned and gave them a bunch of fresh bedding!!

 Wanted to throw in a pic of the difference between the new pigs and the ones that were born here.  The mother of the ones from here was more of a show pig.  The mother of the ones we just got are from and old fashion background.  In the pic above you can see that the pig has little to no definition of the shoulders or hams(butt).  The pic below shows some of the definition of the hams and the dimple above the tale that most judges look for in today's show pigs.  

I will try to get some better pics outside to further show the difference.  Either way the pigs are good for meat production.  However, this will show how you can use breeding to change the way an animal looks and grows.

The cows are doing great....still eating hay like crazy!!  I am planning on taking some good winter pics of them when we have the heard check next week.  They always look so different in the winter due to the long hair / winter coat that they put on for the cold months ahead!

Kenny

Pig Pig is off to see her boyfriend!!

Well, Pig Pig is officially off to stay with her boyfriend for a month as of today!! 

 She looked so big in the pen compared to the babies.....next to him she looks like the baby!

 He is just checking her out and saying hi!

 These are the two new piggies we brought home with us from where we dropped off pig pig.  They are both little girls and we are thinking about breeding them.  We are going to look at the six total we have now and decide who we want to breed to get the best offspring.  The rest will be available to eat!  If you look closely you will notice they have nose rings.  This is not a fashion statement.  This a ring that some farmers use to keep the pigs from rooting.  We removed them as soon as we got home.  Our pigs are grown naturally and they cannot forage for food if they cannot root around to do so. 

The pigs did fight a little bit after being together for a while.  The two new ones are a little bigger and were arguing about who should be the boss.  After a day or so they will all work it out and quit fighting but today and tomorrow they will argue a lot.  We also locked them in the barn for a couple days so the little ones don't try to go hunt for their mother.  We will probably let them out Sunday under supervision to make sure they don't wander off.  They do have food and drink at the barn so they should settle down quickly!

Just wanted to through in a picture of my daughter standing by the tractor.  She helped me all day long today.  We added a couple of heavy duty gates to the shed to help handle the cattle better.  Put another bale of hay in to the cows.  Moved pigs and fed the babies.  She did a great job for only being 4!!

Kenny

What ever happened to the snows like when I was a kid?

Well, it is Wednesday afternoon.  We have been having lake effect snow since Sunday night.  As I have said before I am a regional leader for snow removal for the landscape company I work for.  I am in charge of everything in the canton area during a snow event.  I call out sub contractors, our own people, plow, salt, and then check everything when we are done.

I got done this morning at 8:15.  I already have 40.5 hours this week.  Hopefully we are gonna get the rest of the week off with now more snow.

I have been thinking back to when I was a kid.  I remember loving the snow just like my kids do now.  Deep down I still do.  I remember it snowing for a day or so and putting 4-8 inches on the ground and then it would quit!  Or at least that was what it seamed like to a child's eyes.  I wonder if anyone even realizes the amount of work that is done while they are in bed at night so that when they go to work in the morning they don't have to worry about slipping while walking across the parking lot to the building?

A lot of people are nice and say hi at the businesses where they too work outside.  Shopping centers are not really the case.  It seams that it is a bother that we are there when people are trying to shop but even worse if there parking space is not spotless when they show up at Walmart at 3am to get a snack and goof off.

So, next time you see someone clearing a lot of snow or plowing your road.  Remember your drive in and how bad it was.  Then think about how that was an hour or so of your day.  That plow driver was out in it since the beginning and gets to go home to his/her family only after you are home safe with yours!


I know this is a farm report, not a snow report so I digress.  After getting off an 18.5hr shift I came home to a wonderful dinner with my family.  I called ahead and they had it all ready to eat as I only had a few hours before I had to leave again.  As soon as I got done with dinner I headed out to feed and check the cows and pigs.  It has been very cold so a bale of hay is only lasting two days right now.  May have to start feeding two bales at a time so I don't have to do it so often.  Once Jo Jo goes back home and Gordo and Isidro go to the butcher I will have three less big mouths to feed which should gain me an extra day of feeding out of one bale.
After putting  a bale into the cows I heading into the barn to give the piggies their silage hay and ground alfalfa feed.  They are getting so big!  I am guessing them to be about 25-30 lbs already.  As soon as I put the ground hay in the tub they jumped on it.  They were actually fighting their momma to eat it!!  This is a good thing as Pig Pig will be headed to see their daddy the week after Christmas and they will have to go on a milk free diet.

We are also getting a boar (male pig) of our own for breeding.  He is a Tamworth hog. 

This is a quick pic of him that Steven, my partner for the pigs, sent me after picking him out.


Kenny

You've heard of pigs in a blanket....what about pigs in the hay?

Well, the weather is turning bad here...gonna have to head out to plow snow sometime tonight.  I spent yesterday and today working on the truck and before calling it a night and heading in for a nap I went out to feed the pigs and check on the cows.  Pig Pig was up nibbling on some of the silage hay in her rack and I could make out some ears in the pile of bedding.  All the little ones dug down into the bedding and were taking a nap till I woke them up.

 These three didn't get up till after I put the food a snacks in the tub.  As for the ground alfalfa, the pigs love it!  We are going to change the blend this time.  We are going use 3 bales alfalfa and two bales of grass hay.  Then add the corn and supplements.  Pig pig will head to see her boyfriend after Christmas and the little ones will be on their own.  At that point we will take the corn out of the mix all together and have just the bean meal and minerals with the hay.  The little ones can't eat enough hay in bale form to stay healthy so for the winter we will grind it.  I can't wait for spring!! 

We also are getting a Tamworth  boar.  We will raise him to cross breed with the Yorkshire/Hampshire mix we have now.  The Tamworth are far better growing on grass than the one we have now.  We will gain from that as well as the three way cross gives maximum benefits from heterosis, also known as hybrid vigor.  Basically when you do a three way cross the offspring are 30%-40% better vigor, growth, and other traits.  This is also my reason for the three way cross in my beef cattle.

Wanted to through in a pic of the truck in the garage.  Was dark out so it was a bad pic.  It took me about 6 hours to install the EGR delete kit.  Would have been much quicker if I had done it before but for the first time this is not bad.  That was yesterday.  Today I was working on the right front u-joint.  Both sides are bad but this one was horrible.  Again, it is taking me longer than it should but this is the first time ever for doing this.  The other side will go a lot faster.

Can't wait to go play in the mud and snow after I get it all done!!!  Should run like a champ!

Kenny

Pretty Shiny Parts!!!!

EGR delete kit finally arrived for the truck today!!!  Will start working on tomorrow as soon as I get home from work!!

Hayed cows tonight.  They are eating a full bale in a little under three days now.  They are cleaning it up so well now that I don't have anything to clean out of the feeder!!  I really can't wait to send these two steers to the butcher.  I will gain at least one more day between bales from reducing the herd by two.  Sending dad's bull, Jo Jo, back home will help a lot also!

Piggies are doing well.  The little ones haven't learned to go outside to pee yet so they are making a little mess in the barn.  Just wet and nothing major but still needs cleaned up.  Hoping to get done this weekend.  They are also starting to eat the ground alfalfa with their mother.  Hopefully they will be ready to wean soon.

Wanted to through in a couple of pics of the pond we are building at work.  Today was the fifth day of moving dirt.  We are making some good progress but still have a little ways to go.  Should be done with the bulk of it by the end of the week.  Then comes the fun part where I get to trick it out with toprock and trees and other plants.  Maybe a waterfall and a stream and a secondary smaller pond! 

 It doesn't look very big till you realize that is my F350 flatbed truck with a snow plow and salt spreader setting on the other end of the pond.  It will finish a little bigger than an acre.

I remember when snow was fun....barely!

Well, been busy the last few days.  Snow season is upon us which means getting up at 1am and checking lots and salting, UGH!!  So needless to say I haven't been home to do much for a few days.  Finally got a break and came home to eat and have a nap.

Went out to check everyone and feed the piggies and snapped a quick pic of stormy and frosty in their winter coats!!

 Also, while doing snow and keeping the farm going I am also managing a pond installation for the project I have been managing at work since august.  Going to be about one acre when complete.  I this was right after they got started.  They had pushed off all the topsoil and were digging in the key way.  The key way is filled with clay and is dug deeper than the pond.  It stops any water from the pond from moving through sand and gravel seams underground.  I will try to get a pic tomorrow when I stop by after salting.  Big difference in just a couple of days!!

I love my truck and hate it at the same time!

Well, I just put two new injectors in the truck about three weeks ago.  It went really well and trouble free.  I thought to myself as I finished that maybe I would get a break from repairs for a while.  Yea, not so much.  I know need to replace u-joints and seals in the front end.  Since it has lockout hubs I can keep driving without having to replace immediately because I will only use them if I use four wheel drive.  So in the mean time I have been pricing parts and getting money together to fix.  Then today I had to work and warmed up truck and headed out to work.  On the way the truck starts blowing white smoke...ugh!  EGR cooler is shot.

So, now she sits till the egr delete kit comes.  Basically, on a diesel engine they recirculate exhaust gas back into engine to cut down on emissions.  This is called Exhaust Gas Recirculation, EGR.  They have to cool the exhaust gas before sending back through the engine as it can be as hot as 1300 degrees.  So Navistar decided to cool the exhaust with the engine coolant system.  It works great for about 30,000 miles then get a hole in the cooler and you have to have it replaced. 

Well it is out of warranty now and will cost appox. $2000-$3000 to have dealer fix it and do it all over again in a year or two.  Instead I am opting to eliminate the system.  This will eliminate future break downs as well as lower operating temps of the engine, increase power output, and reduce fuel consumption.  This option will cost me about 6-7 hours of my time to install and $150 in parts.  The dealer charges $100/hr for labor, amazingly I will probably only charge my self a few beers and a couple of hamburgers!!

I will take pics of the process and post.  I am sure someone out there will be interested.

Wish me luck!!

Kenny

Picked up tractor today.... Survey says!! Candy Wrapper!?

That is right, it took a $.01 lollipop wrapper to shut down a $53000 tractor.  Good thing is there is no permanent damage and it was all under warranty.  Someone's kid probably dropped it in the tank when their parents were looking at something in the lot.  Anyway, it is fixed and running great!!

My daughter and I unloaded tractor when I got home and took it for a test drive then put loader back on to hay the cows.  When we got down to shed to hay them we noticed that due to the rain the cows had made a horrible mess from being in the shed for two days strait.  So, we decided to clean the shed before we hayed them so we could bed the area down with fresh bedding for them to lay on till the snow passes. 

Couple of pics from the test drive.

 It is so nice to be able to drive around a tractor in the winter when you have a cab!!!  SOOOO WARM!!

 This is a pic of the creek when it is a little high.  In august I was able to walk through this area and it was 5' across and about 3" deep.  Today the same spot is 20' across and 2.5'deep!!

Today the water is half way up the front wheels.  In the spring I drove through this same spot and the water came up to the pad on the floor of the cab. 

The area I am driving through is the driveway to the other half of my fields.  It was put in for an oil well over there and the neighbor and I use it for the farms now...at least when we can!

Stopped in to check on piggies and shut off barn lights before coming in house after taking care of the cows.  I saw pig pig but none of the babies.  I decided before going outside to look for them to check the nest in the corner of the pen to see if they might have crawled under some hay.  They did.  I found all four buried eight inches deep in the hay.  Once I found the first one I stopped checking and walked back out of pen.  However since I woke one up and it grunted the rest one by one started popping their heads up out of the hay pile!  It was quite humorous.  Anyway, everyone is doing great and they are all comfy for the night!

Maybe if snow keeps up and I get done salting early tomorrow I can take my daughter sled riding.  We have an awesome hill for it!  I will post pics if we go!

Kenny