The sprayer was heading out to spray our fields as Bruce was leaving the house this morning. We have maps that we photo copy of all of our fields and Bruce had color coded the fields according to what they needed sprayed. The no till ground gets sprayed for weed control. With the previous alfalfa crop on these fields there is no need to add nitrogen so these fields are sprayed for weed control only. The ground with previous corn crops needed not only weed control but also some nitrogen fertilizer. On ground that has multiple years of corn there can be problems with insect damage. We used to use an insecticide to control this problem but in recent years we are able to plant corn that has been genetically modified so the insects won't bother it. The ground that is in its last year of corn and will be seeded to alfalfa next year gets sprayed with fertilizer and also weed control but extra care has to be used since any residue left from this year could damage the alfalfa we try to plant next year. It was warm and still so we had perfect weather cooperation for getting that job out of the way. Jason's Field has officially been sprayed. One job removed from Bruce's list!
The cows stayed in the barn today. Outside there was a nice breeze by late morning but it was hot out in the sun so we felt it was in the cows best interest to stay in regardless of the breeze. Bruce fed them a TMR comparable to what they get in winter with full haylage and we bedded them with chopped corn stalks as usual. When it gets hot I prop the calf hutches up so they have the benefits of a breeze but the shade of the hutch. If I didn't prop them up the heat builds up in them, comparable to a car with just one window open. It's not unusual to have the calves lay in the back of the hutches enjoying the breeze. The bigger calves have pails for water in front of their fences but I feed the smallest ones with a bottle and I usually mix in electrolites. If you would see them you would think I was giving them bottles of red kool aid. Today the only calf that was struggling with the heat was the one we had just treated for pneumonia last week.
The haybine is now home and ready to cut hay and the blower is already positioned by the silo. Bruce cleaned the lower barn and piled it in the outer yard today so he can run the chopper box of bedding off and push it in the building so we can use it later. There is a forecast of very strong storms tomorrow afternoon and then a more pleasant change in the weather. The weather is a critical part of our world, especially in summer. While the heat and humidity is perfect for growing corn it can be deadly for cattle. Warm weather pushes the alfalfa crop to maturity quickly. I am wishing we had the crop already harvested but there haven't been enough hours in the day. Tonight it is 83 with a humidity of 51% and wind. It is absolutely beautiful out. The cows should have a good night on pasture.
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