The class III price for April was posted today. The price for April 2009 was $10.78, in 2010 it was $12.92 and this year it is $16.87. Once again our contracted price was an opportunity loss but this time it was only
$ .16, or $120.00. Knowing it could have easily been much less we are still OK with the fact we contracted. We never contract everything so the milk we produce above our contract will pay the higher price. In the last 15 years the highest April price was in 2004 at $19.66 and the lowest was in 2000 at $9.41.
We got our vet bill today and after the surgeries and unnecessary (as it turned out) calving call we managed to still be just under $1000. The way the month started I had resigned myself to it being much worse so I guess in a strange way its a win. The nice thing about being a record keeper and using a computer is it is easy to check out history. Our last $1000 vet bill was in June 2008. Since then we have had many months with pretty small bills. I am just glad April is done.
Bruce's mission today was to clean the yard at Ed's. It desperately needed it and the ground is drying enough that he could get it out on the field. The area that needed cleaning the worst was behind the bunk but that is also where the heifers are usually penned while they clean. Today they had to leave them in the yard so with every load Bruce's dad and Ed had to open and close the gates and watch so no one got out. They managed to get 7 loads hauled and then the skid steer stopped. It was just after 5 but Bruce had the cell phone number for the skid steer mechanic we use. After discussion it was decided that the skid steer should not move to minimize more damages and they will pick it up and haul it into the shop tomorrow. Again we can see $$$ and Bruce and I are frustrated beyond words. Last year our total repair expenses on everything was $9000 and in 2008 it was only $7700. We are way past that and its only May. With all the skid steer frustrations there is a bright side in the fact that Ed has a skid steer he will let us use. It's smaller and a different brand but it will do the work for now. The skid steer is critical for feeding with our haylage coming out of the bag for everyone here. Tonight Bruce started feeding late and I started milking. Before I got the milkers switched the first time I could see the cow that was due was pushing. She was considerate enough to deliver her bull calf just as we got done milking everyone else so we finished up with her and won't have to do an over night watch.
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