Patience is a virtue

My partner in crime, Larry Joe, oldest son, Nate, and I just got back from our annual New Mexico elk hunt. A little time in the mountains is good for body and soul, but too much quiet time lets my creativity run rampant and I dream up all sorts of projects for us to do on the ranch — I hope my energy doesn’t run out!

All our cow feed was put up before we took off and what corn we have left to harvest we will combine when the cattle on feed have cleared enough space to get it all fit inside. I would like to plant our wheat to be grazed next spring, but it is so dry I am afraid it would be a waste of seed and diesel fuel in that effort. Maybe it will rain soon and we can begin. I’ve seeded wheat until mid-November and been successful attaining a good stand for grazing. We will have to keep one eye watching for rain clouds. Manure pumping begins this week and that may provide enough moisture on some fields to get the wheat planted there and established before freeze-up.

The guys have been shuffling cows around to new grass and cornstalk fields since the lack of rainfall has ended the pasture grazing season. It won’t be long until supplemental feed will have to be provided if we don’t get substantial rainfall soon.

I would like to find some time for some more brush control projects, but I’m concerned that the dry weather may have rendered the target plants less receptive to absorb the chemical than would be ideal and I don’t want to waste the herbicides or the time to apply them. I had a chemical rep tell me that the most critical element in brush control was patience and I certainly see what he meant.

The cattle on feed have been challenging lately with the big swings in temperature causing them to back down dramatically on feed consumption, then come roaring right back with the slightest bit of cooler weather. The market has tried to soften for fats, but feeders are still sky-high and any negative correction has been pretty small percentage-wise.

Plenty to do, but with football games three or four days, cross country a couple of early evenings and a couple of jujitsu tournaments on Saturdays, the October calendar hanging on the fridge is pretty darned full — and I am loving every minute. See you in line at the concession stand.