Fly Control

Y'all are talking about snow and I'm already working cattle. I hauled a load to the processor this morning and came back to check the herd I removed them from and counted nearly 60 flies per face. It's April and I had to make the decision to already put fly tags in. I like to hold out to May/June to get better coverage into fall. Looks like I will have to re-work them them with fresh tags to cover September/October.

I use a rotating fly tag regimen that alters the active ingredient to try preventing resistance. This year I'm back to Corathon, good stuff and judging by fly numbers, a good year to be back with them. I also use an IGR feed through mineral with Altosid.

What are your modes of action this year?

Fly Control

Ryegrass hay

So we planted 20 acres of ryegrass to keep a newly leveled field from washing this last fall. It is tetraploid(sp?) And this field had chicken manure spred on it the past 2 years and kept disced year round for the past 2 years. (Actually its a young pecan orchard it took that long to kill fhe coastal bermuda). Anyways we put another 70 units of nitrogen down about 2 months ago. So we had it custom cut and baled. It was cut 2 weeks ago on a tuesday with a 14 foot john deere swather with flail. That thursday he raked 3 swathes into one and on saturday he baled it. It seemed way too wet on friday evening when I last saw it. Well i guess he baled it loose so it was breathe more and now fhe bales are drooping and getting hot. Bales are still in the field. Put a thermometer in a few of them and read 175 on most and some at 195. What are yalls thoughts on this hay and thoughts on how it should have been preped for baling. Also ground was dry and humitiy was pretty low first few days and it was windy, no rain a few morning dews that were gone by no later than 10am.

Ryegrass hay

Flowers in my Field

I have about 10 acres that has pretty good coverage of Coastal  and I usually Make small square Bales.

This year I have a big crop of Indian Paintbrush. I've read where the flowers are edible but the stems are not.

What should I do with this Field? I was think about going ahead and mowing the flowers but then what ?

It is usually the middle of May before the coastal is ready to bale.

Any help will be appreciated.

 

 

Flowers in my Field

Vermeer baler monitor

Bought a used vermeer rancher 665. Got it thursday and looked at the monitor to it closer and it has on the bottom of it written in the id area model number 605sm and serial number does not match. Contacted dealer but have not heard back from them yet. On the monitor it also says software number and such. Can you move a monitor from baler to baler? Monitor shows 2300bales total and the customer that traded in the baler said it has 1500 bales which from the looks of it seems like it has low bale count. What are yalls thoughts?

Vermeer baler monitor

Foxtail Millet.

I was looking through the seed catalog the other night and German Foxtail millet caught my eye. I'm considering planting 10-15 acres this year to see what happens. Anyone fed this to their own cattle? How did they like it? Preform well on it? I understand this is a one time cut, however I do like to play around with out of the norm stuff realizing sometimes you win sometimes you loose. I am going to plow this patch after the burn down does it's thing to get ready for fall ryegrass and just thought I would put a short rotation crop in,

Foxtail Millet.

Danged Easter Bunny!

Look what he left me.
I got it all framed out just need to put the panels on and build some benches... like I don't allready have enough to do lol. This is what happens when your thumbs are green..DOH!

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Danged Easter Bunny!

3 pt Disc Mower Hydraulic Lift

I use a New Idea 5407. After mowing for a couple of hours when raised to lift the bar does not fully lift.

It only has one hydraulic line. I bled off the cylinder by opening the top line fitting and hydraulic oil came out. Bar lifted to normal transport position. I lift the cutter bar when I make my corners. After mowing I have to continually bleed the cylinder.

I am thinking that the seals are bypassing.

Would 2 hydraulic lines help but take away the float?

Possibly just a low grade cylinder?

Thanks,

3 pt Disc Mower Hydraulic Lift