around the farm pics

Its another warm dry day in Central IL. We are dry here but in much better shape than alot of areas from what I am hearing. If you didnt know, you really couldnt tell from looking just how dry we are. Timely rains have saved us so far.



This was our second cutting of alfalfa. As you can see we have been getting some moisture. This was a couple weeks ago.


It wasnt the biggest second cutting ever but it was some of the nicest hay we have baled in awhile.


We finally got the new cattle chute we ordered 4 months ago. It is quite a nice replacement for the 30 year old one it replaced.


We bought three of these mineral feeders/fly rubs this winter. So far I am very happy with what I am seeing.


Last thursday it got to 100 degrees. What better job than riding around in tractors and spreading poo. Seemed like a good idea for a hot day, untill I blew a hose on the spreader. Thank goodness for shade trees!!


Even wrigley thinks its hot!
We put the bulls in with the cows friday and that has us pretty well caught up for a few days. Nick is taking off on a vacation and I am going to try to not work too awful hard myself.
Try to stay cool everybody and with a little luck maybe we will all catch a nice rain.
bill

Bill.
It's getting hot and dry here on Clinton Camp farm in Central NY., also. We finished first cut Alfalfa, two weeks ago. Hot dry weather is stressing all our crops. We too are setting back, just waiting on the weather to start second cut, and hopeing for rain to give the crops good push, that they really need to mature. Our spray guy Charley has been busy, keeping ahead of the worm and insect population.
Loren

Bill,
You get in a bind - Could always send the daughter to help take care of Wrigley!

PS: How does the corn and beans look out there in western Peoria county? I was down towards Delevan the last couple of days and some corn and beans are DRY!

I've been watching and waiting for you to start selling ollies and buying more poppers!
Honestly jim, the crops out here look amazingly good. We got a 2 inch rain about 3 weeks ago and just enough since then to keep us going. We will have to catch some cooler weather or some rain, soon, but for right now, things look pretty good.
bill

I know what you mean about timely rains down that way Bill. I cost share some acreage with a farmer on some property I own in SE Ill.. (Crawford County) Here's a pic of the corn from a couple weeks ago while I was down doing some mowing. Ground is dry but crop doing OK with the timely rain showers. Just hoping it keeps up. Doing better than alot of folks further South and up North. Really spotty conditions this year.

Might have to talk to Travis B. IF you really want an Oliver!

We have been getting a little rain but seems like it dies out at the Mississippi or goes north of I-80.

Jim

Cutting in the early bud stage? That's high RFV hay. Looks like about 1.2 tons to me. And you are down there to 2 .5 inches or so?

That is some nice looking alfalfa hay.

Just got our second cutting of Tifton 9 Bahiagrass last week; hopefully got it all sold this morning.

Be sure to pat Wrigley on the head for me and tell him he's a good dog.

Thanks for sharing your photos with us.

Understand what you mean about the timely rain, we in West. SC have been getting timely small rains, only problem is that they come too often to get hay cut, but still are too small to really build moisture level in the ground. Rivers are low. I found the ideal way to get rain, I was watering the garden when yesterday's rain hit.

KEH

Great looking hay crop. We"re just getting started with haying in our valley. We had a wet spring and the neighbor"s alfalfa apears to have some problems from excessive moisture in some of the draws and bug damage elsewhere. No where near as good looking as your 2nd cutting!

Had to wipe the drool off my whiskers from staring at that chute and mineral feeder. We just bought a bunch of corral panels and man those are nice to have. A chute like that is a maybe someday kinda thing.

A good chute makes a world of difference. Do I see hydraulic lines on your new one?