BigR, sounds like you and I must be pretty close in age, because that's pretty much how we did it too. While the harvest methods have pretty much remained the same.......you still cut it with a tobacco knife, put it on a stick using a spear (we call them spikes), hang it in a barn to cure, and then start the stripping process when it comes in case. Today's tobacco is marketed different, or at least it is here. The stripping method (which is removing the leaves from the stalk) is a lot easier, as most farmers use a wheel to hang the tobacco on, and it keeps a constant supply going. The buyers want it in bales that will weigh around 600-700 pounds. Whereas it used to take me all winter to strip my tobacco out, the big operations of today are usually finished by the first of December. Of course, they use migrant labor, and have a dependable labor source, something I never had.
The tobacco companies today have a much stricter tolerance on the tobacco leaves they buy. They cannot contain any foreign material. That means no pigeon feathers, weeds, dried up tobacco worms. or any other substance that we used to see on the tobacco. They inspect each bale, document any foreign material in the tobacco and can cancel a buyers contract over it. It's a much different ballgame, but it's still hard work.
I am at a lost to why those of you with pig problems don't won't us to kill them ? I understand the part about controlling who's on your land, but Texas fever and making a dime on every dollar, well let the hogs do what hogs do. I know nothing is free in Texas!
In my post I said I let folks hunt pigs for free.
Jim
Well in texas, you are one of......well one, and thank you ! If I ever get back there I will be in touch.
In most cases, I'd rather have the pigs than the hunters...
The pigs are smarter and cause less damage. And don't sue the landowner...
Jim that sounds a lot like our last few days putting out pairs. Had about 30 calves with frozen ears from the brutal spring. Most of which had lost their tags. Trying to pair cow and calves together when the calves don’t have tags is not an easy task. Ended up retagging them as we went but. Ended up with at the end one cow. With one calf that was not hers. Checked every pasture trying to find an upset cow and calf that we mismatched.... but have not found anything bellering bad. And nothing from the real close bunches came back home. So hauled them out to our pasture with 103 pairs and am hoping it will correct itself. Took a 10 Hour day to do a 1 hour job. That’s efficiency at its best.
We just caught a rain haven’t checked the gauge. I’m guessing will be .30-40 maybe in about 20 mins. Real nasty clouds lots of wind
C, we actually didn't even tag calves for a week because of the cold temps. I guess I did tag a couple and sure enough they both lost part of their ear right up to and including the tag.
We ended up with 95 calves that didn't get tagged during calving. Which is more than normal for us and creates a bit of a nightmare.
When we brand they each get a tag with an X1, X2, X3, etc. all the way up to X95.
Then the fun starts.
After branding we'll let about 10 cows in with the calves and try to mother them up. Of course you have all kinds of moochy calves and calves that won't nurse. It takes a keen eye to figure out what is really a pair. And then you might have a few sets of twins that you don't even know about....
And we haul them out ASAP by the semi load to the big pastures so fuuck-ups are a bad deal. Pairing off loads sucks. Grass out the gate would be a dream.
This afternoon we got the last semi load out, what a relief. Still have 25-30 pair to haul out by horse trailer to local pasture but that is a piece of cake.
Caught up enough with the cows to maybe start farming again!
Side note, the last of the bred heifers calved last week, about damn time!
But can't complain, we went 55 for 56. Lost one calf at birth and one old calf got prolonged pneumonia and died. Stuck a bum on the one and will re-breed the other. First time ever we're keeping every single heifer.
Jim, how many acres you have left to get in the ground? Calving been going good?
We have about 220 acres of wheat to get in and a little 20 acre patch of hay barley down on the bottom. I'm halfway afraid to look under the (leaky?)tarp on the fertilizer truck box......
And the pre-spray burn is wearing off on the stuuf I need to seed and I halfway want to hit it again and maybe not have to spray after the crop comes up but that is wishful thinking.....
The first seeded hay barley is ready to get sprayed so after sorting, vaccinating and loading out we went to work on one of the old Spra Coupes.
Mooner, you bought cows or steers/heifers or what?
You ain't gonna fatten up some damn old cow to eat are you?!
