Week 6 blog
In the beginning of the week, the chickens were switched over to layered feed as the hens started to lay eggs. A total of six Guinea eggs hatched on the farm and so I was able to set up a little section in the chicken barn to care for the newborn chicks. I set up a heat lamp, new water and food dispenser as well as padding. Guineas are known for not doing so well with their newborns, so it was best to care for them in a secluded area. Throughout the week I gained hands on experience with the 4-wheelers, checked the condition of cattle and maintained some of the weeds that were growing into one side of the flowerbed within the office landscape. I also went on another trip with Erin Buttler (Horticulture Consultant). She showed me one of the projects she was currently working on in Austin. An expensive home with several plants being incorporated into the front and back yard. Got to meet some of the head crew leaders from Whittlesey Landscape Supplies as they delivered pallets of soil. Helped unload several plants delivered from a local Nursery and get an idea for where they would be going. Also met with some of Erin’s consultant friends that owned installation businesses and got great entail on how that sort of business runs. Visited one of Erin’s other projects she is working on in Austin, met with one of the Landscape Architects that she is working with on the project around a newly build skyscraper. Learning the bidding process and how she goes about choosing what company for plant installation and labor. Later in the week Cody, Bobby, and I drove around the Farm Perimeters to record all the crops that are surrounding the border, (Stiles Farm LIP project area & Practices). Started the day early around 6:30 Am to begin working the cattle as they become stressed out with too much heat. Set up the Cattle Chute with the help of Cody (intern) and Bobby (Farm Employee). The cattle chute is a strongly built stall that squeezes the cattle when entered that way you can apply vaccinations, remove old tags etc. First, we used the 4-wheelers and Frontier to move the cattle into a section of the stalls. We then separated the cattle that needed to be re-tagged and needed vaccination by groups up to 6 at a time into a single file line between two sides of fencing where we applied “Ivermax” from the shoulder to the hip of the cows; which prevents disease from a specific type of worm. As the cows were in a single file line, we let the cows into the cattle chute one by one where I was able to gain experience tagging the cows as well as applying vaccinations to the hip area. We continued this process until the heat conditions got too bad and forced us to stop as the cattle were getting too stressed out. There were a total of 4 heifers and 2 steers that were dropped off at the marketplace in Cameron, Tx about 35 minutes out from where we are located. From there the cowboys unloaded the cattle and gave us a ticket slip.
Week 7 Blog
Checked on the conditions of the plants in the landscape, there were a few plants that were getting too much water and so I needed to adjust the soaker hose. Checked up on the chickens, several hens have started laying eggs at this point. The 4 hatched Guineas have gotten to the point where they can begin flying and do not need a heat lamp. Deciding on where to implement a few more landscapes, possibly a raised bed garden of some sort. Helped move a few large pieces of equipment using the forklift that way we could mow the large weeds growing around the area. Always be cautious for snakes curling up near these pieces of equipment. Dismantled a large diesel tank from an older Farm truck that is no longer in use and helped attach it to the 4×4 dodge Farm Vehicle. This will save hours of having to come back and forth from the planting fields to fill up on diesel. I learned how to replace the pump hose which is ¾’’ static bonded (Aggie Gas) hose. Also learned how to re wire the gas pump and attach it to the car battery. The Dodge Truck now has a fully functional diesel tank attachment. All it needs now is an air compressor attachment. Later in the week I was able to Purchased 2 watering timers for the landscape around the main office, since it is getting a lot hotter outside, I decided to set the watering time a lot earlier that way the roots can absorb the water without it instantly being evaporated in this Texas heat. Gained a lot of tractor experience with the front-End loader, we spent pretty much the whole day loading up hay bales onto the hay trailer and making trips back and forth to headquarters to drop off the hay. (4 bales at a time) Learned how to hook up the front and back fork attachment on the front-end loader to carry 2 bales at the same time. Also learned how to work the hay trailer in which one of the sides has levers to flip over the bales of hay. When lifting the hay bales with the front end loader you have to make sure to keep accelerating while picking up the bale (lifting it just above so that it stays all the way on the fork and also to load the bales on the trailer in the order 3,2,4,1 so that the weight of the bales doesn’t bend the axel of the truck or cause any problems with the hitch. The breaks on the tractor are very touchy and so the first few loads took me a while longer until I soon got the hang of lifting and dropping the bales.
