Old Farmer's Almanac

[Texasmark]

Who plants per the Farmers Almanac?

How about just dark of the moon for root/light for above ground without complete regard for the good and bad days mentioned therein? How about not even that....just do it when you feel like it or have the time?

Reason for the question is that I was all setup to "do it right" and this front came through an hour ago and April planting is now out. Next time will be this time in May. That's getting a tad late to try to get in a hay crop and have 3 cuttings. Thinking about "cheating mother nature". Grin (I remember the margarine commercials on the subject.)

Thanks,

Mark

 

[Ron in Nebr]

We're in the cattle business, not farming, so I can't answer your original question about planting...

But thought it would be interesting to note here that back before we got mostly polled bulls and used to have to dehorn lots of calves after weaning, dad would invariably mention the Farmer's Almanac and the current phase of the moon.....from what he claimed, the calves would bleed much less from getting their horns cut off if the "moon was right". Not on a reglar basis, but once every several years, one would bleed bad enough that it died. Usually though, if they bled at all, it'd clot up and stop in a short time...don't know if the moon had anything to do with that or not.

Although I don't know that we ever actually scheduled dehorning based on that factor, more likely just did it when we had time and hoped the moon was right...

Glad we don't dehorn like we used to- that was nothing but pure hard work! Running 500 or so 450lb calves through a squeeze chute, securing their heads on an apparatus mounted on the front of the headgate, and sawing the horns off by hand...by the end of the day you were covered with dirt, dried blood, and bruises....

 

[Texasmark]

Thanks Ron.

What you said is the reason I now prefer to run naturally polled animals. I just couldn't go the pain to the animals, and worry about bleeding, infection and parasites that dehorning requires. Back when I ran white faces, I'd swear that the horned animal grew to a larger size. Maybe horns had nothing to do with it; may have just been the pedigree but horned ones were always larger....and talk about bulls. Yeah!

Almanac has been around for a long time. Must be something to it or it wouldn't still be around including a comprehensive web site.

Mark

 

[Anonymous-0]

That book was 100% accurate for upwards of 35 years---in my dads eyes anyway. Us kids called it dads comic book ....behind his back. In those days you did not disagree with dads, rather point out it was 100% wrong. If it said wet summer and we were dry----yea but those Dakodaaaas are wet, was his reply. Seems stupid to even read it as far as I'm concerened.

For these large livestock operations regardless of hog or cattle I know of not one that goes by the book. Some of the older guys that go by the book seem to have many years of money problems.

The only saying that I do know is true is when the rooster sits on top of the manure pile and crows the weather is going to change or stay the same.

Always be sure to prune trees only when the chain saw is sharp is another one.

The great comic book was perhaps the only reasurance the old guys had for making decisions that were troubling to them. We today still try to take advise from self proclaimed experts on subjects. Weather man, Dr Phill, TV adds for loosing weight, good health, guys like me on this post. My advise can be paid for in only four easy payments of ONLY $49.99 and if you order right now I will throw in.....And thats a $400.00 dollar value.

The grate comic book does not have to ever be right, but they still sold you a copy...follow the dollars--the main reason the book is published---profits.

 

[Coffee Helps]

From "across the miles", here in SW Wis., it was said in our family that Grandfather planted by phases of the moon. He was born in 1891. Nobody in our family since Grandfather has planted by the moon.
Whether one gets a good crop around here seems to depend so much on whether one gets enough rain & timely rain. (Like a "million dollar rain.")
Unexpected or surprising things do seem to happen, however, when there's a full moon.

 

[Paul Sebek]

The horned ones being bigger actually makes sense as food and water that would normally go into fat and muscle is being used to repair the damage and fight off disease in dehorned animals.
If done during a crucial growth period for the animal it could affect their final size.(speculation)
I have smaller animals where if they had to fight off disease or injury when young they didn't make it to full size.

 

[Texasmark]

I agree with that assessment totally.

Same thing I think applies to castration. That's why I never castrated my bulls and seems they brought the same at the sale barn (201 days old) as other folk's calves that were castrated.

I mean, from my point of view, the little critters have enough to deal with in trying to make it to 201 days, much less having to deal with wounds that I inflicted.

Like the first calf of the season. I found it dead one morning where it was born during the night. At first I thought it was still born, but I now think it was stepped on by another cow which has happened to me before. I had flood lights on the loafing area, but where I found the calf was behind a pile of lot residue and it was shaded from the lights.

Mark