[Baystatetom]

Congratulations! That baby will teach you all about love and patients and how to not sweat the little stuff, all things that will help in every facet of your life, including oxen.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

Thank You to everyone who worked on putting together and running the event. My son and I both had a blast. I feel blessed to be a member of such a great group of folks.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

My father in-law loves to tell the story about when he was a kid the hill next to his house was logged by a guy with two team of horses. The logger would send the teams out to the landing on their own where my father in-law would unhook the logs and ride the team back in to the woods, then run down the hill again and fish in the nearby brook for a couple minutes before the next hitch came out. He says he would climb up on them using the log pile as a step stool and ride while they were in full harness. The thing that makes this impressive is he only has one leg. The other was lost in a manure spreader when he was 8.

[Baystatetom]

Just don’t forget the 3 rules to logging roads, get the water off the road, get the water off the road, and most importantly, get the water off the road!
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

I hate to bring a discouraging word to the conversation, but I have heard from a lot of teamsters that their second team was their best. The first ones you learn on and the third ones its old hat and they often don’t get the time the first two did. Maybe its time to start breaking new calves, while you accomplish as much work as you can with the older team/single and then make the switch when time seams right.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

I think it makes a huge difference in winter conditions. I am not so sure that it does anything to cut down on the draft force required to move a load on bare or soft ground, however it does keep the butt end of your log from catching every root, stump and stone between the stump and landing. I think avoiding all those sudden stops helps team morale.
If building a new one I would try and bend the runners up rather then weld an angle. Also I really like the V on the front, it deflects off trees rather then hanging up. My good friend welded it up for me. He said the steel was $250 and if he charged me labor it would be $1,000.

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[Baystatetom]

Jim, You saw my version in Athol. I have only flipped it over once, making a 90 degree corner. Mine is 4′ wide, I meant it to be kind of a hybrid go devil-bobsled. The size is good or bad depending on the situation. I often do wish it was a little lighter to move around in the slash.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

Looks like I found some. I didn’t really want Holstein but they were 2 miles from home and free, just couldn’t pass up something so easy to get.

[Baystatetom]

Still looking for calves, Livewater farm still hasn’t talked his heifers into having two bulls. 🙂
Herford, normande, randal or crosses of them preferred. The younger the better so my kids can bottle feed them.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

Thinking I may buy a 10″, and if the 9″ gets to tight and the 10″ is a little loose, I’ll put the 9″ bows in the 10″ yoke for a little while.
If I shave my 9″ bows they will be too big the next time I have a team ready to move out of an 8″.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

Sounds like you are doing it right.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

Guys that work in slaughter houses have all sorts of strange things found in cow guts. I lost a steer one time to a small nail that worked its way through into a bad spot. Its easy for them to get a fence staple or nail that popped out of a board along with a mouth full of grass. A cow magnet cost a few dollars, a lot less then a new steer.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

Hardware disease?  Eaten something like a nail or fence staple.   I would do both 2 and 3.  Start handling that green steer as much as you can as a back up.  I have never tried breaking one that old, however I did break a team at 6 months and aside from having to plant my heals and brace myself when they tried to run it seamed to go pretty smooth.  Good Luck

~Tom

[Baystatetom]

I am pretty bummed but my girls both have games in different towns and I just got a reject sticker on my truck.  Looks like I’ll be missing this years wood bee.  Have a great time and be safe.

~Tom

 

[Baystatetom]

Last year Ted was telling me he had recently met someone from Westhampton but he couldn’t remember their name, I told him too bad its a small town I probably know them.   Turns out it was my in-laws!  what a small world.  They where driving the neighborhood looking for a farm that  my wifes great uncle had worked on, Ted remembered him and invited them in for coffee.

 

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