[Donn Hewes]

Before I got the combine I had pretty good luck just putting beans between two tarps on the wagon and walking on them. Then using a big house fan as we sifted the beans off the tarp. They still need more cleaning but a good start. definitely want to get rid of most chaff, etc. Before you put them away for any length of time. The beans can be more dry than the chaff and air doesn’t flow as well with the chaff mixed in. They can mold this way even if you think the beans are dry. If unsure if they are dry, I spread them out on a clean tarp in my basement. They dry well there.

A pick up head could get me in a lot of trouble!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Donn Hewes.

[Donn Hewes]

Nick, Thanks for the great photos. The crop lifters are cool! I can see where they would work to lift grain crops, but for a bean on the ground it would have to line up pretty good. I like the pick up head too. I wish I had one of those. I don’t think the mower has as much need for the crop lifters as while it would be lifting lodged hay it would also be creating more drag; grain crops would not be as heavy as hay and the drag would be less of a problem. For hay I think it would defeat any benefit. Makes me look at the snow still in my yard and want to go out and start mowing. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Rock guards mowers do have, but they don’t really lift crops just slide the cutter bar over the rocks. I would lover to see a photo of the “springed fingers”. Perhaps this is a guard of a different type? I have wanted a pick up head for my all-crop, but was told they are harder to find in the east and where more common further west? I have seen pictures, but not seen one in person. I like growing black beans and eat lots of them, but need to improve the system slightly before I ramp up!

[Donn Hewes]

I think the main reason was to be perpendicular to the hay trolley. You can look at the David Fishers barn at Natural Roots Farm. He did not build a berm up to the second level, but unloads from outside at the end. They certainly go to great lengths to build them on the long side, even today. What type of hay and how you want to unload it might be the only issue.

[Donn Hewes]

I recently built a new hay barn. I don’t make loose hay but someone else could. I built a local Amish style barn built for loose hay. I hope this link works.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN6PUVgz5OGCZ0C3Erv9D3ZfW_TA_Mg6TYGQllbzB9M_Ltn-MOYzghc4m1YPD8OnQ?key=aGU2Q2RqOU5CUUsyMUlCU0w4MEFFbUhXY29ENkJn

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Donn Hewes.

[Donn Hewes]

I have an all crop also. I do use it to thresh black beans, but I use it stationary. I cut the beans with a scythe and dry them on the wagon before combining. I would use the machine with a gas PTO cart, but the beans don’t grow tall enough off the ground / rocks. I am hoping to get taller beans?

[Donn Hewes]

I don’t think they are sensitive as in ” it hurts”; but I do think she is sensitive in the sense that she has not gotten used to it touching her. The rubbing sort of indicates she has not learned to move away from it. Again doesn’t like it touching her, but doesn’t know what is the right thing to do about it. Most animals learn these lessons fairly easily without much effort on our part. Some need more coaching on moving over. Do you use a butt rope at all? I have never found a huge need for one as a safety tool, but do like to use them on green animals, and this year I really noticed how it was helping a particular mule learn to move over.
I have worked with other animals to teach this and found it difficult. some just have it, and other will be following with their hind end for every. Hopefully a better horse trainer than me will think of something intelligent to say!
The kicking is very frustrating, no matter what a horse likes or doesn’t like we would prefer that it didn’t learn this response. I would be watching to try and catch this horse just thinking about it. I would like to start correcting it right then if I could. Easier said than done.

[Donn Hewes]

Another good auction will be in Cobleskill, NY. April 8th.

[Donn Hewes]

I think the biggest problem when I first put it on him “ground driving”, was I was already dealing with an animal that was going to run. A little more effort was needed to stop him the first few times he did that.

I used this set up on two different animals yesterday while ground driving. I was still working with two people in each case, but it worked fine and was pretty easy to work. Neither animal made a full on effort to get away, but both did a couple of surges that were nice and easy to handle / discouragement from the foot rope. In the morning I worked with a friend who has been riding Zeek, a horse I drove last summer, but never really got around to working single. We were introducing working in an open bridle and working single. We also introduced a nice new bit (don’t know the name). Working with a friend who is a very experienced horse women, but not a lot of driving. For all those reasons the foot rope, made the work easy and enjoyable. Zeek was a little energetic, but did great and settled down nicely.

In the afternoon I worked at home, again with a pretty green teamster who I made do 90 % of the driving. We had pete ground driving single skiding poles. A simple task that he missed because of his convoluted training, saw him going to the cart with out mastering something simple like skidding poles by himself. Again with me on the foot rope, he did well, and moved a good pile of poles. Great tool for me, and something I will put on animals in the future as a matter of basic training.

[Donn Hewes]

I have also simplified how the foot rope is attached. I started with a three to one mechanical advantage because I didn’t know what we needed. I also use a couple of small pulleys. Now the system would work fine with only 2:1 mechanical advantage and no pulleys. I just start by putting a small loop on the belly band and then down to the foot where we go through a carabiner attached to a hobble. Doesn’t matter which foot and we changed it as we moved the animal from one side to the other. from the foot we went up to a ring, carabiner or pulley attached at the Dring or center of harness. from here the rope just came back to the teamster or helper working the rope. You can hang it from the britchen just to keep it out from under foot. Very easy to place on or off.

[Donn Hewes]

With a little more time using the foot rope I see it more clearly than I did just as it applied to Pete. To start it on a green animal would be simple and just take a few minutes to introduce while standing around. Basically the same process as putting a harness on for the first time or anything else. While standing still, “hey look, I can pick up your foot!”. Teach him that when stopping a time or two and then walk off and teach him to drive, work etc. Take it off or put it on at point. a couple things I most liked about it where; it didn’t try to scare the animal it just had a great way to stop them. Also he quickly learned what “it “was and what it did. This meant that with out full deployment “taking his leg out”, you could just give it a shake and he would settle a little. Also with this added control method you don’t need to be a tight or be too quick on the lines. Imagine how you drive when you feel an animal is just about to take bolt or might try to run. You naturally tighten a little to prevent the mishap. Here you can just relax and drive naturally, which helps them relax.

[Donn Hewes]

Bill, It is a little sad to think of sap flowing in Jan.

[Donn Hewes]

These horses are working with a large space between them. This doesn’t us a neck yoke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYgJEWAHEOY

[Donn Hewes]

I am still not sure what the goal here is. The spreader chain yoke will undoubtedly make a strong yoke. Not sure what purpose it serves beyond that. It could be used with or with out jockey yokes in any harness type. Erika’s picture show one just fine.

[Donn Hewes]

That photo is of a “straight” stick yoke. Not sure when there would be much advantage in that. I think the use of Jockey yokes (or a short yoke for each animal added t a regular neck yoke) basically depends on which harness type you are using. D rings and side backers both require the use of a jockey yoke. Belly backers do not. As far as being six feet apart, make a yoke that matches the length of the evener (or center of pull if two single trees are attached separately. I would make sure the neck yoke is attached (not a slip on ring) and that it matched the type of harness you used. On a buck rake the horses are driven a little further a part and each sort of has it’s own pole. This would leave a clear field of vision in front. They are driven differently as well.

How do you intend to drive this team?

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