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Kevin Cunningham
ParticipantI enjoy seeing the relationship between an oldtimer and their animals. He has been at this for a very long time and I hope to be like that someday. The cattle are beautiful too, I wonder if there are many un-polled animals in the US?
ParticipantIt also could be a case of different climates. I live in a place were nothing winter kills. We simply don’t have the cold weather to kill plants. So here any sod, or grain stubble left on the surface regrows, and corn stubble, like Erika mentions, messes with any else you are cultivating with including harrows. So yes I follow the advice given in John Deere’s book; disc, plow, disc, harrow. Around here it is know as plow it “up” disc it “down” if that makes sense.
Participant@dominiquer60 40313 wrote:
I am open to the idea that a single bottom horse drawn plow may have a higher level of adjustment than a multi-bottom tractor plow.
I use a tractor currently to do all my plowing and I have to say that I think this to be true. A lot of the problem with plowing in general is the fact the tractors allow us to out muscle many problems with our soil prep. I pull three 16’s that have never been adjusted or replaced, or cared for at all. I can still out plow any draft outfit but it takes an 85 horse tractor. I am not proud of it but it has been an economic reality for me. I am excited to learn about more refinements that could make the system more efficient and subtle. I have yet to pull a draft powered plow, but I can tell from my small experience that the subtle adjustments could make a huge difference in performance. And just for the record, even though I am not in a plow match I still think it is important to have full coverage of the trash on the surface, you will fight it all season if you don’t get it under the first time. This is why it is critical to have the proper tool and adjustment. My “crude” system is able to plow under sod and corn stubble equally well only because I am big and have a lot of un-necessary power. My two cents
ParticipantIt is nice to see what everybody is doing with their animals. It is reassuring that I am not the only crazy one out there with a couple of steers as “pets.” They pull enough around the farm but I do find myself spending a lot of my time taking care of them!
ParticipantI am glad you are safe and the horses are as well. These type of experiences make us all remember our own humanity. I remember having a trailer tire blow out on a two lane mountain highway with 10,000 pounds of feed on the bed. I was safe, but stranded two hundred miles from home. I spent the next day and a half at another farmers house and shop fixing replacing the tire and fixing the broken rim. I barely knew him but he took me in, fed me, and spent hours of valuable time, just as I would to another person in need. Gratitude is all we can offer in these moments. Take care out there.
ParticipantThanks Donn,
I am always saying that the best thing young people can do for the sustainable farming movement is to learn how to weld and fabricate. The tools we need are not out there, or at the right price. I am glad to see that there are some innovations in small grain harvesting. My old Allis Chalmers All Crop is not getting any newer and someday I may not be able to keep it going. Way cool group to be a part of. This is a great website and I can’t wait to get more into it. Please post some pictures when you make your pto cart. I am too far away to come otherwise I would definately be there.
ParticipantYea we usually get this fools spring this time of year, greens the grass nicely then it gets cold and rainy once again. But we do live in California the land of happy cows. I can graze year round, except the summer when it gets too dry. They are about 1 1/2 years old and still growing, but I am amazed at what I can do with them already.
ParticipantI took a fecal sample in today and got it tested. They have no counts of any worms, but they do have some coccidia. Tex had 400 count and Joseph had a 500 count. The vet said this wasn’t a super high number but still worth treating for. What do you think is it worth treating for this number? We try an not use to many medicines on our animals but when they are needed. Our vet recommended Sulfa Boluses as opposed to Corid. I would probably have to give 5-6 boluses! Sounds like lots of fun. They are otherwise healthy and the vet is not sure what would cause the blood. She did see a little blood in the stool in a group of heifers that got some moldy grain. My steers did eat some moldy hay at the bottom of our stack, but we switched the hay a while ago. I am not sure what to do.
ParticipantI am certainly no expert. You have more experience than I do, but I know that for my pair that anything other than work in the yoke, feeding and grooming in the barn, and some time grazing separate from the herd, would confuse them greatly. My team has spent some time out in the fields with the other cattle doing what they do best, eating, sometimes playing, and ruminating. That is what they want to do, but I want them to do a whole lot more. I have struggled with this team, especially my off steer, to try and remain focused. That said, they do like novelty, whenever we start down a different path with the sled or even do our routine slightly differently they get more attentive. I wonder if that is why something like logging, which is routine in highly variable locations and terrains, is good training for the cattle. The forest offers a lot of novelty while still being good training and work for them. I hope to find a way to work my cattle in the woods next winter, because of this. Anyhow, my two cents, for what thats worth… not much.
ParticipantIt was a quarter sized clot of blood in a normal looking poop pie. It was brightish red looking. There have been no other signs of distress. They are eating good second cut grass hay with some supplement of fresh cut oats but not much. He seems to be alright but I am still learning about bovines so I might have the vet take a look. Unfortunately the vet is quite expensive.
ParticipantI did treat them during the fly season with epirnex(ivermectin) I’m not sure if that is a coccidostat. He seems healthy otherwise, but he is the one losing his coat the fastest.
ParticipantGeoff,
Yea I thought that was neat too. The original John Deere handles, maybe they have been replaced but I don’t think so. I figure that wil be my first line of attack, with the wire wheel just to knock some rust off.ParticipantPretty funny, a bit more irreverent than what I was talking about, but pretty much right on.
Participant@near horse 39791 wrote:
there are plenty of “freeway cowboys” who will never tow or haul a thing let alone get on an unpaved road/trail/path with their pickups.
This is the norm here in our county. Big trucks are a status symbol and everybody has one. There are far more trucks around here than cars. I used to have a little ’93 Toyota truck, pre-Tacoma, four banger, five speed. I loved that truck it was far more reliable than any other that I have ever had. I always prided myself that I did far more real work, hauling gravel, firewood, trailers, off road, on road, markets, everything, than any of those big status symbol trucks. Unfortunately they are selling more status symbol trucks than anything else these days. I had the hardest time finding a good diesel work truck, one without leather, dvd/massive stereos, or chrome truck nuts, when we needed a new truck last year.
The interesting thing about that ad is that I think it had a farther reaching effect than the ad agency had intended. People are still talking about now almost a week after I haven’t ever heard that about another Super Bowl ad. There is something in that speech that touches a need that we have as a culture that is hard to define but is very tangible even for those of us that have no direct link to farming. That is pretty powerful.
Participant@near horse 39770 wrote:
I think perhaps a positive note from the ad is that those “values” assigned to farmers are something the public appreciates. And since those attributes they list are more associated with small diversified operations AND are marketable (obviously since someone shelled out six figures to show that in the super bowl time slot) – it behooves us to take advantage of that.
This is what I was trying to say.
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