[Lanny Collins]

George, my input is different than the others. I was born and raised on wood heat and in 1989 bought a house, moved it and added on a new section to double the size of the house. In the new section I had built a rock fireplace made for a wood stove “insert”.

Both me and my wife worked outside jobs and had a couple of kids. I had cattle and horses so in the winter I had to feed after dark. As you can expect we came home to a dead fire and cold house.

My local power (electric) company offered a low interest program to members to install an air to air heat pump system. Since it provided for a long payback time the wife and I decided to have a system installed. It was a complete system ductwork included. We thought this would be a good idea to keep the house warm when the wood stove went out and mainly for air conditioning in the summer.

This worked out so good we eventually reduced the wood use to ornamental use. Wood is a great heat that heats more than once. Once when you cut it, once when you load it, once when you unload it, once when you load the stove, once when you clean up after wood stoves. You get the point. We finally stopped using wood all together. Heat don’t turn corners very well. Sweating in the living room, freezing in the back bedrooms. I didn’t have a central air system installed.

My brother built a new house. Installed a central wood stove in a room off the laundry room and ducted the whole house with central air ducting. His family room was huge with high ceiling and a lot of glass. He got cold in the family room and finally built a fireplace insert to keep that room warm. He had a similar problem that he had to have a separate air conditioner unit. You are further north so maybe cooling is not an issue.

Then, both of us installed geothermal units. Ground sourced heat and cooling has got to be the most efficient of anything out there. In the summer you get hot water from the system, if you want it. I choose not to install the hot water portion since it was only available during the summer time. The newer geothermal systems are more efficient than the first units developed.

All I am trying to tell you is check out all options if you have some money to invest. You may not always be able to cut your own wood, health wise, and if you like to cut wood you can always sell it to help pay for your system.

What ever system you put in get a blower door test done which helps identify all air ingress points are and seal the leaks. Good Luck.

[Lanny Collins]

From my research the baler manufacturers recommend a square knot. However, tension is recommended to be checked (make sure it is not too tight) and also make sure there is not a groove worn which can snag the knot. Make sure the ends are not too long and rub the knot and ends to blend them in. http://www.wikihow.com/Tie-a-Square-Knot

[Lanny Collins]

Sorry for your loss. I’m sure the yorkie puppy will miss Dax as well.

[Lanny Collins]

Doug, I probably can’t help you. When I left click on my mouse on member map it automatically goes to google map of usa with pins on the map and names vertical down the left hand side.

[Lanny Collins]

Member map doesn’t look very accurate. I see Design J (I and J manufacturing) for Gap, Pa. Their pin on the map is in oklahoma.

[Lanny Collins]

Here is a link to a system exactly like you are talking however it does not do a good job of letting you know who makes it and how much it costs. I may have missed it but seems like a very important thing to add. http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/buildings/smoke-detectors-in-outbuildings

[Lanny Collins]

Not sure how it works on cattle but I used Bickmore gall salve on horses and that stuff really seems to grow hair

[Lanny Collins]

Eli, I had a couple of qtr horse mares, full sisters 1 year age difference. Neither were broke to ride and I had too many horses and they were not worth much so I decided to find an amish guy to break them to harness. My plan was to give him one for breaking one but he didn’t want another horse and he convinced me that I would be more happy with a team than a single. Anyway, I really didn’t know this guy personally but the local feed store knew him pretty well. I may have been lucky but he did a really nice job with them. About 45 days I got them back and they were well trained and have never had a run-away with them. I may have been lucky as there are good and bad people. As mentioned earlier go over as often as you can and check on them. Make sure he drives your horse single a lot, not just in a team situation. They will need more confidence by their self. The Amish guy that trained my girls kept them in a tie stall which is good training in itself.

[Lanny Collins]

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/winter/winter-wood-chewing-in-horses/?utm_source=TrailRiderFB&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Facebook

Saw this link on facebook and thought someone might like to see it.

[Lanny Collins]

@Jen Judkins 37804 wrote:

Ahh, did you google it? I did and it scared the crap out of me.

http://www.hydrogenappliances.com/hotwater.html

Seems according to these folks, I am endangering my horses lives by using these plug in heaters…yikes!

I was looking at this website and it said not to leave tanks full overnight but to fill them each morning. I’m wondering why they recommend this? They do mention if the tank is dry the heater will short out. I travel with a cup heater and it is the same way. You have to have it in water before it is plugged in. Is this the reason not to leave them in the bucket overnight or do they not have enough heating effect to keep it from freezing overnight. Just wondering. Forgot to add the warning on the website.

“FOR INDUSTRIAL USES: We have been helping thousands of concrete mixing trucks and concrete cutting saw business for a long time! Frozen water can put your crew out of business for the day! Use one or two elements depending on the size of the tank. DO NOT leave the tanks filled over night!!!! Fill them with fresh water in the morning and then keep the heating element running in the tank all day long and your water will never freeze. Over 9000 work trucks use them now.
WARNING: Do not run the tanks DRY with the heating element ON or it will burn up!”

[Lanny Collins]

I use Moorman’s Grostrong like Grey but not sure if it is alway’s mineral deficiency that causes wood or metal chewing. I have a couple
of mares that will eat the paint off a vehicle if left in the field but other horses won’t bother it. I wonder if some of it could be just boredom or ?

[Lanny Collins]

Check out this guy.

http://www.dougrye.com/

[Lanny Collins]

The water tank would work too. Guess it depends on if you ever need to use it empty. With the 5 gallon buckets it would not take too long to load and unload. You could even use 5 gallon buckets full of rock. The buckets just make it easier / faster to load / unload. To get a tank full of water off the stoneboat without draining the tank would probably take a tractor / lift. That would be a lot of wasted water just to empty it to unload the boat. Those plastic tanks metal cage around it are used for many things even for food industry. They sell them around here for 50 to 60 dollars each.

[Lanny Collins]

Well, depending on the size of the stoneboat and what terrain you will be using it in. A quick way to add weight and remove is fill 5gallon buckets with water. A gallon of water weighs around 8 pounds so 5 will be 40poiunds. That way you will know approximately how heavy you have them loaded and can adjust as needed. If you get way out there and the team gets thirsty, well open up a 5 gallon bucket. Didn’t say it but lids would be required. Sitting on one of those buckets would’nt be a bad idea either.

[Lanny Collins]

The information everyone else has given is good. It seems mules don’t care much for their mouth but do try and take care of their nose. With this information I don’t use a severe bit but take a small rope and thread it thru the bit shank and over the nose. My reins are attached to the rope ends. This gives me an extra pressure point right across the nose. I think this would help bring your mules nose down and if the bit is not severe it will not resist taking the bit. I have had good luck with this arrangement on 2 different mules.

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