[Plowboy]

Good for you Erika! It is way more fun when you’re not being tugged on. Some people drive heavy handed and when they ask me to drive their horses it’s no fun. Sounds like you just have one with more “go” but that can be frustrating too. Luckily all of our horses are light mouthed. PLowing this weekend when the going was smooth lines in one hand with no pressure watching the plow work was very enjoyable. The horses fell into the familiar job and both my kids got to ride on the plow some but no big rocks here to worry about. Shamefully this winter our horses didn’t see as much work as they should have. The days off from work when Dad and I usually would have worked them were spent working on the new house which is important too. Worse yet we ended up buying some hay towards spring to feed the 7  loafers! Glad you’re having fun. Our area is dying out of the draft business it’s good to know others my age are still holding on. Our plow weekend was last weekend and we had 7 teams of horses and 1 team of oxen. With mostly “soft horses” we managed to plow 10 acres in 2 days with long lunch breaks. 6or 7 years ago we had 24 teams show up but the older guys are in their 90’s now and can’t plow anymore and the young people fade in and out. I can see why it’s an expensive hobby if you’re not actively farming. If my Dad retires from dairy farming we will have to cut back to 2 teams some how. I guess by not replacing the old horses because it would be difficult to sell off our old horses so they will probably stay around as long as they are healthy. Sorry to get off on a whim. Glad you’re doing well.

[Plowboy]

I have a question about the electric poultry netting. Every electric fence I have seen requires a ground rod. I’m not crazy about driving ground rods all over the farm unless it is just a small removable spike. The tractor is going to be primarily for meat birds. My hens are in a permanent coop with an outside yard and shut in every night. We start new pullets each year and sell the batch from the previous year while they are still laying well. The red sex links lay upwards of 90%. We have 16 now and get 15-16 eggs consistently each day even in the winter. THe meat birds were cornish rocks and were 8 1/2-10lbs at 9 weeks last year with no leg problems on commercial feed in the barn. I thought this year I would slow the growth on grass and butcher some at lighter weights and cut them up. A family of four with 2 young kids can eat a lot of meals out of a 10lb chicken! Sometimes you get tired of it before it’s gone.

 

[Plowboy]

Thanks Erika that is what I was looking for. My garlic is up and I wondered if I could add anything to it at this stage. I planted late in early December because we were framing and closing in our new house in Oct and Nov. It looks to be coming on normally but wondered if I could boost it along. Having it in raised beds last year the drought stunted the bulb size more so than having it in ground I think. I would like it to grow big although we use it for ourselves and pass it along to friends and family. There really is no market for it locally. It became so popular around here that everyone started growing it and flooded the market.

[Plowboy]

Up until now what has he been hooked to? You said you are just getting him on the forecart now. Hopefully you have had him on a sled or something by now. If you have just been ground driving him at this point you are making your job harder. An 8 year old can’t be hurt with a sweaty collar and helping get some work done and may change his attitude a bit also. I’ve found the older the horse the harder they can be to train. Anything past 5 needs some real work to make them become productive. I’m all for taking my time with youngstock but the older one’s become set in their ways and it takes a little time on a work sled or pasture drag to turn their mind to work. Good luck with him. I’m sure he’ll be a good one once you get him past the “turning point”.

[Plowboy]

Keep at it. It takes practice but once you get it it’s a satisfying job and good for sharpening up your horses for summer work.

 

[Plowboy]

Thanks everyone for your advice. It’s hard for me to simplify with deep roots in construction as well as farming. I think it the frame may be fairly heavy but sturdy and offer years of service and hard for predators to lift when trying to burrow under. It will definately be trial and error. We have coyotes and bobcats nearby but so far when I forget to lock up the hens nothing has bothered them in the yard.  I guess that is why I am thinking sturdy would be better. With feed and chick prices going up I hate to lose any. I’ll try to post pictures when I get one done. Might try and build the first one in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again for your ideas. I’m sure I’ll encorporate some of them into my frame design. Dennis

[Plowboy]

Don’t feel bad Ronnie. This is probably stuff we all do without thinking. It is hard to explain via the written word so that is probably why it is so long winded. I learned from old timers with a non invasive training style of give and take and after a few drives we have them doing most of what we want so we can get some work done. Some are more difficult to train than others!

[Plowboy]

Grade 8 is harder than grade 5 but is also more brittle. I would try grade 5 it will take more abuse than 8 before it breaks.

[Plowboy]

I don’t think Paul painted a rosey picture of farming prosperity and wealth but more about the spirit of the genuine farmer. My family has been like that for generations. You put all you’ve got into something and then take what you get . Hopefully everything doesn’t go to hell all in the same year but you keep at it. Not for the money so much as the satisfaction. Good crops, good livestock, and well broke horses are all a sense of pride and accomplishment for a small farmer but I’m sure the bigger guys have the same values just not on the same level as the smaller family farms. My Dad is still one of those small one of those guys that does more work before breakfast than most do all day. He uses horses a lot when he can and he’s sure the bigger neighbors laugh when they get there work done faster but when they go to the co-op meetings they all sit with him and if they need something they know he’ll help if he can and likewise. I don’t know how many times no matter how discouraged he gets I’ve heard “Maybe it’ll be better next year”. When your a farmer no matter to what scale when a crop fails or you lose a cow, a calf, a lamb, a colt or anything of the sort it takes an entire year just to try again! Being around my Dad ,My Grandfathers,Great Grandfathers and many neighbors and friends like them is what drove me to work two jobs and buy a farm. Now my small children know where the potatoes, beef, chicken, turkey, eggs and garden vegetables come from! It gets in your blood and although it’s not my livelyhood I’ll keep plowing with a team of good horses and growing my own food here no matter how much extra work it is because it’s who I am. Even if Paul Harvey’s speech was used to promote a vehicle add just think how many people would never have heard it and even for a split second thought about where there food comes from and the folks that helped them get it!

[Plowboy]

Don’t feel bad Jen we’ve all had our days and everyone has a few of these escapades or there harness never sees a horse! Heal fast so you can get back at it! Apparently JD thought he should take the second log home!

[Plowboy]

I’m not a mule guy but wouldn’t mind if the right deal came along. I do know some old timers that worked mules and they used to say that a mule needs to need you or they don’t care about you. Put her in a small pasture or round pen with no grass or water. Offer her water, hay and maybe a small amount of grain. preferably while you’re holding the feed pan. If she won’t eat it while you hold it at least put it near you. Stay there the whole time she eats. Don’t rush trying to catch her. Praise her and pet her for coming to you if you can. Repeat as necessary maybe taking the halter and rope with you. Maybe lay the rope over her neck or across her back as she becomes more comfortable. Do not give her anything unless it comes from you and soon she should be in your pocket!

[Plowboy]

Trailer is located in Laurens N.Y. near Oneonta central N.Y.

[Plowboy]

Jay, You can’t be too far away from us. My parents are on 205 north of Laurens with an Oneonta address. We are off cty route 11 near Mt Vision. We have mostly Percherons that we raise and train ourselves. I think for this area we do more draft powered farming than anyone. We had our annual plow weekend two weeks ago at my parents farm. In April my Dad and a couple friends along with my son and I plowed, dragged, drilled and rolled a field of oats all with horses and oxen. We hope to have a threshing day this summer if the guy with the binder and threshing machine comes through. Dennis

[Plowboy]

It’s never easy to let go of the good one’s. Take care and I hope another horse is able to someday fill her shoes for you.

[Plowboy]

We tried the 4abreast Pioneer on our converted little genius 2 bottom. It still has a little side draft so we went with 4 up and rope and pulley hitch. Now we use 3+3 and really turn some ground!

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