Jobs for Small/Young Working Cattle

[dominiquer60]

I thought that I would start a thread about small jobs that we can find for our young and small teams of cattle. Kevin’s Christmas tree post inspired me and the need to figure out how to pull pictures from facebook to post here fueled my effort.

Below is hopefully a picture of my Dick and Jane helping with firewood at a few months of age
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/20172_274356494041_679389041_4393012_3198011_n.jpg

Here I used Dick and Jane on a small harrow to work up some headland next to a sliver of a stream. I seeded it down to red clover to lessen any possible soil loss and to add nitrogen. We used the same harrow to lightly work the seed in. A good rain firmed the seeds into the ground. A beautiful clover headland was the result.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/29278_424705304041_679389041_5482133_4933958_n.jpg

When Abe and Will were big enough to pull this small stone boat, I started adding their manure from each day, we have slowly built up to pulling as much manure as one can pile on the boat.
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/180673_10150123958444042_679389041_7726936_2329763_n.jpg

A 5′ chain harrow can be a useful tool with a small team. I have used it to prep seed beds, drag pastures and to texture a driveway some before it freezes slick and smooth.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180673_10150123958449042_679389041_7726937_6997503_n.jpg

A friend snatched up a 9 tine spring tooth harrow at an auction for $13, what a deal. I set it very light for younger animals, but at a year old Abe a Will are able to kill some purslane and lambsquarters between the rows of winter squash where the cultivating tractor could not reach. I find the cattle at a small size do a great job in spaces too small for the tractor to fit
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/270640_10150317524704042_679389041_9289187_4495802_n.jpg

When I purchased my chain harrow I couldn’t pass up this 6′ cultipacker, it is just the right sized to pack one 6′ vegetable bed at a time. Here is Abe and Will rolling sown oats at Fair Winds Farm at our 2011 DAPNet Gathering.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/316630_10150379545879042_679389041_9871197_1305234373_n.jpg

I would love to see/hear about what other small jobs you all have found for your young/small working cattle. It is nice to be inspired by others and to share ideas, especially for the new cattle teamsters that we have joining our group here.

Well at least there are links to the pictures, better than nothing at all, I have a couple more pics to share, so I will try again when I get back home from the holidays.

[Kevin Cunningham]

It is great to see all the work the young’uns can do! I am really excited for this coming season because I think my boys will be able to pull things around the farm sooner than I think. I am already dreaming up crazy set ups for steer assisted wheel hoes and bed markers and other fun and cheap equipment. Right now they can move a rock or two at a time or twitch some branches cut for the goats.They are already pretty handy. The training has helped out a lot on the farm, just getting me out to other parts of the farm on a regular basis. I was also quite inspired by looking at the Promata website (even though I speak no French) from the discussion on another post. It seems like there is quite a bit that can be done on a garden scale with the appropriate equipment. Right now the next season is still in the realm of possibility and it allows me to dream a little. I love winter.

[Kevin Cunningham]

Here is a picture of my boys doing a little rock hauling. They can haul 1 or 2 at a time and the repitition seems really good for them. They get used to lots of stopping and starting with me walking around them moving strange objects.

[Wolfscout]

It’s good to see young ones starting out.
I’m going to have to do learn all this in more depth.

[CharlyBonifaz]

They get used to lots of stopping and starting with me walking around them moving strange objects.

yep, completely different from what I have been asking up to now; started with branches etc. recently; but moving on “small ground” (turns and stops and backs on a dime) and me being not in my usual position all the time and strange things going on around them sure keeps them busy…
had the chain saw working close by the other day, they tried to outmooh it, sure didn’t work 😎

[Baystatetom]

I work mine pretty hard. I am careful not to hook them to anything I am not positive they can pull, but on the other hand I want them to be used to pulling hard. When they are full grown I want them to give me 110% on big hardwood logs, therefore I think they need to get used to the idea now. I like to keep it to around half their weight for longer workouts but don’t mind if the load equals their weight for short distances. My team is just shy of two years old and are a bit over 1000 pounds each. Some of the logs I have been pulling are probably getting close to the 1000 pound mark but coming through the woods with dips and divots and the end of the logs digging in it is pretty hard work. If I pull a big butt log I’ll take a short tip log right after so they don’t get discouraged always being freighted down. I keep the secessions short and reward them for a job well done with lots of praise and chin scratching. I’ll tackle almost any job with them that you would with a mature team, I just do it for a much shorter length of time.
~Tom

[dominiquer60]

Yesterday I walked the team up the hollow to the neighbors place to pick up a borrowed cart. I can’t wait to use it more around home. They took to it fine and there were some uphills and downhills on the way home. Here is a link to a picture of it http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150849677089042&set=a.274346979041.179721.679389041&type=1&theater. It was an axle off of a model A truck, there was a smaller one for calves but this one will work until they grow into the dump cart that I will be able to use when they are big enough. I just wanted to show another example of “small toys for little boys.” 🙂

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