New Bobsled

[J-L]

The Lost Farmer brought some new sleighs to my self and Lingodog13. He and his uncle have been fabbing up some new ones and brought two of them over from Idaho.
Here are some pictures (I hope, having some troubles with my computer) of my sleigh before, during, and after we built the bed on it. I made the bed 7’x16′. The deck is made with 2″x8″ rough cut and the stringers are 4″x6″. It’s plenty stout. We figure it’s good for 4 ton.
I think he did and excellent job and thank him very much.

[Lingodog13]

Looks good! Almost as pretty as mine, in fact. Took mine out for a spin tonight and it sure is a smooth pulling unit. I’m not going to post pictures til I’ve got the braces on, though. And I second the Thanks to Lost Farmer!

[Does’ Leap]

Looks great. I like your line holder up front.

George

[CharlyBonifaz]

That’s exactly what I figured it was 😀 – love it
brings me to my next question: do you wrap your lines around it or do you have a knot in their end so you just drop them?

[J-L]

Charlie, I normally tie a knot in the end and hang it on the dally pole and wrap them with just a bit of slack in them when the team is walking the feedgrounds and me feeding hay.
Here is a picture that kind of shows it (on my small sleigh). Just enough slack that I can move the team ahead by voice while pitching hay or for the team to move around the feed ground while I feed square bales. In this picture I’m pitching a round bale off before I go get a ton of square bales. For that I just pitch a bit and talk the team ahead a ways and pitch more.

[Does’ Leap]

J-L:

How common is it for farmers (ranchers?) to feed with a team of horses vs. a tractor in your area? I read an interesting article way back detailing the savings in fuel costs in feeding hay on large beef operations compared with using a tractor. This one fellow had an elaborate hydraulic boom that he used (with horses) to unload and maybe even roll out round bales.

George

[J-L]

It’s not as common as it used to be George. There are still some of us around the valley and over to Evanston that do it. Many ranchers are older now and don’t have the energy or drive to hook up.
The savings are substantial. For instance, yesterday is the first day I’ve fed with the tractor all winter. I had my 3 yr old with me (a little sick with a cold) and I didn’t think she’d stand up to 4 hours on the sleigh and forecart at 10 above.
I burned 1/2 tank of fuel, 10 gallons. I broke one hydraulic hose which will cost me around $75 to replace. Lost around 2 gallons of fluid. Had to cold start my tractor with ether, which I don’t like to do. Didn’t enjoy it at all.
Really the time savings were small, maybe 1/2 hour less time with the tractor, but with a cab around my little girl it was worth it.
Even without the cost of the breakdowns you’re looking at $35. If I had to plug that tractor in daily and run it around to feed I’m sure we’d be looking at $40 (don’t know for sure). Take that times 150-180 days and it comes to $6000-$7200 in fuel and electricity. Not taking into account maintenance and breakdowns. Pretty spendy.
My tractors and pickups spend the winter doing nothing and not racking up hours and miles. That is a plus. My brother, on his side of the ranch, is feeding with a tractor and bale processor and has worn out a newer tractor than mine in the last 8 years.
I’d like something a little more high tech for feeding the round bales, but what I have works and is cheap. My square baler set up still works and I put some of both up. The square bales are nice to have. I will feed around 7000 of them this year.

[near horse]

@J-L 25205 wrote:

It’s not as common as it used to be George. There are still some of us around the valley and over to Evanston that do it. Many ranchers are older now and don’t have the energy or drive to hook up.
The savings are substantial. For instance, yesterday is the first day I’ve fed with the tractor all winter. I had my 3 yr old with me (a little sick with a cold) and I didn’t think she’d stand up to 4 hours on the sleigh and forecart at 10 above. I burned 1/2 tank of fuel, 10 gallons. I broke one hydraulic hose which will cost me around $75 to replace. Lost around 2 gallons of fluid. Had to cold start my tractor with ether, which I don’t like to do. Didn’t enjoy it at all.
Really the time savings were small, maybe 1/2 hour less time with the tractor, but with a cab around my little girl it was worth it.
Even without the cost of the breakdowns you’re looking at $35. If I had to plug that tractor in daily and run it around to feed I’m sure we’d be looking at $40 (don’t know for sure). Take that times 150-180 days and it comes to $6000-$7200 in fuel and electricity. Not taking into account maintenance and breakdowns. Pretty spendy.
My tractors and pickups spend the winter doing nothing and not racking up hours and miles. That is a plus. My brother, on his side of the ranch, is feeding with a tractor and bale processor and has worn out a newer tractor than mine in the last 8 years.
I’d like something a little more high tech for feeding the round bales, but what I have works and is cheap. My square baler set up still works and I put some of both up. The square bales are nice to have. I will feed around 7000 of them this year.

Wes-

You are truly a man amongst us boys (and girls) – see highlighted areas above! Keep it up. When I feel overwhelmed and tired, I like to think of you and then I quit whining for awhile:D

[Does’ Leap]

J-L:

Glad to hear the horses are saving you money. I think keeping costs down is essential to running a profitable business. A lot of costs are so incremental and regular (like filling up your tractor), that some lose site of them until they realize they are making less than they should/want. I am astounded at how overcapitolized many of the traditional dairy farms are (at least around me).

Do you use 1 team/day? Seems like you have quite a few horses of different sizes as well as a couple of different sleds. How much hay are you feeding off a sled?

George

[LostFarmer]

Looks good Wes. We have been feeding with our sleigh just like your new one this week. Put 75 bales (3 ton) on it just to say we did headed out. It pulls harder than the little one empty but seems pull about the same or a little easier when loaded to the same amount. I am interested to see how the runners work with time. The only problem we have encountered it to hang up on the back of the rack as we crossed the canal. Might have to shovel some more snow into the hole.

One of these days we will noodle into the perfect round bale rig and the funds to buy/build it.

LF

[J-L]

George, I use two teams most of the time. One team could handle it if I weren’t so scattered out. But by the time I get to the farthest stackyard and back it’s probably at least 7 miles around everything.
I have a team of 3 abreast that feeds one herd that’s about 3 miles from my barn to that stackyard. Those are getting round bales right now. 3 bales one day and 4 the next. They are around 1100-1200 lb bales. I use the team to snatch the bales off of the stack and then stab my spear through the bale and roll it out into the field to feed 160 cows there.
The other team is home on the bobsled or wagon and I’ve been feeding primarily little square bales to this herd of 100 head. They get 30-35 bales depending on weather. This little team also feeds the weaner calves (50 head in there). I do load a round bale on the sleigh every now and again to make my little bales last. I had to dip into the little square bales for a while before I moved the bigger herd of cows and a stack goes fast when you’re feeding 100-125 bales a day out of it. Some years I feed more square bales than round anyway and it takes around 3 or 4 sleigh loads if I just put a ton or so on the rack. With the big sleigh I can do it in fewer trips. So even if it means hooking 4 head to it that’ll make things quicker.
It’s not as bad as it sounds, Geoff. That little girl did NOT want to go to the sitter today. Wanted to go with her dad.
I sure love to do it, even on the nasty days. Usually I’ll leave the barn after chores, say 8:00 or so and get back for lunch by 2:00. Some days go longer, but that’s about what it’s like.
I’m going to have to swap out on my 3 abreast team and give the big Percheron gelding a break, he’s getting a little thin and worked down. I’ve got another pair of belgian mules that will get worked in and give a break to the other three. Also need to harden them up for spring work anyway.
Kari, we’ll get that round bale rig built one of these years. I think we have the concept and you’ve got a good design in mind, I just need some more $$$ like everyone else in this business.
Wow that was long winded.

[J-L]

I also wanted to add that this is the only job I have. It’s more than enough job at times, then there are some slack times that make up for it. I love most that I spend a great deal of time with my kids. I know that I have opportunity that most will never have, the ranch that has been in the family and hopefully will be in the future.
I’d hate to have to follow some of you folks around as well, in the logging woods and mountains, and on the farms and market gardens, etc. Lot’s of hard working people around the country.
My hat is off to those of you working day jobs with farms/gardens/animals on the side. Have to love it to do that.

[Gabe Ayers]

J-L,
I am impressed with your documentation of the financial gains of using the team versus the tractor. That is the kind of detail we need to convince the rest of the world the horses are the right tool for some jobs, and the only tool for others. Sure are some tasks for which a tractor makes sense, but having those numbers helps make a convincing argument beyond the fact that it is so much more satisfying to work a team rather than sit on a tractor seat all winter.
-Brad

[Author]

Posts