[Does’ Leap]

Julie:

I am a big fan of rope halters. They are less bulky than regular halters and fit under the bridle nicely. You can also tie them to fit your horse. Here’s a link if you’re interested:http://www.naturalhorsesupply.com/tiehalter.shtml

George

[Does’ Leap]

I have been using an “easy cut” system for the past two years. It mowed well on year 1. Last year, we applied 1-2 tons/acre composted poultry manure to address a P deficit on our meadows. Those added nutrients (especially the N) combined with a wet summer led to cutting hay later than I wanted and the “easy cut” struggled in the wet, semi-rotten under-layer of orchard grass and clover. I will be replacing the inside an outside ledgers on this mower (which are tired and worn) as well as the the mechanism which tilts the knife. I expect these two repairs to make a big difference. Additionally I am setting up a new mower with haybine guards (with stubs) and a new knife (per Donn’s recommendation) on another MD#9. I will be pulling this with a smaller team and will be using side by side with the “easy cut”. I will give the full report after we put up this summer’s first cut.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Great article. I sometimes tire of explaining why I farm with horses and state “because I like ’em”. From now on I will hand out a copy of this article.

George

[Does’ Leap]

I started a paint/draft horse of approximately the same weight in the woods this winter. I am not a good judge of how much wood weighs, but I started off light. After a few days of twitching single with her, I started increasing the size of the log and would then vary heavier and lighter loads. After a while, I had a pretty good sense of what she could pull. Overall, I was impressed how much she could pull – give her size – compared to my larger horses (1700-1800 lbs).

George

[Does’ Leap]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I will stick with my current pads for now. John, I have pulled out the pads (especially recently as their necks have enlarged) on occasion. I feel like the pads (especially the vinyl ones) help prevent sore shoulders on my horses. I generally don’t have a problems logging in the winter, but have had issues with shore shoulders while haying in the summer. Bare collars seems like it would be akin to hiking with no socks on. However, I think Les Barden (d-ring harness expert) is an advocate of no pads.

George

George

[Does’ Leap]

Is there an advantage to a metal grass board? Why not make it out of wood? I made my last one out of 5/4 yellow birch and it is stout.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Andy, I don’t think a cat would scare them off. I never saw one on my farm until a found one on my door step dead. My Jack Russel Terrier apparently killed it. Anyone ever read A Day No Pigs Would Die? There is a scene in that book where they throw a JR Terrier pup in a grain sack with a weasel in order to sew seeds of murder in the pup for weasels. Both the weasel and the Terrier die. Harsh stuff, but one point you can take home is weasels are to be respected for their aptitude in killing a variety of small livestock (rabbits as well as chickens).

George

[Does’ Leap]

Mink, that has been my experience. I usually give them a week of heat (more or less) and keep them in the brooder for a couple of more days. I try to wean them from the heat as quickly as possible, turning the lamp off during the day provided the temperature is not below 70 (this is after they are a couple of days old). They grow so fast that you are usually faced with enlarging your brooder or getting them outside. I usally opt for the latter.

George

[Does’ Leap]

The problem with those predators, weasels especially, is they go under the house not through it. Even if you are on totally flat ground (a rarity on my farm), they can still burrow. I have also had rats eat started chicks. If you don’t have a lot of those critters around you, you should be fine, but you never know.

Good luck.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Jim:

I don’t think hardware cloth is necessary. If you keep them in the brooder for a week or 10 days, they will be big enough so the chicken wire will contain them. Here is the net I have from Kencove http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+Net+Fencing_detail_NSPCG.php

I don’t know what you have for an energizer for your horses, but it might power the poultry net without a problem. Aim for 3500 volts minimum, 4000 to 5000 is ideal. On the link with the net fence, they mention .25 joules / net, I would go .5 joules minimum. I would call Kencove and see what they recommend. If you invest in an energizer, I suggest buying twice the output you think you need. I have a 48 joule engergizer and I max it out regularly.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Jim, I should mention that we keep them in the house for the first 2-3 weeks after they are out of the brooder. Even if you decide to keep them in a house, it is advisable to have electric netting for predator control. Weasels and even coons and foxes can dig under those houses and feast. I built a slick chicken plucker based on some easy-to-follow plans http://whizbangbooks.blogspot.com/ It works pretty slick and is easy, if not time-consuming, to build. Plucking chickens by hand is the pits. Here’s a video (not me, but shows it’s effectiveness) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-pbRxIlpuw This fellow is only plucking one, I have done 4 at a time. Friends have used my plucker to turkeys and ducks as well.

Chickens are easy to raise and great eating. Have fun with it.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Jim, nice work! We used the same set-up for years, inspired by J Salatin. We now use the same shelter but have the birds enclosed in 1-2 electrified poultry net (purchased at Kencove). They forage in their paddock and loaf and sleep in their shelter. We move the fence when the grass in soiled (every 4 days or so). This new system has led to a lot less overheating b/c the birds aren’t so closely packed together and they tend to grow faster and forage more. J Salatin argues the opposite, but in my experience the open set-up works better and is easier on these precarious birds.

George

[Does’ Leap]

I have a team of full sized drafts and another mixed team (halflinger and draft cross). All horses are barefoot. I don’t know what your definition of “hard user” is, but we use our larger team on a regular basis throughout the year on our 155 acre farm (spreading manure, haying, field work, clipping pasture, and logging all winter). Also one of the 4 horses is ridden daily by my wife and the halflinger is ridden regularly by my daughter. We have never had a problem and are strong believers in “barefoot for soundness”. The only limitation I have had is during icy conditions when logging in the winter, but it is rare when I don’t work for this reason. This is not to say I couldn’t pull more with shoes, but I get along fine in the woods. Farmwork is no problem. 3 of the horses have boots when being ridden on asphalt.

George

[Does’ Leap]

The front tug or trace on the smaller horse is shorter than that of the larger horse b/c it is a smaller harness. This differnce in length needs to made up by lengthening the trace chain on the smaller horse, no?

George

[Does’ Leap]

Geoff, there are plenty of folks with wood processors around here that buy firewood (tree length, or what they can fit on the truck approx. 28 ft)on the landing and truck it back to their processor.

George

[Author]

Posts