[Donn Hewes]

Because I mow with the seven foot bars, if I am not careful the grimm will miss a little piece.  I recently learned to steer so I wasn’t missing on the grass board side (I hate to admit it took me a few years!).  With the grimm hitting that pile of hay in a sweat spot it has handled it fine.  In light second cutting, grimm also gets bad marks for missing a little hay, (not turned over).  Last year I found that by ensuring my steering was hitting the swathed grass; the grimm did a better job with the second cutting.  Making it dry evenly.  I like the “long view” , The kids will think you have created new avatars from the land of giants.

The best way to deal with wet (rain) is to not make them.  Easier said than done some times!  Given the side delivery type rakes I use, plus the fact that being horse powered there is a big advantage in only raking once; I discount all drying in the windrow.  I wait until the hay is dry, then I rake and bale.  At least that is the plan.  That greatly reduces the number of rained on windrows.  With very light rain and dry soils you can roll the windrow over the next day after it is dry on top (with a rake), let it dry a little more; and then bale.  if the ground is already saturated or it rains more than a day, you won’t make good hay no matter what tedder you have.  You can rake that up and bale it for bedding with any rake or tedder.  I wouldn’t buy a tedder just for that.

I am hoping to use a PTO tedder myself you need to take anything I say with a grain of salt.  A grain of salt is pretty funny since we are talking about Hay!

[Donn Hewes]

Hi all, I am a little surprised with the bad rap the grimm tedder is getting.   I have been using one for years, and with certain limits I find it very effective.  Mine lifts heavy amounts of first cutting as high or high than the PTO tedder.  I haven’t seen any better drying with the PTO tedder in first cutting hay.  There are some draw backs to a grimm that have had me working toward the PTO  for some while.  First I want to be able to tedd twice as fast (14′ rotary).  With a lot of acres of second cutting, I don’t want to be all day to tedd it.  Second, as someone mentioned the Grimm won’t do much with a rained on windrow.

For me a PTO tedder wouldn’t be worth getting a tractor out.   i think for 4 acres of hay i would certainly look at a grimm in good condition.  They are easy to use, dependable, and easy to maintain.  I won’t get rid of mine, in fact if the PTO tedder ever does run (it is the home made PTO cart that is the hold up), I am sure I will do some side by side comparisons.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Peyton,  I have brought home some horses like what you describe.  With a lot of attention on your part, allways making sure the animals stand quietly even if it is only for a short while and asking them to go before he starts to,  never get in the habit of stopping just to test it; you can make a lot of progress and the horse will improve.  Unfortunately, at the end of the day it may not be as good or as reliable as your other horses.  That has been my experience any way.    I agree with the idea of treating them like they are new. but that can include hooking them up and going to work, just changing your expectations about he can and will do when you stop.  He is young it sounds like and that will help, it is even harder to change these habits as they get older.

 

[Donn Hewes]

I am not sure why you would need one.  In most cases you don’t have the option of starting to move and then “letting the clutch out”  as you want the equipment, (rake, tedder, baler) to start at the same time you start moving (to avoid plugging).  I don’t think a clutch will help very much.  donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Geoff,  All equines come equipped to resist pressure, but we teach them to yield.  That is the basics of turning with the bit.  Horses tend to adapt to this a little easier than mules, and mules a little easier than the donkey.  Any way if I was struggling to teach him to stop, he would just run off with the leverage added.  But when I reverted to a quieter voice and gentler touch I could get him to stop.  It just took a lot of work.  When he started to  back up, it was one inch at a time.  Any leverage would make him go forward (pushing into pressure); again with time and patience he has learned the meaning of the commands and works better every time I take him out.      He was never afraid,  he was just telling me this is how I do things.

 

 

[Donn Hewes]

Hi all, here is another new  mule “pete”.   Clink on the word HERE for a link to my web album.  Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi George,  I would adjust or change my bit based on what the animal tells me.   If the horse is working well, why change anything?  I have found it difficult sometimes to go and bit down a horse that doesn’t really need it.   I was working with a group horses, not my own, a few weeks ago; and the idea was they all should be bitted down one.  (bitted down is a phrase I use for adjusting the lines lower on the liverpool).  Some of these horses worked well this way, and some clearly needed to have the leverage taken off.   let us know how it works out.  Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Jared,  Go ahead and rsvp.  We are just getting an estimate of the number of folks coming.  Fun this week trying to lay in some needed steel and bolts and such.   I thinking about how best to organize the work.  Hopefully we will move home the tractor in the next couple days.  It has been delayed by some bad rims and other challenges.   I am sure we will be taking lots of photos.  Hopefully there will be some info folks can use. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi George,  You have been working with him for about 8 months in this bit, right?  It is easy to find a lot of opinions about about bits, but I keep one of each on a nail somewhere.  It depends on what the horse will pay the desired attention to, and give the desired responsiveness.  If you have achieved it with that bit I would keep going (d0n’t change it so he has the same bit as everyone else).   I don’t worry about any bit being “mean” (it is not the bit, it is the person).  In other words, with our commitment to no pressure driving, we are not going to abuse a horse with any bit.

In rereading your post it doesn’t sound like you have been using the jointed bit, but are considering changing to one.  I have to change my answer, I have tried to use one a few times and found it to not help me or the horse communicate over a straight bar bit.  You didn’t say what bit you have been using for the last 8 months?  As much as I like the liverpool bit, I don’t use one in every horse, just as I don’t bit down every horse.  Actually it is usually only one or two horses that need this extra signal.  If you don’t bit a horse down when you leave the barn the extra leverage won’t be there if you have a problem.   My point being I can’t really say I use the leverage as a safety measure.  At least not all the time.  I would use any bit, if I felt I was getting the result I wanted.  Calm and relaxed; so easy to say; but hard to do some times!  Good luck and talk to you soon, donn

[Donn Hewes]

Well, it looks like we are likely to change our tractor for our farm hack.  We had our eye on  AC wd45 like the one Neal perry used; but we ran into more problems with the rims and tires than I realized.  Today I looked at a Case VAC.  This is a smaller older tractor, that has a good easy shifter for putting the PTO in and out of gear.   It has 32″ rubber tires which I believe currently hold air; I will need to go back and pump them up and double check that.  I would love to know how this tractor was set up inside to power the PTO (from the transmision or directly of the rear axle).

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Gabe,  I click on my name, then edit;  I was able to edit my profile, (not able to choose a new display name?) and I scroll down but don’t find any thing to change avatar?  Sorry, I am not very computer savy.  Thanks for all the work you are doing.  Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Beka, How did you change your avatar?

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Carl,  I found an edit button but it didn’t let me change the ‘avatar”  Normally I would care but the sad farmer is killing me.  i bet it is becuase they are doing attachments yet, but I will check.  talk to you soon,  I also wanted a display name, but didn’t get to choose what I wanted.

[Donn Hewes]

Do you know if he used any kind of front wheel or wheels? How well does he like it? I guess those are my two questions at this point. It should be a fun project.

[Donn Hewes]

What would you like to know about mules? I don’t know much but I will answer any question you have! I am currently waiting for one so you tell me the gestation. Some books say depends on if it is a john, or a molly; some say it takes a few days longer in Jan – march and less in April to June. Some say it depends on the phase of the moon; and one book says a draft mule will be born between 11 and 14 months. I am sure that is true.

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