[Rod]

Hi Carl

The truck is a 1973, power steering, two speed rear, 5 speed transmission. Has about 60,000 miles on it, good tires, dump works great. I redid the fuel system, coated the fuel tank, new lines, fuel pump and carburetor. We widened the 16′ bed to 8.5′, with steel, new stake pockets and added a swing out step to get up there (for older men). Cab and frame are good, the truck starts good, runs nice and is a nice usable truck, needs a front pipe which leaks a little bit of exhaust not bad though. Any time you want to look at it let me know. I have some additional photos if you want to see them.
The first photo in the add was taken before we did the work on the bed. The one with the dump up was taken after.

[Rod]

I like a longer stub line like Donn described. The buckles are so far away from the hame ring I don’t see how they could even even close to it. My buckle rests on the horses butt in front of the spider.

Incidently I had a big problem with my teams longitudinal alignment (not even when pulling) and solved it by adjusting the stub line length. Mine is 8″ longer than the outside line now and they walk right togeather with the yoke at right angles to the pole (usually). Not my idea but I read about it is Steve Bower book ” A Teamsters View” He is against the short stub lines that are often used and has a good explanation of why in the book>

[Rod]

Same place.

[Rod]

In New Zealand they use a long pole or poles and lift the fence up to let the cows go under it. I use spring gates which work good. My paddock dividers are made from one strand of poly wire on push-in pigtail posts. This allows the calves to go under and get the new grass but keeps the cows which are taller back.

[Rod]

@Carl Russell 10793 wrote:

I like to use a stick in a case like this. I cut a marshmallow stick that is long enough that I can easily reach the butt while still holding the lines. I will just tip the stick so that it touches just above the tail head. I don’t tap, poke, or slap, but just touch them there. Sometimes it requires a bit more pressure, but it is a pretty sensitive place, and best to get a small-scale response first.

At the same time as the pressure, speak the horses name, or the command that you prefer for increasing forward motion.

I prefer this method to slapping with the reins, as I can maintain line pressure, and as soon as the horse slows down a stride I can reaffirm my direction easily.

When you speak to the horse, or slap her with the reins she responds positively, but she is also learning that she can then slow down. You will have better results if you prevent her from doing that, by touching her tail head as soon as she shows she is thinking about slowing down.

When she assumes the desired pace for an extended period, possibly 30 seconds, without your touching her, stop and give her reward for her response. Repeat, and allow her to extend her response.

Keep the stick handy, to reinforce the expectation, not by threatening her with it, but by gently touching her with it. Make sure to use the verbal command with it. You don’t need to raise your voice, just speak, firmly and directly to the horse, in a consistent tone.

Think about it not as getting her to walk faster, but getting her to keep walking faster. Your input should be to prevent her from changing away from the desired behavior, rather than trying to convince her to perform the desired behavior. Then rewarding her for maintaining the faster walk.

Carl

Hi Carl

Do you suppose that trick would work to help even up my team, I have one horse who always lags behind. I tap him with the whip but it doesn’t last long and he is slacking off again.

[Rod]

I am a lucky novice I guess because when we bought out two Halfingers a year ago I knew nothing about them or how to use them. But they are older and experienced and patient with me. I am amazed at them sometimes the stuff they understand and do for me.

What I have been doing lately is having them walk with me from the night pasture back to their stalls with no lead rope or halters on. I go to the gate whistle and they come running from where ever they are. I open the gate and we walk to to the barn side by side a few hundred feet away, no fences, plenty of turns and distractions and they even push the barn yard gate open to enter if it’s unlatched which it usually is. All I ever have done with these boys is done gentle and no abuse or threats. I try to get them to trust being with me as a good experience. If I am in a bad mood I stay away from them and do not react harshly when they make a mistake or act up. In this year our relationship has grown and it gets easier as time goes by.

I do feed the a small cupful of Vit. , mineral mix and some joint herbs when they get on the barn at night and I don’t doubt that this is why they are so compliant in doing this trick each morning.

[Rod]

I wonder how it operates on long driveways. It seems the plow would leave piles to deal with as it plows or am I missing something?

[Rod]

I don’t have a comment but can tell you what I do with my cow manure. Since it’s mixed in with hay waste from the feeders I have to compose most of it so it will not clog up the beaters on the spreader.

My pit is 36′ by 36′ with 3′ high waste concrete block walls and a concrete floor. It’s connected to my two dry lot areas and loafing barns where my cow spend most of the winter. All the yards and buildings have concrete floors. The cows also have free access to two sacrifice paddocks with mounds for walking around and goofing off. My winter waste just about fills the pit up to a height of 3 to 4′

On winter days when the manure is not frozen I push it into the pit with a skid steer and pile it up in sections. The stuff with waste hay in one area and the cleaner stuff in another. In the spring the clean manure gets spread on the fields and garden. The rest get re-piled and turned every couple of weeks through the summer until the hay is broken down and then I spread it which is usually in the fall. I sometimes drag it after spreading using my horses and a chain drag. This breaks up the bigger clumps and scratches the ground up bit.

Before I put the concrete down I had a terrible mess in the spring with muck up to the cows stomachs and stones in my manure which ended up in the fields and occasionally were flung at me on the tractor. No cover on the pit but I don’t get a lot of runoff from it either. The whole system works great and I like it a lot.

I don’t use any commercial fertilizer and vary my manure applications based on the field’s needs and uses. Since I buy most of my hay (about 150 round bales a year) and graze all my open land I am importing fertility on to the farm each year. We have abundant clover, too much in fact for the cows and I have to keep an eye on them in some areas because of the potential for bloat. The bees love it however and we routinely make 100 plus lbs. of honey per hive each year on the white clover. Cows, managed pastures and honey bees have a three way symbiotic relationship.

[Rod]

Did you try heating it?

[Rod]

@ngcmcn 9914 wrote:

My Grimm has all season baloney skins on it and works great, my belts dld turn over, then one broke, then replaced both, then got new ones from Grimm in Rutland. Big difference.

The tide in the hayfields going out, only 2″ of standing water today.

Neal

What are baloney skins? I bought new belts for mine at the auto parts store, a standard v belt (B74) but both of them have turned on me. Is the Grimm one diffrent than a standard “v” belt?

[Rod]

Hi Donn

I thing I read that you have a Grimm GD tedder. I wonder if yours has tractor type lug tiress and if you have had any problems with the belt twisting (turning upside down)?

[Rod]

@Carl Russell 9778 wrote:

I just mulched-mowed a pretty good crop of browning tall lodging feed with a brush-hog. Can’t feed it to the animals, but fed the soil, and made way for second growth.

Carl

I did the same, very lush thick stand of potential hay. But I raised my bushog up so that I ended with a 6-8 ” stand of the understory grasses. Good for grazing which is happening right now. The cows also eat the cut stuff so little feed wasted. Second cut on other fields coming in strong thanks to the constant rain.

[Rod]

It did make for a long weekend wondering what I was missing.

[Rod]

@Patrick 5620 wrote:

I agree with the others Rod. That cart is some nice. I can’t wait to see a picture with the seat in place.
I had a hard time picturing how the rear door was hinged, from looking at the plans. What do you have planned for the latching mechanism, especially to hold in all the weight, if you had it loaded with something heavy like gravel?
What is the purpose of adding a third wheel? The plans say that their version would weigh in at over 300 kg. You sure about your estimate of 300lbs?
Anyone have any idea of what they would have to get for one, if they were making one similar to sell to others?

I posted a picture of the cart with the seat on it in the photos section.

[Rod]

Thank you.

[Author]

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