[Tim Harrigan]

I am not sure there is a right answer to this, it depends on the situation. A big problem I see is that calves often do not get the attention and consistent work that they need. In such cases it might be best to find a good 4-H started team and go from there. Here is a link to an earlier thread where this was discussed. In post #17 I recounted some good points made by Katy Huppe a few years ago in a RH article:

http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?3459-Thinking-seriously-about-starting-with-oxen…&highlight=huppe

There are many things involved in bonding with and reading a team, owning them for the first 6 or 12 months is not always the most important thing.

[Tim Harrigan]

I think it is good that you consider the parasite angle. Perhaps if the parasites affected hormone balances it could produce symptoms Cushing’s-like symptoms but it seems that would be quite rare.

[Tim Harrigan]

Nice mower, Ed. I just brought one home today, McCormick Deering New Ideal, G-302 stamped on the gear cover. About the same drive system that you have, 5 ft bar, needs some work before I can use it. Do you just give the gears a few squirts of oil every few rounds? I don’t have any experience with these mowers, guess I will now.

[Tim Harrigan]

Great video, great event. Way to go everyone.

[Tim Harrigan]

You could put the drum on a frame like a concrete mixer with some fins inside and give it a turn once in a while, and also use it for mixing your feed.

[Tim Harrigan]

Erika, I am not so sure the parasite problem and shedding are related this long after the coccidiosis. Will starts shedding in late Feb and will not shed out completely for a couple of more weeks. That is with frequent brushing. A friend of mine has a couple of shorthorn/guernsey crosses that are completely shed out with no brushing. There is a dexter in with them that has a lot of his winter coat on yet, but again, no brushing. So there seems to be a lot of variation even with cattle housed together. Maybe there is a connection with parasites and coat as it affects shedding but I have never heard of it.

[Tim Harrigan]

Andy, I think as long as the grain if relatively dry the main thing you want to avoid is moisture gradients which will be related to temperature. Under the conditions you describe it seems like they would develop slowly. It seems to me that if you had 55 gallons drums you could avoid any problems by periodically mixing, or just dumping the grain from one drum to another to provide inversion and mixing. If you try to ventilate then you need inlet and outlet vents, uniform distribution etc. Even with ventilation you can get hot spots that could cause problems under certain conditions. Best to keep it simple in this case.

[Tim Harrigan]

http://www.leafpile.com/TravelLog/Romania/Farming/MakingaHaystack/MakingHaystack.htm

It has been quite some time since I built ricks by hand, but when I did, I used a method similar to what you see here. I did not build as high as these, just what I could reach from the ground. I would cut a pine or conifer tree that had branches all the way to the ground, limbed it, but left the branch stubs extruding about 12 inches or so. I would stand it in the ground where I wanted the stack, pile some slash at the base to keep the hay off the ground, and then start building the stack one large hay fork at a time in a circular pattern around the stack, building the height as you go. I layered the hay as I went to add stability. The branch stubs support the hay in the pile preventing it from settling too much and aiding air movement through the stack. Lightly rake the exterior of the stack to orient the stems in a downward fashion to improve shedding water. A plastic cap is optional on a well-built stack.

As when stacking a hay wagon with loose hay that stays on the wagon all the way back to the barn, the placement of each fork is important, it is more than simply a random pile. There are many other ways to use tripods, various frames, trellises, etc to get the hay off the ground. I agree with Bob, a good quality, sharp and well balanced scythe is important, as well as taking some time to learn the craft. At some time in the future I will start doing this again.

[Tim Harrigan]

It seems like a nice way to handle the spring flush on just a couple of acres when you are going to transition into grazing the following regrowth. I enjoy building hay ricks and you can move a lot of hay with a very simple and inexpensive sled.

[Tim Harrigan]

Andy, it practically jumps over into a windrow.

[video=youtube_share;YzdjOkLQw1s]http://youtu.be/YzdjOkLQw1s[/video]

[Tim Harrigan]

You won’t do it in one day, but you would have the hay, and it would stage the regrowth at different levels which would be good for grazing. Scything would be a skill to develop, try it on a small area and see how it looks. Well built hay ricks can hold up to the weather surprisingly well.

[Tim Harrigan]

Andy, you using that other planter you rigged up with the row cleaners?

[Tim Harrigan]

If the hay is going to get really rank it might be best to cut it and get it regrowing. Then if might be in good shape by the time you get around to grazing it. I do that sometimes, I like to get it cut and regrowing real soon now. If you wait and it gets into July and gets hot and dry you might not get much regrowth and you will find you have less forage for grazing than you thought you had.

It is hard to manage grazing without cutting hay as well because their is typically a flush of forage in the spring, then a shortage in July and August. I am sure many folks turn their cattle into old hay fields for grazing, but I like to keep the pasture vegetative throughout the growing season. I think it benefits the pasture and the cattle.

Not sure how much you have. There is the option of a scythe and building hay ricks. Give you something to do.

[Tim Harrigan]

Andy, I am not sure what you have in mind but if the weeds are vegetative they are probably pliable and will not be hurt too bad by the crimper. Crabapple gave a good answer. It works best, some years better than others, on annual grains like cereal rye when they are setting seed and woody and somewhat brittle. Even then, if rolled too soon some will recover and pop up again. I could see where it would bother something like mature Goldenrod but I would not expect it to kill it. I think your best bet would be to clip or mow the pastures after grazing.

[Tim Harrigan]

@Countymouse 35118 wrote:

… It seems silly to have grass go uneaten, and with the rotation style I have too much for the critters I have….

That is a good problem to have.

As far as observing the pasture, it will change over time, you will find it quite interesting.

[Author]

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