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Post by Blessings Farms on Nov 22, 2015 0:00:44 GMT
2 in. of snow and a Mich. St. loss what else .
Oh well 58 thru. turkey and the win over the big Mac next week .
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Post by lakeportfarms on Nov 22, 2015 12:12:51 GMT
I think (Michigan) State won Dave. Ohio State loses.
16" in of heavy wet snow around here. Some areas were over 20", away from the warmth of the lakes that kept the snow ratios down. But it's all going to melt by Thursday or Friday, what a mess.
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Post by Blessings Farms on Nov 22, 2015 16:55:04 GMT
Ya just seeing if Igot your attention . Dont think the next game will be
very good for Ohio State .
Really wish it freezes first before next snow what a mess .
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Post by Blessings Farms on Nov 28, 2015 20:45:06 GMT
Well 2 1/2 ' rain and total mud . And OHIO STATE WINS !!!
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Post by genebo on Nov 29, 2015 0:57:45 GMT
Dave, come visit me. 70's yesterday and today. Got a lot of work done, replacing fence posts and broadcasting seeds. Even got a little suntan!
Powder and I walked to the mailbox and back, about 2 miles, for junk mail.
Virginia let us down by losing to Va Tech, though.
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Post by Blessings Farms on Nov 29, 2015 10:16:12 GMT
Would love to visit but have enough inside work to do also . Nancy and
I bought a 6' hay/feed rack very nice has the try in bottom for feed and
minerals . We have a tarp over it temp. will extend barn roof over it in
near future . We realize now that we will need to heavly stone area
around it and the main barn entrance after all the rain and add gutters .
Hate to see the critters walking in the mud . Think that and the cement
barn floor will aid in any hoof issues . Those Dexters are smart enough
should have given them shampo and they would be spanking clean now .
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Post by otf on Nov 29, 2015 12:52:22 GMT
Watch out for the cement barn floor; cattle can easily slip on it and severely injure themselves. You might want to put down rubber stall mats (4'x6' 1" thick about $40) on top of the concrete. Not cheap but better than a spread-eagled cow!
Gale
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Post by genebo on Nov 29, 2015 15:26:18 GMT
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Post by Blessings Farms on Nov 30, 2015 10:58:17 GMT
Thanks guys but our floors are what we call a float/broom finish .
We did this finish for years in livestock and other building were
a good footing was needed . All you do is bull float to level and
seal top and then broom it . This alows for a good footing but
smooth enough to roll across only fault is in the shop it is very
hard to clean . Our pens slope 4" to outside edge in 16' and any
moisture flows out in a 2' wide trough to our exterior pit .
Last evening I saw two slip and go down on the mud when they
were running for the feed I had . When I leave the house now
they follow around to the barn and wait then when I come to
the outside they tend to run to me .
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Post by lakeportfarms on Nov 30, 2015 12:23:32 GMT
Large (3" plus) stone for a base, then fill sand on top. Small stone makes a huge mess in the loafing and sacrifice areas when it comes time to clean up waste hay and manure. It gets mixed together and then where do you put it?
Sand almost has a filtering effect with the manure. When it rains it almost washes it clean again. You can spread the heavily used areas of sand around other muddy low lying areas and not worry about stones mixed in, but grass still grows in the mix. It's a LOT cheaper. And easier on their feet. Good traction in icy conditions.
Edited to add: We have a big sand and gravel pit 4-5 miles or so from us. Our prices for gravel are between $12-16/ton depending on the type. The price for fill sand is $2.50/ton in comparison. Big difference...and sand is what many dairy farms use as bedding for their cows, so it's a lot easier on their feet and legs than the gravel is. In the spring when the frost comes out of the ground, I put them on some paved areas that we have, but I spread a good layer of clean sand on the top. It stays much cleaner this way, and when the worst of the thaw is over, I scoop the sand with the front loader and spread it on the drives going out to the various pastures, which are used as sacrifice areas until sometime mid to late may when the ground has firmed up and the grass is long enough to start them on their managed grazing once again. I have some sandy areas on the drive that are quite thick, and the manure just washes right in. Where there is old hay that was wasted, I peel that up and put it in a compost pile, and later spread it on one of the pastures that has poor soil. Sand may be mixed in, but at least there are few if any rocks (that cost a lot of money in comparison)
Our soil has a LOT of clay in it. It's odd since we're so close to the lake, but I suspect it's from glacial deposits. If I try to dig down 4-5 feet, I often hit a layer of stone and clay/limestone that is like a concrete layer. Consequently, the surface water doesn't drain very well and our water table is often 2 feet from the surface! Saying that when our ground gets saturated it's like a swamp is an understatement, to say the least. Large rock with sand on top is the only way I've found to control the mud and keep from sinking in. Better yet would be to put a mat of geotextile fabric down prior to the rock. I'd love to get my hands on some of the stuff they use underneath the expressways as they're rebuilding them! If you have a crop farm around here, your fields have to be tiled, or you better have perfect weather conditions to plant or harvest.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2015 16:35:55 GMT
our snow had just melted before thanksgiving. then it rained all day and night on Thursday. now it is raining all day today. It is a muddy soupy mess. You want to make sure you have a good walking stick if you go in with the cows without one you are going down for sure when your feet get stuck.
We have access to crushed concrete at way less price than rock. I have used it for years on driveways. I have not tried it in the cow areas but may try some next year.
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