Farming with junk

[Craig Miller]

We had a bad morning but it could have been a lot worse. Ours pens are less than good. It works fine for loading calves but cows are terrible. This morning we wanted to haul both cows and calves. We called them up. The ones we did not want to take went right in the pens. The ones we wanted acted like they didn't know what to do. That's normal though. Finally got them in and cut out. Loaded 3. One tore up the top of the trailer trying to go through it and she almost suceeded. Dad was about to have a come apart at this point. Got one more of the other three in. Another tore the pen up when it ran over it and out. OK forget those last two and go with what we had. 4 out of six ain't bad anyways. Pulled out of the pasture and stopped on the road to get out of four wheel drive. Checked the cows and the front four boards had fell out of the trailer and one cows foot was through it and almost to the road. He knew the metal was rusted bad when he rebuult the floor last year but i guess hoped it would hold. Backed up to the gate and turned them out. Dad had his come apart at this point. Maybe we'll try another day.

 

[Bigfoot]

It would make a good reality show to watch somebody take on the challenges of farming with junk. I do insist on a nice working pen though.

 

[skyhightree1]

We had a bad morning but it could have been a lot worse. Ours pens are less than good. It works fine for loading calves but cows are terrible. This morning we wanted to haul both cows and calves. We called them up. The ones we did not want to take went right in the pens. The ones we wanted acted like they didn't know what to do. That's normal though. Finally got them in and cut out. Loaded 3. One tore up the top of the trailer trying to go through it and she almost suceeded. Dad was about to have a come apart at this point. Got one more of the other three in. Another tore the pen up when it ran over it and out. OK forget those last two and go with what we had. 4 out of six ain't bad anyways. Pulled out of the pasture and stopped on the road to get out of four wheel drive. Checked the cows and the front four boards had fell out of the trailer and one cows foot was through it and almost to the road. He knew the metal was rusted bad when he rebuult the floor last year but i guess hoped it would hold. Backed up to the gate and turned them out. Dad had his come apart at this point. Maybe we'll try another day.

Sorry you had a rough day yea... Loading facilities as well as trailer to get them to the barn are very important things that need extra TLC... I don't have the top of the line stuff but its functional it has to be as I do the cattle 99% of the time by myself and have it set up such that anyone could do it by themselves. We all are guilty of the well maybe i can use it one more time before repairing syndrome in some way shape or form. Don't beat yourselves up just get it fixed soon as you can when you can and keep getting up. :tiphat: Tomorrow will be a better day.

 

[greybeard]

Every time I hook on to my old disc, I see the blades floppin around on the wore out bearings and say 'well, maybe it'll make it this time and I'll buy another one next year'..

 

[dun]

One day at the sale barn a guy got ready to unload an noticed that there was one cow missing a hind foot. It had gone through the floorboards and ground off on the highway. That sure turned my stomach.

 

[cow pollinater]

I used to work pack stations dealing with mules. The old man that I worked for was famous for junk equipment. He would run up and down Mineral King Rd., which ascends seven thousand feet in a windy twenty mile stretch, with a pallet of cement in his stock trailer because the brakes on his truck were shot but the trailer brakes worked well.
My personal favorite was the day we went to haul a load of mules up the mountain to begin the packing season and one of the floorboards in the stock truck collapsed. He loaded a bunch of mules and then waded in there between them and took the snake skin from one guy's hat and stapled it over the floor and told us the mules wouldn't step on it and took off up the mountain. Luckily he was right and as I recall he hauled quite a few loads that way before he fixed it.

 

[dun]

I used to work pack stations dealing with mules. The old man that I worked for was famous for junk equipment. He would run up and down Mineral King Rd., which ascends seven thousand feet in a windy twenty mile stretch, with a pallet of cement in his stock trailer because the brakes on his truck were shot but the trailer brakes worked well.
My personal favorite was the day we went to haul a load of mules up the mountain to begin the packing season and one of the floorboards in the stock truck collapsed. He loaded a bunch of mules and then waded in there between them and took the snake skin from one guy's hat and stapled it over the floor and told us the mules wouldn't step on it and took off up the mountain. Luckily he was right and as I recall he hauled quite a few loads that way before he fixed it.

I loved that Mineral King Silver City area back in the 60s

 

[Craig Miller]

One day at the sale barn a guy got ready to unload an noticed that there was one cow missing a hind foot. It had gone through the floorboards and ground off on the highway. That sure turned my stomach.

That was the biggest concern to me

 

[True Grit Farms]

Well you know what you need to work on now. I can't stand to be broke down.

 

[Jogeephus]

I just paid my tag bills and was wondering if its even worth owning a trailer. Mine needs some new boards and your post reminds me of one of my biggest fears. A trailer is handy to own but I think it would be cheaper in the long run - at least in terms of stress and aggravation just to pay someone else to haul them when they needed hauling.

 

[Craig Miller]

Well you know what you need to work on now. I can't stand to be broke down.

Yea work on getting a new trailer. Lol.

I just paid my tag bills and was wondering if its even worth owning a trailer. Mine needs some new boards and your post reminds me of one of my biggest fears. A trailer is handy to own but I think it would be cheaper in the long run - at least in terms of stress and aggravation just to pay someone else to haul them when they needed hauling.

No more cows than we have we probably will do just that.

 

[Kingfisher]

Husbandry....it's a capital H last time I checked..

 

[M-5]

It was just something about today. First bale the alarm didn't sound and I went about 20 ft while it was tying made s heII of a mess. Last roll didn't tie right either. Got of other tractor to move hay started over heating , found a hole in radiator hose down about a hour finally got going looked at the good shirt I had on that has grease from elbow to shoulder. Tomorrow is a better day.

 

[NECowboy]

It was just something about today. First bale the alarm didn't sound and I went about 20 ft while it was tying made s heII of a mess. Last roll didn't tie right either. Got of other tractor to move hay started over heating , found a hole in radiator hose down about a hour finally got going looked at the good shirt I had on that has grease from elbow to shoulder. Tomorrow is a better day.

Too bad it didn't fully overheat, full of snake oil. :lol:

 

[Kingfisher]

It was just something about today. First bale the alarm didn't sound and I went about 20 ft while it was tying made s heII of a mess. Last roll didn't tie right either. Got of other tractor to move hay started over heating , found a hole in radiator hose down about a hour finally got going looked at the good shirt I had on that has grease from elbow to shoulder. Tomorrow is a better day.

Way better than a roof...

 

[JW IN VA]

You are not alone.Thankfully I have an aluminum trailer and pretty good loading pens on the two places I own. Built them with working by myself in mind.Still not finished adding to one.My other pastured farm is not as good but the owner didn't want a big pen built so I did what I could.My hay equipment is getting older but since I have downsized,I can't afford to get new stuff.Seems like I'm repairing a lot.Thankful for a wife who is a great parts getter. And, a couple cousins who can get me out of anything I can't fix myself.

 

[Nesikep]

I have lots and lots of old stuff.. thankfully, my trailer is the newest thing on the farm (4 years old).. everything else is from the 60's and 70's.. Corrals from the 80's and loading chute from the 90's.. Corrals definitely need a LOT of TLC, but as you say, I can get another year out of it!.

Perhaps it was Dun who had the signature line "If I fixed it when I should have it would nearly be time to fix it again" or something along those lines.

As far as vehicle maintenance.. I hate being stuck away from home, so I keep it pretty much in ship shape..

 

[backhoeboogie]

Every time I hook on to my old disc, I see the blades floppin around on the wore out bearings and say 'well, maybe it'll make it this time and I'll buy another one next year'..

Maybe I'm nuts but I put in new bearings. Have to get a torch after some of those old nuts at times to get them off.

Old steel is much better than the new stuff. I find it best to keep things going, if its are repairable. If you buy anything new you'd best get out the welder and start adding plates and gussets. Better to beef it up now than try to straighten out the distortions.

 

[TexasBred]

Sorry you had a rough day yea... Loading facilities as well as trailer to get them to the barn are very important things that need extra TLC... I don't have the top of the line stuff but its functional it has to be as I do the cattle 99% of the time by myself and have it set up such that anyone could do it by themselves. We all are guilty of the well maybe i can use it one more time before repairing syndrome in some way shape or form. Don't beat yourselves up just get it fixed soon as you can when you can and keep getting up. :tiphat: Tomorrow will be a better day.

Same here. My cows may be junk but I'm gonna have the best facilities, truck and trailer I can afford without just going totally stupid about it.

 

[TexasBred]

I just paid my tag bills and was wondering if its even worth owning a trailer. Mine needs some new boards and your post reminds me of one of my biggest fears. A trailer is handy to own but I think it would be cheaper in the long run - at least in terms of stress and aggravation just to pay someone else to haul them when they needed hauling.

Jo it's dirt cheap over here. Can't remember off the top of my head but seems like it's only about $7.00 to register a cattle trailer.