[dominiquer60]

Josh if you would like to check in with Reva, our administrator, you can email her at dapnetinfo@gmail.com. She can figure out if there was a problem and get the web team to fix it. Thanks for joining!

Erika

[dominiquer60]

Ed,

For large saw logs that you want to keep clean, something that works like a logrite is great. A scoot can be loaded off a brow without much effort, but if you are cabling them out of a wet land, I am guessing that is not an option. You may be able to put more on a scoot, but you can load a winch trailer by yourself with more ease on the body. We have 5 acres of stoney land that is seasonally wet, there are a few paths for the horses, but for much of the larger wood we use a block and cable and use horses or the tractor to pull it to the edge of the field. The system is not perfect, Sam would like to invest in a self releasing block, but until then it sure beats trying to go in after the logs. If you have a real lunker of stick, you can strap the winch trailer directly to the far end and make it easier to extract. I tried attaching a photo that may explain it easier.

Erika

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[dominiquer60]

Sam’s winch trailer is a similar concept to the logrite arch. The ability to keep logs clean and rolling large sticks along easily is priceless when you want to keep your sawyer happy.

[dominiquer60]

Dr. Temple Grandin has transformed the livestock handling and slaughter industry with her work. There is some good information on her website, http://grandin.com/. The key to handling live stock is knowing how your set up will influence their behavior. The website offers information on many topics including animal behavior and handling systems design.

You will notice many pictures of solid walled curvy pens and shoots, this is all done to minimize stress. When you can keep animals calm and moving forward you minimize the stress on the animals and the handlers. I used to work on a sheep farm with 300 head, with minimal panels and baling twine, I constructed a handling system and weighed 150 lambs by myself with ease. You don’t have to have a fancy Preifert equipment (http://www.priefert.com/) to have an effective system. Many of Dr. Grandin’s ideas can be scaled down to any level if you use your imagination and what you have on hand. Best of luck.

Erika

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by dominiquer60.

[dominiquer60]

Try to keep the holding pen without corners if the animals are “rangy”, small panels, hog panels or plywood in corners will keep the animals moving better instead of the stubborn animal putting its head down in the corner and blocking things up.

Erika

[dominiquer60]

Cut and paste Carl 🙂 Mark Cowdry, of Ragged View Farm, makes piggy back arches for the Pioneer forecart, they are reasonably priced. http://www.raggedviewfarm.com/index.php?nav=40

Jared,

I didn’t mean to imply that you should build one like Sam’s, I meant that if you are starting from scratch like Sam, use features that make your work easier and don’t feel like version 1.0 is for life. Sure you want a good design to start with, but don’t feel stuck with it. I can’t talk technical about draft or fabrication, but I have used and been around a few styles of log arch, and if you want all purpose, I find the Barden cart very practical. I know Carl Russell is working on the plans, I look forward to having one made for me one of these years. Best wishes with your fabrication project.

Erika

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by dominiquer60.

[dominiquer60]

What do you want in an arch? Walk behind, ride on, big wood, little wood, versatility?

Sam’s arch is built for big stick harvest for custom timber frames that he has built in the past. It is larger than most folks need, but it has a few nice features. One of my favorites is a human comfort, easy on, easy off. I don’t care for the models that you have to scramble up to ride on. The step in front of the wheel is a safer way to me to get on and off while I drive for him.

He uses 90 angles in his construction and has recently added some features like the drop bar. It makes it a lot easier to handle several small sticks at the same time. However since his rig is so tall, standard chokers don’t always reach the chain slots on the bar. You can’t have it all, but you can pick and choose what might work best for you and make changes as needed. This photo shows Sam’s most recent changes, and easily his 5th major change on this design.

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[dominiquer60]

It is drier down here in southern New England. The woods would be great to work in, dry enough, swamps are low, weather nice, and Sam has 3 jobs he could be working on. Unfortunately he blew a tire on the International on Oct 1 and it is taking for ever to get the front end fixed between the insurance agency and the repair shop. We have been tackling a bunch of fair weather jobs instead, a bunch of bulldozer work, replacing piggery cupolas, cleaning our barn lots, fixing fence. There is never a lack of things to do, but what a great fall to loose being in the woods. Thankfully there has be a token amount to clean up in our lot, but only a day here or there with the horses.

[dominiquer60]

Sam has a rider on his building business insurance for “harvesting materials for timber framing.” It is not exactly logging insurance but covers cutting trees for custom beams and material like cedar posts and mountain laurel for fancy porch railings and such. We use Farm Family.

[dominiquer60]

Others may have the same questions. If I recall it is a bumper pull, but what is the length?

Erika

[dominiquer60]

Potato digger $600

Low tunnel hoop sold, still have one roll of new in the box 10’x100′ plastic for $100

Sprayer $1600

delivery within a couple hours is available for a reasonable price.

[dominiquer60]

Wow where to start.

Thursday was great, we had room for a few more in the intensive workshops, but those that came were treated to learning on some of the finest animals the region has to offer. I think we created a lot of novice teamsters that day, so be on the look out for those that need a mentor, we are all responsible for passing the culture on to the next generation.

This year we had 4 Suffolk horses, 1 Suffolk mule, 4 Brabants, a Standardbred/Belgian, a Belgian/Haflinger, a Fjord, 2 Belgians, 8 Percherons, 2 Holsteins, 2 Holstein/Shorthorns, 1 Blue ox, 3 Milking Shorthorn, 2 Brown Swiss, 2 Randalls and 2 Mini Herefords, it was a wonderful menagerie.

They came from all over this time. Sweden, Alaska, New Brunswick, California, Washington, Georgia, South Carolina, PA, NY, ME, NH, MA, CT, VT and likely a few more States or Providences.

The fairgrounds was nice, good stabling, plenty of room for most demos, the kitchen was fantastic a real professional operation. Mowing and forestry were done at neighboring farms, the plowing was on the grounds and were the most difficult conditions yet.

It was wonderful to have our Plain friends from PA up with their goods and wares. To see and touch a product really gives us a good idea of the quality that they bring to modern horse farming.

There is so much more, but that is a nutshell at the moment.

Oh yes and Leah Haney in Maine won the filly, she was beyond delighted!

Erika

[dominiquer60]

Sounds like a fun day!

[dominiquer60]

I just sent my check today, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to eat well and have some of the best company a person could ask for.

Erika

[dominiquer60]

Little Seed Garden also has/had a horse drawn 4 wheel 3pt. hitch cart for working beds in a market garden. It originally came from Slack Hollow Farm in Argyle, NY and was featured in SFJ in the 90’s. It is worth the trip to see it and I did post pictures somewhere hear on the forum at one point.

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