[Ed Thayer]

Kristan,

I built a compost shed a little smaller than Jen and have found it to work well. It is smaller because I only ave two horses and claculated the size based on that.

Mine is simple and is constructed on a concrete pad. All posts are pressure treated and the roof is tin. The bins are lined with 2″ thick hemlock and seems to hold up well.

The concrete knee wall on the back like Jens would have been nice to push against with the tractor when turning the compost but was out of my price range.

Here are a couple of pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108015252120457183879/CompostShed#

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Geoff, you can’t adjust depth. It looks like the lever adjusts the angle of the rods that hold the blades. Kind of like a disc harrow. I wondered if it would work for loosening compacted soil after the winter. I can only disc with a tractor as I do not have a horse drawn unit. I thought this might be usefull.

[Ed Thayer]

Great pics and a very nice sleigh indeed.

[Ed Thayer]

Looks great. What kind of disc is that?

[Ed Thayer]

We have a Glenwood Model “G” that has been in our farmhouse for over 60 years . It has a water tank and medium sized oven.

It was never designed as a chunk stove and we do not expect to heat the house with it. My wife cooks on it regularly and it does provide some nice heat when really cold out.

We used to have a 6 foot external water tank plumbed into the fire box but removed it for the insurance company.

Glenwoods are still available as refurbished units and you can even find them used in preety good condition.

[Ed Thayer]

I had another load of manure delivered this week and spread 9 more loads today. Again, I was by myself as my wife is Ill and I needed to get it spread toady.

Oz was solid and hardly flinched today. I loaded as before with him tied off to the mule. I want to get help next time and get someone to head him off while I load.

Don, you bring up a good point about banging the spreader with the bucket. I could see where that might put even the steadiest horse over the edge. The bottom line is that my expectations need to be realistic and I need to keep the well being of Oz as a priority.

So maybe I have to wait a couple of days to get someone to help me out, so be it. I am very green at all this and would hate to be drastically set back because I have taken all our accomplishments for granted.

[Ed Thayer]

Please forgive my ignorance, but how do you feed the corn out after it is in the crib? Cob and all or is it shucked later?

Is this corn going to be for horse feed/

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

I would echo Mitch’s statement. Our gravel paddock is on the West side of the barn and the horses both have free access to it from doors in the box stalls. It is on the gable end of the barn and thus the roof sheds the water away from from it. However, with doors on the west and always open it allows the wind to whip in and does present it’s own problems. I had no choice but to put my doors there as my barn was allready built.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Thanks for the responses.

Truth is he just got more relaxed as we continued. The video was the first load, we did 6 more that day and he became more comfortable with each load.

I guess i just get frustrated at the idea it will take 2 people to spread the manure instead of 1.

I think I will have Jane (my wife) hold the lead rope next time and be safer than sorry.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Don, I bought Les Bardens Video from Tim Hupp at Berry brook Ox supply a couple of years ago. It was very valuable to review from time to time when setting up my first harness. I would be glad to throw it in the mail if you would like to see it again.

I echo the front trace length. Mine do as Mitch suggested, blousing out, when slack develops on the side of the harness. I need to get mine shortened. I just have not taken them off to do it yet.

Good luck, I think you will be happy with the results.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Mitch,

I am no expert, but would a jointer work better in cutting the top and burying the trash instead of a coulter wheel?

I had some frustration on a new piece I plowed a couple of weeks ago for a new potato patch next year. It was a piece of old pasture that had gone by.
I mowed it real tight before attempting to plow it. The jointer would cut the sod where there was grass but there was also some sort of wild berry that had a vine like growth to it. That stuff would ball up and peel off the soil like carpet. Awfull stuff to deal with.

Mind you this was done with the Farmall cub, not a horse driven unit. But it was still frustrating just the same. i guess no matter what pulls the plow, the results would have been the same.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

OK John,

Good luck with him. See ya at Tunbridge.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Jason, Did John end up with this horse?

[Ed Thayer]

I know Meaders supply in Rochester stocks them new. I guess you could try a local farm with some old impliments out back too.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Mark,

spreading it with compost or manure is the way to go. I will be doing this with lyme shortly.

You can stockpile ash without much problem. If it is windy and dry, simply wet the stockpile down and let it dry. It will develope light crust that will protect the rest of the pile.

Good luck.

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