[Ed Thayer]

Sent you a message,

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

I also converted a pioneer cart with a hang on arch conversion, it is for a single horse and works well for us, we get plenty of lift on the but end of the log and we carry our tools and saw along with us in the woods.

I can carry my saw, oil, gas and peavey along with me in the woods.

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Ed Thayer]

Wow, that is way more physical effort than I am capable of 🙂

That is a very patient horse too.

[Ed Thayer]

George,

I sold that single horse mower to a young man in NY who was going to use it more than me. It really worked well for clipping pastures and was very maneuverable in tight quarters. But it was a lot of work for my horse. I really hesitated on selling it but was glad to see it go to a good home.

I did make all my own hay this year but did it with the tractor. I purchased a used sickle mower and cut with that. I hope to get another horse soon and use them for the mowing and raking as I have a JD 594 ground drive rake I rebuilt this Spring.

I am considering having my #7 rebuilt by Don and using that possibly.

I purchased this disc off the side of the road for $50.00. It is about 4.5′ wide and well built. Probably designed to go behind the older yard tractors in the 60’s.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Keep the faith Jay, Some struggles are worth the wait. Call if you need a hand.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

George,

Good to hear that worked out all right for you. Certainly could have ended badly and at great financial loss. Your dogs sound like awesome additions to the already great operation you have there.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Great info George, that was just what I was looking for.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Thanks for the responses.
I should have stated in my first post that it is a stand of mixed grasses and clover. No Alfalfa or rye.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

Thanks for the replies, my daughter is very well versed on riding but is now off in college so I am left to figure it out for myself. I was impressed with how calm he was while riding him. I used the exact same commands and line pressure as if I were driving him and he was fine.

Don, regarding moose season, I have had several requests to remove Downed Moose from remote locations with draft power. We do not hunt from their backs, simply retrieve the quarry when harvested. It can be very profitable when there is no other alternative to get the beasts out of the woods other than packing out on ones back. Some horses are sensitive to dead critters, mine does not seem to be bothered by them.

Do you find the nearest stump to help jump on their backs? I had to use my daughters step she used while showing horses.

Where do you get the riding pads with stirrups? That would work great while carrying a whiffle tree along with us.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

George,

My neighbor who saws my lumber on a WM LT 40 cut the ash I brought to him out 4″ sq then propped one end up after snapping a line for the cut. It worked well. The finished dimensions were 3″5 at the base x 2.5 at the yolk end. One pole did bend slightly but the one I installed on my forecart stayed straight. I am guessing you could make a jig pretty easy if you had a lot to make. Then just set it aside for the future.

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

I am mowing our second cut tomorrow after work, I hope to bale on Sunday if the weather forecast holds up. Our second cut looks awesome.

George, do you feed 2nd cut to your horses or the goats?

[Ed Thayer]

I skin mine and it is not at all complicated. I rinse the hog after slaughter, lay it on its back on a ladder supported by two saw horses. Then I carefully skin the hog starting at the feet letting gravity help me pull the skin out of the way. I get to the spine and stop. Then I hoist the pig by its hind legs and gently pull the skin down away from the spine. You may need to gently slice the skin so you do not tear the fat off the pig. Then I can eviscerate and split in half to cool.

The trick is to leave as much fat on the pig as possible and not to cut the meat in the process. It takes some practice but I find it a nice way to cut mine. After letting it cool for a couple of days I will process the pigs into cuts and freeze them.

Some people prefer the skin and like its taste, I am not very fond of it. Your hams will look different than the traditional skin on ones but will cure and taste the same.

Good luck,

ED

[Ed Thayer]

We shoot in the head once with a .22 cal. rifle at point blank range, they drop instantly with no drama. Then slit the throat to bleed them instantly. There is very little movement and this system works well for us.

There is no magic way to take the life from the hogs that I know of. Just got to get it done,

Good Luck,

Ed

[Ed Thayer]

We run our 6,400 sq.ft. shop on a Central Boiler outdoor pellet boiler. We would have a difficult time cutting, curing, and storing the amount of cordwood necessary to heat that floor space with a wood boiler. The other benefit is being able to load a weeks worth of pellets at a time whereas a wood boiler requires attention every 12 hours at least. The money was the same for a pellet boiler or the wood boiler. And they both met the EPA phase II emission requirement set forth by the EPA.

I do see the benefit of wood in a smaller footprint and if you have the time, supply and storage for the wood.

Good luck,

ED

[Ed Thayer]

Great looking set up. Why did you go away from your mower ground drive unit? Not heavy enough?

Ed

[Author]

Posts