My 2 year old son LOVES to watch you guys work, especially with the tractors and heavy machinery. Thanks for sharing what you do and explaining everything too. You guys are awesome!
Hi Eric! In the middle 40's, my Dad had a milk route, an insulated box truck, and went around to the small dairy's in our area and picked up there milk, cream, and eggs, and delivered the products to Carnation, or Early Dawn, in Spokane, Washington. From time to time, my younger brother and I would ride with Dad.That was a real treat! The milk cans held 10 gallons, and the cream cans were 5 gallons. Most of the dairy's were small, and only milked10-25 cows. I can remember when the first automatic milking machines started to show up. They were made by Surge. Before that the cows were milked by hand. Farming was hard work! I really enjoy your videos and commentary. GREAT JOB! Beast Wishes, AND GOD BLESS OUR FARMERS! Gary
You could make some more shelter for the youngest calves by putting some light weighted wood on the sides of the gate. They will lay behind there as well
You could till the bed pack before you clean it out too. Might help loosen things up and make it easier to scoop with the skid steer. Keep up the good work guys!!!
Hello Eric. Just a thought. Perhaps you could put a bale spear on the Kubota and hook the tire rings on it. You could then move them to nice neat rows that could easily be picked up again when needed to fill a new bunker. Might save you a lot of slugging by hand.
Businesses that handle rolls of carpet have an fork lift attachment called a " dong". Moves roll of carpet. That would fit on your skid, and hold many tires. Great job of delivering high quality feed. Owners of livestock take the highest possible care of their animals.
Congrats on slat scrapers! I admire how you are cost conscious yet moving forward. I think your farm is an inspiration, your family has much to be proud of, God Bless 🙌
We've had some strong winds the past two days, darn near pulled one of our gutters off here in Clay Twp. As for rototilling the bedding Saskdutch kid was down in California visiting a 5100 head dairy farm and they rototill their bedding to get it fluffed up and aerate it as well.
Love what you guys do and that you share it with all of us. I have loved cows since I was a kid. Spent many vacations on the farm. I only wish the newborn calves got to spend more time with their mothers. I know its business but they have feelings too and I have a soft spot for them. Keep up what you are doing. I love milk and cheese and I am grateful for those of you who provide. Take care and God bless you all. You are my heroes.
Yea pretty handy but Eric no longer will have a reach lifter manitou But it would of help with the door. How you going to change your lights when they go out again you have to have them at night to see. Cool never seen those kind before going to have our friend watch this so he can see it work . Maybe get more people to watch your video’s.Your explained a lot and so has your dad love learning more . How about placing your tire’s in a lean tube right beside the silage bunker the brick wall that way you don’t have to keep moving the tire’s around from one bin to another they be in lean tube. And you could store your rolls of tarp’s for silage in their as well.
Always something to do around a farm, clean stalls, change bedding, repair equipment, and the list goes on and on and...... never a dull moment. The feed silage did look real good, I guess the smell is usually the first sign. Great video, thanks for sharing, have a great week.
Did like your thinking ahead and changing both lights while still having the telescope equipment. Saves on climbing a ladder later, Murphy's law, the next week, the other light dies. 👍
It was good to see the comparison you did with the two telehandlers. They were both very expensive. Always enjoyable to watch your day to day operation of the farm. Something new every day. Stay safe.
Great Team work. Great Example. Taught by my dad which I taught to our kids which they have taught to their kids “ I Can Sleep When The Wind Blows” Story from a Farmer on the Atlantic Coast. A motto & habit that we try our best to do
Good idea changing both bulbs. You have great electrician skills Eric. I would hire you in a heartbeat if I was not retired from my electrical business. Looking forward to seeing the scrapers in action. Thanks for a great video.
Great video Eric. I just love you and your dad work so good together. Y'all are some great people. Love watching your video. They just make my day for sure. Thank you guys.
I love how excited the cows get after the new bedding is put in. They seem really happy, you guys take great care of them! Love the video Eric! Can't wait to see the videos of the poop pushers.
Great video Eric! Looking forward to seeing the Lely feed scrapers put to use. Bedding looks nice and the cows sure seem to have a good time with it. Enjoyed the video. Well done!
Do you save some of the bigger sizes of plastic that you cut from the silage bins? I would think it would come in handy somewhere on the farm. Those cows crack me up when they discover new bedding. It's almost like a drug for them !!
It seems it would make more sense to place the tires flipped over vs the current orientation. If flipped over they wouldn’t hold water. Is there reason for placing tires with the cupped side facing up? Perhaps you depend on the water for the additional weight to hold down the tarp.
I would guess that the cut side of the tire has a bigger chance of making a hole in the plastic. And the weight of rainwater would probably help with getting some extra weight on the silo as you say =)
Could you not put the sawdust in then mix it up with the rotor tiller? You avoid running over the tilled ground again & putting skid-steer tracks over your tilled area.
Why not take the time and stack the tires on pallets so they will be ready for the next time and cut down on the work? So wish you could have kept one of the machines you seemed to really love the red one and we can see it made life a bit easier for the both of you. So enjoy the videos. Susan
Should have a look at tom pemberton he uses the reusable and green friendly cover blanket and special sand bags, i hate seeing people use so many tyres. Will be interesting to see if using the heavy roller changed anything.
Your saying that you should have been helping your dad instead of talking to the camera reminds me of Marlin Perkins on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Marlin would be in the helicopter and say “while Jim wrestles the anaconda down below I’ll check to see if the hippos are coming back.” 😂 Your Dad probably remembers.
Can I offer a thought. The labor would be cut and make it lot easer. A few wire racks for tires be a lot easer storing and make next time lot easer spreading.
Those slats could be cleaned in a few minutes with tractor scraper you already have when you have that side into be milked. No new expenditure and no automation headaches.
Running a tractor or skid steer through to scrape every milking would be time consuming and a pain. These scrapers can run many times per day and they will save labor and fuel so they'll pay.
when Eric said it was a delivery from WI my immediate thought was they ordered a load of cheese, especially when the truck that showed up was a refer truck
That Manitou looked to be a nice machine. Never looked at those before, will have to take a close look at those. Would be nice if Manitou would let you do a longer term test. Have you looked at those MLA series of small loaders? Would you go one step up the line on Manitou or stay with the one you demoed?
