Barn Updates and Patio/Steps project update!

Well, we got the back patio grouted in with maroon colored grout.  It looks awesome!  

West Mountain Lay down patio with maroon grout

 Here is a shot of the patio from the south end showing most of it.

I was also very excited to get my steps in for the front doors of the clients house.  All six of these step slabs were cut from the same large boulder about the size of my truck.  The largest being 9' x 5' for the bottom step and the smallest/top step was 5' x 1.5'.  

Here is a picture of all the steps just after I unloaded from the truck.  I had been up all night watching for snow and salting parking lots and then put in a full day on the job site.  I was only going to work a half a day and go home and sleep till I saw the steps and then I just couldn't leave till I put them in place.

West mountain step slabs from single boulder

 After being stacked up here is what they look like.  We had a concrete isolation pad already installed so they will not be effected by frost heaving so installation was quite easy.  We have a new vacuum lifting tool that we can pick them up with so we just vacuumed them with it and swung them in place with the excavator!

Here are the steps on the right front door.  The top surface of every stone was flamed to take away all the saw marks and give is a very lightly textured look.  It also brings out the color of the stone a lot!

West Mountain flamed cut slabs installed.

 The homeowner was looking for something different and unique that no one else would have.  Every one of these steps came from the same rock and yet even amongst them they are quite different so they are very unique!

These are the left front steps.  We had to add on to deal with a greater grade change on this side of the house.

West Mountain flamed cut slabs installed

To deal with a large grade change from the back of the house to the front we installed steps up the slope from similar slabs that were made for a couple of large boulders that they sawed up to make us step slabs out of.  They are phenomenal!! 

Here is a shot looking down the steps.  There is then a little landing pad/walkway that turns the corner to the front steps.

West Mountain flamed cut slab steps

I then added two more steps with a larger landing area/step made from three of the slab steps to make a stoop at the bottom of the front steps.  We will be adding the same lay down material as we used on the paths and back patio to the area between the step slabs and the main steps.

West Mountain flamed step slabs with landing.

That was my busy week on the job site along with a planting a semi load of 25' dawn redwoods and dealing with a bunch of rain followed by a bunch of snow.

While dealing with all of the chaos on the job site I also was able to get the rest of the concrete for the barns poured and all the gates mounted and feeders put back in place!

My daughter Lisa Merrick posing for a picture next to the new concrete!

I do not yet have a good picture of all the gates installed.  I will take one when I finish building the cattle chute.  I picked up a bunch more much needed supplies at the store today to aid in completing the shed.  A few of the items are more lights and wiring boxes to add some lights for the cow shed.  Once these are installed I will be able to work after dark, which is 5 pm at this time of year!  Here is a picture of the built in headlock for the cows.  This will make life so much easier when performing herd checks.   At least once a year we have to vaccinate, worm, and pregnancy check all the cattle.  To do this safely for us and the cattle we need to restrain them for a couple of minutes each.  The entire shed / loafing pad can be converted into a corral / cattle chute with the simple swinging of a couple of gates.   Once all the cows are in the corral I shut the main gate, swing two others into place and then the only way out is through the chute.  I am hoping to have everything but the roof completed by next weekend so I can start training the cattle.

Once or twice a week I am going to set the stage and shut them in and go through the process with them going down the chute to leave.  This will get them used to it so when the time comes for the herd check they will be calm and everything will hopefully go smoothly.

Once I get everything completed but before putting the roof on I will get on top of the pig shed roof and take a picture of the entire thing from above so you can see how it all works.  It took me a lot of thinking and planning and trial and error to get it right and it is as close as I can get it now.  Can't wait to use it!

Homemade cattle chute headlock built into the barn

Hope everyone has a great week!  Sorry for the long times between posts but things have been so hectic I haven't been able to keep up.  I think I am going to start posting quick pics from the phone for more updates!

Goodnight everyone!

Kenny

That time of year again!

Bali g corn stubble for bedding.....where did the year go!?

Barn project update and a new patio I am working on.

Well, in my last post I had some pictures of the new feeding area/corral that I had installed.  Over the last couple of weeks I have been working from dawn to dusk between my day job and here to keep things moving in both places.  I managed to take the old cow shed completely down in a couple of hours with no trouble at all.  I then built out the pig shed wall that is the new wall for the outside of the pig pens.  This wall also doubles as the one side of the new built in cattle chute that is going in the new cow shed.  I also extended the cow shed another ten feet past the end of the pig shed to allow for more space.

The poles set for the new cow shed

 This is a pic from the pig lot end of the new cow shed.  I spent last weekend working on this portion of the project.  If you look closely you will notice there is a wooden height restriction entrance between the gate and the new barn wall.  This is adjustable and will be great in keeping the cows and the donkey out of the pig barn or keeping pigs separated based on size.  

Height restricted opening for pig lot.

  Here is a shot looking into the new shed from the creek side of the pad.  There is going to be a built in cattle chute at the back of the shed.  I also spaced all the posts so I can make up to three box stall pens so that I can keep someone in the barn if I need to.  I can also use this setup with an added size restriction opening to feed the feeder pigs once the sows start having babies in the winter.  I cannot wait to get this all finished!  This winter will be so much easier and better for the animals and for the farm.

Pic of the new cow shed posts installed and ready for concrete.

This is a patio I am working on at work.  A great customer of mine wanted something different and I found that on my trip to the quarry in Pennsylvania last month.  This stone is quite thick and we have been hand chiseling every piece to tweak them to get them to fit.  It has taken almost two weeks to get it done and we are almost there.  We have some other areas to use some more on this project.   More pics to come!

West mountain lay down stone patio

I will talk to you all soon with more pics!

Kenny