Some Shots of the farm before and after all the changes we have made!

Here is a picture from the driveway.  I was a little closer with the older picture but it is a good shot.  The calves in the background of the original babies.  Sally in the back, Precious in the middle, and I am not sure who the other two are.  

Here is a picture of the same side when I was working on the new pig shed.  

Here is that same view now from a quite farther back.  Completely different than before as the pad and the extended cow shed block some of the view of the bottom. 

Here is another great comparison shot.  This is the original shed the cows had to use.  This picture was taken after I put the gravel pad in to feed on.  I was so happy to have solid ground to feed on and a new feeder to feed the cows with.  This lasted me a couple of years.  

Here is a picture from a few feet farther back from the original.  The feeder is the same but there is a second one out on the new pad.  I may need to add a third one this winter.  I will see how they do with two first and go from there.  Notice how gloomy the old shed looks compared to the new one.  The gaps in the wall look huge with the sun in the background but they are really only a 1/8-1/4" wide.  I can also shut the pig barn door and put the tarps up and stop almost all the wind if I need to for extreme cold.  

Here are more shots of the old pad and shed. 

You can even see the original barn doors in the background.  They were quite bad and a pain in the butt to open and close.  

This is a great shot to show how the barn changed yet I have managed to keep the original layout and make it all work.  With the walkway in the pig shed I can still access both side of the barn without having to jump the fence which was a concern with the original layout.  There was no way to get in the pasture without jumping the fence or going through the manure.  That is no longer the case.  

I didn't look for my pig barn drawings but here is one of the original scale drawings for the cow shed.  It changeds some from this with the deletion of the center pole and the feeder staying in its original location.  I need to add a couple of gates to the current setup before herd check this winter to make it work out correctly.

In preparation for the new shed I had to build the pad out to expand the feeding area.  I had a dozer here a couple years ago and spent part of a day cleaning up and moving some soil to level the area up some.  The cows then packed it in for a year before I finished the area and poured the first area of concrete last fall.  

This was last winter right before Christmas.  I leveled up the area outside of the barn in preparation for the current project.  I thought I was close.....I still had a long way to go.  This did however give the cows and mother nature time to settle the area.  I had already raised a large portion of the area by three feet or more so time for settling was needed.

Here is the same area now.  So different.  I am so excited to see how it all does this winter.  It will be quite different to be able to clean the barn and stockpile it instead of fighting the mud and weather.  Not to mention no more fighting the manure to feed the cows.  I can clean as often as I want if it gets messy.  Just shove it all up and stack it for later!

I know the focus of this picture is not the barn but it still gives us quite a good view of the original barn.  This was before I did anything other than set up the gravel area to put the first feeder on.  

I needed to take this picture from farther back to show how the hillside changed with the addition of the new pad but you still get a pretty good comparison. 

 I am still amazed that I have managed to get this much done in such a short amount of time.  Although I started the pig shed and work on the barn 4 years ago I have done the largest portion, the cow shed and feeding pad, in the last 12 months.  I am now looking forward to some much needed time without construction!!!!

I will be wrapping up the fencing portion of the EPRI project this week which will fulfill all the requirements and allow for payment so I can pay all my contractors.  I will still have some gates and boards to install in the corral but that is not necessary to fulfill my contract.  

We have to make about 70 more acres of hay and this years hay season will come to a close.  I am looking forward to that as well.  As I was going through pictures for this post I saw several pics of my hay rake when it was new.  It is definitely showing its age now and I will be looking to upgrade it over the winter.   While it still has a lot of acres of raking left in it, it is starting to need some TLC to keep it going all the time.  Unfortunately I do not have time to repair stuff and I need equipment that is ready to go at a moments notice.  I would love to keep it for a second rake but I do not need it so I will most likely sell it this winter to put the money toward a new one.  

Baby girl is doing awesome now.  She is starting to drink from a bucket now and the kids are training her to lead with a halter rope so they can take her to the fair next year.  I still cannot believe she went from barely alive to the running and playful little heifer that she is now!

We may train my daughters calf as well but that will be much more difficult and take more time.  That will be next spring and summers project!

Another unbelievably long and busy week starting tomorrow morning at 5am......I will talk to everyone next weekend!  I am looking forward to finishing up this years projects and getting to reap the benefits from the extremely long days I have been putting in for the last couple of years.

Kenny

Buckeyes football game and nearing completion of EPRI project.

We took the kids to the OSU vs. Va Tech game Saturday.  Since my wife and I both went to school there as well as the majority of my siblings and my family we are all very strong BUCKEYES!

We did a little tailgating before the game and the kids needed to use the restroom.  Just outside where we were headed the cheerleaders were putting on a show getting people pumped up.  My kids both stopped and stared as soon as they saw them and saw Brutus there.  

You have no idea how excited they were when the guy they keep seeing on TV came right over and gave Alex a high five and knelt down and gave little a kiss on the hand like a princess and then wanted to take a picture with them!!!

The SHOE, as it is known to us Buckeyes stayed unchanged for many many decades until after I started college in 1996.  During my time at OSU the stadium got a face lift and C deck was extended up and a new press box and score board as well as permanent south stands were also installed.

Well, the SHOE just got another upgrade.  The south stands were added onto to provide a few thousand more seats and permanent lights were added to the top of C deck.

Our seats this year are in D deck, which is right under the press box.  I really like sitting in this deck.  You have an excellent view of the field but are still protected from the weather.  The kids actually made it through the entire game awake this year even though it wasn't over till after Midnight.  And, even though we lost they still had a blast and cannot wait to go back again.

GO BUCKS!!!!   OH!!!   IO!!!!!

Showing our Buckeyes roots at my buddies wedding!

Now, on to the EPRI project I am working on here on the farm.  I got the call Monday morning that my concrete guy had an opening in the afternoon and would be here ready to pour at 1:30 sharp!  His company name is Accent Concrete out of Green Ohio.  He does 100% of our concrete work on all my projects at work and does some pretty awesome stuff with concrete.  He also knows how to put it into get 'r' done mode and make it happen when it needs to get done!

He came with an army of guys and trucks!  We had the entire place full of trucks, I know know I can handle up to 5 pickup trucks, 2 of them with trailers, misc. farm equipment, and 5 concrete trucks in my driveway at the same time and still have room for trucks to get in and out!

The good thing was since this is a heavy use pad we were not looking for a perfect finish.  We needed a solid product that will stand the test of time.  Since it will be covered in manure 95 percent of the time we didn't need to spend a lot of time finishing.  Just screeded it off, quick float and a rough broom finish and done.  

Ramp extension

This is the best part about using a quality contractor and also knowing how to prepare properly for him in advance.  You can see the pad we poured last year in between the ramp and the new pad.  Ray and I poured that pad at this time last year.  I prepped the site and he poured it 4" thick with wire reinforcement.  This year, after the worst winter in 36 years, there is not a crack.....anywhere!  Furthermore, I had 40 tons of gravel, a D5 dozer, and 6 fully loaded concrete trucks pass over this pad with ZERO damage!  If you ever need concrete poured it is worth the time and money to do it right because it will last a long long time if you do!

So 7 concrete trucks and 57 yards later here is the finished pad.  All I need to do now is finish adding corral boards and two more short fence runs in the pasture and we are finished!

Looking out of original corral to new pad.

  I am happy with the finished product and can't wait to get the feeder on it and let the cows in.  I will most likely do that this weekend.  In the picture above you can see the manure storage area in the back left corner.  It will be so nice to be able to just scrape it all into a pile when it gets messy and let it compost down to use it when I need it!

I also added a little bit to the area outside the pig shed.  This will allow me to clean the pig shed and put that manure on the compost pile as well fully eliminating the need to take manure out onto the driveway keeping the farm cleaner and everyone happier!

Addition to pig shed pad.

Here is a shot from the pig barn showing the pad from the pigs point of view.  I let the sows out of the boar lot today and they immediately tried out their new walkway.  They acted like it has always been there!

Here is the finished waterer for the cows.  This turned out perfect.  It should be high enough to stay above the manure even in a nasty cold winter like we just had where it keeps freezing and getting deeper.  It should also be low enough for even the small calves to use it.  

Cobett cattle waterer installed in heavy use pad.

Here is a pic looking back at the cow shed.  A little before and after.  

Before pad and corral installation

After installation

I need to go out this weekend and take some pictures from the same spots that I took some older pictures.  They should make for some cool comparisons.

More soon....well, as soon as I can.  Trying to wrap up the last of the hay for this year so I can take care of some much needed equipment repairs and rethink some things to make next year easier and more efficient!

Goodnight everyone and GO BUCKS!!!

Kenny

My son gets his first black eye, much more progress on the EPRI project and a miracle recovery for one special little calf!

Well, over the weekend my kids spent some time at grandma's house, which is the farm I grew up on.  I help my dad plant all the trees there accept for one.  It is a very very old dogwood at the back of the house.  It is the same size as it was when I was a kid and was the only tree I had to play in as a kid.  My kids were playing in that same tree.  However, my son, who is a little more daring than me decided to swing on a limb that he thought would hold his weight, but he was wrong.  

After limb broke, he fell and it hit him square in the eye.  He put on a good show for a few minutes but shortly after was laughing about it.  He was quite proud of his first black eye yesterday morning.  What a goof!  He is going to be a handful very soon.  

Now, on to the large EPRI project I have going on with the Soil and Water Conservation District.  My final deadline is rolling up fast and I am working hard to get caught up after losing my entire July to health problems and broken bones.  

New line fence for east edge of Buffer Strip

 I spent all day today setting fence posts and stringing new fences.  I had to fence in the buffer strip.  This is a strip of vegetation that will catch any nutrient runoff from the existing barn and shed area as well as the new heavy use feeding pad.  This will be extremely helpful when we get heavy downpours in catching runoff before it gets to the stream.  That way the plants capture the nutrients and as soon as they are big enough I get to graze the cows on it.  

The south side (downhill side) of the barn and feeding pads.  

Below is a picture showing the exit to the pad.  If you look you can see the new fence for the sow lot to the right and the new fence for the buffer strip to the left.  I still need to get a new 14' gate for here but that is not a priority right now.  To many other things that have to be done first.

I also got my cattle waterer installed last weekend.  I did not have time to post about then so I am putting it in with this post.  It is made by Cobett and was designed by farmers for farmers to be frost free even to -40 degrees.  It uses ground heat to warm the water and keep it from freezing.  The water lines here are all buried to 36" to guarantee them to keep from freezing even in the hardest winter here in northeast ohio.  

Exit to the new heavy use pad with new waterer in the corner.  

The way it works is the top is about 4' tall and fully insulated and is hollow inside with air space between the tub holding the water and the outside insulation.  The top section sits on top of another hollow, uninsulated, pipe that is about 3' tall.  How it works is when the water gets cold in the tub it cools the air inside around the tub.  This air then naturally falls down and the warmer air in the tube at the bottom rises and gives off heat to the water keeping it warm enough not to freeze.  This process is also helped out each time a cow drinks from it and new water enters from the pipe buried underground. 

Cobett cattle waterer installed.

 It is setting a little high out of the ground right now.  Finished height after concrete will be around 16"-18".  This is high enough to keep debris out but low enough that even the calves can use in the winter.  

Cobett waterer installed

Here is a view from above.  This is supposed to be able to handle up to three full grown cattle at a time.  I have seen them use it already in mass and it works awesome.  There is a float valve that uses a ball and a rope, very similar to a toilet valve, to keep the water level where you set it.  If it gets dirty, you can simply unscrew the four bolts around the top and, after baling the water out with a small bucket, lift the tub out to clean.  There is also a ball valve underneath to shut it off while you have it out to clean if you want.  

If you would like to learn more about these waterers please check out the Cobett website!  I found them at the Farm Science review a few years back and immediately knew this is what I wanted here at home!

Cobett waterer installed in the heavy use pad.

Here is another picture showing the corner of the pad.  When I am done I will have the wood boards built over the waterer to keep the cows in or out but still leaving access for them to drink.

Here is a closer pic of where the pigs will be entering the sow lot.  I think you are able to see what I am working toward now  that the fence, and some of the boards are installed.  I will finish the railing boards once the concrete is complete.  I wanted to give the guys as little to work around as possible.  We are going to roll all the edges of the concrete on this side to keep the pigs from wanting to root under it.  I one area where we rolled the edges and another where we used a form board.  Where we rolled the edges the pigs have never rooted around the concrete.  Where it was formed and has a vertical edge they keep trying to dig underneath it.  

exit from walkway for sows to get to the sow lot.

 I also threw in a picture of the new fence that will stay along the edge of the walk.  The boar lot is now about 40% bigger and this will also keep the sows from walking in the bottom of the swale in the mud during the wet times and messing it up. 

My last picture is looking toward the pig waterer through what will be a future gate in the big hole and a height restriction for the pigs to use between the two poles on the left.  I am going to mount the gate on the barn so when open it is completely out of the way.  This will allow me to clean the pig barn from this side and keep all the manure on the concrete and out of my driveway.  In the past I had to enter from the driveway side and also load spreader on that side.  Now, I will be entering this way and putting the manure on the pile in the corner to compost it.  From now on I will be applying composted manure in the fall instead of fresh manure all winter and spring.  This will greatly reduce runoff and increase uptake by the plants and greatly boost production in the spring!!

If you would like to know more about Electric Power Research Institute you can visit their site at www.epri.com.  I am part of a trial nutrient trading program, that if it works well, may be rolled out large scale.  This will allow for a much farther reaching and greater impact form of pollution control that will benefit everyone down the road.   I will discuss all of this in much more detail in another post.  I want to dedicate the time and space to it that I need to explain it well.

Lastly I want to discuss our last calf of the 2014 season.  Frosty had her little baby while we were away for five days on vacation.  Unfortunately, due to the wet and humid weather, the flies found her before we did.  She was in pretty bad shape when I found her and at one point about two weeks ago I though for sure she would not make it through the night.  I had to tube feed her for a week twice a day and we had to wash her and give her some antibiotics and pain/fever reducers as well.  Then, the morning I though for sure I would find her passed away she was sitting up waiting to be fed, and then, as I entered the pen, she even stood up on her own!!!  

I was elated.  I quickly went to the neighbors and got a bottle and she started eating like she had already been doing it this way!

That was two weeks ago and each day she is getting better.  Since we have no mothers milk to feed her we are using milk replacer from the neighbors farm till she is strong enough to head back out to pasture.  My wife has been helping a lot during this process and here she is feeding her over the weekend.  

I knew that she needed more exercise to get used to walking again so I cleaned a portion of the barn out and bedded it down for her and for the first time I am using one of the box stalls for exactly what I intended them for!

In an effort to get her some more exercise I also started letting her out to walk with me.  Her, Daisy, and I all walk up to the house each night for her to get her dinner.  She has even started to run a little now.  

I have not settled on a name for her yet.  I call her baby girl most of the time so it may just stick!

If this is an indication I think the bad times are passing and we are on the upswing again.  She has brightened my spirits so much seeing her turn around.  I have not had a calf come back from being this sick since I was a kid.  It helped me to know that you always have to try cause you never know when that last little push will get you past the worst of it all and put you on the road back to the good times!

Have a great week everyone,

Kenny