Dead tired this evening!!!! Getting ready for snow is tiring

Well I spent all day getting ready for the snow we are getting. I am paying for it now. I can't get to sleep because my back is really raising cain right now. Here is a list of what I got done today.

Put the tire chains on the JD 4450 mfwd. Front and rears. (20.8 x 38 chains are getting heavier each year LOL) Hooked it up to the manure spreader and parked them both in the machine shed next to the rear door. If we get big drifts I have several cattle yards that will have pretty big drifts in them that we will have to haul out ASAP.

Changed the engine oil and serviced the JD 6300 mfwd. Put the tire chains in it. Again fronts and rears.

Put the 10 ft. snow blower on the JD 4440 2wd and put the tire chains on it.

Put the small snow blower on the JD 5210 and put the tire chains on it.

Changed the engine oil to winter grade in the skid steer and put the tire chains on it. I hate putting them on a skid steer. Not much room behind the tires for the chains. Also put the door and side panels on it. It has a heater that works well.

Brought the feeder wagons and tractors in the shop for their winter servicing. (have one at two different farms) Then put the tire chains on the rear tractor tires and then a set on the feeder wagon tires. Before we started putting chains on the feeder wagons we would have trouble with them sliding into the feed bunks. Now we run them in the winter and also one side even in the spring when the manure is slippery.

So that was 12 pairs of tire chains and several tractor service jobs. Did not have any help as the boys where all at work. They did get home an feed all the livestock this evening. Including filling all the hay rings. So we will not have to feed in the pastures for a few days.

The feeder cattle will need fed in the morning. Which will be pain if we get a lot of snow. There is almost 1500 feet of feed bunks that will have to be shoveled. If school is out the Grand daughters help me do that.

I am more than likely just going to stay up as it is after 1:15 am now. Not much chance of me getting to sleep now. I usually start chores on snowy days at 4:30. It might take me until noon to get everything feed with fighting the snow. Makes a guy re-think having livestock in the winter. Not really I kind of like working out side in the winter.

In the cold morning air watching the sun come up makes me feel closer to God then than any time in church. That contentment could only be his doings.

So you all have a safe day and watch driving on the snowy roads.

JD thats a ton of preparation for snow. I gotta ask where your located and what amount of snow there forcasting. I 'm in Canada and don't think I know anyone around here that would do as much work as you did because there was snow coming. Rocko.

I am just west of Dubuque Iowa. They are calling for 8-15 inch of snow. Then the winds will pick up in the morning to 25-35 MPH continuous with 45 MPH gusts. The temperature is right around 30 degrees which is prime snow weather. Then the temperatures fall starting around noon tomorrow.

With the wind and snow depth we will have super high drifts. I have places in my lane that I have seen 15 foot drifts before with this type of storm. Two of my cattle yards have eight foot tall wind fences around them. I have seen the snow drift higher than the fence. I will have to lock the cattle in the sheds if that happens because the cattle can walk out over the fence. This is what we will have to haul out. Then think about pulling a manure spreader in the field with drifts like these. That is way the JD 4450 MFWD has chains all around. I have had to unhook the spreader even with all of that before.

My cattle in the pasture will go down into several of the ravines and be out of the wind. I know where these areas are and we already have hay there for them. We may not see them for a day or two as they will not come out of the sheltered areas until the wind dies down.

We got our customary inch of snow the other morning, and I was going to find my snow shovel at the office- but things got busy, and by the time I thought about it again, the snow had melted.

The trials and tribulations of living in the Pacific Northwest.

WOW JD! Thought I had it bad...on our worst hurry up for snow day; Chains and 45 loader on the 70 and change the bucket to the blade, chains and ABG snow plow on the B, chains and back blade on the Super C and 420T, some oil changes, tranny flush and fluid changes and mount the plow on the Cherokee!

It was strange watching the news and seeing that it was gonna hit some one else instead of here.

We got our taste of it on the Dec 8-9th weekend.

Cold temps and bad wind but only 5-6 inches of snow.

One cattle outfit north of us has 4,000 acres of cornstalks with cattle roaming. Nothing but trees for shelter.

8-15 inches is a dusting east of Lake Ontario.

UP north here where 8-15 inches and large drifts is pretty normal we get ready for snow in early November. Chains and snowblowers went on equipment slowly over a couple week span in early/mid November, machines were all serviced then as well. Things all got moved around and put under cover where possible.

Sure its a bit clunky running around with chains and snowblowers on the tractors when it hasn't started snowing yet, but if you wait until a big snow is predicted then you just kill yourself trying to get everything done (as you found out). And also I've seen 20" of snowfall overnight that wasn't even predicted ahead of time, so you have to be prepared early and often in lake effect snow country.

Two years ago we got 28" of snow the most in one snowfall here in my lifetime but thankfully its looks like its going to be rain this time.You fellows up North can have all the fun!

Did you get the tiki bar put away for the winter?

(quoted from post at 05:06:05 12/20/12) Two years ago we got 28" of snow the most in one snowfall here in my lifetime but thankfully its looks like its going to be rain this time.You fellows up North can have all the fun!

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Few years back on Easter weekend we received about 60 inches of fluffy lake effect snow over a 2.5 day period. That's the most snow I've seen in a short period of time. I've seen winters with 240+ inches of snowfall for the season.....

We lived in Manchester in the late 70's. Son used to take the snowblower out after a heavy snow and make money for his college fund. My wife would take him gas every 1.5 hours so he could keep doing driveways.

When we got up one New Years Day, there were 4ft drifts in the driveway on our street. Son was busy for 3 days cleaning driveways.

How to you keep track of all them chains and what tractors they go on? That would be a major job for me. I have trouble keeping track of two sets. Actually I put a tag on them like I do allot of things to keep track of what goes to what.
After seeing the picture you posted of your drive and all the hills I understand why you need to chain up ever thing.
After a hard day I find a couple of Tylenol PM tablets help me sleep and feel better when I get up.

I'm worn out just reading about it !!!!

That's alot of tire chains to install,especially in one day.

How do you get yours on the big tractor tires ?

For our 4020 we just jack up one side of the rear at a time,get them started and then roll the wheel pulling them up out of a bucket.

What do you do with all the leftover narcotic pain killers from surgeries? Every time I have had a surgery they load me up with bottles of oxycontin, percocet, or oxycodone, and I don't use half of it, so I have the leftovers way in the back of the cupboard, (no kids living at home). So when I have had one of those days and I know that I'm going to be looking at the clock all night, I can take a couple and drift off. Most of the time just knowing that it is available does the trick.

I find myslef in the same situation as I grow a bit older. A hard days work leaves me dead tired same as you grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr It happens, nuttin to be ashamed of I figure

John T

I lay them out on the ground like they go on. Then I back the tractor on them. I then run a heavy wire thru the rim and tie one end of the chains to it. Then just slowly drive forward and the wire hold the chain to the tire. So they will just wrap them selves around the tire. I then jack the tire up just a little. so I can get the chains good and tight. I then wire the loose ends so they do not fly about.

Honestly, how in heck do you deal with a day like that, (body wise)? I can fight the exhaustion like most, but being on my feet hustling all day, for those kind of hours, is something I try and avoid, (long days like these) the physical fatigue, more or less some arthritis added in to my equation, + some muscle and joint pain is always a factor, have to watch the back too, though all of the previous most have, and deal with its still kind of why I avoid long days when possible, to keep an "even keel" vs being set back for a day due to a long one.

I'll bet after morning chores you deservedly snuck in a cat nap somewhere, cripes you'll fall asleep in the cab if you ever get to pushing snow after doing all the prep work !!! LOL ! Our last tough winter, 2010-2011 with open station tractors, 3pt blower, + all the barn chores and dealing with a bunch of horses without much turnout due to same, days like those were one after another, absolutely wore out, physically, and from the weather too, adds up to a big tab to pay when you need to rest up sometimes not so bad, fight it off, other times just an uphill battle until you get some time off or relieved by someone for some down time, even if just a nap LOL !

Showcrop: There are two reasons I don't take narcotic pain killers. 1) Is that they make me sick. I mean almost flu like sick. 2) I have to take random drug test for my CDL license.

So I just get by with the off the shelf stuff. The pain in my back is from nerve damage out in the muscles. It is not disc related. So there are not really any pain killers that work without knocking me clear out.

I have gotten used to it most of the time.

We did not get as much snow as they thought we would get. What we did get is blowing around real bad. The boys stayed home from work and we all worked together to get the animal chores done. So we are under cover now until this afternoon. Then we will start to clean things up and do the evening chores early. The temperature is going to drop starting this afternoon.

We also use several rubber tarp straps hooked onto the outsides to keep tension on them so they don't flop around as bad at higher speeds.

That is why I don't live there!!! LOL

The real issue is taking care of livestock in this type of weather. If I did not have any livestock I would not mind the snow and such so much.

Been raining since about 3am, supposed to get some snow tonight but not much. That's OK, and I don't have any livestock to feed so just another day. Got plenty of wood and lots of inside jobs.

time was i would run out of daylight before i ran out of energy; now of days i run out of energy before i run out of daylight. nice work.

(quoted from post at 08:52:07 12/20/12) That is why I don't live there!!! LOL

The real issue is taking care of livestock in this type of weather. If I did not have any livestock I would not mind the snow and such so much.

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You get used to the weather and so do the livestock. Make sure they have hay and that their water is full and not frozen and I'm all set. I go out before light and plow snow with the truck and then get the tractor going and toss hay out if needed, check waters while I'm doing hay and I'm set until evening.

Salute your ambition! But necessity usually provides enough will power to finish the required tasks. Not sure I could accomplish all of these duties in a single day; would have metered them out over a few more. But I don't maintain livestock and have retired from the daily grind, so don't need or have that much drive anymore.

JD Don,t really know enough about it to really talk but I bought a van trailer for storage. I think it came from up north. There is a pile of NEW tire chains . Some really look like larger maybe truck chains. I will get them and makes some photos. If you want them you can have them for the freight or come get them..We will talk latter if you have intrest. You are the first one I have heard of needing 12 sets.

Don't know where you are but if you have winter weather that requires that amount of preparation, I have to wonder what you have been doing the past month or so that would keep you from being fully ready to deal with this impending storm.