Got a couple jobs done this weekend

Spent a busy weekend getting things done around the kingdom. Started by picking a little corn for grinding for the cows. The little case picker works real good.




Corn is still wet yet for picking, some didn't come up til July 1st so it's just starting to dent. But I ground it with some real dry barley/wheat/rye mix I got from work that is less than 5% moisture. I also added a couple bales of hay. The mix is close to 1/3 corn and 1/2 the barley mix plus the hay.

I recently picked up this feeder to feed them with.




I'm hoping this will make a good system for fattening them. I just don't have time to feed silage every day after work.

Then I built this wind break for the cattle.




I Houghton ne 6x6 posts, but the rest is salvaged material. The frames are from an old round corn crib. I just removed the screen and bolted them between the posts. The tin is from a entry to the barn that got blown down last year. I thought the crib frames would be perfect for holding the tin, but it turns out they are made from the same steel bed frames are made of. Anyone who has tried to use those know what I'm talking about. They are real cheap steel and have hard spots in them. They are so hard to drill the screws frequently wouldn't drill them. So I had to buy cobalt drill bits and predrill them. Even the cobalt bits onlyblasted a little while. But inbl the end I got it done, mostly. I ran short on screws so I'll have to Finnish next weekend. I'm hoping this will help with the cattle this winter.

Old rule of thumb is ,, if the tassels are broke off corn is less than 20 percent and fit for cribbing.

The problem is the 10-30% that came up late. The stuff that came up when planted is plenty dry.

Nice pics. I like the Case picker. I have a Deere 18 I hope to try next week. Tom

On the feeder, I had one with pipes to either side of each feed side and the calves had to step over a rail to get in. The problem was that their mommy and others wanted in there too and didn't like the idea of the setup.....so they bushwacked the ones trying to get in to eat. I couldn't separate them out as they were still on mommy.

I have that issue with soybeans. And the weather window is closing fast to get them out.....

Paul

I think I read that fence posts and bed frames are made from recycled railroad rails.