Out Around the Barn

It is definitly that time of year, mud everywhere.  It is a nuisance to walk outside to the car or to the mailbox and have your feet covered in mud.  It gets all over your car and it ruins your good shoes.  But what can you do, not much. 

Out around the barn the mud is much worse and it can become a problem.  If you feed outside the barn the mud will just continue to get more messy and harder to get around in.  It is hard on the cattle and hard on you.  Then when it freezes the ground is so uneven that it is difficult to walk on. 

So, what do we do?  I don’t know about everyone else but, the one thing we do is move our feeders around every few weeks to keep the mud from becoming a problem.  If it does become an issue, there are times when we had to just haul in more rock.  There are some areas around here that I know are 10 inches or more deep with rock that has been built up over the years. 

The other way is to feed on concrete but that can also get messy and pretty quick.  Then you just have to clean, clean and clean.  And if not careful, it can get pretty slick.  I know that when it does get in that condition it can be hazardous.  The concrete can be as slick as glass and a broken leg can happen pretty easily.

Another thing we do is drag the ground area around the feeders.  When the ground is still muddy yet a little frozen, we pull the drag behind the tractor and even out the ground.  Now, I don’t do this myself, but  Al does on a pretty regular basis.  He usually does this at the same time he puts out hay for the cattle and horses. 

We do the same procedure around the hay feeders.  They are easy enough to pick up with the tractor and move every time we put out a new bale.  This keeps the area from becoming too much of a mess and the grass will grow back come Spring. 

Everyone does things differently but this just might give you another idea.  I do know that a drag is a must on the farm and an important part of our farm equipment.  We have ours made from 5 old tires, halved and attached together in a triangular shape with a chain that hooks to the tractors hitch.  It does a great job.

As anyone who has lived or worked on a farm to attest to, it never seems like there are enough hours in the day to get everything done. From tending to the animals to maintaining the facilities, every set of hands is constantly finding a way to keep busy. Because of this hectic nature, it is extremely important to ensure that all of the daily tasks are well-planned and streamlined.

Luckily there are a multitude of supplies and equipment available to help make the most of each minute that you are working. Just one example of this is livestock feeders. They allow to feed animals is a safe and effective manner, allowing you to proceed with the rest of your daily tasks.

In todays economy we have to make use of all the things that we already have on hand.  We just cannot afford to go out and buy new stuff and put it on our credit cards anymore so we must improvise.  It is amazing what you can find around the barn, house or yard that you can make use of.

On of the things that we have started getting a lot of use out of is a drop sided wagon.  (Look in the background of the above picture in the doorway of the barn, and you will see our wagon.)  If and when we need to haul several buckets of feed at once but really don’t need the truck or tractor, it comes in very handy.  A bale of straw or hay fits in it just perfect and you can pull it with you right into the barn.  This little wagon can go places that other equipment cannot even fit into.    It has rubber tires and maneuvers well.  Having a bad back, it has became one of the farm supplies that I cannot do without.  It saves me from having to carry feed out to the cattle because I can just load the buckets and pull them out to the feeders  in the wagon, unload and dump.  The stress and strain is no longer a problem.

Another item I have made use of is a hard rubber water trough.  I placed it up next to the house under a downspout and now collect rain water in it.  I have discovered that by using rain water on my seedlings and plants  in my green house is better for them than city water with all the chlorine.  I bottle it in milk jugs and plastic bottles and store it to use for my house plants all year round.  It really works great.   Even in the winter, I’ll fill the jugs and keep my supply stocked.  I only have a problem if it freezes. 

Look around, see what you can use out of all the things you already have.  You may be surprised.

On most farms or ranches you see several out buildings.  Some are for the hay and feed storage and some are for equipment and repairs.  Others may be for livestock, whether it is for just the purpose of feeding or for holding them in stalls.

Most farmers/ranchers I know and have talked to have a barn for their cattle and livestock.  Most of them are used to feed, not to contain them.  We rarely contain our cattle in the barn unless we are vaccinating, sorting or working them for some reason.  Cattle do well out in the open but, they do need shelter from the weather.  In the summer, it is good to have a place to get out of the heat and away from the flies.  In the winter, it is good to have a place to get out of the wind, cold and wet weather.  They will withstand most all weather but do like to have a comfortable break from the worst of it just like we do. 

Our Longhorns roam the pasture year around but we have a specific area where they are fed and they have  one side of the hay barn for shelter to get them out of the weather.  If the barn is too far away when a storm hits or it is too hot, we will find them down in the valley in the trees down by the creek.  They are pretty smart animals.

Another reason to have a barn for your cattle is so that you can work your cattle safely.  It is not always necessary that you personally have to have one but, at least, have use of one available to you. 

So, no, a barn is not necessary but shelter is.  It can be considered as a part of your lifestock or farm supplies.  Make sure they have some kind of protection and they will be happy.

Here we are almost a year on our blog.  We have posted over 70 blogs and would appreciate comments from our readers.  We would like to know your opinions and ideas about our blog.  If there is an article that caught your eye, let me know your thoughts on the subject.  We look forward to hearing from you.

If there is a subject that you would like to know about, we can do our best to find an answer to your question.

We are a farm family and enjoy our animals and farm life.  So talking about the farm and all that it requires is a passion of ours.  From equine supplements to chicken coupes, we will discuss just about anything.  Comments welcome.

You would think that a horse would not shy away from water simply because they are outside animals and it seems natural that a horse would go through water just fine.  Most of the time that is the case but, there are some horses that have a difficult time.

I had one such horse, she was a Paint mare named Dallas.  She was 8 yrs. old and approximately 15 hands high.  She was beautiful and I was so happy when I got her that I never dreamed we would have so many problems.  She was my dream horse, always wanted a Paint and now I had Dallas.

When I first started working with her we had some issues.  I figured it was me because I had been away from horses for a while and I was tense.  So I did a lot of ground work.  I, then, rode her in the round pen and we got along well.  Oh, we had several instances where she seemed to forget everything we worked on and I would have to start over but, I thought I was making progress.  The day came when we needed to check cattle so I went  into the tack room and got my saddle off the saddle rack and saddled Dallas and Allen saddled Bubby and we went in search of our herd.  She seemed okay with everything until we came to the creek.  She stopped then and there and would not budge.  I finally was able to get her to walk along side the creek but could not get her feet in  the water.  I did this for about 20 minutes and finally we touched water.  That was all it took, she bolted and threw me, then ran for the barn.  I was lucky that day being in a wooded area and trees all around.  Too close for comfort when I landed within inches of a tree.

I had read several articles, been to demonstrations and watched horsemanship shows on television telling us how to remedy this problem.  The advice was:

• keep calm
• walk the horse along the edge of the water
• go back and forth several times
• each time getting closer to the water
• allow the horse to step in a little at a time
• Do Not Rush!!!!!
• if this does not accomplish the task, dismount and walk with the horse
• do the same as mentioned above
• continue this pattern until the horse will venture in and get their feet wet
• you don’t have to be in deep water to accomplish the task at hand
• after getting feet wet, walk out and do it again
• repeat several times before mounting
• once mounted, repeat the steps again before continuing your ride

This should help your horse the next time.  You may need to work on this several different times before your horse is comfortable crossing water.  Even though it may seem natural, horses have fears just like us and they have to be addressed accordingly. 

I did not have the chance to try to get Dallas to cross water again.  She was at the barn when I returned and would not even allow me on her.  My partner tried to ride her and calm her down but, she did her best to try to dismount him, she did not get her way there.  I decided after she had thrown me several more times that she was not the right horse for me, so I decided to find me something with a calm disposition and broke to ride. 

You cannot always tell by looking or even riding if a horse will shy away from something or has a fear of something until you are faced with it together.  Always be cautious when riding a new horse, you both will learn a great deal from each other.

The question has been asked so I will do my best to answer.  I am no expert when it comes to building things.  I have tried my hand at tables, benches, cabinets and gates.  Those projects turned out okay but far from professional.  They did do the job they were built for but, I did learn a few things along the way.

To begin with, you need to know exactly how you want your barn built.  Will it be a Pole Barn, all open inside; will it be built with a hay loft as a second upper floor or just on one or both sides; will it have stalls to board horses and cattle or will it store farm equipment?  In other words, you will need a floor plan or blueprint.  Are you building this yourself or hiring a contractor?

If you are hiring a contractor, he/she can help you determine exactly what you will need in the form of materials like posts, screws, bolts, nails, hammers, drills, saws and etc.  The right kind of lumber makes a big difference.  It is, of course, your preference on what type you use but do make sure it can withstand the weather and if it is treated or not.  They will also be able to help you with the type of roofing materials you will need. 

One of the best ways to decide what you want is to look around your neighborhood.  Look at your neighbors barns and decide what layout you like.  Look through farm magazines and online to see if anything catches your eye.  Visit your neighbors and see how functional their barn is and if it will meet your farm needs.  Then the next thing is to jot down your thoughts on what you like and dislike.  This will help you determine what you will need in order to have a fully functional barn for your farm. 

When thinking about the layout; think about how you will use the barn.  For example; we have 5 stall on one side of the barn and 4 on the other.  The south side with 4 stalls also has a head shoot.  That side of the barn is set up for sorting and loading livestock, whether it be cattle or horses and on the outside is a catch pen.   The north side with a feed room, where we store our livestock feed, vitamins and supplements  and 5 stalls is used for our horses that we put up every evening  and if needed we will use these stalls for the bulls in the leasing/breeding season.  It, also, has a sorting corral outside.  Our stalls in the center of the barn are directly across from the other so we can run the horses straight through the barn to their pasture.  It makes it easy to move them if we need to.  Above the 5 stalls we have a hay loft and it is easy to feed the horses hay in the winter.  The rest of the barn is open to the roof for storing big hay bales, farm equipment and whatever we need to keep out of the weather.  In the front center of the barn up by the head shoot is our tack room with saddles, harnesses and all other tack close at hand.  For us, it works quite well but, even now we can think of things that we could have done differently.

So, all in all, you really just need to know what you want, talk to your neighbors and ask to see their set ups, check out magazines and online, speak with contractors and carpenters on what they would suggest as to their preferences for the materials and then go from there.  Then if you are ready to start your project, grab your wallet and go for it.

Photo is from Tri-County Barns. distributor of Barnmaster Barns, Inc. in Texas.

At their most basic level, saddles can be separated into two distinct types: Western and English. If you’re ridden a horse with a high saddle horn, a broad sea and big stirrups, then you’ve experienced the comfort and practicality of a Western saddle. English versions, on the other hand, are flatter and feature a diminished saddle horn. They are slightly less comfortable for horses but a bit more comfortable for riders.

No matter your style of riding and your choice of saddle, you’ll need a safe, reliable place to keep the apparatus before and after use. Saddle racks are essential pieces of livestock equipment; they are a much better place to store the saddle and riggings when compared to the filthy barn floor or the shelf of a remote tool shed. As simplistic as their structure might be, these racks prove more than useful for regular riders and horse enthusiasts.