A.I. has opened the door for commercial cattlemen to breed to the very best bulls in the industry, allowing them to use the large amount of data collected on the progeny of those sires to select for the desired traits with the confidence.

Ed Snook, owner of Snook Ranch, near Salmon, Idaho, has been A.I.-ing cattle since he took a training clinic through Select Sires in 1984. At that time Snook and his father were running registered Hereford cattle and owned a bull, Vigilante, ranked fifth in the breed.

“I really got interested in A.I. while leasing bulls to American Breeder Service,” says Snook. Later, after he purchased the Hereford cattle from his father, Snook began to A.I. to crossbreed with Angus bulls to create an offspring with the best traits of both breeds.

Snook A.I.s 300 cows a year, and his herd is predominately black today, but he still uses some of the Hereford semen.

“I still have semen we collected from those good Hereford bulls, and I’m still getting calves out of those old guys,” he says. “I use (Hereford genetics) on some of my best black cows. If you look at my cattle, you’ll still see a lot of white face. I haven’t had a Hereford bull for many years. This cross makes great cows.”

Scott Kesl, a commercial cow-calf operator ranching near Tendoy, Idaho, got recertified in A.I. a few years ago at the University of Idaho’s Nancy M. Cummings Research Extension and Education Center. Kesl, who has been A.I.-ing his own mature cows and heifers for the past six years, emphasizes the importance of quiet cattle handling when A.I.-ing cattle.

“I had a local metal fabricator, Steel and Ranch Supply, make me a breeding box,” says Kesl. It is just a large dark box that the cow or heifer goes into to be bred by A.I. “The box blocks outside sights and sounds, allowing the cow or heifer to stay quieter than they do in a typical squeeze chute.”

For his herd, Kesl is focusing on introducing maternal traits. “I’m in this for the cow — you know, for the heifer calf. The steers take care of themselves, and they’re good steers. These cows are either my retirement, or the future for my boys, so they need to be good-productive mother cows.”

Going for A.I. certification

Nancy Cummings Center superintendent Dr. John Hall says it is seeing increased demand for A.I. training from commercial beef producers. The center offers an annual three-day program in conjunction with Select Sires. Each class is limited to eight to 10 producers in order to maximize the time each student has to practise on a cow.

“The goal is to get these producers to the point where they feel comfortable inseminating some cows themselves,” says Hall. “We are not trying to make them into A.I. technicians in a three-day setting, where they could go out and inseminate cattle for others, but we are setting them up to be able to understand estrus synchronization and the A.I. process to a level that they are comfortable A.I.-ing their own cattle.”

This article was first published on Canadian Cattlemen.

The post A.I. has fit with commercial herds appeared first on Grainews.

An installer must establish a geothermal wet well that has a static water level below the frost line, but less than 50 feet from the ground surface. The wet well is created by excavating a hole at the desired location for the drinkers and burying a culvert vertically in the ground. In order to maximize the geothermal energy produced by the ground, the wet well must have a minimum diameter of 24 inches and a minimum depth of 18 inches for non-conductive casing, such as poly or fibreglass culvert, or a depth of 21 feet for standard galvanized culvert. Install the culvert leaving two feet sticking above ground. Once the lid is in place this will form the pedestal for the pump’s drinking hood. The total length of the casings would then be 20 feet for non-conductive culverts, and 23 feet for conductive culverts.

If the water table in the area isn’t high enough to feed into the standing culvert, water may be brought into the wet well from other sources. The most common alternative water source requires digging a trench from a nearby dugout, pond, slough or natural spring, and laying in atleast a 1-1/2-inch diameter poly pipe to carry water from the source to the bottom of the wet well. Be sure to install the trench with fall or slope from the water source to the wet well. The trench should have a constant negative grade with no spots in the middle higher that the inlet or outlet. If you have a low head-pressure situation, such as that from a slough or natural spring, any high spot in the line can cause an air lock that will prevent the water from flowing into the wet well.

If you are planning to use a slough or spring as a water source, you will need to build and install a collection unit in the water source. This unit can be made from the same material used for the wet well, and you will need to excavate and bury it vertically in the slough or spring in much the same way you buried the pipe for the wet well. Perforate several feet of the bottom of the collection culvert and back fill the lower portion of the culvert with clean gravel. This gravel will act to filter any “muck” from the surrounding area and keep the perforations clear and water clean. Be sure the collection unit is buried deep enough to draw water from below the frost line, and bury the supply line to the wet well below the frost line.

If the elevation of the static water level in the water source is above the frost line of the wet well, bring the water into the wet well with a pit-less adapter below the frost line and attach a Hudson Float Valve inside of the wet well to shut off the supply from the water source before it fills the wet well to a level that may overflow or freeze.

Another water source option is to run an existing pressurized water line into the wet well below the frost line using a pit-less adapter and a Hudson Float Valve. Also, if the soil around and under the wet well is permeable, line the bottom inside of the wet well with concrete, bentonite, or another impermeable material to prevent the water seeping out of the wet well.

Insulate top of the wet well

Next, the installer must insulate the inside top of the wet well casing. This is done by cutting pieces of two-inch rigid foam to create a sleeve that fits tight enough around the inner circumference of the casing that it will not slip down into the wet well. Cut two round disks from the two-inch rigid foam to fit inside the circumference of the casing on top of the insulation sleeve. Cut a hole through the disks just large enough to allow the supply pipe to pass through the disks into the wet well. This will prevent extreme cold temperatures from affecting the internal environment of the wet well.

20’x20′ nosepump insulated pad

Ideally there should be a 20’x20′ insulated pad created on the ground around the wet well culvert that will support the Nosepump drinking hood. First cut and cover this 20’x 20′ pad area with two-inch rigid foam. The pad itself that will go on top of the foam insulation can be constructed from four to six inches of concrete, wood decking, or any material that will prevent compaction of the soil beneath the pad. The pad will create a frost barrier that will protect the wet well from freezing from the ground level and down the sides.

Drain hole in supply line

Last, drill a small weep hole in the supply line five feet below the lid. This allows the water from the Nosepump hood to flow back down the supply line, to the level of the drain hole, once an animal stops pushing the pendulum that activates the pump. This will prevent the supply line from freezing during cold weather.

“This watering system was developed and designed by a couple farmers, and we just want to provide a maintenance-free, energy-free watering solution for as many folks as possible, ” says Jeff Anderson, sales and marketing manager, Frostfree Nosepumps, Ltd., Rimbey, Alberta.

For more information contact Jeff Anderson at the Frostfree Nosepumps website.

The post Proper installation of Frostfree Nosepumps appeared first on Grainews.

These systems utilize geothermal heat from the ground to operate without freezing, and the manual piston pump is operated by the animal itself.

As an animal pushes a paddle with its nose to reach the water at the rear of the bowl, a piston pump brings approximately one half litre of water to the bowl. A foot valve at the bottom of the pipe holds the water in the system. When the animal is finished drinking, the paddle retracts to the forward position, leaving the bowl nearly empty. This prevents the bowl from freezing.

Rimbey Alberta farmer Jim Anderson developed pumps for his own beef herd several years ago. The systems are still built on the family farm, and today with more than 2,000 systems in service across North America.

Off-site watering for cattle

As cattlemen strive to improve forage grazing systems, feeding systems, and remove cattle from riparian areas, the need for remote watering systems grows. Frostfree Nosepumps have solidly joined wind and solar as viable and reliable options for stock water.

Kip Panter, who ranches near Richmond, Utah and recently retired from the position of director of the Poisonous Plant Research Lab at Utah State University, was approached by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to fence his cattle away from a creek on the ranch.

The project involved fencing off the creek and building corrals. NRCS provided the money for the material and Panter provided the labour.

He installed nose pumps and is pleased with their performance. “The cattle always have clean water,” says Panter. “No algae develops because they don’t have any water standing in them. The cattle drink the pans dry, so there’s no water left in the pans to freeze. I’m down by the river in the coldest spot in Cache Valley. We’ve been down to -40 C and the nose pumps have not frozen.”

Horses figure them out too

Getting into the Northern Ontario region at Little Current on the northeast side of Manitoulin Island, Kyla Jansen, says the nose pumps work great for horses, especially when electricity wasn’t available. She may have been the first horse owner to break the skepticism surrounding the use of nose pumps.

Jansen operates a riding stable on her farm and boards horses as well. There are between 30 and 35 horses on the farm year round. When Jansen bought the farm, a little over 15 years ago, she inquired about bringing electricity to the farm. “They quoted the hydro was going to be $160,000 just to bring in the poles,” says Jansen. “That wasn’t going to happen.”

Jansen installed the first nose pump 15 years ago, a second 10 years ago, and is currently planning to install a third system. “The pumps have far exceeded my expectations,” she says.

The nose pumps also had a good fit for horses and cattle in B.C.’s Peace River Region. “Our ranch is kind of spread out, and we don’t have a lot of infrastructure in places where we need winter water,” says Jodi Kendrew, an equine veterinarian and rancher near Dawson Creek. “We’ve put in waterlines, but we don’t have any electricity. We tried a few different options. Of the electricity-free winter waterers, the nose pumps are the least problematic, hands down.”

Kendrew installed the systems in 2002 and put horses on them very shortly after installation. “We started with some saddle horses in the summertime. We pumped the water for them a couple times to show them how to do it. Within three or four days they had it figured out.”

Creep water for small calves

And young calves can benefit from water produced by the nose pumps, as well. Brendon Anderson, a farmer near Rimbey, Alberta, and a son of the designer, designed a system for his calves.

“My dad was always of the opinion that small calves didn’t need a creep waterer because the cows produced all of the fluids that the calf needed,” says Anderson. He was nervous, especially with my first-calf heifers, particularly if there were concerns about producing enough milk.

While the young calves aren’t tall enough, and muzzle not strong enough to operate the pumps directly, Anderson added a creep watering system to his nose pumps for summer use, and other producers have followed his lead. “We just tapped into the supply under the hood of the pump,” he says. “Next we built a triangular pen off of the back of the hood and put a trough in the corner nearest the hood.”

Anderson tapped an 11/32-inch hole in the supply line under the hood and threaded in a barbed fitting. He ran tubing from the fitting to a float valve in the trough. He constructed the trough from a 50-gallon drum. As mature animals work the pump to get water, some it follows the added supply line to the calf trough.

“I think a lot of the calves do get enough from their mothers, but there are always a few that go in there and get a drink,” he says. It’s just right for me. It gives me piece of mind that the water is in there, if they need it.”

Installation

Proper installation for a trouble-free nose pump will be covered in Part 2, of this two part series.

For more information contact Jeff Anderson through the Frostfree Nosepumps website.

The post Several fits for frost-free nose pumps appeared first on Grainews.

Cattle chute and facilities

Poorly maintained facilities can lead to all kinds of grief when something doesn’t work when processing and handling cattle.

“Tempers can really flare when you’ve got everybody together on a big cattle-working day and one of the sort gates that you use to separate the calves from the cows quit swinging over winter,” says Nicholas Lee, manager of Rocking Horse Ranch, near Salmon, Idaho. “These things can also become safety issues. If the gates don’t swing and latch properly, your help can get hurt struggling with a heavy gate, or when a cow shoves a gate over the top of them because there was no latch, or it failed.”

Inspect the holding pens and sort facility, and check the alley system that feeds the chute. Make sure the fences are secure and safe, gates swing and latch properly, and cattle backstops function properly and are not damaged. If you use short poles or pieces of pipe to hold the cattle in the alley, make sure you have a good supply on hand, and that they are in good condition.

Inspect the chute carefully. Most of our older chutes have processed thousands of cattle and been exposed to the elements 365 days of the year. Some damage caused by cattle is obvious and easy to see, but the damage caused by repetitive cycling of moving parts and rust does not always stand out.

As you begin the inspection, make sure the chute is set securely so it will not move away from the alley as cattle hit the head catch. If your chute sits on a concrete pad, make sure it is bolted to the pad. If it is not bolted down, drill the pad in the locations of the anchor bolt holes in the frame of the chute and insert expanding anchor bolts into the concrete pad. Use locking nuts to secure the chute and grind off any of the threaded bolt above the nut to prevent operators and chute-side helpers from tripping on the exposed bolt. If you do not have a concrete pad, chain both sides of the chute frame to a secure post on each side of the alley at ground level.

Next, look over the chute for bends in the main framework, tailgate, side panels/bars, and the head gate. Bent materials in any of these structures may inhibit the function of the chute, either causing difficulty in the process of catching, holding, or releasing a cow. While you are looking for bent materials, look closely at the welded connections. A broken weld in the frame structure, side panels, tailgate, or head catch can cause trouble holding the cow at best, and cause injury to the operator or chute-side help at worst.

Next, inspect all of the moving parts of the chute: pivot points for the squeeze mechanisms, head catch and tailgate; locking mechanisms for the head catch and squeeze and width adjustment mechanisms for the head catch and squeeze. These points are subject to wear from repetitive motion and rust from exposure to the elements. Check the pins or bolts at these points to see if they need replacement. The initial problem caused by worn pins or bolts is rough or difficult motion of sections of the chute. When the pins or bolts finally break, parts of the chute can release allowing, the cow to escape or hang up, and the operator or helpers to be injured.

Last, apply a film of light oil or WD40 to hinge points and ratchet locks. Do not apply oil to friction locks, as this will cause them to slide and release. Do not use heavy grease. Grease solidifies with exposure to sunlight and oxygen, causing moving parts to seize over time.

Calf tables and facilities

If you use the same facility to work calves and cows, you have already reviewed the physical components of the holding pens, sorting alleys, and the alleys feeding the table. Some of us use a separate complex for the calves. This allows the cows and calves to be worked at the same time, but also provides for a more convenient facility, built on a smaller scale to better accommodate small calves. As with the cattle facility, inspect the structure of the pens and gates to make sure they are secure and the gates swing and latch properly. Make sure the table is anchored securely in order that it will not move during use.

“We attached a tractor front-end counter weight to the off-side of our table to help make it more stable when we tip a big calf,” says Lee.

Continue by inspecting the calf table for bent structures and broken welds. Next look at the pins and bolts of the pivot points. Calf tables rely on small springs or friction locks to hold the squeeze and head catch closed. Check to make sure these springs are not sprung, and keep an extra spring on hand for emergencies.

Apply a thin coat of light oil to the ratchet locks of the head catch and squeeze. Do not oil friction locks. If you use an electric branding iron, make sure the extension cords you use are rated for the distance and wattage necessary to run the iron and any other accessories such as clippers and dehorning irons. A 10-gauge extension cord will carry sufficient wattage to operate all of these tools. If you use a generator, service the unit ahead of time, and make sure that it will start and run properly.

Good luck with the spring cattle working, and may the summer grass be plentiful.

The post Maintain facilities for improved workflow appeared first on Grainews.

The calves fed free-choice hay have outperformed calves we have fed through the winter with other methods of feeding. Previous methods did not allow some of the less-aggressive calves to meet their needs, and therefore they did not grow to their potential. The downside to these feeders is that they are designed for larger cattle and the stanchion slots are about eight to 10 inches too tall for these calves, until they grow big enough to prevent them from climbing into the feeders. When the calves get into the feeders very few get out on their own, and often they get stuck part way in or out. There is risk of injury to the calf and the people attempting to free it from the feeder.

My parents have the best facility for wintering our replacements, easy access to fresh water and good shelter, so we have consolidated our replacements on their place for several years.

Calf gave us a reminder

Recently a heifer got stuck part way into a feeder. Freeing the heifer was more than my parents could do by themselves so they called for help. Fortunately my wife and sister were near their phones and came to assist. This was a wake-up call for all of us. We realized that it was time to find a remedy. Sooner or later this would happen and no one would be close enough to help the folks get the heifer out of the feeder. By the time I got home from the project I was working on that day my wife and sister had removed the feeders from the replacement lot. We hand-fed the heifers for several days to eliminate the chance of a heifer getting stuck in a feeder.

It did not take long to remember why we had gone to free-choice feeding. After looking through past year’s performance records, discovering how much better the calves grew through the winter and bred up in the spring when allowed free-choice access to good feed, we were unwilling to give up on the flex bale feeders and were determined to find a solution to the problem.

After a bit of trial and error we discovered a simple and inexpensive way to modify these feeders to prevent the heifers from climbing in. Our initial efforts were ineffective in attaching something to temporarily reduce the size of the stanchion that could be removed later for use with larger cattle. One afternoon we arrived at the decision to forget about whether or not the feeders could be used for larger cattle and simply designate these feeder to the replacement heifers and bull calves.

A few telephone calls later — to price potential materials to weld in place to reduce the height of the feeder stanchions — we located 3/8″ x 20′ sticks of construction rebar. We decided to weld two bars horizontally at 4″ and 8″ from the top rail of the feeder on the outside of the vertical bars of the feeder stanchions. We wanted to make certain a calf would never get its head between the rebar and the top rail of the feeder to prevent them from hanging themselves.

It took about $15 and an hour of welding with a wire-feed welder to successfully modify the first feeder for the replacement heifers. We returned the modified feeders to the replacement lot and placed bales in them. To everyone’s relief the heifers went back to work on the hay. The reduced height of the stanchion had no negative impact on their access to the hay.

The post Modify bale feeders for yearlings appeared first on Grainews.

One winter we could not locate small square straw bales for bedding and were forced to buy 4x4x8-bale straw. At that time we realized we would have to catch up with the large bale movement or continue to have difficulty locating, and affording, hay and straw that our small operation could not produce.

With the advice of a local metal fabricator, Bob Minor, owner of Minor Irrigation Parts and Service near Baker, Idaho, we began building our own bale-spear hay heads.

“Even today, factory-built heads are often not built heavy enough for what we expect of them,” says Minor. “Of the 30-plus heads that I have built over the past 28 years, not one has come back for repairs on the frame. I have had to replace broken spears for people over the years, but never repaired the frame itself.”

Minor builds frames out of 4×4″ 250 tubing (1/4-inch wall thickness) or 4×6″ 250 tubing (1/4-inch wall thickness) for the bottom beam and basic frame. He says he can get away with 188 (3/16-inch wall thickness) for the outside vertical and top beams, but it is best to use the heavier wall for all of the main load-bearing portions of the frame.

But as some producers learned, they don’t always have to work with all-new material. “We built our first bale spear from an old automobile hoist out of a service garage,” says Lynn Thomas, owner of Sky Range Ranch, near Salmon, Idaho. “The lift was going to be scrapped and we picked it up cheap.” The lift was built from two parallel six-inch heavy-duty I-beams about 14 feet long with a rectangular central core two feet by six feet long.

To build the unit, they cut the I-beams away from the main body of the hoist frame, used the main body as the central portion of the bale head, welded one of the extra pieces of I-beam across the bottom to serve as the receiver beam for the spears, and used two more pieces to build the vertical extensions to prevent the top bale, when carrying two at a time, from tipping back onto the hood or cab of the tractor.

Determine size needed

As you begin the project of building a bale-spear hay head, know what type of bales you will be handling and how many at one time. A head wider than the bale causes problems when reaching across a truck or trailer when loading or unloading. The head can grab the bales adjacent to the one you are handling. The five-foot head is narrow enough to work well for six-foot round bales and tall enough to carry two 4x4x8 big square bales.

Once you have an idea what size/weight bales to be handled, determine what length of bale spear you will need, and how many. The 49-inch spear is a standard for handling large round and square bales. If you plan to handle 3x3x8 bales exclusively, you can use a 39-inch spear. You can carry one 4x4x8 bale with 39-inch spears, but it is not advisable to carry more than one as the short spears will cut up through the bottom bale, causing you to drop the load.

Install enough spears to safely carry the heaviest expected load. Some manufactured bale-spear heads come with only two spears. This is can cause harm to you or your tractor if one spear breaks. The load will shift and fall. For most large-bale applications, a minimum or four spears is recommended, and in cases of continuous handling of multiple heavy 4x4x8 bales, five spears is considered more secure and reliable. Bale spears and the weld-in sleeves to mount the spears into the bottom beam of the loader head are available at most farm supply stores and implement dealers.

Lay out and build the outer frame for the bale head before installing the spears. Once you have squared and welded the outer frame of the head, measure and mark the locations for the holes for the receiver sleeves equal distance from one another. Mark a clean two-inch circle for each sleeve. The sleeve is slightly less than two inches. Cut right on the line and this will give you enough gap to easily insert the sleeve, allowing you room to square up the spears and give you a void for good weld penetration.

Next, determine the location for the two vertical load-bearing frame members where your loader arms and tilt cylinders will connect to the hay head. Measure the width of your loader arms and tilt cylinders. Weld these members in place.

Today, quick-attach kits are available for all major loaders. It is worth the time and money to use this system to attach your loader if you anticipate switching from the hay head to a bucket or other attachment in the future. These brackets are available through all major loader dealers. Weld the female quick-attach brackets to the vertical load bearing members of your new bale-spear hay head and you are ready to attach the head to your loader.

The time and materials invested in building your own bale-spear loader head, customized to your needs and expectations, will pay you back for years to come.

The post Build your own bale-spear loader head appeared first on Grainews.

One item we easily overlook is the stock trailer we use periodically throughout the year and otherwise sit parked out of the way — silently waiting for the next time we need it. It won’t be long before cattle need to be moved to spring and summer pasture, and horses are hauled to move and check the cattle. A few minutes spent inspecting your stock trailer before you need it can save you much grief later.

Use a systematic process to examine and service the trailer. Beginning with the hitch, check to be sure there are no loose bolts or broken welds. Pay special attention to door latches and safeties.

To inspect the lights and electric brakes you will need to attach the tow vehicle to the trailer. Once the tow vehicle is attached, turn on the headlights of the tow vehicle. Walk around the trailer and check to make sure the marker lights and taillights are working correctly. If the marker and taillights are not working, use a multimeter or test light to check the electrical outlet of the tow vehicle for power. If you have no power at the tow vehicle, check for corroded connections in the outlet and wiring problems in the tow vehicle. If you have power at the tow vehicle power outlet, check for corroded connections in the trailer’s wiring plug, damaged wiring in the harness, or bad ground wire connections in the trailer.

If some but not all of the lights work, begin checking bulbs in the non-functioning marker or tail lights. If the bulbs are good, check the wiring to the individual light affected.

To check the brake lights and electric brakes themselves, you will need another person to help you. With a helper activating the brake pedal, verify that the brake lights are functioning properly.

We now move to one of the most vital series of components of a stock trailer, and one that is easily overlooked — tires, wheel bearings, and the physical components of the brake system. It can be hard to judge the life left in a tire based on the tread. Many tires that appear to have much life left may be 10 or more years old. While the tread may appear to be fine, weather checking — damage from oxygen and sunlight — has hardened or cracked the rubber. If the tires are old or beginning to crack at the sidewall, replace or carry adequate spares. Always make sure the tires are properly inflated. Heavy trailers should have a minimum of 10-ply tires inflated to 70-80 psi. Low air pressure will cause the tires to heat and come apart.

In order to service the bearings and inspect the brake drums, shoes, and activation mechanism you will need to remove the wheel. Remove the dust cap to reveal the castle nut holding the bearings and hub on the spindle. Remove the castle nut and carefully work the hub off of the spindle. The outer bearing may fall out of the hub as it comes off of the spindle. Be careful to catch it and keep it clean.

If the inner bearing and grease seal remain on the spindle, use a chisel and carefully work them loose, making sure not to score the spindle where the bearing or seal seat. Once you have removed the inner bearing and seal, clean and inspect the condition of the spindle. Run your fingernail along the length of the spindle from the seal seat to where the outer bearing rests. If the surface is smooth, the spindle is good. If you feel ridges, replace the spindle.

At this point you have exposed the brake shoes and drums. Check the drums for excessive wear, cracks, or scoring. If the drums are damaged, replace the drum/hub before reassembling. Next inspect the brake shoes. If they are coming apart or the rivets are wearing into the drums, replace before continuing. Also, inspect the mechanical components of the brake activation system, including the electric magnet. If any of these components are worn, bent, or broken, replace them.

After repairing the brake system, or verifying that it is in serviceable order, inspect the condition of the bearings and seal before reassembly. If the seal appears cracked or rotten, replace. Seals are inexpensive. If in doubt, replace the seals. Clean the bearings in solvent and inspect them for damage. Make sure the cages are not dented or damaged. Look closely at the rollers for scoring or discolouration — an indication that they have been hot. Run your fingernail over any suspicious blemish. If you feel a ridge or groove, replace the bearing. Wheel bearings can be matched at your local auto parts store. Check the inner and outer races for discolouration and scoring. If they are damaged, replace them.

Pack the bearings by hand before reassembling. Cup a glob of high-quality wheel bearing grease in the palm of your hand and grip the bearing between the thumb and fingers of your other hand so that you can look through the hole in the centre. Pat the edge of the bearing repeatedly into the grease with a downward scoping motion. You will see the grease working into the bearing. Work the bearing around in a circle until you have packed all of the rollers in the bearing.

Finally, be careful not to overtighten the castle nut when you reinstall the hub. Run the castle nut up snug, working the hub back and forth as you go. Back the nut off, wobble the hub again, and then run it up snug. It is important not to run the nut up so tight that there is much resistance when you rotate the hub. Next, back off the castle nut until you can line up the cotter pin or tab in the tang washer. Reinstall the dust cap and wheel.

The post Making a stock trailer maintenance check appeared first on Grainews.

Here at Whittington Creek in northern Idaho, we’ve been down this road. We’ve been out there processing cattle on days when the mercury gathered in the bottom of the thermometer while the snow piled up for days on end. We recall past winter experiences at the chute: our first years of giving pre-calving vaccine in the winter and cussing the vaccine freezing in the needles, unaware that aside from inconvenience, the larger problem lurked unseen to the naked eye.

Through the efforts of our Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) programs we have learned the proper methods and locations for injecting the vaccine. In addition, studies begun in 2009 in Arkansas and Idaho are helping producers learn the importance that vaccine storage and handling methods play an important role on potency and quality all the way from the seller of the vaccine to the cow.

In 2009 these studies began with participating retailers and producers placing LogTag data loggers in their vaccine storage refrigerators. Initial temperature data collected from participating retailer’s vaccine coolers across the state of Idaho demonstrated that a substantial number of these coolers did not maintain the recommended 35-45 F (2 -7 C) temperature band for safe storage of vaccine. Only 34 per cent of retailers’ vaccine coolers tested during the Idaho study stayed within the 35-45 degree range 95 per cent of the 48-hour collection period.

Thermometer tells the story

Shannon Williams, University of Idaho extension educator for Lemhi County, one of a group of extension educators participating in the studies, explains the project.

“We placed the data loggers in the retailers’ and producers’ refrigerators and asked that they fill out a survey answering questions regarding their storage and handling procedures,” says Williams. “We collected a minimum of 48 hours’ data from each participant and downloaded this information into spreadsheets for analysis. From the data we collected from the LogTag data loggers, and the surveys, we encourage producers to ask retailers if they monitor temperature and record it regularly.”

In addition to testing the temperature of retailers’ vaccine refrigerators, the study also tested individual producer’s vaccine refrigerators across the state. “Of the participating producers’ refrigerators tested for the study, 67 per cent failed to maintain the proper temperature required by the vaccine manufacturers,” says Williams.

“We anticipated finding the most failure in the really old refrigerators out in the producer’s garage. Surprisingly we found more failures in newer refrigerators that were installed in locations with surrounding air temperature ranges outside of the manufacturer’s recommendations. One producer’s refrigerator performed perfectly for three days in the garage until the outside temperature dropped to -10 F, and then the internal temperature dropped well below the recommended 35-degree minimum required for vaccine.”

Producers can relate to variable refrigerator performance.

“The refrigerator in our house was one of the best tested in the area, but the new refrigerator we put in Mom’s old house (not currently occupied) would not regulate temperature until I put a small heater beside it that kicked on when the house got below a set temperature,” says Bruce Mulkey, a rancher who participated in the study.

Williams recommends producers place thermometers inside their storage refrigerators and regularly monitor the temperature. “In instances where you anticipate storing large quantities of expensive vaccine, use a thermometer that allows you to pre-set a safe band, sounding an audible alarm if the temperature rises or falls outside of that band.”

Armed with this data showing temperature variation with products as they move from the retailer to the producer, Williams and other participants became curious about the conditions vaccine was exposed to between the producer refrigerator and the cow. Participating producers placed thermometers in the coolers they were using to trans- port vaccine from the retailer to home, and from the refrigerator to the chute. The findings revealed that heavier solid-sided coolers were more effective, and soft- sided coolers the least reliable.

Discovering how much temperatures varied within the coolers, several participating producers began to experiment with methods to protect the vaccine beyond the bottle in the cooler. Understanding the risks to the vaccine and realizing that a vaccine gun may be idle for a time between uses, these producers cut holes in coolers to make it easy to insert the gun into the cooler without taking the lid off and on.

A few storage tips

At our ranch on Whittington Creek, through experiences when processing cattle in cold weather with pre-calving vaccinations, we have learned to keep the vaccine in a cooler separate from the vaccine guns. And we monitor the temperature with a digital thermometer attached with double-sided tape to the inside wall of the cooler above the cold/hot source. During cold weather we implemented Williams’ recommendation for keeping vaccine and the guns for safe storage, yet warm enough to handle on cold days. She gives the basic recommendation for cold weather as follows:

• With outside temperature of 36 F (about 2.5 C) no cold/hot source is needed.
• Outside temperature of 29 F (1.5 C) two cups hot tap water in a glass canning jar will maintain a medium-sized cooler within the acceptable temperature range for 4.5 hours.
• Outside temperature of 13 F (-10.5 C) two cups hot tap water in a glass canning jar will maintain a medium-sized cooler within the acceptable temperature range for three hours.

Controlling the temperature of vaccine from the retailer to the cow will prove to be an ongoing challenge for producers. These guideline will help you develop a good storage and handling protocol:

• Ask your retailer about their temperature monitoring.
• Take your own cooler with cold/ hot packs and a thermometer to pick up your vaccine from a retailer, Add or subtract cold/hot packs as needed to regulate the temperature.
• When ordering vaccine, place orders on a Monday to ensure the vaccine does not sit on a loading dock over a weekend. When this vaccine arrives, make sure the cold packs are still cold, and the vaccine is not frozen. If you are concerned about the condition of the vaccine, contact the distributor immediately.
• Monitor the temperature in your vaccine storage refrigerator.
• Preheat or cool your coolers for a least an hour before filling with vaccine.
• Don’t put all of the vaccine for a big day in the cooler at once. Only pack the vaccine needed for the morning or the afternoon.
• Protect your vaccine in coolers with the appropriate cold/hot packs; use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Take extra packs to add later. Keep coolers out of direct sunlight on hot days.
• Protect the vaccine in your guns from temperature and sunlight by placing in a cooler with adequate cold/hot packs when not actively in use.
• Don’t place vaccine directly on hot/cold sources in the cooler. Cold packs are most effective when placed vertically against the sides of the cooler versus flat on the bottom.
• Discard any vaccine that has frozen or been exposed to hot or cold temperatures outside of the manufacturer’s recommendation for any extended period.

The post Cooler heads prevail to protect vaccines appeared first on Grainews.

“There is always plenty of day-to-day damage that must be fixed as you go through the winter,” says Nicholas Lee, manager of Rocking Horse Ranch near Salmon, Idaho. “But it helps a lot to spend time in the fall going over the facilities and making repairs before everyone is busy feeding and calving cows. A lot of things get wired together once everyone is running on empty — just trying to survive till spring.”

Lee says it is important to inspect the fencing in the pens and corrals to be used throughout the winter. “It is very important to make sure that all of the gates you intend to use all winter swing easy. It is very difficult to remedy this problem once the ground is frozen. We try to set all of the gate posts for any heavy cattle gates in a concrete thrust block, below at least a foot of dirt, to prevent them from heaving from the force of frost.”

Cattle handling equipment

While inspecting fences and gates also look at the condition of cattle chutes and head catches. Look for rust damage, broken welds, broken springs, and other needed repairs. Apply a light oil to moving parts. Do not use a heavy grease as cold temperatures will cause grease to be thick and very stiff.

“I have repaired many chutes in the area for ranchers,” says Bob Miller, a professional welder located near Leadore, Idaho. “I’ve put new diamond plate floors in chutes, rebuilt side panels, and repaired tailgates and head catches. If the rancher calls before the manure has eaten away too much of the base steel, I can usually clean them up (the chutes) and fix them.”

To prevent the corrosion from manure, and the adversity caused by frozen manure in the chute, take time before freeze-up to remove any manure from the chute left behind after the fall cattle working.

Inspect feeders and bunks that you intend to use. As in the case of the chutes, damage caught early enough can be repaired by cutting out bent and broken sections, and welding in new pieces.

Special care should be given to barns and shelters. These facilities can take a lot of punishment from the livestock and the elements. Make sure the doors open properly. Check the condition of hinges and remove obstructions from the path of travel. Inspect windows, siding, and roofing. Left unrepaired, wind and stock can work on the damaged areas, increasing the overall damage to the building. Inspect lights and electrical outlets. These components can be easily overlooked until you need them. If lights or outlets do not work, check for corrosion in switches, fixtures, and wiring connectors.

Inspect water systems. Make sure troughs are not leaking to aaaprevent ice flows. Check float valves and heating elements. Float valves can become plugged with sand and rust scale preventing them from working properly. If you cannot free a float valve of sand by working it open and closed with water present in the system, you will need to disassemble the valve and clear the debris. Check heating elements in the pans and the heat tape on the water supply lines. If you are not sure if they are working, check for continuity through the element using a multimeter.

“It is a big crisis when you discover a water supply line frozen on an automatic waterer on a -30 C morning,” says Lee. “If you have any doubt about the heat tape, replace it.”

Winterize vehicles

Once you have inspected and repaired the facilities, you should winterize all of the vehicles and machinery that you plan to use to provide feed to the cattle through the winter. It is a good idea to go over trucks and tractors and make sure the engine heaters function properly. While servicing the engines, be sure to check the antifreeze is rated to the coldest weather you expect. A 50/50 blend is adequate protection for most of our northern regions, but if you are unsure talk to a local mechanic about the blend. Next make sure that you have changed fuel filters and water separators on all engines operating on diesel fuel. Treat the fuel with a good anti-gel water dispersion agent.

Bruce Carpenter, who farms near Gooding, Idaho and operates heavy trucks in the oil fields of North Dakota, believes in preventative maintenance. “The best solution is prevention,” he says. “It is a good idea to replace the fuel filters and water separators in anything that runs on diesel before the cold weather sets in, and treat the fuel with a good anti-gel supplement. The leading names in diesel supplement are rated for year-round use, so don’t worry about adding it too early in the fall. If you expect to use a truck or tractor hard all winter, it’s a good idea to have spare filters on hand and change them every month or so.”

After making sure that your vehicles and tractors are prepped for winter, inspect all of the machinery that you will use to feed the cattle. Hay processors and choppers may not see service for part of the year and it is easy to overlook the condition of some of the components.

Check the tires to make sure they are not weather-checked and are properly inflated. Grease the bearings to all moving parts and drive lines. Check the oil level in gearboxes and make sure seals are not leaking. Inspect the condition of flails, teeth, auger flighting, etc. Clear any old twine or wrap from last season.

Be prepared

Now, if you have checked all of the outdoor preparations off of your list, it is time to turn to the final process of making sure your herd health, calving supplies and tools are in order. It is convenient to have these items consolidated to one room or area with cabinets and shelves to organize items by type and purpose. As you organize these items, take inventory and restock any needed vaccine, antibiotics, oxytocin, uterine boluses, syringes, needles, rubber gloves, OB sleeves, OB scrub, iodine, colostrum replacer, milk replacer, etc. Make sure to locate and clean items such as: calf pullers, OB chains/straps, OB handles, calf drenches, bottles, nipples, ear taggers, banders, etc. Also, make sure that you are prepared for the type of record keeping that you use: notebooks, pens, pencils, or laptop, for examples.

“I like to have all of the medical supplies on hand before calving season,” says Lee. “Due to the distance to town, combined with the busy nature of the season, we can’t count on getting a veterinarian out in time to save a cow or calf. We are set up to handle about any malpresentation, with the exception of a C-section, that we encounter in the average calving season.”

The post Items to include on winterizing checklist appeared first on Grainews.

I learned from my father, and he from his, that when working with round rails it helps to hue a flat spot at one or more points of contact between the rail and the post. For many years we chopped out these hues with an axe.

In recent years I have noticed the number of fences built with these same materials and marvelled over the clean-flat hues people were making to build not only a better fence, but a much more attractive one. These clean hues could only be made with a chainsaw or other mechanical tool. We began experimenting with this a few years back and discovered how difficult it is to make these cuts with the same angle at each point — parallel in a plane — and keep the saw out of the dirt and rock on the ground. I began talking to professional fence contractors and discovered that they used an assortment of tools to do this — none of which I could justify buying for the limited amount of this type of work that we do.

Initially I tried cutting out these notches or hues by placing the rail on a rail trim or 4″x4″ block. This prevented me from dipping the tip of the saw into the dirt, but I could not keep my notches uniform and cut in the same plane each time. I resorted to having a helper hold the rail while I cut the notches. This helped but required another set of hands and wasn’t necessarily safe for the helper.

Simple tools that work

After a bit of trial and error I created a very inexpensive solution. With bits of scrap 4″x4″ post I created three simple braces to hold the rail off of the ground and stationary. This allowed me to cut the hues or notches uniform and protected my saw.

To create these braces I used a piece of 4″x4″ 18 to 24 inches long as a base and attached two eight-inch pieces about six inches apart to the base 4″x4″. This created a stable brace that would accept up to a six-inch diameter rail. Most of the rails I use vary between three to five inches therefore the notches are larger than necessary. To overcome this variation I cut wedge-shaped pieces of various thicknesses ranging from 3/8″ to 2″ out of the end of a rail when I start. Once I have placed the rail in the braces I insert a wedge of the necessary size between the rail and the side of the brace and tap it in tight with a hammer. I recommend three braces for a rail between 16′ and 21′ long. Offset the centre brace in order to cut the centre notch without interference from the brace.

I discovered that a narrow kerf saw chain (narrow chain thickness) is much more effective and safer than a larger kerf. Also, a smaller saw is much easier to handle in this application. Several of the cuts you will need to make are plunge cuts where you are inserting the saw tip-first into the rail. These cuts are very prone to kick back with a more aggressive larger saw. It is also very important to keep the chain sharp. A dull chain is more prone to kick back and will heat the bar when performing plunge cuts.

The final item required to create a uniform notch or hue is a simple adjustable try square. To give the top rail a smooth uniform line it is important to determine the minimum thickness that you want remaining in the rail after the notch is cut out. To determine this, measure the small end of the rails you are using — if they are tapered. Next set the tri-square to a distance slightly less than the minimum distance of the small end of the rail.

Measure the distance across the tops of the posts you intend to span and transfer these distances to the rail you have placed in the braces. Using the try square — placing it across the rail level with the ground — mark the depth of the cut for all of the notches to be cut. The only trick remaining to create uniform notches is to make sure you hold the saw perpendicular to the ground as you make the cuts.

You now have the simple and inexpensive tools to create a very functional and cosmetically appealing rail fence.

The post Tips for notching rail fences appeared first on Grainews.