A walk in the snow.

[Dylan Biggs]

Winter grazing conditions since all the snow the last few weeks have made it, IMO, time to bring the girls home. Been feeding them where they were for the last 2 weeks but it is a lot of traveling with the tractor and bale processor.

Cows waiting for the bale I had on, they didn't think there was any need to go for a walk. Had to send my dog Trixie back to get them coming.

Two and a half mile mark.

About the 4 mile mark.

Can see our destination on the horizon.

My dog Trixie is still bringing up the back, you can see that little black speck on the left.

Zoomed in to make sure I wasn't just seeing things.

Not a lot of daylight left.

Cows showing how I was trying to avoid the deep spots, came very close to being stuck more then once, lucky to actually make it.

Without front the wheel assist I would have had to trail them eleven and a half miles instead of about eight.

Third last gate going on to a road allowance, had to get off it though the snow was to deep.

Made it home just before dark, cows finally got that hay they were chasing.

Trixie made it also, about 8 miles and only one request to get them started, she took care of the drag the whole way and loved every minute of it.
Good dog!

Token sunset shot from a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Soapweed]

Nice pictures, Dylan. There's a time to "cowboy up" and do things glamorously, and there is a time to work smart and warm instead of hard. You do have a good dog, which is rather like finding a good mule--they are few and far between. :wink: The last photo is a very pretty sunset shot.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

Nice pictures, Dylan. There's a time to "cowboy up" and do things glamorously, and there is a time to work smart and warm instead of hard. You do have a good dog, which is rather like finding a good mule--they are few and far between. :wink: The last photo is a very pretty sunset shot.

Thanks soap, yeah I thought about saddling a pony, for about a millisecond, then I came to my senses, temp was okay, snow was way to deep though.

Yeah she's a keeper.

 

[Bootheel]

Wonderful pictures, and surely a good dog and master there, Dylan. If I had to trail mine Eight miles, they would be in town. Any pups for sale?

 

[Dylan Biggs]

Wonderful pictures, and surely a good dog and master there, Dylan. If I had to trail mine Eight miles, they would be in town. Any pups for sale?

Thak you, no pups yet. She lost her first batch with a uterine infection, Vet said she probaly won't take again, no luck yet.

 

[burnt]

About your front wheel assist - I was just thinking recently about how much difference FWA has made to farming.

There was a time not that many years ago that when the snow came to our part of Ontario, the farm/tractor work was reduced to what one could do around the buildings and yard.

The woodlot was inaccessible with almost the first blow because the wind blew the creek hollow shut. One never thought of venturing very far out into the fields with the 990 David Brown I had back then or even the 1105 Massey. More horsepower on just 2 WD just just ya in deeper!

Making maple syrup in the spring was a huge challenge in just getting back to the maple bush. Lots of digging involved, initially.

The cows were kept in the barn and yard all winter, maybe consuming a bit less hay, but making up for that tiny savings in needing a huge amount of straw. Then hauling a huge amount of manure every spring.

Now, with the MFWA, we can feed the cows in the fields and they need no straw and they do the manure spreading every day!

Soapweed's pictures reminded me of the same thing with his cows doing a lot of the work for him.

Cool pictures again!

 

[Dylan Biggs]

Burnt, I was thinking today, chewing through some of those deep spots with front and rear diff lock engaged, about the old JD 70 we had as kids and having to chain it up when the snow got deep and how you could use your brakes to alternate which side was chewing. You would start rocking back and forth, actually more like side to side. Amazing how much snow a guy could get through really. But glad to have the tractor I do now though, for sure. The cab is a bit better then the old canvas heat houser also.

 

[burnt]

Oh man, I forgot about chains! Found out quick that you keep them tight unless you want them slipping off and end up with them wound around the axle. :shock:

Yup, hit the diff lock, stand on one brake . . . whatever it took to stop that side to side rocking that would turn you into a bobble head doll! Musta looked kinda funny at times!

I had a cab back then but not on this tractor. A heat houser would feel good on some of these days!

 

[John SD]

Looks like Trixie enjoyed the trip and is still rarin' to go find some more cows. :wink:

I sure have to be careful where I go these days with my old school 2wd chore tractor. It's a Ford 9600 with a Waldon dozer. The tractor does have diff lock but that's about the only modern feature. The cab does keep the wind off and it's a bit more pleasant when the sun is shining and I can soak up some of that solar heat. :wink: :lol:

Seems like I can't back uphill no matter what I do so have to avoid situations like that when feeding and pushing snow. I have chains to put on but it's a chore and so far have been too lazy to do it. The chains make the tractor ride like a bucking horse too. :roll:

There's this steep place going down into a draw where I feed that's hard to get back up the slope. It's a cheap thrill when I take a run and don't quite make it in road gear and then start sliding backwards. That's why I keep the dozer relatively low and ready to drop it. Yesterday I rolled a bale down the trail so I'll see if the hay remnants and cow chips give me any more traction.

 

[101]

Your dog looks like one heck of a good Hand !!! I think she's got a heck of a good Master also ! You can tell he's having fun and looking for your approval. I always have had a dog, But I only have had one that work for me like that, She was a female also by the name of Teek. 101

 

[Dylan Biggs]

Looks like Trixie enjoyed the trip and is still rarin' to go find some more cows. :wink:

I sure have to be careful where I go these days with my old school 2wd chore tractor. It's a Ford 9600 with a Waldon dozer. The tractor does have diff lock but that's about the only modern feature. The cab does keep the wind off and it's a bit more pleasant when the sun is shining and I can soak up some of that solar heat. :wink: :lol:

Seems like I can't back uphill no matter what I do so have to avoid situations like that when feeding and pushing snow. I have chains to put on but it's a chore and so far have been too lazy to do it. The chains make the tractor ride like a bucking horse too. :roll:

There's this steep place going down into a draw where I feed that's hard to get back up the slope. It's a cheap thrill when I take a run and don't quite make it in road gear and then start sliding backwards. That's why I keep the dozer relatively low and ready to drop it. Yesterday I rolled a bale down the trail so I'll see if the hay remnants and cow chips give me any more traction.

John, she has yet to lose any enthusiasm for her work yet.

I have a Cockshutt 1850 up north where the bulls are now and for sure I need chains, I am not even sure where I would find a set these days.
Definitey keeps a guy on his toes.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

Your dog looks like one heck of a good Hand !!! I think she's got a heck of a good Master also ! You can tell he's having fun and looking for your approval. I always have had a dog, But I only have had one that work for me like that, She was a female also by the name of Teek. 101

My little Trixie is unrelenting in her desire for cattle, if their are no cattle around she will chase and retrieve a stick or ball of frisbe all day.

 

[Northern Rancher]

What size of chains do you need Dylan?

 

[Dylan Biggs]

What size of chains do you need Dylan?

I will have to see what size the tires are.

 

[Cedarcreek]

What size of chains do you need Dylan?

I will have to see what size the tires are.

I just bought a set of dual pickup chains here.

http://www.tirechain.com

They have a good selection of tractor chains too.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

If I am where there aren't much for rocks I like to run with the bucket down pushing snow. It rolls some and moves it to the sides. Makes a nice trail for the cows to follow and if you run into a deep spot it usually stops you with your tires on ground and the snow in front so you can back out.

 

[WyomingRancher]

I don't blame you for bringing them home, especially with snow that deep and a distance that far to feed daily .

Trixie is a superstar . My new pup was born just before Christmas, and I'm pretty excited to see how he'll turn out .

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

If I am where there aren't much for rocks I like to run with the bucket down pushing snow. It rolls some and moves it to the sides. Makes a nice trail for the cows to follow and if you run into a deep spot it usually stops you with your tires on ground and the snow in front so you can back out.

Yeah I do that to break trail also, it works to get a guy through. I did 3 miles up the back road allowance to my sisters that way the other day. When it blew in we had a good bunch of snow because of the ridges I left with the bucket. Tried to travel it when we moved these cows and barely made it off back into the pasture with the FWA MXM 130 and the bale processor. That road allowance catches snow badly regardless though.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

I just bought a set of dual pickup chains here.

http://www.tirechain.com

They have a good selection of tractor chains too.

Thank you for the contact info.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

I don't blame you for bringing them home, especially with snow that deep and a distance that far to feed daily .

Trixie is a superstar . My new pup was born just before Christmas, and I'm pretty excited to see how he'll turn out .

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

WR, do you have a pic you can share of your new pup. Is it out of one your females? A new pup is always exciting!