Mucking out calf pens

huwboy

Hi lads, had a weekend at the parents farm, and i made the old mistake of asking the old man old man if there was anything he wanted me to do. spent my time mucking out a good size calf pen, by hand, with a fork! old man parked the tractor and rota spreader outside the pen door and left me to it. solid work. entrance is too small for a bobcat, and old man to tight to hire one anyway. anyone here still muckout by hand like this or has farming moved on a bit by now?!

Sam Kade

I have a few here what day would suit you

bbam

Indeed.
Some of the smaller sheds are still useful. Anyway, isn't a bit of manual labour good for the soul.

49801

Have a few old building that we used to use for calving pens. Good proportion had to be done by hand. Right pain and always felt we would do a better more regular clean out if loader could get in there. Delighted no more calving!

Solid work out for you!

Sam Kade

bbam wrote: »

Indeed.
Some of the smaller sheds are still useful. Anyway, isn't a bit of manual labour good for the soul.

Never did anyone any harm Back in the seventies before weed sprays for beet it had to be weeded by hand of course you could use a steerage hoe but the weeds would still grow on the rows. Then pulling the headlands by hand to make way for the harvester.

moy83

We would have one or two calf pens but they dont get alot of use anymore .
When I was a young lad there used to be barrowing every day , thank god those days are behind me and slats under me !
I think its easier give them a quick clean daily rather than every couple of weeks , even though that's probably not practical everywhere

Timmaay

49801 wrote: »

Have a few old building that we used to use for calving pens. Good proportion had to be done by hand. Right pain and always felt we would do a better more regular clean out if loader could get in there. Delighted no more calving!

Solid work out for you!

I suppose this is the only real disadvantage, a nice handy shed that you can swing open a gate and have most the bedding gone in 5mins with the tractor will help improve hygiene. I've moved around afew pins here to make everything less awkward, have a leanto roof yet to go up between 2 sheds which will hopefully remove most the manual fork work.

For the op, maybe have a look at the buildings and suggest an alternative location for the animals (if possible at all!), maybe save yourself the hassle of mucking them out next yr

bbam

Farmers need to be careful not to become too sedentary. While most are busy fewer and fewer are doing any regular physical work.
I know quite a few lads and if something can't he done from the seat if a quad or tractor then it's never done.

Was talking to a fella during the summer and he was working on gates he could open from the quad when checking stock, saves getting off quad. His father was a tall rake of a man but he's starting to resemble Homer Simpson more then his auld fella.

huwboy

sounds like it's not just me then! old man needs all the pens he can get so will be doing it for the forseeable future! no it's good hard work and i've got the blisters on my hands to prove it. took about an hour to fill the spreader, got three loads away, pens empty now. there's a few more pens for me to do next time i'm back:D

vanderbadger

my creep area isnt accessible by tractor really so its the big jfc barrow every couple of days, i dread when a few cows calf together, its amazing how much ****e 1 cow in a pen can produce over 5 or 6 days after calving

Sam Kade

huwboy wrote: »

sounds like it's not just me then! old man needs all the pens he can get so will be doing it for the forseeable future! no it's good hard work and i've got the blisters on my hands to prove it. took about an hour to fill the spreader, got three loads away, pens empty now. there's a few more pens for me to do next time i'm back:D

Blisters, you aren't used to it then when you get used to that work blisters will be a thing of the past

rancher

huwboy wrote: »

sounds like it's not just me then! old man needs all the pens he can get so will be doing it for the forseeable future! no it's good hard work and i've got the blisters on my hands to prove it. took about an hour to fill the spreader, got three loads away, pens empty now. there's a few more pens for me to do next time i'm back:D

Lucky this is an anonymous forum if you were spreading that this weekend

huwboy

Sam Kade wrote: »

Blisters, you aren't used to it then when you get used to that work blisters will be a thing of the past

no used enough to it, done it for many years now, still get blisters though, it's good hard work! not filled the spreader (x3) like that for a few month's. used to do it when i was a teenager for £2 per load

huwboy

rancher wrote: »

Lucky this is an anonymous forum if you were spreading that this weekend

no over in west Wales, no ban there!

49801

vanderbadger wrote: »

my creep area isnt accessible by tractor really so its the big jfc barrow every couple of days, i dread when a few cows calf together, its amazing how much ****e 1 cow in a pen can produce over 5 or 6 days after calving

We used to build a creep area on top of the slats for calves older than 10 days. Just rolled out a round bale of straw when needed. Murderous job cleaning it out each year though with the 4 prong fork:mad::pac:

1chippy

i have a creep area i clean out with a, grape, fork, sprong or whatever you want to call it. it takes about 15 minutes every week. i wouldnt class it as hard work but its easier do it regularly than let it build up. when that happens it just becomes such a pain you end up just throwing another layer of straw on it, putting the awkward bit off for another few days.

Bizzum

Some hardship cleaning out a shed with a 4grain fork when there's net or twine in the dung. Solid hardship!

rancher

huwboy wrote: »

no over in west Wales, no ban there!

Proper order.

bbam

Bizzum wrote: »

Some hardship cleaning out a shed with a 4grain fork when there's net or twine in the dung. Solid hardship!

Well. If your letting it in there then you have to pay the price.

Kovu

Builds the muscles lads! I do most of it around calving time with the two calving pens and the 2 back pens in the shed.

Goes straight onto the veg patch

Muckit

rancher wrote: »

Lucky this is an anonymous forum if you were spreading that this weekend

You'd make a great slurry agitator rancher....

RANCHER.... 'the farmers favourite' :rolleyes:

wool521

Just in from spronging bale of silage into round feeder,done every second day,really need a tractor:-)

Bizzum

bbam wrote: »

Well. If your letting it in there then you have to pay the price.

It's little consolation when it wasn't me that let it in. It's the sort of thing that happens when never intend cleaning them out yourself.

huwboy

Bizzum wrote: »

It's little consolation when it wasn't me that let it in. It's the sort of thing that happens when never intend cleaning them out yourself.

came across enough twine on the muck job. as you say, when people aren't going to tackle the job themselves they don't care what's it's going to be like for the fella who does!

Zr105

huwboy wrote: »

came across enough twine on the muck job. as you say, when people aren't going to tackle the job themselves they don't care what's it's going to be like for the fella who does!

Have heard of a few that were cured of that problem when the lads spreading arrived in with the hack saw the last day, simply told him that it was clear from twines coming in here, it'll be clean leaving, and the clock doesn't stop till then....

freedominacup

One of these

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CEYQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dsm9faal_FGk&ei=dlybUtPjHoWe7AbZ0IDIBg&usg=AFQjCNFzkQEI9WzRv6wxDbbrVwhFPhotyw&bvm=bv.57155469,d.ZGU

It'll go in a standard house door. We used to get a good bit of hire for them from farmers.

moy83

freedominacup wrote: »

One of these

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CEYQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dsm9faal_FGk&ei=dlybUtPjHoWe7AbZ0IDIBg&usg=AFQjCNFzkQEI9WzRv6wxDbbrVwhFPhotyw&bvm=bv.57155469,d.ZGU

It'll go in a standard house door. We used to get a good bit of hire for them from farmers.

Handy but a lethal machine for pulling themselves over . I was doing a job for a builder that was using one a few years ago , he almost toppled it a few times and all as I could see was his long legs half out of it ready to jump .
Used you hire out plant freedom ?

1chippy

moy83 wrote: »

Handy but a lethal machine for pulling themselves over . I was doing a job for a builder that was using one a few years ago , he almost toppled it a few times and all as I could see was his long legs half out of it ready to jump .
Used you hire out plant freedom ?

i have often had to hire them and never turned one over. if the tracks are parked facing the right direction they are grand. the thing is they are a waste of money. no power and no capacity either. you would get more done if you just got stuck in. they are really just a play thing.

huwboy

freedominacup wrote: »

One of these

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CEYQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dsm9faal_FGk&ei=dlybUtPjHoWe7AbZ0IDIBg&usg=AFQjCNFzkQEI9WzRv6wxDbbrVwhFPhotyw&bvm=bv.57155469,d.ZGU

It'll go in a standard house door. We used to get a good bit of hire for them from farmers.

Thanks freedom, yeah would probably fit in one of the the calf pen doors, not too sure about the others. i reckon as long as i can fit in the door, it'll be me doing the job and not the machine!:(

moy83

1chippy wrote: »

i have often had to hire them and never turned one over. if the tracks are parked facing the right direction they are grand. the thing is they are a waste of money. no power and no capacity either. you would get more done if you just got stuck in. they are really just a play thing.

I would agree with you on the plaything , it would be as cheap get a labourer to go rooting as they wont pull anything major anyhow . The lad I was watching hadnt a clue how to use it properly and was a danger to himself on it . I would **** a brick if I was hiring them out to headers like that

freedominacup

They're no plaything. Many's the backyard extension was dug out with them when nothing else would fit.

You're right about hiring them to headers though Moy.

Sam Kade

1chippy wrote: »

i have a creep area i clean out with a, grape, fork, sprong or whatever you want to call it. it takes about 15 minutes every week. i wouldnt class it as hard work but its easier do it regularly than let it build up. when that happens it just becomes such a pain you end up just throwing another layer of straw on it, putting the awkward bit off for another few days.

4 prong pike here in Cork

Sam Kade

moy83 wrote: »

I would agree with you on the plaything , it would be as cheap get a labourer to go rooting as they wont pull anything major anyhow . The lad I was watching hadnt a clue how to use it properly and was a danger to himself on it . I would **** a brick if I was hiring them out to headers like that

I'm lost, is that some slang word for idiot?

moy83

Sam Kade wrote: »

I'm lost, is that some slang word for idiot?

We would use it for cracked people that dont care what they do

freedominacup

Sam Kade wrote: »

I'm lost, is that some slang word for idiot?

Short for headaballs;).

rancher

Muckit wrote: »

You'd make a great slurry agitator rancher....

RANCHER.... 'the farmers favourite' :rolleyes:

Like ''pay on the day'' it's no harm to keep people aware.

bogman_bass

been there though filling into a spreader is hardship! I used to cut in with a hay knife and then you could get big squared that you could just about get into the transport box

huwboy

bogman_bass wrote: »

been there though filling into a spreader is hardship! I used to cut in with a hay knife and then you could get big squared that you could just about get into the transport box

yeah it's a bit of hardship, but it's the way it's always been done. 7 cubic yarder marshall spreader takes a bit of filling i can tell you! if i'm lucky i sometimes get to fill up the tractor bucket instead, but it's usually a straight in the spreader job!

thegreatgonzo

huwboy wrote: »

Hi lads, had a weekend at the parents farm, and i made the old mistake of asking the old man old man if there was anything he wanted me to do. spent my time mucking out a good size calf pen, by hand, with a fork! old man parked the tractor and rota spreader outside the pen door and left me to it. solid work. entrance is too small for a bobcat, and old man to tight to hire one anyway. anyone here still muckout by hand like this or has farming moved on a bit by now?!

I do it for my parents. It's grand, keeps me fit ;-)

huwboy

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

I do it for my parents. It's grand, keeps me fit ;-)

no doubt a bit of hard work like that keeps you fit, gets me swaeting like a pig even this time of year. farming isn't as physical as it was years ago, but its good to do a really hard days work like that

munkus

Jesus, some lazy hoors here. The thought of getting a mini digger into a small shed to move a box of dung is unbelievable. Give yerselves a kick up the hole.

thegreatgonzo

Yeah I don't mind it really. Last spring though I was at home doing a work placement at a vets then coming home to our own cows calving so I was getting a bit sick of cleaning out pens by the end of it.

huwboy

it's a bit of a daunting job doing it with a four prong fork, but once you get on with it, it's not so bad. not talking about small pens here either, some will be 3m by 3m