Skid Steer Reviews

For barns, always use updated strands of outdoor-style, UL- or ETL- approved lights that have fuses in the plugs. If you do, consider using solar heat or a heated chicken-coop mat instead of a heat lamp; heat lamps can and often do ignite nearby flammables...

It picks up a 33.4-inch swath and puts up 19.7- by 27.5-inch bales weighing 40 to 130 pounds. The good news is that distributors gladly ship coast-to-coast. Every 60 seconds or so, it spits out a neat, compact 40- to 60-pound round bale that measures...

Did you ever want to ride a cow? Hazel, the Swiss riding cow So stick around. You can go along for the ride! « More Mondays with Martok » In Japan, at Ebino City's annual Cow Jumping Festival, cows jump 20-inch hurtles while wearing traditional regalia...

“ Small-space gardening ” was selected by 17.1 percent and “organic gardening” was chosen by 16.3 percent. Your garden doesn't need to be perfect. Have fun and share. 25.8 percent chose “garden for beauty and decoration.” “As a gardener,...

Peat moss is great, too, because it's very light and easy for the birds to kick around. Plant a Chicken Garden Go ahead and plant what you like around your chickens, making sure that what you plant isn't poisonous to the flock.

About the Author Cherie Langlois is an HF contributing editor who tends a 5-acre farm in Graham, Wash. A skid steer can get into tight spaces our large tractor can't and it's lighter so, with the spring thaw, it offers longer maneuverability around the...

Additional studies showed that early-weaned steers reached maturity sooner than traditionally weaned steers when body weight gain, feedlot performance and carcass traits were measured.

Her calves will be readily salable as pets or breeding stock if her bloodlines are good. Be sure you really want a cow or steer before you buy one. Before buying a cow, calf or steer, find a mentor to advise you.

In the meantime, work has halted on our backyard renovation due to the massive amounts of rain we've experienced in the past few weeks. The funny thing is that I didn't even notice it in the corner of his veggie garden until after he pointed it out.

About a year ago, I had ordered a load of gravel. As I carried away the gravel with a rented skid-steer loader, the spade had remained covered. Last year, I lost my best spade. The last few inches of gravel had been left for the walkway … and to cover...

I wasn't sure how we would get it out, but I knew I just had to. Jamie Raper Finally, we arrived. We ended up with a very secure coop and yard. One in particular is named Chicken Little.

In addition, zero-turn mowers can effectively cut grass at much greater speeds than lawn tractors, though they aren't as well-suited to sloping ground. While they aren't as maneuverable as zero-turns, they can be used with basic attachments, including...

However, although there are no guaranteed rabbit proof plants, some plants are less appetizing and more likely to be passed by.As a general rule, plants rabbits don't like include those that have strong scents, spines, prickles or leathery leaves.

Another perk: The turkeys seem much healthier and happier once they're out in the fresh air and supplementing their diet with natural foods. Cherie « More Country Discovery » It didn't take long for our young turkeys to outgrow the portable pen we use...

I'm hoping it will only be three or four more days of work but time will tell. It just looked ridiculous—a misfit landscape feature that was just plunked there without much thought.

Rhino-Rack This story originally appeared in the November/December 2017 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Grooming & Bathing Gloves HandsOn gloves promote circulation, shed coats quickly and keep hands clean while bathing and grooming a dog or cat.

Scientists found that the blood-thirsty bugs want nothing to do with four chemical compounds, called volatiles, inside the chicken's scent. We think that's pretty cool. Hopefully, it can give researchers on this side of the world some insight on how to...

While there is no tell-tale sign that a plant is poisonous, there are a few standard signs that can help you identify potentially toxic plants. These include:If you are a pet owner, you know that keeping your house free of poison houseplants is important.

Mom got interested in water buffalo when she wrote an article for Popular Farming: Cattle called “Alternative Bovidae.” Now she's working on an article about them for the January-February 2010 issue of Hobby Farms; she's going to furnish some pictures...

The slip clutch is next most important. That said, not all rough-cut mowers or rotary cutters are equal. “In addition to overgrown fields, walk-behind models are especially well-suited for maneuvering in tight spots and making trails,” says Carl Eickenberg...

They adapt to all climates, they're parasite-resistant and they thrive on marginal pasture, making them ideal for grass-fed and low-input management situations. Enterprising cattlemen captured them, domesticated some, and drove countless numbers along...

Although rear-engine riders have long been considered the best bet for novice users, zero-turn manufacturers want consumers to know that professional-grade equipment doesn't demand professional-level skill on the part of the operator.

Take that primal pig scream and multiply it by hundreds inside a concrete building and there's no hope for a farmer's hearing to survive intact. The jet-engine-like intensity of sound waves pummeling the ears of an attacker could be a life-saving strategy...

Invite beneficial insects like ladybugs and praying mantis by planting savory, chamomile and thyme. Steer clear of plants, such as nasturtiums, that attract aphids. Feverfew is a member of the sunflower family native to Europe.

Whether you're raising broilers a la Salatin or just a few for your own freezer, chicken tractors are a sustainable and affordable way to go. Then they're the same thing: movable poultry shelters that allow you to shift your birds to new grazing ground...

What are nightshade vegetables, and are they safe for us to eat? Many of the nightshade family vegetables fall under the species of Capscium and Solanum.Although these do contain toxic aspects, they still bear edible parts, like the fruits and tubers,...

Hopefully I can keep the birds and chickens off them this year and we'll get enough to make some jam. The vegetable garden looks glorious. Always exciting to know how many good things are to come.