Back Issue - Practical Farm Ideas - 77 - Vol

Overview of Issue 77 Vol 20 issue 1

Dave Knight is part of an Exmoor farming family that goes back many generations, which means he has learned and inherited farming techniques which have stood the test of time. Yet, at the same time he, and his family, have developed their own progressive methods which help keep the business running efficiently.

* LAMBING CRADLE tilts ewe for easy lamb manipulation. It's a simple and painless way to get difficult lambs out, and cost just some time to build.

Alun Jones is a progressive West Wales contractor who looks for ways to improve the service he provides customers

* CAMERA on farm handler allows driver to see inside spreader or lorry for accurate loading. Too many scoops of slurry in the spreader and it slops onto the road - poorly loaded grain wagons can be prosecuted.

Soren Futtrup is a Danish farmer who focusses on soil compaction and fuel consumption

* ONE-PASS 3m drill needs just 60HP

Bob Ives is a Hampshire dairy farmer who has expanded herd size without huge capital outlay

* NEW COW CUBICLE building is full of neat ideas to improve cow comfort

* RENEWABLE ENERGY: matters that you must consider before signing contracts

This issue has 53 unique ways to improve your farming.

General farm ideas: John Deere 6930 has home built weight on front linkage / heavy duty log splitter copes with hard elm / welding bench made with girders / fencing wire and netting rolled out and tensioned with loader machine / dual purpose 1.5t road trailer / loader tines reinforced to extend working life / lane grader maintains smooth surface / simple tractor link-arm crane / post hole auger for mini-digger / road sweeper made from hay rake / and more

Livestock

Sheep: Mobile handling system uses old farrowing crates / lambing cradle aid "marvellous" / shedding gate has novel design

Cattle: raceway made from motorway crash barriers / cubicle heel stones made with kerbs / mixer wagon ration calculation / milking parlour backing gate /

Arable:

Combine modifications: reducing reel speed to harvesting rape / fan in cab roof cools driver / reversing header / air blast cleaner installed

Drilling: seed drill filler / direct drill built from cultivator / rear platform for Kuhn-Accord combination drill