Posed photo: manure spreader and rented “bobcat” loader in hoop building after cleaning out and adding two loads of lime.
My father and farming partner had surgery for colon cancer two weeks ago. He is home and recovering but will not be able to lift anything for a few more weeks.
It’s been a challenging couple of weeks working without him. Thank God I have friends and family willing to pitch in and help me out. Thank you. Some jobs are almost impossible alone.
I finished baling the 3rd cutting of hay. We were blessed with dry weather which was necessary to make dry hay this time of year.
After that I needed to clean out a hoop building and spread the manure on the designated hay strips which will be corn next year. Two friends each ran a tractor with manure spreader for me. I loaded the manure with the rented “bobcat.”
The “bobcat” probably costs more than $30,000 new. But we can rent it for $150-200 dollars and get a hoop building clean. It has tracks like a bulldozer so it works great on the dirt floor of the hoop building. In 3-4 hours I can have 20+ loads of manure spread on my fields and a clean hoop building.
After that I put 1-2 loads of lime, (crushed limestone), on the floor of the hoop building to reestablish a base. Lime is considered a fertilizer for crops and works great in this capacity because it packs kind of like wet sand.
I’ll let the hoop building set empty until I’m ready to put pigs into it and then I will unroll straw or cornstalk bedding and I’m ready to go. We won’t clean the hoop building out again until the next batch of pigs goes to market.
It’s fun to complete a task with friends. And it’s fun to run a “bobcat”. This is farming fun with friends!
Curiousfarmer 
You always have the coolest pictures.