Farmall Tractor Parts: Keeping an Original Row Crop Tractor Alive

Farmall Tractors are part of the Case IH family of tractors, but it was the original row crop tractor, that many manufacturers duplicated. For those that are familiar with old or antique tractors, it is a popular model among collectors, and many of them were capable of taking the place of the plow horses they replaced, back in the day. Like all good things, eventually these workhorse tractors would break down, but many farmers kept their Farmall Tractors going, part by part.

As tractor manufacturers became privy to the plight of selling new tractors to farmers that would keep their beloved Farmalls alive, Farmall tractor parts became more scarce for the older models, almost on purpose, it might have seemed. Today, many of the oldest tractors are in the hands of antique tractor collectors, although there are probably still some of them in existence and working on small family farms. Farmall tractor parts still enjoy a high demand, for this purpose.

Like many of the International Harvester brands of tractors, the Farmall tractor went through several model changes from its original prototype release in 1923. Through a combination of series, that evolved over a period of time, to perform additional duties, they would evolve from their original letter series to a "super series" that progressively demonstrated more tricks. This didn't daunt some of the die-hard Farmall fans that owned earlier series tractors, that were still in running condition and quite capable for what they needed.

It did, however, make it harder to find parts to keep them functioning and today there is still a demand for certain parts, for different series of the Farmall tractors. In the antique tractor collection market, Farmall tractor parts that are original to the tractors that are being restored to original equipment new can demand quite a high price, in some cases. With the Internet, it is possible to find the Farmall parts you need no matter, no matter what model or series the tractor.

Because the farming industry has had such rough times, especially through the past few decades, small farms started disappearing and many older small farm tractors, were left sitting in their tracks. As the farmland has been resold to investors for development or others that own large commercial farming operations, these older tractors have started re-surfacing and along with them, the interest in these antique tractors has increased.

The market for Farmall parts is a strong market, which indicates that there are still some capable of running. These restored, antique tractors have a market, all their own, much like the finest classic automobiles. The only difference is that many farmers loved their tractors more than they did much of anything else. For this reason, many of the tractors were well taken care of during their working life, because an entire family depended on their ability to function in the farming operations. Some of the Farmall tractors are still running and working, but many of them have been retired and are enjoying a restoration, which has caused the demand for Farmall tractor parts to increase.

D I Y Shed Ramp--3 Tips To Building It Right

If you've either bought or built a storage shed to protect your riding lawn mower and other equipment, you're going to need a DIY shed ramp to facilitate moving your stuff in and out without damaging your gear.

You are going to need a ramp for any shed on your property in which you plan to store some type of vehicle or if the shed's foundation lifts the structure 12 inches or more above the ground.

In addition to making it easy for you to move equipment in and out, a ramp's gentle incline is a benefit to you because it creates a comfortable walkway.

Overall, a shed ramp will provide a safe and easy means to get the best use out of your shed.

It is important to construct your ramp correctly because with poor construction

You'll have difficulty rolling bigger equipment in and out
Your ramp will become slick when wet
The structure could fail to support heavier equipment.

Here are these three key points to remember when building a ramp for your shed

1) Use 3/4-inch pressure treated plywood for the ramp surface, then add a non-skid surface on top. This will prevent you from slipping when the ramp is wet.

Regular plywood will allow algae to grow on the ramp surface. When wet, you can fall very easily on this slick-as-grease surface. Also your riding lawn mower could slide off the ramp and tumble on its side. In either instance, you're prone to a serious injury.

2) Build your ramp so it has a three-inches-per-vertical foot incline

This ramp requires a gentle slope. If it's steeper than three inches per vertical foot, your riding lawn mower and other low-clearance equipment will bottom-out on the shed entrance.

3) Use at least four-inch-square pressure-treated beams set no more than a foot apart when constructing the ramp's framework. Then add your pressure treated plywood to create the ramp's surface

You must build your ramp so it is strong enough to support your weight along with your heaviest pieces of equipment. A huge man atop a lawn tractor can stress a fragile ramp to the point where bows in the middle or collapses completely.

Of course, you have the option of installing a metal ramp. But, they're pricy. And a properly constructed DIY shed ramp built out of wood can be every bit as safe and effective as a metal product.

Get everything you need to plan and expertly build your own DIY shed ramp and to tackle virtually any do it yourself woodworking or carpentry project you envision

Whether you're an expert carpenter or a beginner, here's where you get clear, detailed DIY shed ramp plans along with step-by-step instructions, manuals and drawings. For expert advice and a galaxy of woodworking and carpentry plans for projects that will enhance your home and property and make your life easier:

Go to http://Woodworking-Plans-and-Projects.info

Homemade Chicken Coop Requirements List

Chicken coop requirements will obviously vary depending on the size and style of the coop you want to build. In fact, you can save a lot of money by using existing "junk" that you might have already laying around your property. This article gives you some construction tips and ideas.

Framing Options

The absolute cheapest material to build your chicken coop's frame out of is treated pine. However, pine is generally a bit flimsy, and if you really want a high quality coop you're going to need to use other timbers such as hardwood (very strong, but heavy). To be honest, it all depends on your personal preference and budget. You can use tree branches if you really want to save some cash!

The Chicken Run

Unless you've got a large, well-protected backyard/farm, you're going to need to build a chicken run. This can be as simple as throwing up a mesh wire fence around the coop. You can then the birds run on grass, though it's going to look pretty unsightly very fast. Most chicken coop flooring in made from straw or even sand.

The Nesting Area

Nests can be built from cheap timber, or even just cardboard boxes. Nests generally don't need to be extremely sturdy because you're going to place them inside the hen house, so they'll be protected from harsh weather in any case. As for the hen house itself, this is the most complicated part of chicken coop building. The materials are basic, and any good chicken coop plans will outline the options in detail.

Downloadable Chicken Coop Plans

If you can manage to navigate through all the marketing and advertising, there are plenty of high quality chicken coop plans available on the internet for download. The best guide will provide a comprehensive list of chicken coop requirements, and show you the advantages and disadvantages of each material.

To download some plans that explain all of the chicken coop requirements, check out this Chicken Coop Plans website now.

Do I need council permission to keep backyard chickens?

If you're thinking of getting backyard chickens, it's likely that you have considered if your local council has any restrictions on keeping a small flock of chickens. Any regulations enforced by your council are created to keep all residents happy, so the neighbourly thing to do would be to check that these rules are that you need to adhere to.

How many chickens can I keep?

Councils vary in terms of the number of chickens that are allowed in the standard suburban backyard. Most Councils are happy with 6 or fewer chickens, with a permit required for a greater number. For most families, around six chickens are adequate in terms of their egg production, producing around 3 dozen eggs per week. Some Councils such as the Brisbane City Council, allow a greater number of chickens if you have a larger backyard. In this instance, if your property is less than 800m2, you can keep a maximum of 6 chickens, compared with up to 20 chickens if your property is greater than 800m2. There are some Councils such as the Logan City Council, which do not allow chickens to be kept on properties with an area of less than 600m2. Interestingly it seems that each council has their own rules that will vary to some degree with some allowing slightly more or slightly fewer chickens on different sized parcels of land. If you're planning on getting some chickens, a quick call to your local council is a good idea so you're sure to be keeping within their suggested guidelines.

Are roosters allowed?

Another very common rule is that there are to be no roosters. As roosters are not necessary in making eggs (you'd be surprised that many people think they are necessary to produce eggs) and often cause a disturbance to the neighbours, most councils ban roosters from the suburban backyard. If you live in a more rural area with your closest neighbours some distance away, a rooster may be allowed if it's unlikely to cause a disturbance. In this instance, I would suggest that you call your local council or have a look at their website to see if roosters are permitted. Some allow roosters as long as the neighbours don't complain about the crowing.

Placement and type of Chicken House

One of the key concerns of local councils is to make sure backyard chickens do not become a problem to your neighbours. One of the problems can be the smell that comes from fixed chicken houses. Unlike mobile chicken coops, which can be moved around to different areas of the backyard, those coops that are fixed in one area often result a build up of chicken manure. As such, councils often have some quite specific specifications on the placement of a fixed chicken coop in terms of the distance it is placed to neighbouring fences. An easy way to avoid this restriction in your backyard, it to purchase or make a mobile coop. Mobile coops allow chickens to work their manure into the soil, making it perfect for your next vegetable patch and minimizes any odour that would otherwise result.

Keeping away mice

It's unlikely your neighbours will appreciate mice or rats creeping into their backyard due to poorly stored chicken feed in your backyard. Councils therefore strongly encourage owners of backyard chickens to make sure that their chicken feed is stored appropriately so as to not attract rats or mice. Unlike other animals, chickens cannot overeat. Therefore there is no need to give them breakfast, lunch and dinner but rather serve their feed in a self-feeder that they can access throughout the day. Scattering food on the ground attracts rodents and wild birds. Obtaining a good feeder and storage container for your feed is important.

Doing the 'right' thing by your council and your neighbours is important when keeping chickens. You would be surprised by the number of people who are not even aware their neighbours have chickens, as they store their feed securely, they keep a suitable number of chickens, and there is no odour or noise (apart from the gentle clucking) coming from their backyard.

Best Chicken Coop For DIYers

Finding the best chicken coop isn't a tough task. It all depends on how much money you're willing to spend and how many chickens you're planning on having. Larger coops are generally better because they provide a large, secure are for the birds to run, thus improving egg yields. This article provides a basic guide on the best chicken coops, and shows you where to download some great chicken coop plans.

A Closer Look At Sizes

There are generally 3 sizes of chicken coop. As I previously stated, bigger is better. This is because chickens need running space to stay fit. Healthy chickens will lay 5 or more eggs a week if you're lucky. The 3 sizes are:

- Small/Portable

- Mid-sized (box shaped)

- Large (with hen house and secure run)

How Many Chickens?

It is said that you shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch. Unfortunately, if you don't know how many chickens you've got, you don't know how big of a coop you need! It's best to adhere to the following guidelines:

1-4 chickens - Small/Portable coop is generally enough if you've got a decent backyard.

5-9 chickens - A mid-sized box coop is the way to go. It allows for good running space.

10+ chickens - You're going to need a premium coop if you want to maintain healthy, high yield birds.

How Much Money?

If you're on a budget, you're much better off buying a chicken coop kit or even building your own from scratch. If you're a pretty handy person, or know someone who is, there are plenty of high quality building plans you can download from the internet.

To take a look at some great chicken coop plans, check out this How To Build A Chicken Coop website now.

Chicken Coop Heater

Nowadays, pursuit of health has become an unshakable faith. Healthy diet is certainly a key part in a healthy life style, which means you need to eat the right food. So it is not a surprise if you want to keep away from buying eggs full of antibiotics and to build your own chicken coop.

Have a flock in your backyard, try a little villeggiatura and enjoy green and safe eggs everyday, isn't it sounds lovely? Before starting the project, it is important to make a plan first. Here are the things you need to take into your consideration: budget, location, size, light, ventilation and predator. Let's talk about these one by one.

Budget, this is the key factor of your whole plan. How much can you spend on the chicken coop may decide whether your plan can be accomplished eventually. After all, this is building a chicken coop is meant to color your life, not to influence it. What's more, there is another part in the budget, time. How many hours can you spend on building the coop, maintaining and cleanning it every week ? These two answers are things you should find out at the very beginning.

Location and size, I want to talk about these two points together, since they are deeply connected. Chickens need spaces to make a comfortable and happy lives, thus, they can lay eggs regularly. Find out a place level and won't have flooding in rainy days in your backyard, and measure it. Most likely it will be the place to build your coop. Generally, each chicken needs 4-5 quare feet inside the coop for optimal health, egg production and individual space. With the size of the space and the flock you want to have, you can decide to build a small coop or a large one.

Chicken is the kind of animal which is very loyal and dependent on sun. The sunrise makes, the sunset but the rest. Make sure your chickens get enough sunshine to keep them healthy. Several windows facing the sun will solve the problem perfectly.

Ventilation becomes especially important if your coop is in a damp place or just in summer. After rain, good ventilation will helps to dry the coop in a short time. And in summer, cool wind is really nice for the chickens. Still, window is the best way to have good ventilation.

The last but definitley not the least, predator. Predators can attack your chickens from sky, ground and under ground. To protect your chickens from top, fences in firm material will work. So as to predators coming from ground. If your enemies come from under ground, your fences should be there too, at least a feet down.

These are just some simple tips for building your own chicken coop, if you really want to build a good one in the most easy and saving way, I strongly recommend the ebook "Building a chicken coop". In the book you will find more than you need in starting your chicken-raise career. If you are not satisfied with the book, which I really doubt about, a 60-days 100% money back guarantee will save your complaint. Grab A Copy Click here

Digging a Farm Pond

Having a beautiful pond can be a great addition to any farm since it can add scenic beauty and become an emergency water source as well. Besides, you can let your kids to take a dip on your pond in the summer day, or you just stock it with fish. Actually, digging a pond is not as difficult as you think. By using the right techniques, you will be easier to make your own small or large pond as you like. At this time, this article is going to give you some easy tips that will guide you in digging a farm pond. So, just check out the following tips.

The first thing that you need to do is to choose the appropriate location for the farm pond that you want to build. It is suggested for you to find a section of the flat land so that the water in your pond will not drain out.

The second thing that you have to do is contact your local city for asking about the freeze line. For instance, the freeze line should be 3 feet beneath the surface dirt. It is very important for you to dig your pond deeper than the freeze line in order to prevent the pond from freezing into the solid block of ice in the winter.

The third thing that you should do is to use a spray paint for marking the shape of your pond. After that, you can start to dig the pond from the center and then working outward. You should make your pond for at least one to two feet deeper than the freezer line if you are going to stock the pond with fish.

Removing debris from the bottom part of your pool is the fourth thing that you have to do. Then, you can spread pond liner or vinyl liner to the bottom of your pond in a way to avoid folds and wrinkles. If there is any excess, you can cut it with utility knife. Lastly, you can add water to your pond or just wait for the rainfall.

Simple Chicken House Construction Plans

If you want to get started in, or have already started raising chickens, it's certainly an advantage to download some plans for chicken house construction. You can build a chicken house extremely cheap, and it doesn't take particularly good handyman skills. This article helps you get the ball rolling.

Prerequisite List

It pays off to take a systematic approach to building a chicken house. Small mistakes at the beginning can mean a lot of time wasted later on. Focus on the following items before you begin:

1) Figure out how many birds you're going to have, then add 5! Your coop should give roughly 4 square feet per chicken. Without this kind of space you can expect significantly reduced egg yields, as the birds will be too stressed out to lay.

2) Make sure that your coop is built in a position that will take advantage of any morning sunlight you might have. Chickens are very sensitive to subtle changes in light, and lay their eggs according to the time of day.

3) The flooring of the coop will be different depending on the climate you live in. There are typically 3 types of floor coverings: sawdust, straw, and sand. Sawdust is a good all-rounder, but requires a lot of cleaning. Straw drains pretty well, but can get dirty fast. Sand is similar to sawdust, but doesn't require as much cleaning.

4) Make a list of all predators in your area. Foxes, snakes, wolfs, etc.. Many of these animals can burrow under the coop fence and eat your chickens. Make sure to build security measures into your coop, such as burying a length of mesh around the perimeter to prevent dig ins.

5) Build the coop close to a water and electricity source. You will probably need a warming light in winter, which will need power. Alternatively you could connect it to a mini solar panel which you can either buy or also build yourself.

For the best plans for chicken house construction, check out this Build A Chicken House website now.

10X16 Shed Plan | Build A 10X16 Shed Easily

So your looking for a 10x16 shed plan?

Great! When building a 10x16 shed, a lot of people worry about the expenses that come with it . Although it can't be said that no money is involved in building a shed, By choosing to build your own shed, rather than purchasing one you will save a great deal. Most folks believe the ready to put together 10x16 sheds are often the only options available. This is definitely not the case. Not only are these types of sheds a lot more costly, they also restrict your creativity and force you to stick to a strictly defined plan. With a 10x16 shed plan, you'll have a lot more options to choose from and with a little effort you can quickly make a 10x16 shed without spending a lot of money.

Alright, since you've chose to build your shed yourself, you'll want to get yourself a quality 10x16 shed plan. It's critical because this is how you'll learn what supplies and tools you need, also it will allow you to plan out and picture what your shed should look like. Make sure you get the right type of plan that is relevant to your project.

You need a good quality plan because it will determine your course of action. I was actually able to find a great 10x16 shed plan on the internet. You can find a link to it at the bottom of this article.

Once you have your shed plan, read through it thoroughly, The first step will likely be to gather your supplies and tools

Depending on the plan you choose, it may require different material so it's best to get your 10x16 plan first before you purchase anything else.

You can find over 12,000 different shed plans and woodworking patterns by Clicking Here

Living Off the Land

For some the phrase living off the land brings back an audio memory of a song from the 1970s; Dog Named Boo by Lobo. For others it means foraging and companionship farming. In the beginning of time all people lived off the land, hunting and gathering food. Eventually people learned how to grow crops and raise animals for food. These agricultural societies were dependent upon the land for their existence.

Living off the land, can mean learning how to grow food plants easily without employing high till, soil eroding methods requires that you give up the idea of neat rows of growing plants with dirt paths between them. A large amount of time is spent pulling weeds from traditional gardens. Weeds that are usually edible and give back nutrients that food plants remove from the soil.

American Indians used a method for producing three staple vegetables that they called the Three Sisters. Using primitive stone and bone tools they would prepare the soil in a circle. They would mound up the dirt. In the center would they would plant corn. Close to the corn seed they would plant three bean seeds. Around the edge of the mound they would plant squash. As the corn grew the bean stalks would wind around the stalk of the corn. As the squash grew, the large leaves would help retain the moisture from the rains to keep all three growing strong. Each plant uses different nutrients from the soil and puts back what the other plants need. Each species contributed to the well being of the other.

Planting large leaved food crops such as squash, pumpkin and melons near other smaller leaved plants helps retain moisture in the soil. Planting quick growing plants like leaf lettuce and greens in the rows between longer growing plants such as beets and turnips you harvest food long before the next one is ripe. Planting flowers in between rows has been a common practice for companionship planting. The flowers draw the bees to the garden helping with pollination.

A word of caution: If youre using heirloom seeds, keep pumpkins away from squash, and allow lots of space between corn varieties. While cross pollination of Blue Corn and Yellow Corn may be pretty it takes many years to return each to their genetic purity. Mounding on different sides of the area solves this problem. Pumpkins take to mound planting as well as squash. Watermelons and other melons also do well when planted with beans and corn. Heirloom varieties require about 100 feet between them to be safe from cross pollination.

Foraging is almost as important as companionship farming when living off the land. Wild fruits such as raspberry, blackberry, cranberries and blueberries grow wild. Gathering these add variety and flavor to the daily meal. Many wild greens, mushrooms and roots gathered when they are ripe also add nutrients to the diet long before garden plants are ready to harvest. Wild Mustard, Lambs Quarters and Amaranth are ready to be eaten when lettuce, spinach and turnip greens are just barely recognizable.

Later in the fall the various nuts gathered and added to the stores of food that the garden produces increases volume and variety. Walnuts, Butternuts, Hazelnuts, Beechnuts and Hickory nuts are just a few of the many nuts that grow on the North American continent. Nutmeats are high in oil that can be extracted for cooking and they are high in protein. They are well worth gathering.

Living off the land requires that you store what you grow and gather. Canning, water bath and pressure canning, through drying or freezing or cold storing the food that you have foraged or grown will feed you through the winter. Almost all the stems and stalks of food crop plants can be dried and then fed to livestock.

Chickens, turkeys, guinea hens, rabbits and goats are all valuable to a family that is living off the land. The birds will eat the left over plant produce as well as the bugs that bite and irritate. Using tractors, a type of small animal cage that is mobile, and the entire yard can be pest free all season long. Additionally using animal tractors keep your yard fertilized and "mowed" without you spreading any fertilizer or running the lawn mower.

The most important aspect of living off the land is the knowledge that you have provided a healthy, balanced diet for you and your family. Watching the fruits of your labor ripen on the vine or stalk, seeing that tiny egg grow into an adult bird with chicks of her own are things that no supermarket or grocery store can provide.