I was as stuck as I hope to ever be today :-(

[canoetrpr]

I have an incredibly muddy area where my manure pile is. Overall my property is in a valley and wet but the topsoil is black black organic stuff and deep since manure has been stored in this area for eons.

I was able to go in and dump manure fine but then I also have a pile of gravel in this area I have kept from a previous project. Thought I'd get a few buckets of it for a ramp my cows go over from one of their winter pens to the pole barn.

Boy was that ever a mistake. I got stuck and made the mistake of digging myself in there. Had my snowblower attached and it was stuck in the mud as well. Unhooked the blower and futzed around for a couple of hours. No way did I think my 2WD MF would pull me out of this one plus I needed a tractor with a loader to lift my blower out of their first so I could be pulled out in reverse.

I was lucky enough to have a buddy from down the street who has a 1980s Case backhoe loader come right over to give me a hand. We worked at it for another 2.5 hours. The backhoe helped tremendously as he was able to dig up some of the earth behind me and get rid of some of the really wet stuff. Also learned a few tricks on loader kungfu to use the loader curl to help me get out in addition to him pulling the tractor.

Snowblower chute has a little cosmetic damage (darn thing hasn't even been used once!) but I guess farm equipment can't stay pristine.

Tractor is finally freed! but looks like h*** since it was buried half way to the rear rims!

It has been unseasonably warm here this winter. I am hoping some really cold weather sets in so that the ground gets frozen up. If we plan to stay at our farm I think I'm going to take all of the top soil out of the manure area and spread it along with my manure over my pastures and find some clean sandy fill and build that area up.

Every time I go to Princess Auto, I tell myself I ought to get some slip and grab hooks for my chains. Each chain I own just has a hook at one end. I think I finally am going to set myself up better so that the next time I get stuck I will be more prepared.

 

[oldnslo]

Kinda sounds like you where in Deep Sh*t

Glad the only major injury is your pride...

 

[TripleR]

My father in law use to get stuck all the time and when he was stuck, he was STUCK and it required major intervention. Once we hooked two tractors to him and worked on it for several hours. Finally the farmer helping us drove over and got his BIG Case articulated tractor and popped it out. Thankfully it came out in one piece.

 

[moored4]

As others have said before!! NO PICTURES-----DIDN'T HAPPEN!!:laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[Thomas]

Least the bugs weren't biting.

Now that would been great acion pics.

 

[teg]

You know what they say about bigger tractors.... they dig themselves a bigger hole!!!

 

[moored4]

I have an incredibly muddy area where my manure pile is. ................................................ If we plan to stay at our farm I think I'm going to take all of the top soil out of the manure area and spread it along with my manure over my pastures and find some clean sandy fill and build that area up.
......................................................................

If you go to the trouble of digging out that area then go ahead and put down a concrete pad to store your manure on! :thumbsup:

 

[IndyIan]

Good thing you got it out before the mud started to freeze up! Might've been there till spring!
I did my first barnyard clean up last weekend and managed to churn up the mud to the front axle of the tractor but only got stuck until I dumped my full bucket of manure. In the spring I'll have to do a full clean out and put a decent base in there. Even new R1's have their limits.

 

[canoetrpr]

As others have said before!! NO PICTURES-----DIDN'T HAPPEN!!:laughing::laughing::laughing:

In this case, I'm glad I have no pictures then!

 

[canoetrpr]

If you go to the trouble of digging out that area then go ahead and put down a concrete pad to store your manure on! :thumbsup:

A good idea. The only problem is the ridiculous price of pouring concrete around here!

I would really like to get more land so that I can grow my cattle herd. Probably a silly thing to do as I can just supplement with hay to be able to maintain a few more animals. Transaction costs (brokerage fees, moving fees) to sell my place and buy a bigger will probably buy me A LOT of hay.

The only other thing that drives me nuts about my current land is that it is in a valley and parts of the pasture floods very easily - spring, heavy rains etc.

So one always has to go through the thought process of "I'll never get my money back if I do this improvement... is it worth it or should I just move"

 

[canoetrpr]

Good thing you got it out before the mud started to freeze up! Might've been there till spring!

Exactly! My policy if I get stuck is to put the effort in to get out right away!

 

[wykubotaguy]

My boss got his 200 horse jd7930 stuck up to the bottom of the cab. After a 400horse, 300horse and 160 horse were all pulling it finally came out!

 

[crazyal]

About the only thing worse than getting stuck this time of the year is when all the mud you just got on it freezes solid on your tractor.

 

[sandman2234]

A good idea. The only problem is the ridiculous price of pouring concrete around here!

I would really like to get more land so that I can grow my cattle herd. Probably a silly thing to do as I can just supplement with hay to be able to maintain a few more animals. Transaction costs (brokerage fees, moving fees) to sell my place and buy a bigger will probably buy me A LOT of hay.

The only other thing that drives me nuts about my current land is that it is in a valley and parts of the pasture floods very easily - spring, heavy rains etc.

So one always has to go through the thought process of "I'll never get my money back if I do this improvement... is it worth it or should I just move"

Selling and moving to a bigger place? Why not just buy adjoining land or buy another place nearby. Seems that is what my Dad has been doing. Works well for him and he has a place to go "hide" when being a husband gets to be a hassle.
David from jax

 

[ronjhall]

canoetrpr
No pictures. Are you telling us you didn't even have your cellphone on you.
Glad you got it unstuck before cold weather moves in.

 

[mpham]

Glad to hear you got it unstuck with no injury to you or the tractor! Hopefully you can get the mess cleaned up easily.

 

[Craig Clayton]

Here is a Hot Ontario subject as of late, Corduroy Roads. so what does that have to do with a concrete pad. I would suggest you put in a Corduroy Pad. As you stated you live in a valley and you are farming so that means southern Ontario. Purchase in Eastern White Cedars, they should be cheap in a valley area.
If we are thinking Green the trees will decompose over time so you just add another layer.
There are Corduroy Roads that have been down for ???? and will last until ?????.

I watched a building in the Port lands of Toronto being erected, it was on reclaimed land.
The pile driver drove in a 40' Pole and then they pounded another 40' pole on top of that one. That made 80' of pole straight down. Then they poured concrete footings and raised steel beams. All of this structure was for a HUGE bus barn. All total maybe 100 Poles for 50 pilings.
The Poles will rot but not for years ??????

As Red Green says ( were are pulling for you ).

If the idea works I am in the book, if not he just moved.

Craig Clayton

 

[LBrown59]

As others have said before!! NO PICTURES-----DIDN'T HAPPEN!!:laughing::laughing::laughing:

That's why I don't have any pictures.

 

[Alien]

This time last year we had a lot of rain and I was trying to clean up around the house for Christmas. Taking a load of dirt to dump down the bush (big mistake) the front wheels broke through and then the rear. The ground was so sloppy I couldn't even push with the bucket. It just disapeared out of sight. Six weeks later after I repaired my broken off oil filter etc I just managed to get it out. I felt sick about my little baby sitting down in the bush alone over Christmas....

 

[IndyIan]

A good idea. The only problem is the ridiculous price of pouring concrete around here!

I would really like to get more land so that I can grow my cattle herd. Probably a silly thing to do as I can just supplement with hay to be able to maintain a few more animals. Transaction costs (brokerage fees, moving fees) to sell my place and buy a bigger will probably buy me A LOT of hay.

The only other thing that drives me nuts about my current land is that it is in a valley and parts of the pasture floods very easily - spring, heavy rains etc.

So one always has to go through the thought process of "I'll never get my money back if I do this improvement... is it worth it or should I just move"

Maybe do a few loads of pit run, the stuff I get here is full of fist size+ stone that might as well be concrete once its been there for a while.
As for more land and hay, ask folks nearby with unused fields if they mind you doing a couple cuts a year off of it. I have a field that a neighbor cut a few years ago and I'd let someone do it again, just to keep the weeds down.