David

Running a hatchery or scaling up a poultry operation means your old styrofoam tabletop incubator just will not keep up. When you are setting 100, 300, or 1000+ eggs per cycle, every degree of temperature drift costs you money, and every missed turn costs you a chick. I have spent the last three months testing … Read more

I still remember the morning I sat down to hand-milk six Nubians before work and didn’t finish until the sun was high overhead. That was the day I started hunting for the best goat milking machines — and never looked back. Whether you keep two Nigerian Dwarps for the family or run a small dairy … Read more

Handling sheep without the right equipment turns every routine chore into a wrestling match. After spending time on small farms and talking with shepherds across the country, I can tell you that the right sheep handling system saves hours of labor and a lot of frustration. The best sheep handling systems combine panels, gates, chutes, … Read more

If you run a cattle operation or work as a professional hoof trimmer, picking the best hoof trimming chutes for can change your daily workflow. I spent the last three months comparing working chutes and the trimming tools that go with them, and the difference between a safe, efficient setup and a stressful one comes … Read more

When I first started helping my uncle work his 40-head cow-calf operation, I quickly learned one truth: a good head gate is the difference between a smooth branding day and absolute chaos. Automatic head gates changed how we handle cattle, letting one person safely catch, restrain, and treat animals without needing a second hand on … Read more

Choosing the best livestock waterers for your farm is one of those decisions that quietly changes every day of your operation. A reliable automatic waterer means fresh water on demand, healthier animals, and the freedom to skip hauling buckets at 6 a.m. A poor choice means leaks, frozen pipes, and livestock that simply drink less … Read more

Harvesting grain at the right moisture level can mean the difference between a profitable crop and a spoiled one. After 90 days of side-by-side testing across eight different models on our 200-acre test plot, I found the best grain moisture meters deliver consistent readings within 0.5% of commercial elevator equipment. Storage moisture above 14% in … Read more

Last spring I watched a neighbor tear through 40 acres with a no-till drill and skip three field passes I always dreaded. He finished before lunch. I was still working ground at sundown. That single afternoon sold me on the idea that a quality no-till setup could save time, fuel, and back strain. Our team … Read more

Our family runs a small cattle operation on 80 acres of mixed clay soil, and for years I watched our forage yields slowly decline without understanding why. After countless conversations with our county extension agent and three seasons of hands-on testing, I learned what veteran ranchers already knew: the best pasture aerators are not optional … Read more

After three months of testing eight different land plane graders on everything from rough gravel driveways to packed dirt roads, I can tell you which ones actually deliver and which ones leave you disappointed. I’ve pulled these implements behind compact tractors and skid steers, graded washboard surfaces until they were glass-smooth, and put every scarifier … Read more