New Cow Stalls ... Continued

I can't believe it's 2 months ago that I wrote about the beginning of this project. Weldon is totally amazing! Without any help (until this week), he has continued working all by his lonesome on this difficult, heavy job. He sometimes forgets that he's not quite as young as he used to be, but, other than some moans and groans, he doesn't complain at all. So! Enough praise and adulation. On to the progress report.

First, here's the work that really amazed me. To give additional support to the existing roof, he got these heavy beams, 17 and 20 feet long made of two 2x12s each, hoisted up and bolted together by himself! He explained to me how it really wasn't that difficult or heavy - just slow, lifting one end at a time, balancing it on the Bobcat or scaffolding as he needed. Anyway, I was beyond impressed!

The following pictures will show how he is making the curb that will form the back end of the stalls. It will hold the sawdust bedding in place so the cows can have a relatively clean place to lie down. First he had to dig a trench and make a form to hold the concrete. You can perhaps see from the photos that "Meticulous" is his middle name.

He's made his forms, got them perfectly in place, mixed the concrete, and shoveled it into the forms.

Here is the first completed section of curbing.
Now he is removing the forms from the next section that has been poured and dried.
And then he starts all over again. Woohoo! Approximately 25% of the curbs are done.
When they are completed, the new bedding "floor" can be poured. After that, the metal dividers can be installed. I'll post pictures as that work progresses.

We hope that Weldon's nephew Wesley will be able to continue helping him for a while. That would make the work go much quicker. Of course, if the ground ever dries up a little, Weldon will have to stop and plant wheat and spread manure. Sure wish he had had a son :-)

Remember, you can find me on Facebook (Cindy Keiger) just about any day of the week. That's why you don't see me on here very often :-)