"I like Polaris because of the automatic transmission. Switching gears makes moving cattle hard when you are switching from 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and then back down to reverse," says Green. barbwirefencetools "Polaris just goes from low or high range to reverse."The ATV accessory Green can''t live without is a mesh rack for hauling fencing equipment. The racks are made by Moose Utility Division and cost about $125.ATVs can replace both pickups and leg work, producers say. "The use of a Honda four-wheeler vs. my truck has saved big dollars," writes Brad Leonard, Holt, Missouri. Kim Queen, Old Fort, Tennessee, says buying a second ATV was a key management change, because "one of us always had to walk to the corral and check cattle."

Back at the ranch house, wife Alice Koupal gets e-mails from the Angus Association with updated EPD stats on their cattle and downloads that to the Palm Pilot. She has data on 2,489 animals in the system now and can manage the information with a push of a button, rather than by pushing a bunch of paper.Chore timeProducts that add barbwirefencetools an extra hand at chore time score big on the nation''s livestock farms. ATV''s and skid steers add to the operation through their multipurpose value, producers say.Life gets easierFarm chores got a whole lot easier for Chad Willis (pictured above) two years ago with the purchase of a skid steer loader. "This is so much more useful than a tractor and loader," says Willis, who feeds dairy bull calves and raises crops near Willmar, Minnesota. "It''s handy and can get in tighter places; it''s barbwirefencetools just more maneuverable."

Ultrasound works magicOne tool that South Dakota beef producers Blane and Cindy Nagel can''t do without is an ultrasound machine. All heifers barbwirefencetools on their 300-head Maine-Anjou herd are scanned each May and then bred according to their muscle scores and marbling levels. Ultrasound data for all sale bulls is provided to potential buyers. "As a breeder, I use it as a mating tool," says Blane, who farms near Springfield. "The buyers of my bulls use it as a selection tool." Nagel pays most attention to the marbling around the ribeye area. His cattle naturally muscle well, so he is looking for those who are also heavily marbled.