* Balers are the implement most fence often mentioned in the survey. Producers also cite purchases of new feed grinders and mixers, as well as silage and haylage products. "We purchased a Walder Manufacturing hoop bagger last year, and our haylage is the best it can be. There''s no wait for hay to dry down -- better protein, better overall feed volume, writes Frank mending E. Grossmann, Portage, Wisconsin."Digital scales on the feed grinder save time and feedstuffs," web development tools says monte thompson, zanesville, ohio, citing his top management change.housekeepinga number of products come into play when housing livestock, and producers point to several items that save them time, labor, and money. products listed in the survey include portable livestock shelters, scales, fans, and bulk feed bins and feeding systems.

"purchasing a bobcat for general farm use has been a lifesaver -- for loading hay, cleaning out fence rows, hauling rocks, etc.," writes jeff suess, henley, missouri. the gehl skid steer saves me time, labor, and my back. i use it more than i thought i would," says bill haas, fence bellevue, ohio.atv ready to rodeoatvs are near the top of the list of products rated by stockmen''s survey[tm] respondents. well over half of participants cite a favorite brand mending or model. "i''d be lost without my atvs," says marty green of grand mound, iowa (pictured automotive hand tools above). he jumps on either his polaris 300 or 400 4x4 every day april through september to check calves for scours, pinkeye and lameness, to check cows for heat detection, to fix fence, and to move cattle to different paddocks.

heat detection a hot topicseveral producers cite heat detection systems as a top management change. richard fence schaefer, mending evansville, illinois, recently purchased heat-watch, a computerized heat detection system, auto hand tools to monitor his dairy herd. "it really saves me a lot of time, because i no longer have to visually catch the cows in heat," he says.james reed, esbon, kansas, writes fence that the heatwatch estrus detection system mending and the real mccoy ultrasound scanner "have vastly improved my reproduction program."keep ''em movin''good animal husbandry isn''t possible without good products to handle and move livestock. twenty-two brands of trailers are cited tools by producers in their product reviews, making this the category with the most number of brands mentioned. the top six are listed on page 34. new cattle-handling equipment can be a real time and labor saver, ranchers say.