Page 9 - Farm & Ranch

When considering electric fencing you need to buy for your smaller acreage area, you will need to examine a couple of things. How many strands of electric wire are you running? Are you fencing animals in an area where they will be prone to putting pressure on the fence? Are you running any traditional fencing along with your electric wire? These questions will dictate the type of energizer you will need for each set up. Jesse breaks the down the ratio of Joules needed to charge per single strand of wire in this AskNorth40 question.   What Type of Charger for your Electric Fence? When looking for the best type of charger for an electric fence on smaller acres we are going to need to look at stored energy, or Joules, and how that relates to your fencing area. When selecting a solar electric charger, you will have options from .1 J, .1... Read more

Sometimes, when you're doing interviews, researching stories, collecting materials or otherwise preparing to create new, original content- there are instances when you come across something, some piece of information or a person that makes you stop and take stock of your regular day-to-day existence. Well- that happened to me and Drew when we got into interviews for this fencing sale we were putting on at North 40. We wanted to interview someone who had been at ground zero during the catastrophic 2015 fire season that saw nearly a million acres burn in Washington. We were looking for stories to help our readers and customers across the Northwest get a true sense of the devastation that was wrought last year. What we got out of the following interview WAS that, but it was something more, much more than that- and it solidified for Drew an... Read more

At some point or another, you may have to place something in the back for your truck that, unfortunately, is longer that your truck bed. Usually, you try to strap it down and pray it doesn't fall off. While this can work, the person driving behind you might not be so confident in your tie down skills. Thankfully, there's a way to extend your truck bed for those awkward length items. And better yet, you can do it yourself. Make your Truck an Extended Bed w/ Erickson Big Bed Extender First off- my automotive skills are glaringly lacking, so when this project came down the pipeline, I said, "WHAAAAAAAAAATT. Vehicles?" Let's say if my life was a video game- my car skills are Level Zero. Here's a Father's Day project you might fight interesting... the Ranchero Rebuild. But that's doesn't even matter when it comes to the Erickson Big Bed Exten... Read more

While animal health companies are riddled with hundreds of stats about how much healthier, heavier, and better your cattle herds will be using their product... so we asked Zoetis to prove it, and to our surprise they took us up on it. Next step was to bring on Vic Anderson and get him to go all Zoetis in 2016 on his cattle ranch on the Smith River in Montana. No real science here... this is just a real life, cattle rancher's experiment doing what Zoetis recommends for cattle health and productivity. And so begins North 40 Outfitter's Anderson Experiment... Money Talks Trying to get a rancher to spend more money can be, well, difficult at times. You combine that with the fact that if a rancher has had success in the past using his current methods and you are in for an uphill battle come time to try and get him to try something new. "... Read more

When you are selecting what electric fence is right for your outfit, we know there are many options--one of these is the S17 by Gallagher. Order the S17 online right here. Below is an overview of the S17 to help give you a better idea about whether or not this option is right for you. 1. How do you compare units (acres versus miles versus .17 joule) There is no set standard by which to compare similar products. The same charge, same wire and same grounding set-up will often lead to different types of advertising for those products. For instance, "Company X" [name redacted] tests a single strand of wire under perfect conditions to come up with their advertised numbers. When Gallagher's S17 is tested, it is tested under field conditions in New Zealand with a multi-wire set ups (including cross fencing) on many different classes of livesto... Read more

Calving season is just around the corner for the majority of our cattle producers in Montana, Washington and Idaho. If you need ear tags, we've got them online and available for delivery to your door, right here. Most ranchers have already made preparations and are mentally ready for the next few months of long nights and the challenges generally associated with calving in the northwest. While warm weather makes conditions a bit more tolerable for livestock and producers, the varying temps can also present their own set of challenges as well, but none are as critical to survival of new calves as colostrum. Colostrum Replacers and Supplements for Calves: Improve Immunity Colostrum supplement and replacer products are valuable tools to increase calf immunity when supplies are limited.  We recently added two colostrum products by APC Life... Read more

  Echo, tack lead from the Great Falls store had this to say: "Grass is the only natural source of omega 3s that a horse will get when out grazing or out at pasture. And our grass here isn't the highest quality and can lack the necessary omega 3s a horse needs to stay in top condition. Flaxseed is one of the safest supplements you can add to a horse's diet and has a very high concentration of omega 3s. Add it for weight gain or to improve your horse's coat and skin condition." Full equine nutritional article from Nutrena available here. Ahhhhh- flaxseed, my old friend. Really quick: linseed and flaxseed are the same thing, so if you use linseed oil for anything, you're already on the flax bandwagon. Welcome. So, flaxseed is a good addition to your horse's diet? Established. How much? In what form? If you boil it does it really produ... Read more

If you've spent a lot of time in the NW or standing around campfires you may have come across the game "Nails," also known as Stump. If you haven't, it is a really fun and easy to play game that tests your skills with a hammer. Here's what you need to play the Game of Nails A fairly straight cut section of tree stump that can be stood up to a height above your knees and below your waist. Typically two log sections stacked on top each other is just right. A hammer. (Need a hammer?) Nails (4-5 inches tall are best) Nails can come loose so make sure to wear safety glasses or eye protection. Some amount of light, so you can see the hammer. The Object of the Game Each person gets a nail. Lightly tap your nail into the stump so that it stands upright. When it's your turn, you try to hit your opponents nails into the stump. Your opponent is ... Read more

You did it. Spent hard earn money on a nice pair of Justin's or Tony Lama's. Then it happened: rain, mud, gumbo, pasture land flat tires... or kids, or maybe all that at once. When you want to get your boots back in action and ready for a night out, you need to do it the right way. Below you'll find a North 40 guide to getting your boots shined up like new. Step by Step Instructions 1. Use a damp cloth to remove any mud or residue (you can also use a dry eraser or brush to remove any scuff marks) 2. If your boots become wet or saturated, the first thing you need to do is remove the insole 3. Use an absorbent tissue paper such as a paper towel and dry the boot thoroughly 4. Remember to never put your boots in direct heat as it causes cracking 5. Once your boots are thoroughly dry, use a leather conditioner on the boots with a dry cloth or ... Read more

  I have always grown up around horses and have been blessed to ride and work with some of the best. Every rodeo contestant knows that their horse is just as influential in a perfect score or run as they are. Picking out the right horse can be difficult, but when you find one that fits you, the results can be amazing. Before I left for my freshman year of college at MSU-Northern, I had prepared all of my horses for my first college rodeo season. Included in my elite string, was a 4 year old palomino that I had raised and trained since he was a baby. He was coming along nicely in the breakaway roping and I felt he was ready for the college ranks. About a month before I left for Havre, my prized boy contracted the West Nile Virus and succumbed to his symptoms. I was devastated! Not only because I did not have a horse to rope on, but a... Read more

Have you ever had a flat tire and changed it out with your spare, only to get another flat tire before the first one was fixed? Attempted to put your spare on and realized that it was also flat? Or, didn't have a spare tire? We've all seen vehicles alongside the road on three wheels and a jack, and maybe some of you have had the misfortune of being in that situation. Either way, having the right equipment and knowing how to repair a flat tire can sometimes be the difference between driving or walking. Whether you are on the shoulder of the road or working in your garage, here are a few options for fixing that flat tire: Sealants - LiquiTube's Premium Tire Sealant helps maintain air pressure, extends tire life, and seals all forms of air loss Shop our sealants by clicking here. Installation should be near an air compressor so the tire c... Read more

After our recent publication of our Horse's Year on Zoetis, I got to chat with a local Montana vet about real world things you can do to help prevent your horses from coming down with the deadly virus. Dr. Jack Newman was able to give me some pretty straight forward advice as to "best practices" when acting against West Nile. Check out the article we wrote with Dr. Newman on how to deworm your horse. Like the recent controversy over human vaccinations, the horse world has its own share of West Nile experts and social media "epidemics." Here are a few I've come across: 1. "Don't inoculate against West Nile because it causes arthritis in the left hock." 2.  Vaccines "dry up the joints." 3. "Vaccines cause kidney failure." These types of concerns exist, and if you have serious concerns regarding such issues, it's always best to consult... Read more