Ranch Management Archives - American Cattlemen

Essential Farm Tips for the Cold Season: Winterproof Your Farm Tires:

Nashville, Tenn. (Dec. 4, 2024) – Winter is coming, and with it comes colder temperatures, wet or icy ground, and snow in some areas. Despite the changing weather conditions, you still need to get work done, and farm tire maintenance is crucial to staying productive, no matter the weather.

“Livestock still needs to be fed. In some areas, snow needs to be moved, or fieldwork finished,” says Greg Jones, senior manager of global field engineering, Firestone Ag. “Regardless of where you live, winter brings challenges. In the north, it snows. In the south, it rains. You need your tires to keep up throughout the season.”

Taking steps to safeguard your tires from harsh winter weather and conditions can help you avoid needing replacement tires come spring. Here are four practical tips to help you make the most of your farm tires and equipment this winter.

Tip 1: Maintain tire pressure when temperatures drop

Regularly checking and adjusting your tire air pressure is one of the most effective ways to extend tire life and carry heavy loads efficiently. Checking tire pressure in the winter is especially important since it is directly related to temperature.

“As temperatures rise, so does tire inflation pressure, and vice versa,” says Jones. “You need to be extra aware of your tire air pressure at this time since the colder weather causes drops in tire inflation pressure.”

Check your tire pressure daily or weekly, depending on your equipment usage. This helps to avoid underinflation or overinflation, which can both damage the tire and affect performance.

Tip 2: Be cautious of rough, frozen ground

Take extra care driving over rutted and rough frozen ground and stubble, especially for livestock operations and when clearing snow.

“When temperatures drop, mud can freeze into hard clumps, and stubble gets harder,” says Jones. “Driving over these is like driving over a sharp rock in the field. These frozen obstacles, which are common for northern U.S. farmers, can cause punctures or breaks in your tires.”

Whenever possible, minimize driving over rough surfaces and smooth out main driving paths to protect your tires from sharp, frozen debris.

Tip 3: Safeguard your tires during winter storage

For equipment that won’t see regular use during the winter, proper storage can help keep tires in good condition. Whenever possible, store equipment inside. Tires left outside on ice or snow are more prone to cracks as the rubber stiffens in low temperatures.

“When temperatures get cold enough, the elasticity of the rubber stops working as usual,” explains Jones. “Instead of stretching and relaxing, it becomes brittle and can crack.”

For equipment in winter storage, adjust tire inflation pressure to avoid finding a flat tire come spring. Due to permeation, a tire will typically lose around 1 PSI per month. To account for this natural, slow loss of PSI over time regularly check the tire pressure of your tires in storage and adjust to account for this change.

Tip 4: Optimize your tires for winter conditions

Winter across the country can create conditions that challenge tire traction. Tires built for fieldwork might not perform well in snow and ice. In the south, wet ground from winter rains can reduce a tractor’s traction in the field. If you need to put your equipment to work, these tips can help make them more efficient.

Adjust a tire’s footprint: Wet ground can heighten soil compaction and rutting, while reducing a tractor’s traction. Ensure your tire inflation pressure is optimized for the weight of the tractor. Properly inflated tires allow tractors to create an ideal footprint, spreading the machine’s weight over a larger area to minimize soil compaction and enhance traction.
Add weight: Adding weight to your equipment can help improve traction on icy or snowy ground. Extra weight can prevent slipping and help maintain stability. “Adding weight carefully and optimizing your tire pressure to the new weight can give you extra grip for winter work,” says Jones.
Use tire chains: Tire chains can be a good option in winter conditions by providing extra traction on icy surfaces. Tire chains can give your equipment the extra grip it needs in slippery conditions. Work with your local tire dealer and experts to ensure you are getting the correct chains for your tires and are installing them correctly to avoid unnecessary damage.

For more tips to get the most from tires and equipment this winter, contact your local Certified Firestone Ag dealer or visit FirestoneAg.com.

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About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tires and rubber, building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Bridgestone Americas employs more than 50,000 people across its worldwide operations. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.

Cutlines:

FSAG_FieldWork.jpg: Regardless of where you live, winter brings challenges. You need your tires to keep up throughout the season.

FSAG_WinterScene.jpg: As winter approaches, it brings unique challenges for farmers—from icy ground and frozen mud to rain-soaked fields in the south. Keeping farm equipment running smoothly despite these conditions is no small task, but proper tire care can make all the difference.

FSAG_CowsInSnow.jpg: Taking steps to safeguard your tires from harsh winter weather and conditions can help you keep working in the winter and avoid needing replacement tires come spring.

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Selecting The Right Ranch Rifle

For cattle ranchers and farmers alike, incorporating various rifles and ammunition into a ranch environment is paramount and staying abreast of the latest and greatest in today’s rifle and ammunition technology can enhance a ranch or farm’s operations.

As Seth Swerczek, marketing communications manager at Hornady Ammo, the biggest factor for livestock producers to consider when selecting ammunition is which bullet design specifically addresses their needs.

“Not all bullet designs perform the same, and therefore should be a chief concern when selecting ammo,” Swerczek says. “Simply select the ammo featuring the bullet that is designed for your needs – whether that be big game, varmints, plinking, self-defense, etc.”

Hornady

Founded in 1949, Hornady Manufacturing Company is a family-owned business headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska. The company proudly manufactures products that are made in the USA, and has become a world leader in bullet, ammunition, reloading tool, accessory and security product design and manufacturing.

“Our ammunition is a truly premium product,” Swerczek says. “We use the best brass, primers and propellants possible and top it off with our world-renown bullets. Our ammo is hand-inspected for quality before it is packaged.”

Some of Hornaby’s most popular rifle products are found in the Precision Hunter line of ammunition. Precision Hunter features the company’s ELD-X all range hunting bullets in the most popular calibers.

“In the pistol category, our Critical Defense ammunition is the best defensive ammo on the market,” Swerczek says.

Hornaby also recently introduced its new 6mm ARC, which utilizes efficient, high BC bullets to deliver unprecedented performance from a compact platform. Now the 6mm ARC is offered in Precision Hunter. The 6mm ARC does much of what larger cartridges can and utilizes efficient, high-BC bullets to deliver performance from the AR-15 platform. The 6mm ARC will feature bullets for hunting, match shooting and personal protection applications.

Finding the Right Firearms

When it comes to finding the ideal firearm, Rafe Nielsen, director of marketing and communications at Browning, says there are two main components to finding the right firearm; fit and function.

“Find a gun that fits in your hands and points instinctively,” Nielson says. “And then find one that has all the right features for your specific needs such as fast cycling, ease of operation, quality build, and most importantly, accuracy.”

The beauty of Browning’s Winchester line is that the company offers so many different variations and models, a customer can find something in their line that works for them.

“Right now we’re focused on adding feature sets to existing models,” Nielson says. On the Model 70 you’ll find added features like Cerokote finishes and muzzle brakes. On the XPR you’ll find long range offerings with heavy barrels and performance stocks. The SX4 continues to do well with new camo patterns including the new Woodland pattern. And on the SXP line, the Defender series continues to grow with features such as door breaching choke tubes and heatshields.

The Quintessential Bolt Action

Of course, the Winchester Model 70 is the quintessential bolt-action rifle, having proved its mettle in the service of hunters, precision shooters and military personnel since its introduction in 1936.

“Although 85 years old, the Model 70 continues to be widely recognized as ‘The Rifleman’s Rifle’ for a number of reasons,” Nielson says. The time-honored action is produced using state-of-the-art equipment, making today’s rifle the most precisely built ever. The excellent M.O.A. Trigger offers a light, consistent pull with zero take up and over-travel. Of course, there’s also the proven reliability of the controlled round feed bolt with the claw extractor.”

“Everything is selling very well right now,” Nielson says. “The SXP is taking over the entry-level pump shotgun market and the recently released Wildcat .22 is gaining market share amongst the auto .22 market. The SX4 continues to dominate in the waterfowl hunting mar-ket.”

So what are some common mistakes that are often made when it comes to purchasing the ideal firearms for a ranch or farm that potential customers should keep in mind?

Nielson says the most common mistake is not identifying exactly what you want and what options are out there.

“Oftentimes customers will overbuy a product just because they think the higher price must make it better when in fact a more economical gun would do just fine,” Nielson says. “And then they will underbuy a product trying to save some money and then not be satisfied in the end. They then have to ultimately re-buy what they needed in the first place.”

Henry Repeating Arms

Another favorite rifle manufacturer is Henry Repeating Arms, a leading lever action manufacturer and one of the top-five long gun manufacturers in the USA.

The company states it goal is “to manufacture a line of classic, well-crafted firearms that every enthusiast can afford.”

At its core, Henry Repeating Arms manufactures rifles and shotguns, including abroad range of lever action rifles in both rimfire and centerfire calibers, in a variety of finishes, such as alloy, steel, hardened brass, hardened silver, color casehardened, and All-Weather.

The Henry Golden Boy is the company’s signature model and is a rimfire lever action whose moniker is “the gun that brings out the West in you.” The company has sold over one million of their model H001 Classic Lever Action .22 rifle, which has become a staple of the firearms industry.

The Henry Big Boy is a centerfire lever action that is ideal for brush hunting, home defense and cowboy action shooting. And the Henry Long Ranger is a centerfire lever action that delivers bolt action distance and precision for big game hunts. The company resurrected the original Henry rifle and today it is offered in calibers .44-40 and .45 Colt in a variety of finishes. The Henry Lever Action .410 bore is the only lever action shotgun on the market. The Henry US Survival AR-7 is an updated version of the U.S. Air Force AR-7, a takedown .22 that is ideal for all outdoorsmen.

New Models

Recently Henry Repeating Arms introduced new models to meet the needs of today’s hunters interested in both small and large game.

The Henry Lever Action Magnum Express .22 Mag is a purpose-built small game and varmint hunting rifle with a feature set catered towards use with magnified optics. The Henry Lever Action X Model .30-30 brings a legendary whitetail hunting caliber to Henry’ modern X Model lineup and the Lever Action X Model .30-30 is the newest entry in Henry’s X Model line of modern, feature-packed lever actions first introduced in January 2020. The company’s All-Weather Picatinny Rail .45-70 Side Gate rifle is topped with an extended section of Picatinny rail for mounting a scope further forward on the barrel to free up more peripheral vision and make for quicker target acquisition. Finally, the Henry Single Shot Turkey Camo Shotgun is fully covered in Mossy Oak Obsession camouflage and features fiber optic sights and a removable turkey choke.

When announcing the company’s new models Anthony Imperator, president and owner of Henry Repeating Arms said, “I can’t recall a more aggressive time of growth as far as the number of new releases and the frequency by which we release them is concerned. We are very proud to present hunters with an ever-increasing number of American-made choices when they go to purchase a rifle or shotgun for an upcoming season, and we’re just getting started for this year.”

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November 2021

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