I understand that feed used to be sold in 110# bags. Now it's 50# cause a lot of men can't lift that much. I'm 49 and have had lots of injuries and the chemical poisoning-(major) and weigh too much, but I've worked out regularly for several years and have gotten to where I can lift a 50# bag of chicken feed. Do you ladies have trouble lifting? Can you lift a lot more that 50#? I know some of you have back trouble.

What about you men, can you lift a lot? Could you lift 110# bag of feed with no trouble.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002

Answers

At one time I could put one on each shoulder. Or one on top of my head(i know that's strange but I used to carry stuff like that).

Now, with a ruptured disc(wonder how that happened??), I'm alot more careful how much weight I carry. I could carry 110# no problem but not 2 anymore and I'd most likely try to find an easier way, carrying would be my last resort.

Many times I wish I would have followed the work smarter, not harder theme in the past.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.

One man's opinion . . .

110# on a weight set, where balanced load is evenly distributed, no problem, even now that I am older. Now 110# in a sack, with bulky load and weight shifts / moves within sack, could be done, but is major hassle. Heck, my 40# son is a handful when I lift him and he does not want be be lifted. Pushing away from me, shifting balance really does make it more difficult.

20 years ago, I could walk with a 50# bale of hay in either hand, and throw it into a pickup bed over the side. Not anymore, nearly 40 and just the thought throws my back into spasms. Whoa, am I ever getting old! :^)

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), March 14, 2002.

I don't mind the 50 pound feed sacks, but I don't choose to lift as hard as I can: I'm too likely to feel it the next day! Getting old, I guess. I use a dolly or a wheel barrow for heavier stuff whenever I can.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 14, 2002.

Hi, Cindy. I never could manage the 100 pound sacks of feed. I'm 4'10" and weigh uh...too much. Now I used to carry the 80 pounds sacks no problem, and I find the 50 pounders easy. The 110 pound bales of alfalfa I can lift and carry, but I need hay hooks, while DH and the sons can pull the strings together to use as a handle and carry one in each hand. DH will be 55 in April, and the boys call him a wuss because he'll get outta breath bucking hay long before they do. Even with the hay hooks, I'm panting pretty hard, and I'm a lot slower than them, too. Anymore, I usually am the one on the truck pushing the bales to the back for them to get....And that ain't easy, either, when you're trying to keep up with three of them unloading 2 at a time. Once the load is down far enough I usually put the hooks aside and push them out, bracing my back and using my legs. The one thing that really gives me trouble is the milk bucket to my milking machine...it holds 65 pounds of milk, and the bucket itself weighs 15...the problem is I'm so darn short, the the bail on it so darn high, if I have my arm straight, the bucket is still sitting on the ground! So having to lift it went my elbow bent, it seems to weigh a whole lot more than 80 pounds! Kathie p.s. I'll be 50 the 29th of this month.

-- Kathie in Western Washington (twinrosefarm@centurytel.net), March 14, 2002.

I used to have feed in 80 pound bags, now it comes in 50 pound. I can lift them and move them easily, but as I get older I am smarter!! I use wagon/wheelbarrow to move them any distance. Only problem is if I try after 12 hour day of moving patients, then it just seems like they are much bigger and I have to have son help. Denise

-- Denise K. (Rabbitmom2@webbworks.com), March 14, 2002.

I can lift 50# bags of feed and carry them to the barn, but it's definitely work. When I was younger I could handle 100 lbs sacks, sure can't do that now!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 14, 2002.

I can lift the 100# bags of feed that I buy but choose to wheelbarrow them to where I need them. That way I lift them twice, once into the wheelbarrow, and once to get them in my feed bin. I view 50# feed sacks the same way one would view 13oz cans of coffee as opposed to the 16 oz cans we use to buy. Polly

-- (jserg45@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.

I do just fine with the 50# bags, except that they are so bulky, and when I try to pour out of them an fill the self-feeder it's even harder to balance!

I'm hoping when we get the chickens moved I can buy 100# bags and fill my metal trash cans up, then just scoop them out. The feed is a little cheaper that way, it seems.

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), March 14, 2002.

I can lift 50 pound sacks pretty easily. I am always carrying something it seems like. We have to haul firewood, push wheelbarrows full of manure, and working in the garden. I think all of these things help build muscles!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 14, 2002.

This is kind of a depressing subject for me. At one time, I could carry two 110 pound alfalfa bales at a time (one in each hand). I could outwork a lot of men, and my doctor thought I was an Olympic athlete (seriously!).

After a series of car wrecks and a horse wreck or two, I have trouble with the smallest thing. Some days I feel better and get out and clean a stall or unload a couple of 50# feedsacks, then I'm almost bedridden for 2-3 weeks because I overdid it. Other days I can't hardly hold a cup of coffee. Much of the work around here now falls to my poor overworked and uncomplaining saint of a husband. After having been extremely fit and athletic all my life, it's hard to accept where I am now. Without my faith in God, I don't think I could. However, as Paul said, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Perhaps I was too much into doing things in my own strength and needed to learn to lean more on the Lord.

-- Lenette in OR (kigervixen@webtv.net), March 14, 2002.

My Father-in-law lost his right arm in an accident when he worked for the Santa Fe Railroad-----

I have often wondered how he unloaded those sacks of grain & poured them into the grain bins by himself!!!! And did all he did as he farmed & made a liveing for his family----

As I moan & groan-----with two good arms & a bad back----with a 50 lb bag-------

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), March 15, 2002.

Now there was this aussie see, he went on a little overseas trip and got a job in a wharehouse. The foreman noticed that while other workers were each carrying two sacks the aussie only carried one. "What's the caper Barry?" he called "why are you only carrying one sack when everyone else carries two". "Thats them kiwis for you" replied Barry, "too lazy to do the job properly and make the extra trip"

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), March 15, 2002.

Kathie in Western Washington, I may a temporary solution for those milk buckets.

You probably already know this one, but I believe that Lehman's sells stainless steel buckets which are cut square on one side, so that you are not forced to cantilever the bucket so far to the side of your body. Saves a lot of wear and tear on your shoulder.

About the bail being too long, try getting an double open ended wrench, and place the ends between the edges of the bail. No only will the result raise the height of the bucket, the larger surface area of the wrench makes carrying the bucket much easier. I hope this helps.

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), March 15, 2002.

Yeah! someone shorter than me on here!!! I'm 4'11". Kathie, you shrimp, you! Actually, I used to be 5'3" before all my back problems. Speaking of which, I have drs. orders not to lift anymore than 20#. Sometimes I find that hard and am tempted to do more than I know I should. When hubby is around he won't let me though. I'm becoming a pro at pulling things. You'd be surprised at how much you can pull around. Cindy, what on earth made you think of this!!!!

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), March 15, 2002.

I can handle 50# pretty easily I don't think I could carry 100# very far. My daughter weighs 52# and I pick her up all the time, I carry 50# routinly so I think its built up muscles-maybe if I had to carry 100# I'd get used to that.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), March 15, 2002.

Exercise program:

Stand with a 5# potato sack in each hand. Extend arms straight out to your sides and hold them there as long as you can.

After awhile you can try a 10# sack, then a 50# sack. Eventually you should get to where you are able to hold a 100# potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight out for more than a full minute.

At this point, you might want to try adding a few potatoes to each sack, but use caution and don't overdo it. ;)

-- Lenette in OR (kigervixen@webtv.net), March 15, 2002.

Exercise programme, from ancient Greece:

Find new born calf,

Lift calf above your head five times.

Repeat each day of calf's life!

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), March 15, 2002.