Back at the ranch house, wife bobcatpostdriverpullers 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 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 bobcatpostdriverpullers raises crops near Willmar, Minnesota. "It''s handy and can get in tighter places; it''s just more maneuverable."

* Balers bobcatpostdriverpullers are the implement most 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 bobcatpostdriverpullers overall feed volume, writes Frank E. Grossmann, Portage, Wisconsin."Digital scales on the feed grinder save time and feedstuffs," 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.