Rolling Dog Farm Blog

Okay, so this post isn't exactly about an animal, but it is about something that helps us do our job of caring for the animals here.  About a year ago we traded in our Honda ATV for this Kubota RTV 900 utility vehicle (our two ranch tractors are Kubotas, too).  And what a difference it has made.  With a bed that can carry a full-size pallet and a load that weighs up to half a ton — 1,000 lbs (453 kg), the same as a Ford F-150! — we no longer have to use the trucks for ranch chores like hauling water out to stock tanks on pasture.  That's what I was doing on Saturday when I took these photos.  The bed also tips like a dump truck.

It can tow, too, so instead of using the much bigger trucks or tractors to pull something like a sprayer, I can hook up to the super-efficient little RTV for towing.

It runs on diesel, which means we can fill it from the fuel tank we have here on the ranch.  But filling it is not a frequent thing at all — we run it for weeks between refueling.  It has a small tractor engine and thus usage is measured in hours of operation rather than miles, but I last filled it at 155 hours and am now at 170 hours with a full half tank of diesel to go.  So depending on the type of work we're doing, we can get about 30 hours of use on one 8-gallon (30 liters) tank.  It also has 4-wheel drive and an engine-block heater, which means it's fully functional in our bitterly cold and snowy winters.

It can seat three people in the cab, has plenty of room for tools and other equipment, and allows us to take dogs with us when we head out to do projects like fix fence.  Just last week I took blind Madison along for a ride.  (A certain goat named Margaret has also been seen in the cab being chauffered around the ranch.)

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Don't forget, you can vote every day for us in The Animal Rescue Site/PetFinder's Shelter Challenge. 
Enter
"Rolling Dog Ranch" and our state postal code, MT for Montana,
and it will bring up our listing so you can cast your vote.  Invite your family and friends to vote, too! 

Wow .. still No. 3, and that means a $3,000 grant if we can hold that spot!  Please keep voting — thank you!