Re: Farmer wannabe confused on pasture and tractor hp.

Posted by Bret on August 01, 2002 at 06:20:47 from (64.19.94.222):

In Reply to: Farmer wannabe confused on pasture and tractor hp. posted by Mark on July 31, 2002 at 16:33:54:

Sounds like a lot of guys I've known. Don't charge after a cow right off. Try 2 goats. 2 because they go crazy alone. Why? Cheaper housing, cheaper transport, cheaper feed, and mostly cause a cow can HURT YOU BAD. Gene Lodgson and The Mother Earth News forget to tell you that cows can kill people. Start slow and you'll pick up everything you need to now with a goat. Also, when it comes to a cow, they are very expensive. You'll shy away at spending $2000.00 for a tractor, but a good cow is going for $1500.00 in my area now. A $100.00 goat that dies from infection or chokes or that the dogs get is a much smaller problem than a $1000.00 to $2000.00 cow. Much easier to bury too. Cows are easier to fence, thank God for electric, but a goat can be fenced with 6 strands of electric. Get the biggest and most expensive fence charger at TSC and a bunch of high tensile 12 gauge wire and you'll be on the right path for most livestock fencing. As far as cropping your land or buying pasture seed- don't. Get a soil test, if you can make a deal with a nieghboring farmer to spread as many loads of manure on it as you can afford and then see what grows for 2-3 years. Talk to that farmer about how to improve he land on a low budget. He'll probably have some ideas. Shop around and find the best feed prices you can locally and buy your grain. You can't, regardless of what the books and magazines say, grow a grain crop on 5 acres that will pay you to harvest by hand. Instead, concentrate on growing GOOD hay. Not that firewood you see a lot of guys selling, but good hay. 5 acres of good hay, properly stored, should produce enough hay to feed a limited number of animals. You'll have to see how much you get, but better you get less good hay than more poor hay. You may have to buy both your hay and grain so don't be suprised by that. You can't take care of livestock and live 90 miles away, so forget that now! It will not work, no way. I'd concentrate on fencing and maybe a garden at first. Get rid of any garbage and learn th land before you start putting money into it. Far as tractors- look for a mid 60's major brand tractor with a loader, power steering, live PTO, live hydraulics and maybe a bush hog and a post driver. Plows and such come later. Gas or diesel, doesn't matter on 10 acres. Do you have a place to store it under lock and key? Living 90 miles away you may get to the plae and find someone else needed your tractor more than you did. Good luck and try to have fun.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: Farmer wannabe confused on pasture and tractor hp. clem 07:04:33 08/01/02 (1)
  • Re: Re: Re: Farmer wannabe confused on pasture and tractor hp. Bret 06:14:19 08/05/02 (0)

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