New Property......Maybe

[NSBound]

On my ten+ acres of rural property I have about 1.5 acres clear including where the house and garage sit then about 5 acres of light brush which is a great visual barrier and maybe 3.5 acres of field that a local cattle farmer cuts & bales for the hay.He keeps the hay & my 3.5 acres look great. No money changes hands & we're both happy.

 

[Coyote]

Ditto below, this was a bad year for hay in NC and other places due to drought. Local dairy farms will be glad to lease your field for hay production.

Hay field. Do you have any locals who could cut and bale it for you? Don't know how cost effective it would be, but I know around where I live hobby farmers are always looking for square bales. Don't see too many of them around anymore.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Around here, hay was bad, mortgage crisis worse. Transplants are leaving their monster houses and 'livestock' behind to starve if they were not already. Hundreds of horses in need of rescue since cannot even send them to france any more.

Find an outlet company for Astroturf.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Around here, hay was bad, mortgage crisis worse. Transplants are leaving their monster houses and 'livestock' behind to starve if they were not already. Hundreds of horses in need of rescue since cannot even send them to france any more.

Find an outlet company for Astroturf.

This was in my Hay and Forage e-mail that came in yesterday.

More Horses Being Abandoned

Feb 5, 2008 2:27 PM

A press release from the Unwanted Horse Coalition says economic factors, including high hay costs, are among the reasons cited in news reports for a growing number of unwanted and abandoned horses in the U.S. Over the last month, articles in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times have reported on an apparent increase in the numbers of unwanted horses. A recent headline in The Wall Street Journal read,"Leaner Pastures: As Horses Multiply, Neglect Cases Rise."

Regional newspapers and television stations have also reported that state agencies and horse rescue groups are seeing a growing number of horses that can no longer be cared for by owners. Some of the reports suggest that rescue groups are about to be overwhelmed and may have to start turning horses away. The articles blame the problem on factors such as sharply rising hay costs, the drought in many parts of the U.S., over-breeding, the downturn in the economy, the costs of euthanasia and carcass disposal and the closing of the nation's three slaughter facilities, which removed the floor on the value of horses.

The Unwanted Horse Coalition, which operates under the auspices of the American Horse Council, includes over 20 national organizations. It was created to educate horse owners and potential horse owners about what it means to "own responsibly." Learn more about the coalition at Unwanted Horse Coalition, or call the American Horse Council at 202-296-4031.

I do know a lot of my customers are trying to sell their horses but the market has been flooded so if you are interested in buying a horse now is the time.

 

[davitk]

I do know a lot of my customers are trying to sell their horses but the market has been flooded so if you are interested in buying a horse now is the time.

He made so many; God must love stupid people

My Sicilian FIL serves mortadella, calls it "horse meat". Sure is good!

 

[4720 OWNER]

Darn, and i just put in a mutt cow to fill the freezer. Maybe next time.

 

[ericstac]

For the longest time we had our neighbor run his cattle on our 6 acres. he cleared the brush on the property, ran some electric fence and let them cows go to town on the grass. He only did this during the day and brought them home before dark. We charged him a buck a year.

 

[4720 OWNER]

He probably should have charged you for fertilizer application, if he had the appropriate licenses and permits. Have heard (or was it herd) can feed them clover seed in the feed and they will plant it for you as well.

 

[Nissan197]

So much more quiet on my acreage than living in the city and having a neighbor 30 feet away. I do not miss the city at all. When the wife does all she has to drive is 10 miles and everything she needs is there. I will mow grass using my tractor any day than living in the city and push mowing every week. It is so relaxing working so hard on the tractor.......

 

[davitk]

I know I am going against the grain here, but when we bought our place a neighbor was harvesting the hay field, agreement with PO was he took the hay in exchange for straw for the chickens. Well, he came in and asked for the hay the week we moved in, I said sure, he never said thanks, came only on evenings and weekends (when we were trying to enjoy the place), never offered anything in return. Next year he asked again. No way.

It is now planted with trees and with any cooperation from the DNR and the weather we will have a pond right smack dab in the middle, dug with the new Kubota (may take awhile )

 

[4720 OWNER]

The joys of trying to fit into a new established neighborhood where only the people who have streets named after them are established.

 

[firefighter9208]

Hmm,

Goats!!! cheap, small, will eat everything!!! Including weeds, leaves and stuff that cows and horses will starve standing in.

Give them a little water and let them go. A few folks have them up at the weekend place, just tie them to a tree for a few days, them move them. they are not that big either.

Please never tie a goat to a tree. It's crual. Goats are browsers and need to move around. Also makes for a free lunch for all the neighborhood dogs. I have refused to sell goats to "week-enders" that wanted to dump them at their "getaway" and go back every few weeks to check on them.

Chris

 

[jimg]

I live in suburbia. I have a farm about 80 miles away which is my getaway. I have tired of the 1/3 acre lot and neighbors too close. I have found a six acre lot outside town that I am considering buying and building a new house. However, I don't want to mow six acres. I travel quite a bit in my work and don't want to spend the weekends mowing in the summer. Weekends are for the farm.

So here's a thought I have. I could fence off about an acre for the house and put animals on the balance for grass control. A few cows that might even throw off a little income. Board someone elses horses, again maybe some income. Or possibly a few horses of my own, more for asthetics than anything eles. Does any of this make sense or am I just asking for a lot of trouble? Jump in and give your opinions. I know many of you have been there, done that.

I think the idea of grazing cattle/sheep could work. Id make sure though to get a signed DETAILED agreement. I have a small pasture that I let my neighbor use gratis. He doesnt abuse it and I dont have to keep it mowed. Works well for us both. Last time he turned his cattle out on it he even asked beforehand (a story in itself). Dont think boarding would do well b/c youll need a barn etc. Ive not had any direct experience w/ horse boarders but my daughter used to manage a boarding barn and it made her crazy most of the time. It sounds like you dont have the extra time or desire to manage the problems of boarding. If you decide to rent your land consider what it might look like after a year of severe drought (like last year) esp if animals are grazing on it. Most of the pastures over here in the valley were in terrible shape and some were mostly dirt. Id make sure the rental contract discussed such things.

 

[riptides]

You give a goat free roaming and it eventually ends up where you don't want it.

Your going to have to be very creative in fencing too.

-Mike Z.