The hay has been made

[Michael W. Smith]

We rent our farmland out to the local dairy farmer who plants soybeans, corn, and makes hay.

We've always been paid rent for the use of the land, but since I've got into goats, the "rent" has gone up a little bit for the farmer that he also provides hay for me. (What a deal - free hay - I'm so lucky!)

The hay just got made yesterday, and I got a big wagonload of hay! So far I got 81 bales in the hayloft. We unloaded the wagon so the farmer could make more hay for himself, and I'm guessing there is at least another 81 bales that have to be put up in the hayloft.

I'm just glad to be getting the hayloft filled so I have lots of hay this winter for my goats!

[goatsareus]

congratulations!

the question at our place is always, will the goats eat it? Right now I am feeding some of this years first cutting and they are boycotting it. We recently got 2 inches of rain, which has raised the prospects of getting a second cutting. Very dry here.

[Ken in Maine]

2 loads of 81 bales each... how long will that last you?

We use a little over 2000 bales a year and have to purchase all of it.

[mtnmenagerie]

Originally Posted by Ken in Maine

2 loads of 81 bales each... how long will that last you?

We use a little over 2000 bales a year and have to purchase all of it.

wow... how many goats do you feed!?

[Michael W. Smith]

Currently I'm feeding 13 goats. The approximately 162 bales should last me through the winter. It will be nice to have a full hayloft.

Last year when the farmer made hay, I was busy the day he made it, and it was to rain that night. I knew I would never get the wagon load into the building that night, so I told him to take him home and he could use it, and I would get a load the next time they made hay.

Well, the next time they made hay, they made the large round bales, so they brought hay over to me by pickup truck load thorugh the winter. I ran short several times - as to get the pickup to the shed where the hay was stored, you kind of had to time it - too much snow on the ground and he couldn't get there. If it had warmed up and we had wet weather he could get stuck. I hated trying to get it timed right - plus whenever the farmer actually had time to get the hay over.

At least this way, I will have hay all winter long so won't have to depend on when and if the farmer can get it there. (I don't own a pickup truck, so couldn't go and get it myself.)

I'm just glad that the hay I use is part of the rent the farmer pays. It sure makes the feed cheap for the goats!

[Ken in Maine]

Anywhere from 75 to 150 but here in Maine we feed hay just about everyday 365 days a year.

Figure the average goat eats about 4 pounds of dry matter a day. One hundred goats equals 400 pounds or about 10, 40 pound bales per day times 365 days... that's 3600 or so bales a year.