Goat people understand

IndyGardenGal · #1 09/28/13, 11:31 AM

Some people just look at me like this

when I excitedly tell them that we are planting our own alfalfa hay field next spring. How is having your own source of hay that you can micromanage not exciting?

Clovers_Clan · #2 09/28/13, 11:56 AM

Oh, if it grew here I would plant it in a heartbeat! Let me share your excitement vicariously!

Rose1317 · #3 09/28/13, 12:30 PM

Hey, (no pun intended) that is great! Just think, you'll be feeding your herd the best there is, no middleman

mammabooh · #4 09/28/13, 01:31 PM

Woohoo!!!

trnubian · #5 09/28/13, 02:03 PM

Congrats that is cool. We did that for a couple years then decided it was easier to buy it. We did not have a tractor rake or baler so had to depend on others as to when it was cut and baled. That and the weather and getting rid of the first cutting cause the goats waste Sooo much of it. Then hoping we will get a decent second and third cutting. Not worth it for us. I hope you have a better experience.

dozedotz · #6 09/28/13, 03:34 PM

It sounds great to me! We definitely could not do it...not a chance. Not only would we have the same concerns and problems as trnubian mentioned, we just happen to live on a pile of rocks called the Ozarks Hills - lots of nice trees, very shallow soil.

IndyGardenGal · #7 09/28/13, 03:38 PM

DH already hays for others, so we have the tractor and equipment. We just have to get a rake, which we're almost ready to buy. We have a hard time getting good alfalfa here, because most of the guys that were growing it plowed it under and went to corn and beans (hay is more work). We shouldn't have any issues getting rid of any, although, we'll probably keep the alfalfa in the barn, depending on how many bales we get every year. We're only doing 4 acres on our property, because that should be more than enough for us.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trnubian

Congrats that is cool. We did that for a couple years then decided it was easier to buy it. We did not have a tractor rake or baler so had to depend on others as to when it was cut and baled. That and the weather and getting rid of the first cutting cause the goats waste Sooo much of it. Then hoping we will get a decent second and third cutting. Not worth it for us. I hope you have a better experience.

Cannon_Farms · #8 09/28/13, 04:03 PM

clover, there is now a varriety that can grow in our southern climate, as matter of fact I get hay from a guy near Elberton who grows it.
its called bulldog something or another its $900 per 100lbs of seed and the conditioner to keep it from fermenting cost $200 per 50 gallons so it CAN be done but I think I will be sticking to my pellets till I win the lottery that we dont play.

Clovers_Clan · #9 09/28/13, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cannon_Farms

clover, there is now a varriety that can grow in our southern climate, as matter of fact I get hay from a guy near Elberton who grows it.
its called bulldog something or another its $900 per 100lbs of seed and the conditioner to keep it from fermenting cost $200 per 50 gallons so it CAN be done but I think I will be sticking to my pellets till I win the lottery that we dont play.

Guess I could afford about 5 lbs. of that seed. Wonder how much area that would cover? The other big question is that it probably requires irrigation.

Cannon_Farms · #10 09/28/13, 06:40 PM

No, I didnt see any thing special for it, its just the way it has to be fluffed and put the anti molding stuff on it, with our humidity it will never dry enough without it.

Clovers_Clan · #11 09/28/13, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cannon_Farms

No, I didnt see any thing special for it, its just the way it has to be fluffed and put the anti molding stuff on it, with our humidity it will never dry enough without it.

I was just thinking growing it as forage. Knowing how much goats love it, it would probably die off getting over-grazed.

Backfourty,MI. · #12 09/28/13, 08:58 PM

I think that's exciting your going to have your own alfalfa hay fields too! We have have fields too but ours is alfalfa/grass mix but a little heavier on the alfalfa than I'd like so next time we have to re-do our fields more grass I think & a little less alfalfa.

Clovers Clan, here alfalfa hay fields do better than grass hay fields during drought or dry spells because the roots go so deep. The alfalfa in our fields always looks nice & green while the grass is dying off during the drou/dry hot spells.

trnubian · #13 09/29/13, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndyGardenGal

DH already hays for others, so we have the tractor and equipment. We just have to get a rake, which we're almost ready to buy. We have a hard time getting good alfalfa here, because most of the guys that were growing it plowed it under and went to corn and beans (hay is more work). We shouldn't have any issues getting rid of any, although, we'll probably keep the alfalfa in the barn, depending on how many bales we get every year. We're only doing 4 acres on our property, because that should be more than enough for us.

Sounds like you have it made!