2021, Waiting on lambs!

[Mini Horses]

Question....the small baler, is it a tractor attachment? Only small I've seen was a walk behind and big bucks.

My kidding season began today

 

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Question....the small baler, is it a tractor attachment? Only small I've seen was a walk behind and big bucks.

My kidding season began today

Congratulations!


They're all attachments for my yanmar tractor.
Mini balers are originally for pine needles!

Yanmar YMRB32 Mini Round Baler – Rovendale Ag & Barn

But I'm thinking that I need to convince my husband to NOT buy haying equipment & instead, let me spend 1-1.5k or so on hay every year...

 

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Tell me your thoughts, Forum peeps!

Is buying equipment a good or bad money decision?

I'm feeling like we keep making stupid choices with big purchases...



Kinda thinking that buying hay making equipment isn't smart. Especially without flat ground to not roll equipment by accident...

If I buy 17 round bales at $60 each, it's $1,020.

I bought 10 rounds at $55 each, it was $550 this year & I have 2 left for the sheep.

IDK how many bales the ponies would go through in April through November while on the track.
But it would probably be less than 1k a year on hay for both?

It would take 25 years to spend 25k on their hay at 1k a year, same amount the new equipment would cost. Not including fertilizers, strings, replacement/fixing parts & such.
Selling lambs usually pays for most hay & pellets each year.

 

[Mini Horses]

That's what stopped me -- equipment cost vs buying hay. Walk behind was $8k, lot o hay buying there! Then upkeep for me isn't as easy with no guys around. And that stuff breaks, expensive to fix. I buy hay. PLUS good hay isn't just cutting grass! Takes care and input. Personally, I wasn't feeling good about the work and care it needed.

 

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I think I was able to convince him to NOT get the equipment.

He said his mother would flat out pay for it, but that's still not the whole problem. If our land was much more flat, I'd be very willing, but I still have not bushhogged more than 1/3rd, if not less, of the property will the tractor! The hills are so scary! The hidden rocks that could break my equipment on the first time using then and the holes it could get stuck in and the springs I could accidentally sink into and get stuck...

 

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Saola might be first to lamb!

 

[SA Farm]

 

[Mini Horses]

Saola might be first to lamb!

Questionable, now that you said it!

 

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Patchie may also be close.
Jello coochies is the biggest difference/change.
Saola also has some discharge.
I need Periwinkle to eat more, but she doesn't want to split from the others just for that.

I filled a horse feed bag and chased Kibito around. Put it inside of a bucket and she instantly put her head in! So, I'll be feeding her extra that way. I don't remember if I have more big feed bags or not, but if I find them, I'll try to use them on Periwinkle and anyone else needing extra food. They can run around away from the others, but never actually be pushed off food. Best thing ever.

 

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I found this lambing calculator that has different dates than the one I usually use...
Makes sense that the first week being lamb-free guess was right.
Now on week two, day one, no lambs, but they're definitely getting closer.