Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[Jeanne Sheridan]

The 2 tons would be pretty bad on its own but our vet want alfalfa to just be part of the diet so we would still need the grass hay

 

[Bruce]

If we keep the goats and two llamas in the barn pasture they eat about a bale of hay a day. We are having to keep them close because they found a stretch of barbed wire fence they could get through by pushing their way through a blackberry bramble. It was 6’ deep on our side of the fence at the spot where they ate a hole to the fence line and about twice that on the neighbors side. It made a pretty funny looking goat sized tunnel.

Nice of them to start cleaning up those blackberries for you! When you get the fence fixed, they can finish the job on your side. If the neighbor wants theirs cleaned out as well, they can rent your goats.

My understanding with regard to alpacas, which I ASSUME would also apply to llamas since they are kissin' cousins, is that they shouldn't get high protein feed, second cut orchard grass is better. I know squat about goats.

I found this, it suggests anything between 100% orchard grass to a 70% orchard, 30% alfalfa mix is good for camelids. Probably easier to feed if your field is a proper mix . Not sure how you achieve it with a bale of orchard and a bale of alfalfa. Likely the more dominant animals will take what they want. Though the animals might self regulate. My boys eat some hay all summer long even though there is way more grass (type unknown) in their 1 acre enclosure than they can eat. I figured "fresh greens" would always be preferred but they have other ideas.
http://www.c-r-alpacas.com/Alpaca Tips/types_of_hay.htm

 

[babsbag]

My goats are on 100% alfalfa. No alfalfa=no milk. I just bought a 1400lb. bale of 4th cutting alfalfa that was tested with a TDN (total digestible nutrients) of 66% which is about the best you can get. We will see if it ups the milk output, but is sure did lower my bank account.

 

[Latestarter]

Well, it's been a couple of eventful days. The weather got very nice as predicted. Had to actually put on a lined flannel shirt this morning to go milk. Sweet! Highs today were mid 70s. Tomorrow is supposed to be mid 80s then Friday on, back into the 90s. So, I spent 2 days on the mower working the pastures and went out this morning to finish it up. Have maybe an acre and 1/2 in the back left to do. So I got about 1/2 way around the circumference and the mower slowed down to a stop. So I tried to reverse and it started backing up then stopped. Checked the transfer case release and it was all the way in. Checked with blades on and off. No matter what I tried, no go. I broke my lawn tractor... again...

So I got the truck and chained to the front bumper and dragged it up to where my utility trailer is. Hooked up the trailer and moved it into position then pushed the tractor onto the trailer, tied it down and got ready to bring it back to Lowes. They would come pick it up, but that would add another week to the repair time. The repair facility picks up from Lowes tomorrow (Thursdays), so hopefully I can have it back in 2 weeks or less. I may just call the repair place (same place I used last time) and see if I can pick it up there directly when it's done/ready. Though it's under warranty, they only authorized $300 for the repair... I was told if it's more than that I have to cover it. I was like, OK, so what kind of warranty is that, if I have to pay? It better not come to more than $300. I paid extra $$ for the extended warranty because I knew this piece of equipment was NOT going to live a golf course life...

So before loading the tractor, I noticed one trailer tire was low so checked and filled both. My cheap a$$ inflation tool with pressure gauge from Harbor Freight isn't working on any tires now... It blows air outside the stem vice inside. So I have to return that and get an actual pressure gauge. I bought a basic tire inflation chuck and it works fine. The trailer wasn't riding real smooth at low speed but steadied out at highway speed. So when I got to Lowes, I walked in and when I came back out with the service guy so he could get the serial #, I notice one trailer wheel is almost flat, tread shredded and riding on a low inflated inner liner/tube. Great... here's another unneeded expense... As it turns out, I had noticed several tire places en route so figured I'd limp back to one and get 2 new trailer tires. $125.00 later, the trailer now has new sneakers. I suppose I shouldn't complain as they were the original tires from like 2003 And the trailer spent most of its life sitting parked with nothing in it... much like most trailers. Kinda surprised there wasn't dry rot... or maybe there was and that's what caused the tire failure... I've never had a tire come completely apart like this one did. I mean serious chunks of tread were simply gone. Happily, the inner liner/tube held out long enough for me to get to the tire place without popping and making me drive it on the rim. Hopefully these tires last as long as the original set.

So, now I have to wait and see how long it takes before I can mow again. I'm also lucky that the portion left to be done is the one that's the slowest growing, as it has the most trees. I was told anywhere from 2 weeks to 4-6 weeks... When I heard that I said OH no! 6 weeks will absolutely not cut it. If I don't have it back in 2 weeks, I'm gonna be screaming bloody murder at Lowes seeking a loaner mower <sigh> It only has like 130 hours on it. The mowed portion of the pastures looks awesome

 

[Mike CHS]

We put out some of that gnat catcher mix this afternoon when a bunch of gnats came in from somewhere and they were all gone in short order.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Sure sorry to hear that Joe....ya seem to have way more than ypur share of tires issues....tho, those '03 tires were old enough to fall apart, whether used much or not. My Dad has bike tubes still "Brand New" in the box...no barcodes...but, since they have never been used he thinks they are still Good. Sure glad ya got as much cut as ya did....hope it is something simple to fix and will be back to ya quickly. You'll have to make sure ya get some use out of those new tires before 2031...

 

[Bruce]

Oh man, sorry about the mower! I'm knocking on wood I don't have similar issues. I think we both use them a bit "off label". We should be out there with a real tractor and a brush hog or flail mower.

I don't trust the gauge on my smaller plugin inflator but my FIL gave me a nifty "gauge with a hose and air relief valve" thing years ago. It is great, over inflate a bit then release the excess. I had to replace the hose this year, it was all cracked and started to leak air.

Very similar to this but my gauge goes to over 100 PSI:
https://www.amazon.com/QuickCar-Racing-Products-56-041-Pressure/dp/B003TQ4ADU

This one would be useful as well since it connects to a "real" compressor so you can fill, read and bleed:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073QJ82D4?psc=1

 

[CntryBoy777]

Oh, don't forget to grease the bearings on the trlr.

 

[greybeard]

Got a link to the make and model mower you have LS?
(I wanna make sure I never buy one like it)

 

[Latestarter]

It's a troybilt 50" riding mower. http://www.troybilt.com/equipment/troybilt/super-bronco-50-xp-lawn-tractor

Pretty much all the name brands use the same parts, engines, components, so you pretty much throw the dice with whatever you buy. Like Bruce said, even though mine is supposed to be for rough terrain and large area mowing, what I'm doing would be much better serviced by a real tractor with a bush hog. Some day... can't afford the loan right now.

as for the tire gauge...

<---this is the ($9) cheap a$$ gauge I bought that doesn't work. It's the service end that doesn't work (bayonet air faucet)... the clip on function works but I can't get a seal on the valve so the air just pours out around it and doesn't get into the tire. I'm going to bring it back and try to return it with no receipt. I plan to replace it with something like:

<---this ($4). Since I have the basic chuck that works, all I really need now is a gauge to read pressure to make sure pressure is correct.

Down to 55 degrees right now. Many windows open. I'll close them up in the morning before it get's too warm to keep the cool in. Just finished with the jacuzzi. Love the fall! Cooler weather is only temporary right now. Got a little more 90s to go before it sets in for real.