Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[CntryBoy777]

I'd be glad to send some to ya @goatgurl it is as wet as a wedge of cornbread in a bowl of soup over here....and the mole/vole/chipmunk runs are above ankle high when ya step in them and then that clay wants to hold your boot for ya...it'll pull'em clean off the feet if ya ain't careful....

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I guess not being able to work has some advantages

I’m stuck in the recliner most of the time. Rest, ice, heat, repeat. 10# weight limit. Over it! I don’t sit still!

 

[Bruce]

I’m stuck in the recliner most of the time. Rest, ice, heat, repeat. 10# weight limit. Over it! I don’t sit still!

Yeah that is hard on people who don't want to sit in front of soap operas all day long. How much longer are you restricted??

 

[junkman]

congratulations on you new herd,

 

[Latestarter]

So the last time I bought hay was a month ago today. I bought 12 bales. I had one unopened bale left so went and bought 10 bales today and opened the old one for the girls (and boys) when I got back and stacked it. You'd think I've been starving them the way they tore into it... Butting each other and fighting for position. It gets real bad when the fat one, April, decides she wants to stand sideways under the feeder to eat. Doing so, she takes up 3/4 of the feeder length and blocks everyone from access. Figured I'd better refill today before the wet weather starts. Supposed to get wet tonight and run through till Monday. got a few light sprinkles on the way there. 1 bale would not have been enough to cover till then and I didn't want to transport hay in the rain, get it all wet, then stack it. Problem avoided.

 

[Baymule]

Perhaps you can buy hay in the field next season and save some money. What are you paying a bale now? That's supposing you have the room to stack it in for winter. It always feels good to have hay put up for the winter. We buy a year's supply of round bales, our hay guy keeps it in his barn, then brings us one at a time.

 

[Latestarter]

Everyone around here leaves the bales in the fields. I haven't seen anyone nearby that stores hay inside. I have nowhere to store round bales or large square bales inside. I have to tarp them outside on pallets. I've checked Craig's List as well... It's how I found my present hay guy down in Gilmore. He imports small squares of alfalfa and that's the only thing so far that my girls will really eat. I've tried 2 other types including coastal and tifton and they just pick and pull it out onto the ground and defecate on it Another month and my hay usage should drop as they'll be able to browse in the expanded pasture.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I offer hay in two feeders that are spaced diagonally across from each other inside. This allows everyone a chance to eat without anyone dominating a single hay feeder and I only have four adult Does right now. Just something I thought you might want to try...or keep in mind for the future...

 

[Baymule]

Man, you got some picky goats! My sheep are delighted with grass hay. They get a large coffee can of feed, between 8 sheep and 6 lambs that are now crowding in for their share, simply because if I holler SHEEP! SHEEP! SHEEP!-they run to me.

Maybe you could get one of those Harbor Freight tarped garages like @Devonviolet has for storing your hay.

 

[Bruce]

April, decides she wants to stand sideways under the feeder to eat. Doing so, she takes up 3/4 of the feeder length and blocks everyone from access.

The people that gave us the alpacas had 3 goats. No idea what breeds 2 smaller females, one larger male. When we were watching them for 2 weeks and it was "treat time", the male would do the same thing in front of the trough. The girls couldn't get near it unless we went in and leaned on him up against the wall so he only had access to one corner.

I was also going to suggest a second feeder.