Wich thread brother ?
And for our weather we deff have had it awfully easy I don’t even think the grass is dead yet lol …
We have had alot of rain compared to snow this "WInter"so idk r we using all our rain instead of snow Will it be a drought this year ?
Everytime we got rain this summer/fall it came down it sheets and the ground could barley absorb it all before it ran off somewhere collecting in puddles
…we never really had a good steady rain … rain for days was what we needed but never received it …
As for wet it was not particularly wet this year tbh it was pretty dry…soil wise…alot of people complaining that their wells have gone dry …ponds r really low everywhere in the surrounding area t…as of right now our soil is looking to be …wet…
The crippy thread when we talked about August early September harvest.
Last summer was really hot and dry with a cold wetter than normal September.
The year before was a really wet summers. It literally washed the crop out.
Hoping for a third cutting of hay But never got the rain to ignite the growth spurt…also second cutting got pissed on 3 hrs after it was cut …dry the next morning …even the cut grass was soaking up the water
Honestly I should keep notes and see how each summer corresponds with each other or if there is a pattern but unfortunately no time for that …
Usually I just go with what is given in that particular year …I know the mold is on its way …when we never know …when you see early morning fog you should start to worry more about that then the rain !!
Just rambling lol
I’m dang sure not putting a like on that. I only lost a little when the tarp blew off the stock trailer this year (so far) so I’m doing well. Plus we cut back last fall. It was too much for me and the wife to do alone. lol
It’s that way for near every family I guess. lol
Luckily first year on property a menadite fella seen us in the garden stopped over …we worked put a deal for him to cut my 14 acres …let’s just say I’m not paying for hay and the goats r eating good
We need to find a market with animals meat goats ,…believe it or not 6 bucks some folks r willing to pay for a pigeon
Yeah it makes a huge difference. Shoot, I got enough out there still yet that if I turned my goats out for the last two hour of the day, I wouldn’t have to give them any roughage. There’s still patches of green out there too.
Every homesteader should have a small herd. I’m going to buy some straight Kiko as soon as I can come up with the bucks. I sold out a while back and this time I’m going pure bred so I can sell off what I don’t want to butcher at a much better rate. Personally I think our old crosses were outstanding but I understand folks wanting pure bred stock. You’re pretty sure what your getting.
I’m approaching three decades of life …
Last year was the first year of the homestead lifestyle…alot of it is posted in my thread…I love the style I really do …I just have to figure out a way to get out of construction and take it “easier” on my body
We r on the edge about getting a beef cow and let it roam with the goats till its time comes …pretty hesitant about it still …that’s a big animal.
Do you do any rotational grazing with the goats? You can run multi species in the same area. I think Gregg Judy has some videos about it. I’m sure you have enough for one cattle, but if you’re unsure, check stocking rates in your area. And if you want beef, I’d recommend buying a weaned steer. Raise it for a year or so and send it off to freezer camp.
No kids yet ! The goats r able to fend for themselves I’m just talking about the size in general…the pasture has a shelter so It shouldn’t be to bad …I just haveto do some fence post durability test before hand …no idea on feed or anything for then
Yes sir we have two pastures for them as of now and deff can make a few more to Include the cow …moved in electric fence was already up mise well utilize it …I will have to check in and see what Gregg Judy is up to …
So you fellas say weaned steerer beef …any more reasoning
That is what most do unless they’re breeding cattle. Most of the time it’ll be a steer because it gives more meat per animal because steers grow larger and faster than a cow.
If you can, my suggestion is to have 4 paddocks. Rotate once a week. That gives each one 21 days of rest, which happens to be the lifecycle limit of goat parasites outside the host. In other words, by the time the goats get back to that area, the parasites have all (mostly) died. It also gives the grass a good recovery period.
I haven’t raised goats for years, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I had a small home dairy in the South where parasites are bad. It would probably surprise you how much copper is actually good for goats. It would kill most other animals.
ETA: Sometimes local dairies will breed their dairy cows to an angus or other beef breed. They don’t want the calf, but they need to freshen the cow to keep her in milk. You can often get those calves for really cheap. Problem there is you have to bottle feed, which is a risky proposition for a calf.
A lot use Angus around here for that. A lot of them are short coupled and throw smaller babies than a lot of Dairy bulls would. It’s easier on the cow and they stay productive longer that way.
