Bruce's Journal

[Bruce]

Well then these fish have a problem because there is no water flowing through the pond. The fish that were there before it dried last summer managed to live with a lot less water than what is in the pond now.

 

[Bruce]

Last night Angel decided to take the girls into the 4' long covered community nest box (her favored nest for laying). It is nearly as big as the brooding area but no food or water. She likely moved them due in part to the fact that since she can't get out the little opening into the coop, she was tired of being the only chicken in the brooder area in the morning. Zorra did the same thing when the 2015s were a few weeks old. Except she took them to her favorite nest which is about 14" square. Not a lot of room for a big hen and growing kids.

I'm thinking one of the Columbian Wyandottes is a little roo. Nearly 4 weeks old, all the others have substantial tails, all wing feathers and feathers on their backs, still fuzz on their heads. This one has a stubbly little bit of tail, shoulder feathers not in yet and not a single feather on its back, all fuzz. So while I was expecting 7 new layers, with the Barnevelder kicking off (for whatever reason) and in all likelihood one of the others being a roo, I'm down to 5 new future layers.

 

[Bruce]

I talked to Al about hay for the winter earlier this week. Told him I prefer 30 small squares but if he's only doing rounds, that will be OK. He is nearing 70 after all and picking up bales is work, pickup up rounds is not. Of course he's still stronger than I am. He said he had about that much ready to cut in one of the fields and was planning to do it this weekend.

He called about 7:30 tonight, said he cut and baled today since it is supposed to rain this weekend and it's on the trailer. Of course it was a "comfy" 85°and humid today! (*). Well I know Al and I know "it's on the trailer" means "I want to bring it over now". He did the same thing with cordwood. OK then, into overdrive we go. Had to move what is left of the last round bale and get the remaining 4 squares from 2017 out of the alpacas' stall to have room on the pallets for the 34 bales. That is what he made and that is what he delivered, only charged for 30 at $3.75 each. 1st cut.

* Y'all can have that back by the way.

 

[Baymule]

Delivered hay at $3.75? The cheapest I ever found was $4 in the field and it was just so-so hay.

 

[Mike CHS]

I can get square bales from Jay's Grandpa for $2 but the sheep won't eat it so it's not a good deal. We bought 8 large round bales for $30 a bale and he is storing them for us under cover till I come pick start needing them.

 

[Bruce]

How is the hay in the round bales different from that in the squares Mike? I don't care as much for the rounds since I have to strip it out handful by handful because if I put in a "sheet" of hay in the wall feeders, the whole thing gets pulled out and most of it dropped on the floor.

Al only lives 1/2 mile up the road. Once the hay is on the trailer in the field, he wants it gone. Definitely doesn't want to unload it into his barn for later pickup. The people that live across the road have 3 horses, 2 alpacas. They take their pickup out to the field and collect their hay. I think they get something like 250 bales a year. I don't know if Al charges them less per bale but I assume so since he doesn't have to touch them.

 

[greybeard]

I've bought small square hay for $3 in the field, fertilized bahia/coastal mix. The same hay stored in their barn would have been nearly $7/ea.
Seems like a lifetime ago now but was only 10 years back.
Same bales now are around $12/bale from the barn..$14-15 at the nearest feedstore out of an 18 wheeler box truck.

I'm paying locally, about $85/ton for 10+% protein grass hay this year which is less than the average. If the rain doesn't stop, these prices will all seem like a bargain the closer to the end of hay season we get.

I don't buy any alfalfa but here's the current graphic for that:

 

[Mike CHS]

How is the hay in the round bales different from that in the squares

The round bales are from a different farm. Our sheep won't eat the round bales from Jay's place either.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Bruce, can you put a aerator in your pond ?

 

[Bruce]

I don't know. What would keep it from sucking up muck? And how many does one need for a pond that size? It isn't a little 100 sq ft Koi pond.