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cheapen in feed
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<blockquote data-quote="Alberta farmer" data-source="post: 605696" data-attributes="member: 8978"><p>Kenny: It is very difficult to make a profit when you have to feed hay for 140 days. In fact if you don't own the land it is pretty hard to survive! Some guys get their feeding days down by swath grazing(in fact some are approaching zero days of actual feeding), however I figure if you can grow a crop on land you probably can make more money cropping it than have cows eat it? I think the economics of growing a crop to swath graze are a little shaky...I might be wrong as lots seem to do it around here. I also am not all that keen on freezing my butt off moving little electric fences when the wind is howling and it is 40 below! Much nicer sitting in a nice comfy tractor?</p><p>In reality the only people raising cattle in my area are old timers who have everything paid for, or boys who work the oil patch and need a tax write off.</p><p>Last year I bought round bales of timothy(1150 lb. actual weight) for $25. Rained on once. The guy grows timothy for the export market and once it gets rained on it is no good for that market. It cost $2.75/bale to get it hauled 4 miles. So 27.75/bale or $.024/lb. I took all he had so had some left over. It tested 8.8% protein.</p><p>This year I bought 1300 lb. bales for $35 bale. Alfalpha/Timothy mix, no rain, put up in early July. Still awaiting the feed test but suspect close to 12% protein. Works out to $.027/lb. Right across the road from me so will haul it myself, but of course that will have a small cost...especially if I don't pay myself any labor costs!</p><p>Luckily I have about four or five neighbors close who grow hay for export or the horsey crowd and they always have some hay that doesn't fit the grade, so I have a cheap source? They seem to like to sell to me because I actually pay them right away and don't try to beat them down in price...I either say yes or no!</p><p>My old Dad came back from the war, 21 years old, with half of one foot gone and a bunch of medals. He bought his farm and had a good life despite his disability. Raised six kids and expanded to where he wanted to be. Loved farming right up until he died.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Alberta farmer, post: 605696, member: 8978"] Kenny: It is very difficult to make a profit when you have to feed hay for 140 days. In fact if you don't own the land it is pretty hard to survive! Some guys get their feeding days down by swath grazing(in fact some are approaching zero days of actual feeding), however I figure if you can grow a crop on land you probably can make more money cropping it than have cows eat it? I think the economics of growing a crop to swath graze are a little shaky...I might be wrong as lots seem to do it around here. I also am not all that keen on freezing my butt off moving little electric fences when the wind is howling and it is 40 below! Much nicer sitting in a nice comfy tractor? In reality the only people raising cattle in my area are old timers who have everything paid for, or boys who work the oil patch and need a tax write off. Last year I bought round bales of timothy(1150 lb. actual weight) for $25. Rained on once. The guy grows timothy for the export market and once it gets rained on it is no good for that market. It cost $2.75/bale to get it hauled 4 miles. So 27.75/bale or $.024/lb. I took all he had so had some left over. It tested 8.8% protein. This year I bought 1300 lb. bales for $35 bale. Alfalpha/Timothy mix, no rain, put up in early July. Still awaiting the feed test but suspect close to 12% protein. Works out to $.027/lb. Right across the road from me so will haul it myself, but of course that will have a small cost...especially if I don't pay myself any labor costs! Luckily I have about four or five neighbors close who grow hay for export or the horsey crowd and they always have some hay that doesn't fit the grade, so I have a cheap source? They seem to like to sell to me because I actually pay them right away and don't try to beat them down in price...I either say yes or no! My old Dad came back from the war, 21 years old, with half of one foot gone and a bunch of medals. He bought his farm and had a good life despite his disability. Raised six kids and expanded to where he wanted to be. Loved farming right up until he died. [/QUOTE]
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