I am happy

[chippie]

We were able to purchase enough hay to last to next spring before hay prices start sky rocketing.

One less thing to worry about. Thank goodness!

 

[peg4x4]

Yea!! Happy critters..

 

[1982vett]

We were able to purchase enough hay to last to next spring before hay prices start sky rocketing.

One less thing to worry about. Thank goodness!

I guess I finally broke....and have to ask why........ try to feed your way out anymore....

10 day forecast has sunny to partly cloudy for 10 days out....our 10 day "wet" spell that rolls around every 40 days crapped out again..(less I'm wrong)...

I'll say I'm happy too....just watched my cows sell...while the price was about 3-5 cents less than I was hoping for...the oats and rygrass they have been chasing after the past 70 days got them weighing 100-150 pound more than expected....Young pairs with 45 day old calves actually sold pretty good today....got a few of those I'll probably "harvest" next week...

I'm tired of feeding hay (that I should be selling to others for winter feed) threw the dry spells hoping for better weather....

 

[chippie]

We do not have a lot of cattle anymore. 3 Jersey cows (2 fresh), 2 Braunvieh cows, one Beefmaster heifer, one Angus/Braunvieh heifer and an Angus/Braunvieh yearling bull. We have 8 horses. Fortunately, we are not having to feed a lot of hay right now (except the milk cows who get alfalfa), but the way things look weather wise it was smarter for us to buy next winter's hay now while it is available and before the prices go up.

We bought enough where if we do need to feed hay this summer, we have enough to carry us through.

 

[1982vett]

Oh I believe in prepairing early for hay needs....in a way that's what I did today....I've got enough hay in the barn right now to feed about 4 months....for me that is usually mid-Oct to mid March....Oops...that's 5 months. So either I need to bale some (maybe this fall) or sell some more cows....which today averaged 69.88 cents/lb with an average weight of 1370 lbs....exceeded my feared expectation of 65 cents/lb and 1250 average weight....met the hoped for 70 cent/lb and exceeded the 1300 lb average I hopped for....Definitely happier tonight than I was last night.

Shoot, Tomorrow I'll even pay back the money I loaned myself 8 years ago to make all the improvements and upgrades I've done...

And by all means...what is right for me doesn't mean it is right for you...I understand that.

 

[bigbull338]

Oh I believe in prepairing early for hay needs....in a way that's what I did today....I've got enough hay in the barn right now to feed about 4 months....for me that is usually mid-Oct to mid March....Oops...that's 5 months. So either I need to bale some (maybe this fall) or sell some more cows....which today averaged 69.88 cents/lb with an average weight of 1370 lbs....exceeded my feared expectation of 65 cents/lb and 1250 average weight....met the hoped for 70 cent/lb and exceeded the 1300 lb average I hopped for....Definitely happier tonight than I was last night.

Shoot, Tomorrow I'll even pay back the money I loaned myself 8 years ago to make all the improvements and upgrades I've done...

And by all means...what is right for me doesn't mean it is right for you...I understand that.

i hate to ask this on some1 elses thread.but how meny of your cows went to the packing house that you sold.an how meny went back to the farm.

 

[1982vett]

ALL of them went to packers...

 

[spinandslide]

That is good news..

my husand took a chance with the fertilizer on our hayfield this cut..last time we fertilized like this..we got 30 bales off of small field..I am hoping for that again..but you can bet Ill be hunting hay to purchase as well..having to hay my cows and sheep this spring took my cushion outta my stockpile..ugh..

Have 2 of the hayburners up for sale (horses) and am taking an older broodmare to be put down within the month..should help my hay usage there

 

[Victoria]

One of the best feelings is knowing you have enough hay for your animals. Glad you found enough.

 

[3waycross]

We do not have a lot of cattle anymore. 3 Jersey cows (2 fresh), 2 Braunvieh cows, one Beefmaster heifer, one Angus/Braunvieh heifer and an Angus/Braunvieh yearling bull. We have 8 horses. Fortunately, we are not having to feed a lot of hay right now (except the milk cows who get alfalfa), but the way things look weather wise it was smarter for us to buy next winter's hay now while it is available and before the prices go up.

We bought enough where if we do need to feed hay this summer, we have enough to carry us through.

Before I ask this question I will freely admit to having no use for hayburners(horses). Long story coming from watching my Dad lose a small fortune running quarter horses in the 60's.

So having said that out of those 8 horses how many do you feel actually earn their keep. I figure you could feed at least 10 pairs for what it costs to feed 8 horses.
Don't think I am critisizing you for keeping horses but, I can never make it pencil out what it costs to feed a horse for what good most folks get out of em.

 

[TexasBred]

ALL of them went to packers...

Apparently takes a pretty fancy young bred cow not to go to the packer nowdays. Seems the auctioneer splits 99% of the pairs as well.

 

[spinandslide]

We do not have a lot of cattle anymore. 3 Jersey cows (2 fresh), 2 Braunvieh cows, one Beefmaster heifer, one Angus/Braunvieh heifer and an Angus/Braunvieh yearling bull. We have 8 horses. Fortunately, we are not having to feed a lot of hay right now (except the milk cows who get alfalfa), but the way things look weather wise it was smarter for us to buy next winter's hay now while it is available and before the prices go up.

We bought enough where if we do need to feed hay this summer, we have enough to carry us through.

Before I ask this question I will freely admit to having no use for hayburners(horses). Long story coming from watching my Dad lose a small fortune running quarter horses in the 60's.

So having said that out of those 8 horses how many do you feel actually earn their keep. I figure you could feed at least 10 pairs for what it costs to feed 8 horses.
Don't think I am critisizing you for keeping horses but, I can never make it pencil out what it costs to feed a horse for what good most folks get out of em.

3way, Im not chippie..but we do hae horses..

We've been breeding them since 2002..we dont breed crap either..good stuff for a specific market...

when the slaughterplants closed, the market collapsed..dropping even the prices of "Good" horses low. We crunched numbers and decided it simply wasnt cost prohibitive to keep breeding them at the scale we were. right now we have 7 horses..of those..one is the older broodmare..who will get put down. then we have my son's mare..which is also a mare with really really nice lines whom we've raised nice foals out of. This mare also can double for either my husband or I to compete on..she has been sucessfully shown in reining and reined cowhorse..AND I give lessons on her.
We have our stallion..one of those I said we are selling..and his yearling daughter..also wanting to sell.
We have my son's mare's filly from 2 years ago..who we plan to keep. Her sire is very successful and my husband is looking forward to gentling her and competing her. She is still growthy, so she'll be broken out later this year.

I have my 19 year old retired showhorse who gives lessons for me now. And, my pony mare, who, with being my personal riding horse, also is used for lessons.

I have debated about selling the 19 year old mare..but I cant do it..Im one of the only people in the areas who DOES have lesson horses..

I completly agree about most costing more then they are worth..but I think.."enjoyment" factors in there somewhere..we ride as a family..and, I feel mine do earn their keep...to an extent.

 

[cow pollinater]

So having said that out of those 8 horses how many do you feel actually earn their keep. I figure you could feed at least 10 pairs for what it costs to feed 8 horses.
Don't think I am critisizing you for keeping horses but, I can never make it pencil out what it costs to feed a horse for what good most folks get out of em.

I gave them up altogether for ten years. Now that I'm getting back into a position where I'm really going to use cows to make money, it looks like I'll need at least two horses for myself that will be absolutly useless five months out of the year, break even for a time, and worth their weight in gold for about two months.
Then I have to factor in one pretty dink for the wife, one that can teach the boy how it's done, one for the girl, and a spare one for my part-time kid that also needs to learn how it's done but isn't ready for a "real" horse... Looks like I need to buy some hay. :frowns:

 

[chippie]

We do not have a lot of cattle anymore. 3 Jersey cows (2 fresh), 2 Braunvieh cows, one Beefmaster heifer, one Angus/Braunvieh heifer and an Angus/Braunvieh yearling bull. We have 8 horses. Fortunately, we are not having to feed a lot of hay right now (except the milk cows who get alfalfa), but the way things look weather wise it was smarter for us to buy next winter's hay now while it is available and before the prices go up.

We bought enough where if we do need to feed hay this summer, we have enough to carry us through.

Before I ask this question I will freely admit to having no use for hayburners(horses). Long story coming from watching my Dad lose a small fortune running quarter horses in the 60's.

So having said that out of those 8 horses how many do you feel actually earn their keep. I figure you could feed at least 10 pairs for what it costs to feed 8 horses.
Don't think I am critisizing you for keeping horses but, I can never make it pencil out what it costs to feed a horse for what good most folks get out of em.

Actually our horses cost less to keep than the cows. However, the enjoyment that our horses give us is priceless. The horses have given me and our children many happy memories and experiences together. The horses taught our children responsibility and sportsmanship.

They learned that you have to work to reach your goals and that success is not owed to anyone. Sometimes you win, sometimes you should have won, but didn't and sometimes things just go wrong. Don't sweat the small stuff and that things happen for a reason.

This is an album about our daughter and her mustang. It needs to be updated.

http://voskampfarm.smugmug.com/Animals/Horse/Sonnet-2008-Mustang-Makeover/5010470_pGZUN

 

[GMN]

this is always a dillemma for us, finding hay and enough of it from the same person or close to home. We do some custom baling but with diesel so crazy high now, gonna have to re-think that.

 

[bigbull338]

this is always a dillemma for us, finding hay and enough of it from the same person or close to home. We do some custom baling but with diesel so crazy high now, gonna have to re-think that.

since you have the equipment you might as well use it.