Western NY Future Farmer

[dlskidmore]

I’ll don’t yet have a local sheep contact, I have spent a lot of time talking with dairy farmers. I’ll keep looking.

I have read quite a bit about livestock guardian donkeys, and they will definitely not fit in my plans. They tend to have trouble telling the difference between the wild wolf and the family dog. I will never be able to work the dogs near the sheep with a donkey guarding them.

I’ve heard that cows can serve a similar purpose as donkeys in livestock guarding, but are not as fierce and can become acclimated to dogs. I don’t plan to include either right now, but a local sheep contact would be helpful in determining how much risk that would put my flock in during the lambing season. We don’t have much for large predators here, but fox are an issue.

The primary goal of horse-compatible instruments is not having to buy into the three point hitch system. It opens up not just the horse option, but just about any pull force of sufficient strength. I have no commitment to transfer to horse power later, but I like versatility and options.

[dlskidmore]

@mother katherine 18529 wrote:

If you are around dairy people, you might consider working cattle.

The idea is growing on me, although I didn’t take you seriously at first. Although I think I’ll likely raise several beefers before I decide if l feel confident enough about my handling skills to put one to work.

[Andy Carson]

I really don’t know much about oxen, but one of their impressive aspects (to me) is that if they don’t work out for some reason, they are good to eat. I hope that doesn’t sound too cold heartedl to the oxen people here, but for me it’s true. If you are raising steers for beef anyway, I don’t see much harm in trying out a pair. Are there any oxen people in your area that could help you get started?

[dlskidmore]

Don’t know about oxen people locally. I’ve got time to look though.

[Carl Russell]

He’s not really close, but it will be well worth the trip to visit Howie Van Ord in Russell PA. He visits here from time to time, and may respond. You may be able to PM him, @ Howie (member name). From the map it looks like about a 3 hour drive.

Even if you don’t visit, he can tell you who else may be in your area.

Carl

[dlskidmore]

Thanks Carl. I sent Howie a message.

[dlskidmore]

Well, the good news is I have contact information for a potential local sheep mentor. The bad news is that his lambing season is right in the middle of my current employer’s busy season. I’ve got mandatory overtime, and no ability to slip over to the farm for a substantial amount of time. I’m hesitant to make the call when I don’t actually have time to offer. Perhaps when my employer’s busy season is over there will still be some barn work to be done. With fall lambing they must be keeping the young confined indoors and have plenty of cleaning and feeding chores to do.

[dlskidmore]

If you are around dairy people, you might consider working cattle.

Yeah, the topic has come up a few times. It seems at least worth my while to get a weaned steer and see what I can do with it while it’s growing. Oxen are a much lower risk proposition than horses, as you can always eat them if they don’t work.

I don’t think I can bottle feed until I quit the day job, so I’ll just have to take my chances with one a little older.

Right now I’m looking at ways of reducing my total power needs, to try to work with no big tractor or draft animal. Little jobs can be handled with a walking tractor. I think I’ll have to buy all my winter hay. Oxen would be downright handy though for dragging pasture, and moving stuff.

I had a draft dog that would have been helpful in moving small stuff, but she passed away recently. Hopefully I can find and train another before we have our down-payment ready.

[dominiquer60]

If you get an older steer consider finding a small farmer that handles the young stock in a situation where they often interact with people. There are 2 linebacks I know of for sale in this type of situation, nice small farmer that ties all the dairy beef up to grain them everyday, they are very accustom to people and are ready to train. Also you could find a pail fed calf that is close to being weaned and just needs a couple of cold pails of milk twice a day, it is not too much work for a couple of weeks. Just some food for thought, good luck taking that first step, cattle are enjoyable animals to work with.

Erika

[Carl Russell]

Sorry you guys, that Daviidwilson was a spammer….. I nuked him.

Carl

[dlskidmore]

@Carl Russell 21805 wrote:

Sorry you guys, that Daviidwilson was a spammer….. I nuked him.

Carl

I thought his post looked awfully familiar… Odd way to spam, copying other folks posts…

[dlskidmore]

@dominiquer60 21802 wrote:

If you get an older steer consider finding a small farmer that handles the young stock in a situation where they often interact with people.

There is a little bit of a 4-H cattle scene here, I think those are fairly promising. The kids struggle with them, but they are at least handled enough for it to be possible to handle them in a strange location.

[dlskidmore]

Just a little update, we’re still a long ways off but dreams are turning into plans, and the plans are starting to come together. My work situation is changing for the better, making our Spring 2012 goal look pretty realistic at this point.

[dlskidmore]

Update: We are so very close to getting our farm. We made an offer and are past most of the contingencies, scheduled to close in January. Unfortunately, I loose my job at the end of the month, so I’ll be having to talk to the bank about that tomorrow.

If things still go through, we’ll have 17 acres, with 9 lease-able next door. (We pretty much have to lease it, the pasture lines don’t follow the property line.)

I think my first priority is an accountant, who can tell me what the minimum I need to do to qualify the land as agricultural for tax purposes (I’m hoping I can just get it contract hayed) so I can build up slowly to the operation I want to do.

If the deal falls through, I need to do some long and hard thinking about what we want next. We have enough cash on hand to put down a sizable down-payment on a nice suburban house close to my husband’s job, and I could work on my shoe making skills and have a decent work at home income, but we both love the country so much…

[dlskidmore]

Hoping to close this week. I’m somehow still employed at the old job, but I’m trying to find something new before the axe falls here. Things are very busy here with paperwork and interviews.

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