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We have several savanna-like paddocks on our farm that we graze with goats. I simply selected the trees I like (mostly hard maple that I tap and red oak) and let the goats have at it. Trees are 50-100′ apart on average. In this conversion process, we use pigs as well. June – September we have the pigs out in forested / semi-forested paddocks w/out shelter. As long as they have shade, they thrive with this set up. After the pigs, I seed with an annual (oats or rye) and follow with perennial rye and clover the next year after it has been grazed. Regarding sudden change in diet from the windfall, I doubt that would be a problem with goats (or sheep and cows for that matter), and certainly not pigs.

George

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the rural heritage site has a wealth of information and has made me quite hopeful. I am surprised though that the high fat diet seems to be considered quackery by some, since it seems so well established according to that site. My vet is definitely supportive of us trying that, since there is nothing to lose and there are not any better strategies she can suggest.

I haven’t contacted Dr. Valentine on the site figuring I wouldn’t bug her unless some specific questions come up. The plan is pretty well laid out there and we will try it for a while and see how things go. One question I do have is about the grass…it seems like the recommended diet for most cases but some horses seem to have such a sugar sensitivity it has to be quite limited. I am going to keep with my pasture plan for the time being and see what the response is to fat. Unfortunately it seems to take 4 mos. before you really know if it helps. that’s a lot of oil. we are feeding his teammate the same way since they are half brothers.

Kristan

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Don,

We graze similarly and I don’t feel that my horses are fat, and I think they work less than yours (certainly the haflinger does). I agree that the horses do great things for our goat pasture and break the parasite cycle as well. We have relegated our horses to areas we want to work on though, and rarely have them on our super sweet fields, only when they totally get away from us and it doesn’t look like we can mow. They are out about 14 hours a day, but I do push them on paddock size. Goats aren’t like sheep in that they won’t really take a pasture down very low, so the horses serve that purpose well every once in a while.

Kristan

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Thanks everyone for all the input and advice on the haying schedule. I think I have sufficiently recovered from last week to think about it! Things we will change next time are: only ted once in late morning instead of twice, and only rake the day we bale so we don’t need to flip it. Part of our problem is that we have small hilly fields all over the place, so we actually were working 3 different one acre plots, ranging 1/4 mile away…not very efficient.

And we were cutting a mix of stuff. We graze most of our hayable land too, so everything we cut had been grazed at least once in early may, we had one small plot that had been grazed twice and it was a dream to deal with. There were 40 very nice bales we were able to bale a day early, so it gives me hope. The rest was more first cut -like, and one plot that can’t be more than 1/2 acre gave us 90 bales, what a nightmare that was all around…we ended up only tedding that once because the vetch just wrapped up in the tedder. that was part of a bigger field that we abandoned and will start to graze next.

Thanks again for the input, Donn I think we have similar forage quality and drying conditions, so your schedule will be a handy reference. Question though…you are out there with the haybine and sickle bar, do you notice a big difference in the drying of the hay that comes from each?

Kristan

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I’d love to hear a schedule of events from you northeast people who do this regularly. We just put in about 250 bales from this weeks cut, I’m so glad it in. Things are much easier than last year, but I still think we have a lot to figure out. Our team was great, but they are hot,tired, and bug bitten and I don’t think they could have managed any more, and we are baling with the tractor. I’m interested in your schedules because I think we are going over our field too many times. Let’s see, we cut friday, tedded (with a Grimm) twice saturday, raked it sunday, flipped it over with the rake yesterday and baled yesterday afternoon. One field was nice and dry, but the other still has some wet bales I think we will break open….then I read that Donn isn’t tedding in all in this great weather..how can that be?! And we have one horse that really seems to suffer in the heat, he did great mowing, but tedding and raking in the heat was tough, we tried to sponge down regularly but it didn’t seem to do much.

Kristan

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We have a very similar system to yours Donn. Our horses usually go out on what the goats had grazed that day. I was concerned about our haflinger earlier this summer because she really started to pack it on, and of course there are the other factors such as how unhappy she is when she is separated. I ended up putting her in a paddock after the horses,so she was next to everyone else, but without much to eat. I had also considered a grazing muzzle, appartently they can get a bit through that little hole, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Kristan

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Mitch:

How about a cordless impact driver? I bought one to assemble a free-span barn 5 years ago and I won’t drive a screw (square drive) without it (i.e. I won’t use my cordless drill). Effortless!

Good luck with your harness repair.

George

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For my horses (1600 lbs / per), I plan on 1 bale (40 lbs) / horse / day when there is no pasture.

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Russel:

Here’s the thread from last year: http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?t=1551

I was facing the same job and had a tough time.

Here’s one salient post from that thread:

“So George the threads on the pinion gear are standard threads not left hand. With a piece of bent rod or whatever under the pinion(ground side of the pinion and ring) and standing looking straight on to the mower,from say the far end of the pole, the fly wheel should turn counterclockwise to loosen the pinion. It shouldn’t take to much force has been my experience. Use a short handle pipe wrench and don;t put an extension on it.”

George

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I put a pipe wrench inside the opening on the flywheel and put a 10′ lever bar over the pipe wrench. With a helper locking the pinion, give her a good turn with the lever. If that doesn’t work, I have had someone lock the flywheel and have hit the pinion with a chisel, rotating the teeth you hit so you don’t break anything. I broke the flywheel once doing this last year (there is thread out on this site somewhere) and ordered a new one from BW McNair (717) 543-5136. They have every part you need for that mower.

George

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Donn:

Thanks for sharing that. I am glad you and your animals are safe. We laid down 4 acres of hay today and will hope for good weather (in additon to sound equipment, safe operation…to name a few).

George

George

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I think the 31″ measurement was to insure that the oil was well distributed around the gearbox and the pitman shaft housing.

George

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Marc:

I built my wagons with an 8′ x 16′ deck with backboard.

George

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Russel:

Welcome and good luck with your animal venture. I spent a few months hitchhiking around South Africa in the early 90s. It was the most beatiful country I’ve ever seen – Drakensberg mountains, coast, wildlife…….Better yet, I never had to pitch my tent. Everyone I received a ride from invited me to stay in their homes. Hope to get back one day.

George

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We spread 10 loads yesterday and another 12 today. The horse I was concerned about did much better. They were both puffing though. It is a quick business with one person loading with a tractor and the other spreading.

Carl, I you mentioned being more concerned about heavy sweating compared with heavy breathing. Why? The same hard-breathing horse also sweats a lot. Even logging in the winter this horse can sweat so hard his face gets wet. That said, he is always game and likes to pull. I figured it was a constitutional attribute just like humans have (or don’t) – some folks sweat a lot more than others.

George

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