Back to horses???

[Anonymous-0]

I'm just a small guy (with family farm ideas) But even with my 530 & H JD, gas is making it hard to enjoy going out for a "putt" now an then, let alone cut my 20 a. field (mainly to keep scrub brush free) Has anyone else been tempted to go back to real horse power? My uncles have told me it was ok, but all that was grown, 1/3 to 1/2 went to feed them. But I want to do something w/ the land, not spend $500 just keeping a field clean
Maybe I'll plant the "back 20" in fruit and nut trees! Then all I would have to do is get some nanny goats to keep the field trimmed, and milk em!! THE POSSIBILITIES ARE STAGGERING!!!!
Anyone have any ideas somewhat closer to reality?!

 

[johns48jdb]

rent it to a big farmer close by and let him row crop it, with the understanding that when he no longer wants it he wil have to disk it diwn and then you can smooth it up from there as needed. give the grass off of it to anybody that wants to cut it for the hay on it.

 

[rrlund]

That's just it. It takes so much to feed them. Instead of feeding two of them,raise 2 head of cattle to pay for the gas.

 

[hayray]

I with the feed a couple of cattle idea.

 

[old]

Well think of it this way. A horse eats day in day out but a tractor only eats when your running it. In the long run a tractor is a lot cheaper to use then a horse is plus you get a lot more done in less time with a tractor
Hobby farm

 

[Anonymous-0]

Horse prices are down (atleast around here) but hay/grain is up. What you'd have in taking care of them all year round it isn't worth it. If it were mine I'd cattle it/ rent it (as said)/ buy a bigger diesel tractor and batwing to mow with.

 

[Anonymous-0]

With fuel at close to $4/ gal. A bigger tractor is not going to solve the long term problem.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Well... since I'm in the Youngstown, Ohio city limits we don't have any big farmers close enough to make it worth their while. I would go towards a "greener" way of using the land, that's why I'm looking at nut trees (English walnut, Pecan, Hazelnut, Heart nut) and maybe a "pick your own" berry area (Blue berry, Raspberry, etc.)Just trying to make the best use of the land possible

 

[hayray]

A lot of mowing and prunning doing the fruit trees and long term investment before crop production and profit. Those are specialty crops that take a lot of diligence to grow properly. Grazing a couple head of cattle or pasture boarding a couple head of horses for some one is real easy.

 

[The Bachelor]

I think using the H more might be the ticket. At a gallon an hour (According to the Nebraska test) it would be hard to beat. Thats the main thing I'm trying to do more this year. Park the bigs and use my JDB and Farmall Super C more. At less than 1/2 the gas consumption/hr. I can save a bunch.

The other thing I'm doing is using that ol nanny goat idea. I'm running goats with the cattle to clean up weeds and fence lines as well as keeping the woodlot clear. Don't know how it will all work out in the end, but I'll let you know next December.

 

[randallinMo]

You're exactly right. However, I've never seen a tractor "have another tractor"

 

[hay]

horses eat every day, tractors only need fuel when they are worked. also goats will eat the bark right off any tree and kill it so they would not be good in a fruit orchard. several acres in fruit and nut trees will take a tremendous amount of care such as watering in drought, pruning, fertlizing, insect control. been there, done that. maybe someone could contract to cut and bale your field on shares or money value. that would be the least expensive method, IMO.

 

[Rootsy]

I finally got sick of mowing all of my excess grass, only a few acres though... I turned it under last fall and it'll be pumpkins and sweet corn this year..

 

[Madscotsman]

Loan your fields out to someone with sheep or goats or whatever to clear it, that allows their pasture to rest and yours to get cleaned, then rotate. "BARTER" Work trades/ skills for bush hogging or other things, stopp trying to do everything yourself and learn to be a good neighbor, works great and satisfying to.