22 replies to this topic

[Lostin55]

I am beginning to think that I have over sold as well. I can get enough to get by, I think.

[RuttedField]

One thing I do is keep an Excel Spreadsheet on my winter feed. It will probably sound complex, but it really is not.

 

Basically 7 out of the last 8 years I have put my sheep on pasture in the second week of April. Knowing that, I have an end date. When winter feeding starts, I make a note of how much hay I started with (in pounds), then figure out how much I feed out, and then the spreadsheet automatically calculates how much hay I will have left over/need to buy based on averages as the winter season wears on.

 

In this way I can sell my excess feed. Not in the field when it is cheap, but in the Spring when everyone is out.

 

I do the same thing with firewood, that way my needs are always met, BUT I can also get top dollar if I have extra and need to sell. Trust me, in the end of winter when people are out of wood and you have some in the shed, all dry and ready to go, they will spend money for it!

 

Where I am from, half the farmers here starve their animals the first half of winter, then realize in the spring that they have plenty and now its last years hay and sold at a discount. I said their has to be a better way. There is: base it on averages.

[deadmoose]

One thing I do is keep an Excel Spreadsheet on my winter feed. It will probably sound complex, but it really is not.
 
Basically 7 out of the last 8 years I have put my sheep on pasture in the second week of April. Knowing that, I have an end date. When winter feeding starts, I make a note of how much hay I started with (in pounds), then figure out how much I feed out, and then the spreadsheet automatically calculates how much hay I will have left over/need to buy based on averages as the winter season wears on.
 
In this way I can sell my excess feed. Not in the field when it is cheap, but in the Spring when everyone is out.
 
I do the same thing with firewood, that way my needs are always met, BUT I can also get top dollar if I have extra and need to sell. Trust me, in the end of winter when people are out of wood and you have some in the shed, all dry and ready to go, they will spend money for it!
 
Where I am from, half the farmers here starve their animals the first half of winter, then realize in the spring that they have plenty and now its last years hay and sold at a discount. I said their has to be a better way. There is: base it on averages.

How much firewood do you go through Rut?

Also how much u heating and how?

I think I was burning 5ish +/- cords to heat 1200ish sq ft (100% wood). Indoor wood stove.

A couple years ago I added off peak electric thermal storage heat. Perfect compliment for me here. No more coming home after long cold day to 50 degree house. For about $100 a month in electricity (when cold) I think I am down to 2 or 3 cords with way more comfort.

At times I am away from home for 12 14 hours. That is the big thing for me. Off peak takes care of most of those hours (after storing it when electric is cheap).