Category: Tips and Tricks

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10 Mistakes New Hobby Farmer’s Make

https://youtu.be/mu4iAIyDfSk

You’ve decided to venture into the world of farming, have you? Well, let me tell you, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows out here in the fields. In fact, there are plenty of mistakes that you’re bound to make. But don’t worry, I’m here to guide you through.

  1. Overcommitting: You may be dreaming of owning a farm with a thousand cows, but slow down there, cowboy! Start with a few animals and crops and work your way up. Otherwise, you’ll end up with more manure than you can handle.
  2. Not planning for the long term: Planning is essential for a successful hobby farm. Don’t forget that the weather can be unpredictable, and those cute baby animals will grow up into big adults. So, make sure you have a solid plan and don’t forget to factor in the unexpected.
  3. Not seeking out advice: Who needs advice from experienced farmers when you have YouTube tutorials, am I right? Well, let me tell you, watching videos and reading articles can only get you so far. Seek out advice from experts and other farmers to avoid costly mistakes.
  4. Ignoring local regulations: Yes, we know, regulations can be a real buzzkill, but they exist for a reason. Don’t be the farmer who gets hit with a hefty fine for breaking zoning laws.
  5. Neglecting record-keeping: Don’t be a disorganized farmer. Keep track of your expenses, income, and inventory. You don’t want to end up with a barn full of produce that you can’t sell because you didn’t keep track of what you had.
  6. Underestimating the workload: Yes, farming can be hard work, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Just be prepared for early mornings, late nights, and a whole lot of mud. But, hey, at least you’ll be getting a great workout, right?
  7. Not investing in proper infrastructure: Your animals need a safe and comfortable place to live, and your crops need to be protected from pests and the elements. Don’t skimp on the infrastructure, or you’ll be dealing with angry cows and rotting crops.
  8. Not being realistic about profits: We hate to burst your bubble, but hobby farming isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time, effort, and careful planning to make a profit. So, don’t quit your day job just yet.
  9. Failing to prioritize animal welfare: Remember, happy animals make for a happy farm. Neglecting the welfare of your animals is not only cruel but can also lead to legal troubles. So, make sure your animals are well-fed, comfortable, and healthy.
  10. Not taking the necessary safety precautions: You may think farming is all sunshine and rainbows, but it can be dangerous if proper safety precautions aren’t taken. Trust us, wearing gloves and protective gear is a lot less painful than losing a finger or two.

Hobby farming can be a rewarding experience, but it’s not for the faint of heart. So, take our advice, learn from the mistakes of others, and don’t forget to have a sense of humor. Happy farming!

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Removing Ticks from your Barn

With the weather warming up it’s time to start thinking about ticks.  Every ear the tick problem seems to be getting worse and worse in NYS and with that comes complications from Lyme disease.

I’ve had to treat lyme in several of my horses as well as myself so I take a very proactive approach to preventing ticks from causing an issue on my farm.

#1 Barn Cats

Yes we all have them and love them and people just drop them off.  Even though cats don’t seem to have too much of an issue with Ticks they do transport them into your barn.  I know of a local barn who hand a show horse with lyme. This horse was in full work and lived in a stall so it’s not like the horse got a tick from a trail ride.  The carrier? the barn cat.  So protect those cats!  There are many different methods but I prefer the Seresto collars.  They last up to 8 months and I don’t have to try and get a feisty cat to take a pill.


#2 Keep them off your Horse

Next step is to make sure they don’t crawl up you horses legs and venture into areas they shouldn’t.  My vet recommended UltraBoss a few years ago and it just plain works! Some horses may react to a pour-on so test a small area first to be sure they don’t have an allergic reaction.  It’s 3oz/100lbs body weight.  I pour a strip onto their mane, another on their tail and then work the rest into their legs all the way up.  WEAR GLOVES!  You’re using a LOT of this product and if you’re doing multiple horses you’re going to be handling it way too much so use protection.

DO NOT PUT THIS ON CATS!  It will kill your cat.  So if you use this be sure to wash your hands before petting that pestering kitty at your legs.


#3 Prevention at the source

Believe it or not the lyme problem starts with mice.  Cats do a good job but they can’t keep up with mice so here’s how to give these little guys a helping hand.  Soak cotton balls in UltraBoss, let them dry out fully then place them in areas mice are likely to nest.  The treated nesting material will help keep the ticks off the mice! Brilliant!  If you don’t feel like making them yourself you can buy pre-made “tick tubes” to place around your property.


I know a lot of people think fighting with chemicals is bad and they were hoping for a holistic approach.  Let me tell you that none of that stuff works.  Diatomaceous Earth (DE), Garlic, Lemon and whatever  stuff you find on the internets won’t work.  It can help and be part of your war against nasties but don’t rely on it.  Lyme is a terrible illness. its symptoms can be anything from blindness, colic, lameness or just a’int right. Treatment isn’t cheap and can ultimately be the death of your poor pony.

I hope you are enjoying the blogs and vlogs.  If you do be sure to subscribe and share!  It helps keep this information free!

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I Hate Flat Wheelbarrow Tires!

Do you hate flat tires? I sure do. For the past 10 years I’ve probably replaced 1 or both of my pneumatic tubes in my wheelbarrow at least once if not twice a year. That’s it No more!

Today I changed out my wheels for Anti-Flat Tires! Solid tires and no more full wheelbarrow with a flat. Here’s a video of the process of changing out your wheels for no flats!

So what kind of wheelbarrow do I like? The dual-ies of course!

PROS:

  • 8-10 cubic foot bucket
  • Harder to tip over
  • 1 Handed operation

CONS:

  • Harder to turn
  • Wider – might not fit in tight places
  • More effort to dump

Links to the stuff I like to use!

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Tip: EZ way to stuff a hay net

Sometimes I like to “fork out” hay from my round bale instead of letting the animals free graze on it.  Unfortunately if I just fork off some hay and toss it on the ground surely a lot of it will go to waste which is where a hay net comes in handy.   If you’ve never used a hay net before they are a PITA to fill.  Here is my trick to getting the buggers open and filled with lots of leafy goodness.

1. Employ an old muck bucket and put your hay net in it.

2. Stuff bucket full of hay, feel free to jump up and down on the hay to cram it full

3. Pull up on the draw string and remove from bucket

4. Hang your net where the alpacas can enjoy it

 

There ya go!  Of course it works for square hay too but squares cost to darn much for me to bother with.   700lbs of round bale hay costs me $30 the same weight in small 40lb squares would cost me $62.   I’ll stick to feeding my cost effective rounds 🙂

 

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Fiber Arts Friday – How To Weave On A Peg Loom

Peg Loom Scarf
Hello Fiber Arts Friday, Crafty Friday fans and DIY Craft Linky!

As promised here is the tutorial on how to make and use a peg loom! (video at end of post)

Peg loom or peglooms are a popular fiber art in the UK but I could not find any information readily available in my internet searches on how to make or use this easy tool here in the states.  So, I figured I’d make my own.

The concept of a peg loom is very simple; it’s just a board, with holes drilled in it with pegs put in those holes.  Here’s the materials list I used to make my loom.

–       2×4 board (at least 3ft long if you plan on making rugs)
–       (4) 7/16 dowel
–       Measuring tape and pencil
–       Hand saw
–       Cordless drill
–       1/2 inch drill bit and a small bit just large enough for yarn to be thread through it 
–       Weaving material – bulky yarn, roving, fabric strips or even raw fiber

Cut your dowels down into 6” pieces (should get 36 out of 4 dowels)

On your 2×4 mark a spot in the center of the board every 1 inch, this is where you will drill holes (36 holes in all).  If you’re using a different sized dowel the rule of thumb is do double the diameter of your down to get the measurement to mark for drilling. 

Next start drilling where you marked.  Test your depth on the first hole by drilling down a bit and then putting the dowel in so it wants to stay in the hole.  Usually ½ – ¾ depth.

Next put all your dowels in the drilled holes and mark with your pencil where the dowel and the board meat.  Remove the each dowel and with a small drill bit drill a tiny hole about ¼ inch above the marked line.

Your Done!

Warping your Peg Loom

First determine the width you project will be.  For the scarf in the video I’m using only 3 pegs.  If you’re making a rag rug or a wool rug this loom can make up to a 3 foot wide rug!

Next choose your warp material.  Your warp will not show in your finished project unless you want to use it as fringe at the ends.  Your warp threads will need to be double the length of your finished product plus a little extra for fringe or to be used to tuck in.

Thread each peg with your warp and place the peg in its hole.

Weaving material can be anything from raw fleece locks, roving, rag stripes or even chunky yarns. (I’ll do a tutorial on using raw fiber at a later time when I get more fluff off my alpacas)

Weaving on your Peg Loom

To start off make a slip knot and place it over the first peg.  Weave in and out of all the pegs, when you get to the end come around the last peg and weave in and out the way back. Continue until your pegs are full.

When pegs are full pick up each peg and push down the weave onto the strings and replace the peg, repeat with the remaining pegs.  

Wash, rinse, repeat, LOL.  Yup that’s it keep on going it’s that easy.

When you get to the end tie off your last bit to the end peg.

Warp strings should now be knotted.  Tie the first (3) strings together on each end and then every (2) strings in the middle.  This will prevent your work from falling off the end.   Do the same on your finished end.

You can choose to leave your knotted warp strings as fringe or you can sew them up into your project.

Here’s the video of the peg loom scarf from start to finish.  Don’t worry I go hyper fast 12x through most of it so my 1/2 hour scarf fits in this video.