Best laid plans etc etc
Posted: Friday 14 January, 2011
Before the arrival of the Animal Health officer this morning, I had planned to go and pick up straw from a neighbouring farm. I need it for bedding the calves and for the lambing pens. I've managed to get 25 small bales at £2 each, which I'm happy with. I've been paying £3 a bale from elsewhere. So that's Monday now, along with a visit to the accountant to sign off last year's accounts.
I've also managed to secure a further 12 large round bales of decent hay from a second farm. I'm paying £25 per bale, delivered, which again, I'm happy with. This should see us through until the grass comes in, although our ponies get hay all year to try to prevent grass sickness and because they are on such restricted grazing. I bought seven bales, then a further two bales earlier in the year so I'll have a better idea soon of how much I need to get through a winter.
The farmer I'm buying the hay from just farms grass - hay, haylage and silage. I've taken the opportunity to order my hay for this season from him too so I don't have to worry about it later in the year. It might affect cash flow having to buy all my winter forage at once but, on balance, I think that's better than the stress of worrying about where I'm going to get hay later in the year, especially if supplies are short.
Still on that learning curve - so steep my ears keep popping!
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