Howdy from South Central Texas

[flowerweaver]

Red, you must have a decent amount of grass where you live. Not a lot of grass out here. More where Bay has moved, but in Texas terms there's not enough elbow room on small acreage. Even our mini donkey polished off a year's worth of grass on five acres in two months.

 

[ninnymary]

Oh my, I thought surely 8 acreas would be enough. What do I know. Well what about a mini cow? Is 8 acreas enough for one of those? Oh wait, I believe you can't have just 1 cow, that they need friends. Bay, just get rabbits.

Mary

 

[bobm]

Mary, not all land is created equal or what the water well will produce. On my ranch in C. Cal. we get 6 1/2 inches of rain a year so we have green grass from late Nov. to March the rest of the year we have " the Golden State ". My well is 29 ft. deep and produces 159 gallons a minute. Just 10 miles away there are thousands of acres available and it too gets the same rainfall. However their limiting factor is their water wells vary from 200' to over 500' and may produce 2-5 gallons of water. Then too in most of these lands there are many abandoned wells because they produce only salt water. So a 1000 acres will feed a cow, but what will it drink ?

 

[bobm]

Yup! Texas szed trouble. Hiding under a chair won't help.

Nope, even acres are bigger in Texas!

Tell us more about your cattle, @w_r_ranch. Are they an heirloom breed? Endangered? Special in some way that puts them in demand?

If one raises " heirloom", " endangered", " mini " of "? specialty " breed of anything may sound quite impressive , noble or whatever one may get from an animal for their own jollies to some ... In this day and age, they are only a niche market and your income will depend on hoping to find another sucker to buy your overpriced animal. Just see what it will bring at an auction and you will find out what they are really worth in just a couple minutes at the fall of the hammer... more often then not , a no sale. If these animals were profitable in the marketplace, they wouldn't be "heirloom", " endangered" , "mini" or "?specialty " today.

 

[baymule]

@ninnymary I have had rabbits before and while I enjoyed them (and they tasted good too) I don't want them again. 8 acres is not enough for cows, but I can keep my horses (hole in my pocket I dump money in) and some sheep and some poultry. I will be happy with them and of course, playing in the dirt.

In southeast Texas where I live now, I can be on Galveston Island in 2 hours. It is pine forest, lush, green, thick forest. I am on the edge of the Big Thicket. Average rainfall is 48 inches. Grasslands grow like mad and can make 3-4 hay cuttings a season, sometimes as many as 5 cuttings on a well managed hay field. The winter temps are usually mild, seldom snows.

In northeast Texas, where we are moving to, it will take a little longer to reach Galveston Island. It will make it a little harder for hurricanes to knock us out too. Forest has more oaks and cedars, but pines are still well represented. Agriculture is a major industry, dairy, logging, vegetables, pecans, blueberries, livestock and greenhouses full of bedding plants are everywhere. Rainfall average is 45 inches a year. Lots of ranch land and cattle. Temps are usually a few degrees colder than it is in southeast Texas, but it is not as humid. Usually snows at least once a year.

 

[Smart Red]

Sigh! @bobm, that was my feeble attempt at a segue back to topic and a way to get @w_r_ranch back into his thread.

Considering all the threats that can befall a garden, the fact that I continue to plant one every year seems an impressive, noble way to get my jollies. I know that produce at the grocery store is cheaper and those open pollinated veggies I prefer are nearly irrelevant in today's GMO agriculture. WR didn't say his beef were special only seed stock.

 

[goatgurl]

was a good try Smart Red. oh yea, WR's cattle are special. just ask anyone who wants to raise beef cattle and gets a top price for that beautiful black steer. while heirloom, endangered, specialty and mini cattle do have their place in the whole scheme of things and will work for some folks those big black cattle will feed you and do well in feed lots but they also do really well as that home raised grass fed steer we all love. now can WR have his thread back you'all

 

[thistlebloom]

was a good try now can WR have his thread back you'all

Sure! Right after this-

@baymule, your area sure sounds beautiful!
45" of rain is amazing. But I still think I'll stay right here and enjoy my frozen soil.

 

[baymule]

Sure! Right after this-

@baymule, your area sure sounds beautiful!
45" of rain is amazing. But I still think I'll stay right here and enjoy my frozen soil.

I'm gonna put a bowl of dirt in the freezer so I can enjoy it too!

 

[thistlebloom]

I'm gonna put a bowl of dirt in the freezer so I can enjoy it too!

Cool! And in the summer I'll stick my head in the oven so I can have as much fun as you are!