Farm supplies

[Hayhay]

Where do you get your farm supplies? Things like dolomite, sulphur, kelp/seaweed etc......

Ordered the pack for soil testing today, so will get that done this week and should have results by end of next week. Fingers crossed we don't need to do too much to get it in top condition!

[minnie]

Hi Hayley,

Usually you'd find an agriculture shop in the nearest town, who would sell most of your farm things.

For example up here we have Norco and Rural Traders as well as others. Talk to the locals as well, I know I go to both (want them both in business) and get certain things from each, that way they get to me and me them in both as well.

For things like hay, talk to your locals because other than a one off, we never buy hay from the rural stores now, we buy either direct from the grower or the fellow that supplies the rural stores, way cheaper than the stores.

Local vets, may be able to point you in the right direction as well... and there in is another thing to ask the locals, 'what vet they use on the farm and which one for small animals'...

By talking to the locals you get to know them and what they do and vice versa and it gets you into the community as well.

Vicki

[Heidi]

Hi Hayley,
ditto what Vicki recommends. Also, where did you get your "soil testing pack", how much did it cost, and was it inclusive of testing?
H

[Hayhay]

Thanks Vicki. I don't recognise those store names but I'll have a look and as ask around. I'm not sure the farm supply stores I know of have what we want in stock; but it might be worth asking if they can order things in for me.

I did ask about vets when my chooks were sick! The ones nearest us only do small animals (and horses if you bring them in). But they gave me the name of a large animal vet so i know who to call if I need to.

Heidi I got the soil testing pack from SWEP. The pack was free (soil bags plus express post bag). Then the analysis is $110 inc gst for a standard test including ph, heaps of nutrients/minerals, CAC, salinity etc - a special price before march ends.

[minnie]

Hi Hayley,

Did you take the chooks in?

Remember to ask what mileage charges are and if they have a certain day that they do your area, often makes it cheaper and then you plan certain things within the day they come out.

Vicki

[Hayhay]

No I didn't take the chooks in, the vet was happy to spend a while chatting to me about everything I could do for them. Thankfully whatever it was that was killing them has passed and the rest of the flock seems fine.

Thanks for the vet tips - might give them a call this week and find out all that info.

[minnie]

Hi Hayley,

I've always found country vets helpful when I drop in for advice or call and they usually can give you something or put you on the right track for things.

Usually getting them out is costly, when Cinnamon got lantana poisoning and I had to have one come on 'the day' instead of their normal rounds, it cost over $500. She wouldn't have lasted until the next Tues (we got him out Wed or Thurs, can't quite remember now) so it was worth it to us to get him... we saved Cinnamon and then of course Fatima.

Sometimes it's a real toss up when you're quite a way from a vet that's for sure.

Vicki

[Hayhay]

I rang the farm vets - its once a month on a wednesday in our area! I also asked if any of the vets practise homeopathy. The receptionist said 'What's that?????" So, um, no luck there!

We also got our soil tests back last week.......not perfect but not too bad really. Calcium is really really low and they're recommending 2.1 tonnes of lime per hectare pH is 5.2 so it does need pushing up a bit. Any tips here would be great! Was trying to explain to DH before about aerating (or at least using a rotary hoe he can borrow to act a bit like an aerator but not rip up all the lovely pasture) but there was alot of misunderstanding!

Also our potassium is quite low so I've started supplementing our pregnant cows with apple cider vinegar in their water.

Most other minerals are OK though - and the organic matter in the soil is really good. Copper is perfect which is good to know!

I'm finding this really fascinating...reading through and working my science part if my brain to understand all the little bits and pieces from the analysis.

DH has also ordered some biodynamic solutions to put on the paddocks.

Oh and we got our tractor back this week! We'd bought a lemon which cost another nearly $2000 to fix up in the workshop.....but all running perfect order now at least.

[Heidi]

Hi,
Don't forget if your property is over a certain size (20 acres perhaps???) and you pay rates to your Rural Lands Protection Board (they have a new name now but it escapes me), then you can also access their vet for certain things, free of charge. Since the size limit of lands was changed, we don't pay rates anymore, but they still give good advice over the phone. I think they also test milk for bacteria etc.
H

[minnie]

Hi Hayley,

Usually the large amount such as the lime are added a bit each year to slowly bring things up.

I know at our last place we needed 20 ton of gypsum per hectare, it was going to take years to get it up.

Most vets will roll their eyes at talk of homeopathy and consider the person that brought it up a nutter, so tread lightly on that side until you get to know your vet, then you can delve into those things. Often if they think your doing homeopathy anything that goes wrong they'll say you... find out who in you area is into it, but be aware it isn't the right thing for everything and sometimes as with ourselves we have to err on the side of traditional medicine to ensure the best for us and our animals.

Vicki

[Hayhay]

Thanks Heidi and Vicki.

Yep this was an anonymous phone call to the vet - and also I have become quite used to doing things a little differently that I felt quite normal asking about homeopathy for animals!!! Will have to surreptitiously ask around - our neighbour had an acupuncturist for his horse the other day so might ask what clinic that vet was from.

20 tonnes of gypsum per hectare?! Phew! We were thinking 2 of lime was heaps. Where do you source it from? I was thinking quarries might be cheaper than a rural supply store?

[Mojojo]

2 of lime is not so bad - we need 7 per ha of lime and 3 of dolomite as well! (over three years)
2 of lime and 2 of dolomite going on ours this year as you don't want to do more than that in a year.

Aerator is a very good idea. Also very hard to find, and expensive to buy new (about $5K and up depending on size)
We've found an old one that we are looking at getting fully reconditioned for about $3, so a bit better but not much!

Definitely quarries are better than a rural supply store for bulk things like lime!
about the same for a trailer load from the quarry as is is for 20kg bagged stuff.
And if you need a heap, even cheaper delivered in bulk.

Some of the quarries here offer a lime spreading service as well, where the truck comes, and it has a built in spreader in the back of it, and away it goes, not sure if you can find anything like that where you are?

[Hayhay]

Ooh sounds good Jo I'll call around this arvo see what's available in the area.

Phew that's alot of lime and dolomite you needed! And yeah I was reading about no more than 2 per ha in a year. How have you done it before? Just spread it on and let rain soak it in? How long after spreading can you put stock in the paddock?

[Mojojo]

I haven't done it yet I believe stock straight away is fine - Pat coleby uses dolomite as a base for stock lick, sot htats definitely OK, lime, I don't know for sure but I think fine!

Yep spread it and let the rain do the rest. Its best done when rain is expected - so autumn is good. (for WA we have to consider these things not like the rest of australia who seem to have constant rain!)

Ideally an aerator would be good to use prior, depending on your soil type, but they are a significant investment and hard to find.