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azgottlieb
20 Posts |
 Posted - 02/15/2012 : 8:31:36 PM
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How many of you have irrigated pastures or partly irrigated? Do you think it was worth the cost of installation compared to the cost of hay? I live in Colorado Springs where it's pretty dry. I don't have my own farm yet, but I plan on building one eventually and I have thoughts of partially irrigated fields, but I don't know if it would be worth it financially. I'd like around 20 acres of pasture, and I'm thinking maybe 5-10 of those would be irrigated. I would also plan on using the rain water collected off the roofs of the barns and house for the irrigation water.
Thanks for your time.
Aaron
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LibertyWool
132 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2012 : 11:52:28 AM
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I grew up just west of Colorado Springs, so I know how dry it is there. I think you will end up paying a lot either way, but buying hay is going to be cheaper (even at the high prices you have to pay out there). Your average annual precipitation is around 17 inches, which makes it semiarid (I live in Maine now and we get 42 inches of precipitation, so no need for irrigation).
Have you ever noticed the green circles as you fly into town? Yea, that is the difference between irrigated land and the brown landscape. So catching the rain off your buildings will help, but is no where near enough to irrigate 5-10 acres. You will need to find land which has existing irrigation water rights, which I imagine is going to be very expensive considering the limited water in the area. I would recommend talking to a water attorney to get better informed on your options.
Toby
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azgottlieb
20 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2012 : 12:20:54 PM
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Thanks for the response Toby. I did notice the green circles of irrigated land on Google maps. There is another post somewhere on here about a fodder system that looks very interesting and might be a good alternative to relying on someone else to provide me hay. I guess it just depends on how much the entire operation costs.
Thanks again. |
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rackapaca
634 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2012 : 1:29:26 PM
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Interesting topic - one that I am still on the learning curve. In my area the precipitation is mostly snow and melt and less than 12 inches of rain per year. The hay prices reflect that in that if the hay farmers have to irrigate, I end up paying that. In some of this area you can get a crop of hay with no irrigation but then the quantity and quality is reflected. I would LOVE to have even 2 acres of irrigation so that I could have some forage - I can't even dream of producing hay.
Ruthann
Racka Paca Ranch
Kila, MT |
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azgottlieb
20 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2012 : 4:53:33 PM
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| Ruthann, you ought to check out the topic of "Fodder-Pro Feed System". under the Farm Facilities & Equipment section. Very interesting and it might be something you'd want to look into. |
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rackapaca
634 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2012 : 12:10:27 PM
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Yes - we've looked at those systems, would love to get one as I am sure it would be a healthy addition to the hay we have to use year-round. thanks!
Ruthann
Racka Paca Ranch
Kila, MT |
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jolee
282 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2012 : 6:08:59 PM
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Winters we have no grass mostly because we have too many alpacas right now for the pastures. We do get rain through the year but grass comes and goes and we do re seed spring and fall. We have well water so we couldn't chance watering the pastures. We paid $4000 last year for just hay for our 22 alpacas and 4 boarders. Ouch! We stopped breeding last year to cut back on the number of alpacas in our pastures. We sold some last year and some of the boarders are moving on so we hope for the best. I think pastures are a problem for most small farms today. JO
ALPACAS4U2C
alpacas4u2c@windstream.net
Lee & Joanne Mansfield
706-745-7344
www.alpacanation.com/alpacas4u2c.asp
90 CJ Calico Ln.
Blairsville, Ga 30512
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azgottlieb
20 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2012 : 6:37:22 PM
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Thanks for the response Jo,
I've been doing the math on this "Fodder System". From the the information I've gathered from the discussion in the "Farm Facilities and Equipment" section under "Fodder Pro-Feed System" these would be the costs to feed 50 alpacas daily. The system itself costs about $15,000 to set up, about $5500 in seed per year, and about $1000 per year in utility costs. So if you were trying to feed only around 25 alpacas you could probably cut all those costs in half. I've heard other people in that conversation talking about systems that cost $3000 to $7000. So you would be saving a bit of money per year, but there would be more labor involved, but you wouldn't have to worry about whether or not you'll have enough hay to feed your alpacas.
Take care,
Aaron
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JimR
1046 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 12:00:20 AM
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We live in the four corners region of NM. We have been in a drought for 10 years. We irrigate using ditch water, which costs us 180.00 a year. If I didn't have it I would live in a dust bowl, but I don't really have enough property to use it to grown hay, it is more for the alpacas to nibble on the grass that does grow, and my yard is beautiful(I love gardening)and things grow great, everything is green, and in NM that is the abnormal rather than the norm. If we actually had to use the town water I couldn't afford it. We used it when we put our pool in to fill it, it cost close to 1000.00. Learned my lesson the hard way when we first moved here. We learn fast not to waste water here.
Susan Rempe
Four Corners Alpacas
Bloomfield NM 87413
505 360-8375
River11524@msn.com
www.AlpacaNation.com/fourcorners.asp
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azgottlieb
20 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 08:28:24 AM
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Susan, can you tell me how the ditch water method works? Do you mean that rain water is collected in those ditches and everything around them grows, or do you actually harness that water and use it elsewhere?
Thanks for your time,
Aaron |
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JimR
1046 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2012 : 10:02:14 AM
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The ditch system was set up here years ago. I think it taps into one of the rivers here. If you are in a dry area like we are there is no way I can see that you can use rainwater to irrigate.
Does anyone around you irrigate? You can contact your local farm bureau maybe to find out your options.
There are farm loans available for certain projects too(at least in NM) you can check into that to find out if putting in a well would be affordable.
Since you do not have your own farm yet, I would look into buying one that has irrigation available would be the easiest way to go.
Susan Rempe
Four Corners Alpacas
Bloomfield NM 87413
505 360-8375
River11524@msn.com
www.AlpacaNation.com/fourcorners.asp
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azgottlieb
20 Posts |
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rackapaca
634 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2012 : 11:46:06 AM
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Good topic - I often wondered about buying some irrigated land, but the prices are high as I then assume the taxes would be. I'd like to see a comparison of the taxes and production costs versus buying hay. Our hay fluctuates lots according to fuel prices and we all know where that is going to go - through the roof!
Ruthann
Racka Paca Ranch
Kila, MT |
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JimR
1046 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2012 : 09:48:15 AM
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Our taxes are not higher because we are irrigated. But the price to buy land here is very expensive(never could figure out why). If I was going to grow hay, I would lease the land first. Some smaller farms have a guy come in and bale so they don't have to buy expensive equipment. We get 3 cuttings which is a lot of hay depending on the amount of property you have. If you don't use it all you can sell off what you don't use to cover expenses.
Growing hay on irrigated land is a win win, if you can find property to do it, which is very hard to do here but shouldn't be in Montana.
It is very strange here. I am in a section with all farms, irrigation, everything(mostly) green. Than you go down to the mailboxes and behind them as far as you can see is desert. BLM owns most of that land so they won't let you develop it, so I guess I answered my own question about why land is expensive here, there really isn't much that is usable.
Susan Rempe
Four Corners Alpacas
Bloomfield NM 87413
505 360-8375
River11524@msn.com
www.AlpacaNation.com/fourcorners.asp
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rackapaca
634 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2012 : 10:38:40 AM
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We actually get very little rain - sometimes for almost the entire summer. It rains in May-June and then nothing which is why we get so many wildfires, sometimes it is so dry it feels like you are walking on Rice Krispies cereal. But those near the rivers get irrigation so it is fine. No one would ever get a 2nd cutting without irrigation here. Our precipitation is snow and then melt off keeps the rivers running, overflowing at first and then down to a trickle. I'd love to be able to afford land to grow hay, but it just isn't going to happen.
Ruthann
Racka Paca Ranch
Kila, MT |
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Irrigation?
