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Problem or opportunity ?

J

jCarroll

Well-known Member
Location
mid-Ohio
Daughter and family just moved onto a 4 acre place with four fenced paddocks about 1/2 acre each, and a pole barn. Previous owner had alpacas. Grass and weeds need to be " knocked down".

What about offering pasture to folks who don't hVe enough of their own? Is liability a big issue? Is this a trade arrangement, or would some amount of rent be appropriate?

Don't be shy with your response!
Thx
 
It would require more insurance versus if the place were to be used as private property by the family who is living there. Where is this place? It would pay to talk to the local agribusiness people to know the ins and outs of accepted practices for the area.
 
My first thought is to make sure zoning and/or township laws allow certain animals or quantities. I have a good size piece of land where I am and my wife and I have two horses. Would like to add two cows and the township says we can't. Everyone around us backs us to get a couple more animal units but they won't let us, strictly because our zoning was re-classified years ago.
 
What animals would you have that only need a 1/2 acre? You'll get someone that wants to rent all 4 paddocks and put 8 horses in there. Then the weeds will really be an issue.
 
Grass OK. Weeds NO WAY. Anyone with good animal sense would not feed there animals weeds & if they did you don't want them around your property because something bad is about to go down.
 
Some one that raises dairy goats or any goats or sheep would love to have it.Most weeds have more food value than most grasses thats why goats will go for them first.
 
Well the way people are today renting or loaning or trading is just asking for a BIG BATCH OF TROUBLES !
Do as you wish. If you get lucky and find a good renter it can work out.
 
Get it in writing that the owner is not responsible for injury or illness of any animal, nor responsible for feeding or watering any animals. The owner does need to supply a source for water, but not the labor to deliver it. I am sure that you are aware that most animal lovers don't have any money to pay the rent, aren't you?
 
My cattle browse plenty of "weeds" for their nutritional needs along with their regular grazing. They like certain tree leaves too.
 
JCarroll,

Some other considerations might also include:

Who is going to chase the animals when, not if, they manage to get out of the pasture(s)?

Are you going to have anything of value stored on the farm? If so, plan on having it stolen. It will be.

Is there shelter/protection for the animals? Storms/weather, etc. Animals shouldn't simply be left out in a pasture without any means of protection.

I boarded a miniature horse for a lady many years ago. She was a friend of my son's. She simply abandoned the horse. She wouldn't respond to messages that I left on her telephone or to letters that I wrote to her. After a few years, the horse died. She didn't even respond to my telephone message to her telling her that the horse had died.

Maybe it's just my bad luck, but I decided long ago not board animals or rent out any part of my farm to anyone.

Good luck.

Tom in TN
 
I know a man who rents 10 acres for his horses. A horse gets out, car hits horse. Man sues both the owner of property and the man with the horses. It was a mess in the courts. Don't know how it was resolved.

Any time a landlord in Indiana allows a tenant to have a dog, landlord is going to pay if dog bites someone or landlord and tenant will both get sued even if tenant has insurance. It called the deep pockets, sue people with the most money.

I would advise, get the final word from your insurance Co. It may cost you more than the rent is worth.
 
Get a big mower.
I have an AC "C" with a 6' Woods belly mower for sale.
It also has an after market 3 point hitch with which I pulled a light 5' bush hog.
 
Hi To be honest don't waste your time with it, It's not big enough for enough animals to make it pay with upkeep of fences and everything else that those guys want. if it rains it will turn into a mud bath, the guys that are into that "home owner" animal deal and renting land are mostly a bunch of time wasters that want stuff for free, and in about a month the novelty of a horse and "The work" and cost wares off as others said.
if the family want a couple animals of there own on the place do that but stock it right so if anything goes wrong the animals aren't suffering because of it, and make sure you have enough hay and stuff for them in reserve if the fields get wet.

There is a "rescue" place about 4 miles from here right on the side of the highway is a little smaller than 4 acres, you can see the ponies standing in mud from the road when it's wet like now. They have been reported more than once.

If the family don't want animals just get a tractor and mower or hire somebody to cut it and keep it tidy thats way less hassle than trying to make hay and sell it to the guys mentioned above that have no money, from what guys round here that sell bigger acreages of hay to horse owners find out.
Not every body is bad but you got to have them on the property or buying hay to find out. I know a couple round here are responsible and I would trust them the other 10 I wouldn't give them the time of day with my hay or land. The animals shouldn't be with them!.
 

Some Roundup will take care of the vegetation. A dozer will take care of the fences. Plow it up and grow sweet corn and tomatos.
 
Like Amaranth and Lambs Quarter is on the same level as as Alfalfa in feed value.Think some of these folks here have a severe case of Weed Psychosis (LOL)Joel Salatin says that a
good pasture should have at least 25 different plant species for cows,goats or sheep to graze/browse.
 
4 acres is not worth the hassle of trying to rent it out. If there are many weeds, only goats would be a possibility. But goats need fences capable of passing the water test- throw a bucket of water at the fence, if any goes through, it won't hold a goat.
 
If the fence will hold in a goat get a few. But as the weeds mature the goats wont like them. At least my didnt.
 
4 paddocks and pole barn, previous alpacas? if paddocks can be used in rotation, 2 to 4 Dorper sheep or Shetlands, crowd in one paddock until weeds down, then rotate to next. weeds down in rotation, at end of year or snowfall( and sheep haven't been given 'cute' names) barbecue time, knitting material or sheep skin vest time. Alternate- 2, 3 weanling pigs and weed , fertilize and plow time for next years garden patch- again rotate paddocks. smoked hams at snowfall, barbecue, etc- pigskin boots. RN
 
I know of people by me that...board...horses. Lots of them as a matter of fact. People come over every day, take care of their horses. They supply their own hay, alfalfa, oats, feed. They can purchase from the owners, but cheaper to get it themselves. The renters are responsible for stall maintenance, and there is a fee by the owner for getting rid of straw and... Water is there. You get the idea. Folks want and have horses but don't have a place of their own to keep them. There's money to be made. What does it take to setup a business and insurance? Got me, but are plenty around me that are doing just fine. I should point out however that these are farms or farmettes where the renters can ride as well.

Good luck and keep in mind that although it is said that unemployment is down under 5%, flipping burgers or boiling hotdogs at minimum wage won't support a family, and therefore isn't employed as far as I'm concerned, so make that money any way and anywhere that you can, legally, and as much of it as possible. I want to hear that your daughter and family became self made millionaires but they never will without taking or being talked out of chances.

I've seen community gardens when I'm out and about. People don't have a large enough place inside of their 5th floor apartment, want to garden, rent small 20'x20' plots. First time I saw one, about the size of a football field all fenced/penned up and out and people out in them gardening, I chuckled. Bet the land owners are chuckling all the way to the bank. Nothing like allowing someone else to build and pay your equity for you.

Mark
 
I'd hope they like some critters of their own, sheep, goat, horse. If they rent the paddock out to livestock, they will end up doing all the work and insurance anyhow. So it might as well be their critters, at least they don't have to deal with the crazy people that way.

There is something about people with no land but desperately want big critters - they see the world and their responsibilities to it a little different. Not every one of them, but a good many.

I don't think it would be a good experience by the law of averages.....

Horse boarding is $125 a month or more, and sure wouldn't be enough for me to deal with the average person..... The criter for sure, but not the average critter owner.......

Paul
 
If she would come and go right down to the barn and care for her animals that would be one thing, but in reality she will bring her three kids and her friend and friends three kids and their dog. They want to know if they can let their dog run because he has been kenneled all day. Now you have 6 kids running all around your place going in all your buildings and chasing your cats around the yard. That gets your dog all riled up and he starts barking and chasing their horse around the corral. Back and forth along the fence. Mean while their dog is running all around tearing up your garden and running out in the neighbors corn field until they can't see him anymore. Kids are climbing your apple trees and will not come to car when she calls them. They think it is funny how the kids hide from them when it is time to leave and one of them needs to use the bathroom so can they come in your house? Now it is starting to get dark and they have been there for 2 hours what should have been a 20 minute job. It's starting to get dark and you want to wind down for the day and go up to bed but can't because them people are still hanging around your place. Does this sound familiar to any of you?
 
Figure out the most expensive lawnmower you can afford, go to the bank and borrow at least three times that amount. At the end of ten years you will still have the mower ,no lawsuits ,no headaches, no mad neighbors, and no problems. What flying belgiam said is just one days problem. Then they go on vacation, can you do the chores for me? Not to mention the flys. Were does the manure go? When money gets tight you will be the last one to get paid.
 
Tom in TN, Robert Major, and Flying Belgian have it right, based on what I have seen. Buddy said it very concisely.

Garry
 
Hi Traditional farmer, I think the point guys are trying to make is the reward (payment) has to reflect the amount of hassle that goes with the job or selling something to a customer and dealing with them, if you are self employed. It would be like me selling a guy a truck with 2 million miles on, a blown motor and no brakes then giving him full warranty. it don't pencil out when he paid me $1000 for the truck and the warranty fixes could cost $10.000 as an example. It's the same with renting 1/2 acre paddocks to horse owners! Not worth the bother for the outlay and reward with most of them!.
 
Hi gmccool
Not all weeds are bad for Animals yes there are some that are poisonous but not all as some guys are saying here. I know 2 good cattle farmers that live a couple miles apart. One feeds his animals top everything and grows the finest hay going. The other isn't quite as fussy on hay. You could stand 2 animals from each herd together the cheaper guys compete equally and sometimes better.

The top notch guy was having a problem getting the animals to eat his hay once. Just for fun the other guy said I'll bring round a bale of my hay to try. The other guy got mad and said his won't eat that meadow hay alph alpha junk blend.
The bale got delivered put in another feeder in the pen, and those cattle went right to it and ate the bale in a day weeds and all. Suddenly the guy was wanting to buy hay from the other guy. I know this is true as they both say the same story in their own yards, the top notch guy admits he got schooled that day!.
 
Just because you or someone else can't work with people doesn't mean the lady that owns the land can't work with someone to make a profit.Dairy goat owners in my experience are some
the easiest folks to work with and usually take excellent care of their animals so thats the market I'd try to hit with that small amount but well fenced land.
 
I suspect your daughter's family already has plans for the paddocks, or they would not have purchased the property. Until they can get their plans in place, hiring someone to mow or bale the paddocks would be much less hassle than renting them out as pasture.

Keeping part of one of the paddocks as a fenced in garden would be very attractive to me.
 
A few sayings I live by that may apply here;

- You can not put a price on aggravation.

- Don't step in ___ and it wont stink.

- If the gain outweighs the pain then go for it.
 
Musk thistle is also good feed, if you can get the cows to try it. I threw some in the pen whenever I was at the boss's brother's place this spring. They'd eat anything green after being in a pen a while. Hoping they eat it out on pasture now, too. I know calves usually like the flowers.
 

I'm going to bet anyone who would want it is going to be a "problem" person anyways.

2 acres of land isn't much to pasture anything on.
 
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