Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

Cute goats!

Sounds like it is time to stop driving for the Amish. Isn't worth the time, money and energy. Not to mention if you got into a car accident or something with them in it. Plus while it is nice not to report income, you could always get caught and then there are fines and everything. If you are going to do a business, stick to what you love. A business is too much work not to enjoy what you are doing. I know. That is why I have decided that this is my last year for alpacas. I just don't enjoy them anymore and the time isn't worth it.

Last year for Alpacas?! *gasp*

I'd be thrilled to just have one pair, but we just don't have the set up for them.

 

[ksalvagno]

Believe me, in this market alpacas aren't worth it. The amount of time for the cria to grow before it can leave mom is around 6 months. The market in Ohio is also sooooo saturated with alpacas that people can hardly give them away. Not to mention that you have to have them shorn every year and unless you have high quality fleece and know your market, you make about as much as a sheep fleece which isn't much. Not to sound down on the industry but the alpaca industry needs to go in the finished product direction with the fleece. Money is not in selling offspring anymore. I loved being in alpacas and don't regret it at all but after 14 years, I'm tired and burned out.

However, I'm loving being in Nigerian Dwarf goats. I'm having no problems selling kids and they are gone by 8 weeks old. I also like that they are friendly and want your attention. After getting the goats, I did become more and more dissatisfied with alpacas.

 

[BeccaOH]

Believe me, in this market alpacas aren't worth it. The amount of time for the cria to grow before it can leave mom is around 6 months. The market in Ohio is also sooooo saturated with alpacas that people can hardly give them away. Not to mention that you have to have them shorn every year and unless you have high quality fleece and know your market, you make about as much as a sheep fleece which isn't much. Not to sound down on the industry but the alpaca industry needs to go in the finished product direction with the fleece. Money is not in selling offspring anymore. I loved being in alpacas and don't regret it at all but after 14 years, I'm tired and burned out.

However, I'm loving being in Nigerian Dwarf goats. I'm having no problems selling kids and they are gone by 8 weeks old. I also like that they are friendly and want your attention. After getting the goats, I did become more and more dissatisfied with alpacas.

And you can milk them.

QA - cut off the drive jobs. Your mental state will be better for focusing your energy into other money makers and your home and your own health. Change your phone number. Stay friends with J and S, but stop running yourself nuts for others. Put out the word (even a roadside sign if you have to ) that you are out of business.

 

[freemotion]

They grumble every time we raise our rates, and we usually only raise it by a nickel.

I'm actually looking forward to NOt picking up the guy in the morning - flat tire, ya know

But yea, they all grumble about the price. And when we told them we're thinking of charging X amount for gas, plus mileage on top of that, we got less calls for work.

I didn't even tell ya'll about this one:

When we got back from Mount Hope on Friday, before hightailing it to Rogers, I checked the machine. 14 messages, and all but 2 were Amish! Not only Amish, but the SAME Amish man! He called every 30 minutes! To top that off, my mom said he then hires a driver to bring him to my house to see if we were home because he wanted to go to Carrollton that evening.

On Saturday, again at Mount Hope but E was home, he said the same thing happened. Nearly 20 calls and all were Amish.

If I tell them I'm staying home because I want to be there when my kids get home, or we have company etc. they get a tone that implies they are really put out with us.

It's a no win for us. We feel like they expect us to put our lives on hold for them. One guy even got upset that a round trip to Rogers with us driving would cost him $65 where another local guy was already going up, so he got to ride for free. He thinks he should get to ride for free with us, too, just because he knows I frequent the Auction.

I don't think so. If I have to drive Amish up and can't leave when I want to, they's better plan to pay!

Oh, and free, we had thought about the by the hour charge, but one Amish guy flat out said, "Good luck getting anyone to pay for both miles and by the hour."

Then we thought $10 a person - because if it's a $30 trip (just example) they'll get 2 or 3 others to go with them and split the cost. You might haul 6 and get paid $30, but they each only pay $5. Doesn't feel like you made much.

And then they want to smoke in the vehicle! I nearly put one out of the car halfway to their destination over that one. Another got mad because I told him I didn't allow tobacco products of any kind in my car. Including snuff/chew. Oh well.

And half of them leave their trash!! I told one guy I'm going to start charging a clean up fee if they don't pick up after themselves.

It's just too much headache. We've already had one guy call here 3 times this morning. We said No, I have a dr. appointment we're going to town - and he got disgusted.

And really, they don't allow their wives to work outside the home if there are children in the home, so why should I drive them while I have children in the home?

And then there are a couple who think because we're "friends" they shouldn't have to pay as much. :/

All of this is why you need a rate sheet. It will shut them up, and they will either pay up or go somewhere else. Yes, the work will dry up, but when they are desperate, they'll call you and you'll get a rate that keeps you happy.

Extra fees for ATTEMPTING to light up in your car ($10 for lighting it, $50 for each drag). Extra for trash. Extra for each body over two, for example. That includes children....anyone who takes up a seat, just like public transportation. A rate sheet would stop all the grumbling.....hand them the sheet and tell them to look it over. Tell them that your "husbandly owner" wrote up the sheet and that you must obey him. Politely give them another name and then smile and walk into your house and close the door, or say "Think about it and call me back if you still want to use my services" then say goodbye and hang up. You have to train clients. I learned this the hard way, but no one gives me trouble anymore and hasn't for a long time.

 

[keljonma]

Believe me, in this market alpacas aren't worth it. The amount of time for the cria to grow before it can leave mom is around 6 months. The market in Ohio is also sooooo saturated with alpacas that people can hardly give them away. Not to mention that you have to have them shorn every year and unless you have high quality fleece and know your market, you make about as much as a sheep fleece which isn't much. Not to sound down on the industry but the alpaca industry needs to go in the finished product direction with the fleece. Money is not in selling offspring anymore. I loved being in alpacas and don't regret it at all but after 14 years, I'm tired and burned out.

However, I'm loving being in Nigerian Dwarf goats. I'm having no problems selling kids and they are gone by 8 weeks old. I also like that they are friendly and want your attention. After getting the goats, I did become more and more dissatisfied with alpacas.

And you can milk them.

QA - cut off the drive jobs. Your mental state will be better for focusing your energy into other money makers and your home and your own health. Change your phone number. Stay friends with J and S, but stop running yourself nuts for others. Put out the word (even a roadside sign if you have to ) that you are out of business.

I agree with Becca.... is it worth the extra stress and car repairs?

Sorry to hear you had another flat tire. I can only imagine how frustrating this has been for you with 2 flats in one week due to horseshoe nails.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Dr.s appt went well. She told me nothing to worry with the Fifths disease. And when I told her we put hydrocortizone cream on it and it cleared up, she said Oh it's not fifths then, because cream doesn't clear it up

BUT - I'm not due on September 16 - nope. I'm due September 23!!!!!!!!

So now I have another week to go...ugh.

But, on the bright side, an extra week to get the girls' room done!

AND maybe I'll get lucky, go into labor on my own, and go so fast that there's no time for a c-section!!

AND my Dr. said as long as we have all doors and windows open, I can help paint the nursery!!!

AND we need a wheel bearing for the van, and we found a place today where we can get one 1/2 price - as soon as we have the $ to get it! (fixing tire first I think)

 

[emilosevich]

Hope you do go really quick and no c-section.

 

[PamsPride]

My brother hauls the Amish. He works for someone. So Jr, his boss, sets up all of the pricing and such. He HAS to be able to cover his gas, his driver, repairs, and make a little something for himself so he has set fees. My brother gets real impatient with the take me here and there and sit and wait thing. He has a regular route and it is set up such that they have a half day on Friday of work and then he runs them around until the time they would have normally worked putting him home at the same time it usually does. Let me tell you if it goes 10 minutes past his normal time he starts grumbling! LOL! I have also heard that they leave trash and smoke. The smoking drives my brother crazy and they still do it. After my brother got a cell phone the boss started calling the guys on it!! My brother likes working for someone else because then all he has to say is "Talk to Jr and work it out with him and then he will let me know what I am to do."
When my dad would clean out the garbage when he was hauling I told him I would probably get out of the van at the last stop and throw it all out onto the ground! He just laughed and told me that they would not hire me back again! If I were driving smoking would NOT be allowed! They WOULD get left on the side of the road! But then again I do not need a hauling job and the wear and tear on my vehicle. If I was in the position that I NEEDED the money it might be a whole 'nother story.

 

[keljonma]

Dr.s appt went well. She told me nothing to worry with the Fifths disease. And when I told her we put hydrocortizone cream on it and it cleared up, she said Oh it's not fifths then, because cream doesn't clear it up

BUT - I'm not due on September 16 - nope. I'm due September 23!!!!!!!!

So now I have another week to go...ugh.

But, on the bright side, an extra week to get the girls' room done!

AND maybe I'll get lucky, go into labor on my own, and go so fast that there's no time for a c-section!!

AND my Dr. said as long as we have all doors and windows open, I can help paint the nursery!!!

AND we need a wheel bearing for the van, and we found a place today where we can get one 1/2 price - as soon as we have the $ to get it! (fixing tire first I think)

Okay, the baby might be born a bit later than you thought; but honestly I have never heard of a doctor getting the date right unless it was scheduled c-section. Just remember, I am out of town the last week of October and the first week of November....so don't stall too long.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I got a blister!!

I had to re-vamp the chick brooders and put smaller hardware cloth over the chicken wire I had used because newly hatched ducklings can fit through chicken wire

Then I fixed up a temporary bantam pen for the adult Bantam Salmon Faverolles. Moved them out of their temporary crate, and they seemed much happier!

Cleaned the chick brooders, then I cleaned out the crate the Favs had been in, and put a juvenile pair of Favs out of the teenage chick pen into the crate. Gives them more room to grow.

I did a count today. I have enough pullets and cockerels to have 4 pairs of Bantam Favs (counting the adult pair) with 1 extra cockerel. I guess I better hope to hatch him a girl, huh? LOL

E and I discussed a future chicken barn - pole barn style with a dirt floor. I've had rat problems when the pens have a floor, so we're going back to dirt.

Hope to build it out off the current coop, and have enough space to divide off into 2 or 3 coops. I still need to separate the Coronation Splits from my Blue Laced Reds, and I need a spot for LF Cochins (when I get another roo) and BBS Orps.

Plus, I am have LF Faverolles coming up - so they'll need a pen....

and LF Wheaten Marans.................

and I'm hoping to add Bantam Mille Fleur Cochins that Becca hatched.............

And I'm hoping to add Bantam Russian Orloffs (again, Becca's fault! she tempted me!)

and BBS Ameracauna again from Becca.....

and I'm getting her Buff Orps................

and we have the turkeys coming up................

and guinea eggs that i got from mt. hope.............

and a local friend said he's going to give me a pair of Mandarin ducks as my "baby shower gift" and some pheasants.............



Should I stop now???????????????