IsaanAussie

Dear Member of Thailand Forum"Farming"

may you could help me again?

We started on our Farm with Corn silage.We got a excellente feed stuff as well.But I need a lot of Thai Locals for press the cutted corn into the plastic drums.

Now I found on the web side:www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/silage/Chin1/Silage-1.htm a power point presentation which show some guys with a kind of hydraulic press.

If some of you know , where I could buy or order this kind of mechanic stuff,please be so kindly to give me this Info forward!?

Best regards

Waterbuffalofarm

Dear WBF,

I offer two suggestions: 1. Talk to the local Agricultural college. 2. Make or have one made, the local junk yard will have the motor, hydraulic cylinder, pump and tank and a vacuum pump would not be hard to find. Framework is easy to fabricate. You may get lucky and find an old bale press which could be adapted to suit your drums.

The trick would be to gradually compact the material, layer by layer. This means you would need to partly fill the drum and then press, then fill again etc.. Designing the system of fill, press, fill etc would become important as far as labour in concerned.

Perhaps some sort of screw conveyor/press would be worth a look.

By the way thanks for the link it is an interesting presentation. Slide 11 shows the way I am leaning, baling and wrapping. The gear used there is available in Thailand.

I am very interested in your project and ask that you continue to post on your progress. Photos would be great. Good luck.

Isaanaussie

Ok, 60 odd reads but no replies. What does that tell me? Too expensive? No needs?

I would suggest that if you are thinking of buying a baler then you check the Star models out. They are about 100,000 to 130,000 baht cheaper than the SIAM models I have looked at. With more harvesters around, a baler will be more important. No more piles of straw shot out of the truck mounted threshing machines.

Anyway, if anyone has alternatives I would appreciate your recommendations please....

Isaanaussie

thats what i was thinking , i bought from b and q in the uk for around 100 pound did the job, we have had the oil drum for years, went to an electric grill but found it was knocking up the electric bill, anyway will keep looking

cheers

BBQ Fans,

I purchased a heavy duty stainless steel BBQ with a steel hotplate from a supplier located under the Rangsit Macro store (in the car park) a few years ago for 6,000 baht. It is dimensionally similar to the one photographed earlier here. It doesnt have the legs or lid, but apart from the plastic knobs falling apart it is great. Two burner, oil drawer...... Can run at temperatures close to hades....

Isaanaussie

Thanks issanaussie,

Will look up,theres a bussiness where i come from called cabinatta yabbys who export all over the world.

Wouldnt be for commerical purposes,just a few on the bbq.I am not into import/export but would be good to get some here to breed up.Easy to look after ,feed them soya beans and would grow like hel_l in this climate.

From a little town called jerramungup on the south coast in western australia

FJ,

I think you are right, they would get to be enormous here.

Can you imagine the fear you could conjure up amongst the Thais in the Mobahn with a "Big Banana" size model of a yabbie set up near your pond and the skull and cross bones sign next to it. Tell them "This is a small one, you should see them when they grow up!" "But its the ghost yabbies you really have to look out for". "One dragged our biggest pig into the pond last week, bloody hungry buggers. They are also very protective of their young, you wouldn't want to try and take any little ones out of that pond mate. SNAP, there goes your arm."

Hook, line and sinker..... Come in Spinner... Up-along, down-along, belong-along

Hi all,

Just wondering is there anybody growing yabbys or kunacs in thailand?

(a yabby is similar to a prawn)

Thanks farmerjo

FJ,

There was a guy who either started or was at least planning a yabbie farm here around about 1999-2000. Cant remember the details but you may be able to find out by contacting Austrade at the Oz Embassy. I used to work there at the time but was not personally involved. I currently live in a large fresh water prawn growing area and see no reason why yabbies would not do well.

Isaanaussie

I have noticed a lot of the local councils run belaras tractors,not sure on hp but they must have some service backup from somewhere?

Farmerjo,

There are often incentives in developing nations for people in decision making positions to make less than the best, or "shaky" purchasing choices. I am sure that the deals were sweet, hopefully the service etc.. will be as well. For me, I would need to see it for myself. Yes I admit to becoming a bit of a cynic. Been burnt too often,

Isaanaussie

Hi Isaan Aussie

See the attachment.If it is helpful to you let me know. I took it from 22nd September's some Thai newspaper.

best regards

ALI

Thanks for the input Ali,

These plastic bag digesters are not what I am looking for. The thought of Thai supervision and a plastic bag full of pig sh-t and explosive methane gas, isn't something I care to fall asleep thinking about. For me concrete dome underground.

Isaanaussie

I'm in Belgium, Holland and the UK for the next week or so - will chase this up with details for you when I get back on the 23rd (Sept).

Just afriendly nudge in the ribs. Hope it doesn't effect the bio digestion? ... Appreciate any guidance

I had a potato in the refrigerator that had sprouted. It was a fairly large potato. I cut it in half and made two mounds of dirt. It is good dirt in that area. The plant grew nicely and I fertilized it some.

When the green tops started to whither, I took my bucket and shovel to dig up the mounds. I simply couldn't believe that there were absolutely NO potatoes. Not even marble size. NONE!

If the original was a Tesco potato it obviously had corporate homing instincts generically built in. You should have marked the bits somehow so they would be reproduced on the offspring and you could make a scene in the local supermarket.

Check the status on the nearby dung beetles etc.. are they smiling? Guess where the spuds have gone?

Besides, Tesco potatoes make lousey chips!

I have been doing some checking on small HP tractor implements for my 28HP Iseki and found some interesting stuff from Star in Japan. If anyone is looking for a small round baler, bale wrapper, drum mower, flail mower for silage, forage cutter attached is current local pricing.

Send me a PM if you would like the details.

Isaanaussie

I forgot the hired in tractor price on my labour/costs list,

400bht a rai with a 4disc, we use the same fella everytime, the driver is not the owner,

Where possible he will disc as deep as possible, and while he has a break or does another bit, thats when we spread the bat guano, then he comes back to crosscut,

Another rai he will do in the rubber trees, so to do 1 rai twice, i presume he should charge for 2rai?

In fact if this is right, he done 5rai for 850bht, plus of course a bag of goodies [beers bacy sweets for his kids]total 120bht.

When we went to the yard to pay, i saw a big diesel tank with no meter,,, ,,,

So i suppose its a plus for us to find someone whoes willing to go the extra mile for a drink ect, but not good news for you farmers who hire out machinery with a thai opo.

All our labour is casual, we have a regular gatekeeper/turnkey who lives opposite the only vehicle access to the farm, he gets about 10% of the papaya profit by helping the market lady picking and bagging ect.

Since i posted our farm labour bills and prices, only MF has said its about right, he runs a very big operation, and obviously has got it all worked out.

So what about you smaller farmers like me, what do you pay?

Thanks, Lickey..

Lickey,

We only have 16 Rai that we call our own and another 50 odd that belongs to the family. So I suppose that qualifies me as a small farmer. Further we are located in Sisaket which is definitely at the lower end of the income and wealth scale. I have made every one of the "mistakes" stated in this thread at some stage or other, and I am sure I'm not alone. I would offer this, take a step back and understand we are in Thailand with all it's cultural differences, things are a lot better if you try to work with what you have rather than what you had at home.

My wifes brother and her brother in law now organise all the labour and supervise the important jobs. This is after the three of us have discussed (lots of sketching, pointing and hand gestures) and agreed what is to be done. They know the people and the needs of the individuals in the village so their judgement is much better than mine when it comes to keeping everyone happy. I feel this is key to farangs such as myself, not doing the worrying about details, but keeping your eye on the objective. We all know that something will go wrong each day that needs to be fixed and I find getting it fixed quickly helps with the quality issue. Knowing that Mai Pen Rai is not good enough, that there is always tomorrow and that it is not a race against the clock, usually means I get what I am hoping for.

On the costs. Simple. 150 baht per day flat, no meals. Specialist skills are negotiated "Mot" total cost and final payments are negotiated by the BIL. I do not get involved in payments any more. All discussions on pricing are done privately inside the house, family only.

A few recent "growing pains".

I am building a 25x12 metre Bahn Moo. 60 Concrete posts 3 mtres long needed to be erected, firstly finding that number of sow chems that were anywhere near seasoned wasn't possible so most arrived as green concrete. Three ended up cracked somewhere between delivery and erection but they were duly planted anyway. Logic they are too expensive to waste. Reaction breakup the concrete footing and dig them out before it gets any harder. What about the broken posts? Cut them up and use them for floor piles at the low end and I will not have to buy special ones. No the neighbours cant have them.

Secondly. Just had the old house painted by a couple of handymen. Job finished and looked great so they asked if they shouldn't use up the last bit of paint. OK was the answer. The result was a 2 metre square blob of the wrong colour stain right in the middle of the FRONT wall of the house. Reaction, no I will not buy more paint to cover it up, tell him that every time he rides past he can see what a great painter he is. Mai Pen Rai.

And lastly roofing with corrugated iron or "Sun Co Se". Good luck in staying sane, I offer a new name for this stuff, "Suck It and See".

Isaanaussie

After searching and asking all over Chiang Mai for years [delayed by the bird flu scare], I finally found the connection for egg laying chickens and received 20 Rhode Island Red crossed with [what he called] 'redhorn'.

I googled 'redhorn' chickens and couldn't find them....maybe he means 'brown leg horns'??

anyway, they arrived jammed 10 to a box but seem healthy and strong after the 8+hr journey from BKK. Seller says they are 16-18 weeks old and will start laying in a month.

Now, i'm wondering [thinking ahead] about crossing them with a local breed to toughen them up and bring back some of the 'broodiness' that have been bred out of them. I have a choice so far of the local Thai variety and a neighbor has some bantam roosters.

naturally, I want to maintain as much of the high egg production qualities of the 'factory chickens' and may search harder to find a 'factory rooster'.

Any other backyard chicken farmers out there??

Any ideas or suggestions????

I have acquired 30 odd good looking "brown short leg" chickens from a fellow member of this site. I have exact same sort of issues. I have my eye on a Kelloggs Cornflakes rooster that is always busy in the family yard. My birds should start laying in the next few weeks. My intention is to establish a laying flock of 300 birds. Building a chicken palace shortly. Big motive is the manure which will go into animal feed. Trials start soon.

Good luck

Many NZ shearers travelled to Oz to get jobs. One day an unemployed Aussie shearer thought he would turn the tables so he went to Kiwi-ville and hit the long paddock looking for work.

He turns up at one farmhouse, knocks on the door and is greeted by the missus. "Yeah?" she asks. "Looking for a bitta work missus, wheres the boss?" "Down the shed."

When he gets to the shearing shed, the Aussie is greeted with an eyeful of this Kiwi absolutely chockas up this sheep. "Oh Sorry boss.. didn't mean to interrupt.. just lookin fa'a bit shearing." Aussie stammers out.

Kiwi snaps back at him,"Well if you think I'm "sheering" this one with you, your nuts.."

I thought I would offer a solution here for the impatient amongst us.

It's, near as I can figure called an umbrella tree, and grows within seconds of being planted. Tesco, Carrefour and other major chains have them in stock now, not cheap at a few hundred baht, but they come with a steel stake and you simply drive into into the dirt and run your hand vertically up the trunk. Instant shade of several square metres.

I saw one being demonstrated but did not have the time to observe it's growth rate after planting. I am told that the amount of shade has something to do with the position of the sun?

That seems opposite to the tree i have, ive watered and manured it for years, but it never grows! its a lavortree..

On a more serious note, banana is a quick growing plant, the larger varieties will grow to 4mtrs in a year and produce fruit, if you let all the suckers grow, these can be used to plant on ect, Clean leaves can be used as a food wrap for cooking and some things will grow in the shade, if you want year round fruiting, they will need water in the dry seaon,

What do you need the shade for?

Cheers, Lickey.

Your Lavor Tree is a complete waste of time Lickey. You could fertilise that for years and it will not grow any bigger. They seem able to gobble up as much sh-t as you can give them. And there are potential problems in the root system of these trees, they can completely clog up your land. The reason they do not grow is most of the nutrients are expelled through the root system, just like a drainage system from a septic tank, same symptoms.

Our farm has a high clay content in the soil and it will only absorb a certain amount of water, white, grey or black. Be it septic tank or Lavor Tree the result would be the same. Pay some Nong 200baht to pump it out, grub out the tree, and plant an umbella tree in its stead. Cool shade, no sh-t

Isaanaussie

Two bulls are admiring the female herd down the hillside. One, the elder, is lying in the shade under a tree, the younger is parading, snorting and scratching the hillside with horn and hoof. "Come on", says the youngster. "Lets run down the hill and make love to a cow". The old bull lifts his head casually and says," Nar, lets walk down and do the lot"

Two farmers are admiring the ladies down the hillside laying in the sun. The elder farmer, is lying in the shade under a tree, the younger is feeling the sap raising as he sees the beauties below. "Come on", says the youngster. "Let's run down the hill and make love to one of those ladies". The older farmer lifts his head casually and says, "Nar, let's walk down to the travel agent, book a flight to Pattaya and do the lot there."

Hey this is fun, OK Cuban its your turn to go first and my turn to "turn it around"

I thought I would offer a solution here for the impatient amongst us.

It's, near as I can figure called an umbrella tree, and grows within seconds of being planted. Tesco, Carrefour and other major chains have them in stock now, not cheap at a few hundred baht, but they come with a steel stake and you simply drive into into the dirt and run your hand vertically up the trunk. Instant shade of several square metres.

I saw one being demonstrated but did not have the time to observe it's growth rate after planting. I am told that the amount of shade has something to do with the position of the sun?

Two Cows standing in a field, "Have you heard about this Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, they're calling it 'Mad' Cow Disease" - the other replies - "Doesn't affect me - I'm a helicopter!"

Two bulls are admiring the female herd down the hillside. One, the elder, is lying in the shade under a tree, the younger is parading, snorting and scratching the hillside with horn and hoof. "Come on", says the youngster. "Lets run down the hill and make love to a cow". The old bull lifts his head casually and says," Nar, lets walk down and do the lot"

The type of pump depends on what your water source is,for instance if you have access to a creek then a long-tail pump powered by the buffalo is as about as cheap and efficient as you can get.

Just tried to translate with my dictionary and I got some weird answers but I guess it's what I'm looking for. Do you have pictures of a long-tail pump, it would probably be clearer for me.

The way this forum is going, we will soon have enough material to write "Hobby farming in Thailand for dummies"

Pierrot - atteched below is a pic of your pump.

MF

Where do I get one of those? Any idea of budget

I remember an interview with Peter Sellers. He was retelling a story of a night he and Spike Milligan went to a fancy dress ball dressed in gorilla costumes. After a very boozy night they disappeared into the night in Seller's sports car and next morning found themselves parked up against a five bar farm gate in Sommerset, perhaps.

Leaning over the gate was a farmer dressed in traditional smock, straw hat and baling twine around his calves holding his trouser legs up. Straw in his mouth.

Milligan (who can speak the lingo) steps out of the car, "Arrrh,Arrrh gad mornin squire. Yar know whar I's at?" Staring at this talking gorilla and the car driving gorilla, he responds, "Dunno whart yar be, but yar be right ere"

A 747 whispers overhead and the farmer continues, "Dunno whart the wurlds cumin to, whart with g'rillas drivin cars and all that tackle up there."

I can't read & I can't write,

But that don't really matter,

Cos I come from Suffolk,

& I can drive a tractor.

Spend some time in the West country a long time ago. A devonian farmer walked into my local and ordered a pint of farmhouse scrumpy. Half disappeared in a gulp followed by a loud passage of wind.

Turning to the assemblied clientele he chanted

I like zider

Cos it makes I fart

And when I's fart,

I's know I's 'ealthy

Hello

I am interested in purchasing Rice from Thailand in Bulk, perhaps Jasmine rice.

If you know of any farmers who have stock available, please email me

[email protected]

There are many exporting companies in Thailand, my advise would be to contact one of them (yellow pages).

For those who suddenly have $ signs spinning in front of their eyes ,I would say tread lightly, there are some things it is better not to get mixed up in and this smells like one of them.

I could not agree more. Selling in a bulk lot (sip lor load) of some 17 ton to a Bangkok dealer is a completely different thing to getting through all the BS of exporting.

I'd be happy to supply directly to some exporting company but unlikely to compete against the "well connected" professional exporters

Isaanaussie

Hello

I am interested in purchasing Rice from Thailand in Bulk, perhaps Jasmine rice.

If you know of any farmers who have stock available, please email me

[email protected]

This would be imported to US

What sort of volumes are you talking about? Where I live is one of the centres for Hom Mali, this years crop will be late as the rains have been delayed. New season rain fed rice will be available November December.

Regards

Isaanaussie

Holden Premier !

Niiiiiiice

Its the 6cyl moderl... 202 Engine

I can tell by the size of the exhaust.

Would be awesome ripping around the countryside of Thailand in a 253 or 308 !

Vrrrm Vrrrrm !

I think you will find that both are 4 cylinder models. Holdens exported CKD kits into many countries in SEA for contract assembly. Here the import duty on engine sizes above 2.4 Litres was prohibitive so they used the 2L Torana engine. At the time the full range of Holden engines were basically interchangeable as the mounts were all placed in the same position and at the same angle (obviously some detail differences). I have seen these vehicles here and in Indonesia, if you fancy a leisurely drive then get one. If you want to get somewhere "this week" a little better power to weight is needed.

Isaanaussie

Note: If you have the cash, how about a HSV 6L V8 Beaut Ute? I can do... new or used...

Not horse manure but cow manure - yes, I have one and use it to produce produce hot water and run generators.

The processed efluent (slurry) is sprayed onto forage grass fields.

I think it should be A-Maizing Farmer. Why did I think you would be amongst the candidates?

What type of digester and volumes are you running MF?

I am planning a dome system, with sand filteration/seperation of the effluent. Influent will be from the pig sty. I am interested in your gas storage and usage for both electricty and hot water, any details would help.

Isaanaussie

...... some Barramundi we are trying to grow with Pla Nin.

The Barra,s are supposed to initially have a growth rate similar to Pla Nin,but ours are performing far better than expectations, having attained about 1.4 kg in 9 months.

Now you have my undevided attention.

I have heard of Barra being grown here in brackish waters near the coast, but never actually seen any. Very interested in where they came from and what conditions they are thriving in. Tell me more, please.

Isaanaussie