IsaanAussie

OP, sorry for being a bit off-topic here, but your post reminded me what i used to do in the UK, [4cy pump] and perhaps some of us needed cheering up a bit, Farming for profit in Thai aint easy, Ok, enjoy the pics all, and there is more if anybody would like,

Cheers, Lickey,,

I think you are spot on Lickey

We could all use a bit of cheering up amid the day-to-day battle and you definitely brought a smile to my face.

Can you imagine the Heath Robinson gear that could be made here to spray everything with this tackle, and all at once, all of Isaan all at once. WOW. The whole village flying through the air, desparately trying to control the 1/2" output hose, guys running around with strips of inner tube sealing up leaks, dogs barking and buffalos charging. Amazing....

Thanks for the pick me up

Isaanaussie

We've just put 60 Pla Nin in our pond, so I'd like to get a decent size sack of fish food. Can anyone recommend a brand and rough price?

Thanks!

Pla Nin are plant eaters. if you have a source of rice bran (Ram) and a pond full of duck weed you can make your own feed. 50-50 mix by volume. Another option is to feed the plant life and let the fish look after themselves, ie. feed animal manures to the pond. Currently Ram costs about 10 Baht per kilo near us.

Help to send your more information if needed. PM me if you like.

Isaanaussie

Pla Nin are omnivorous with a preference for aquatic animal life , they are also screen feeders which makes them ideally suited to separate micro-organisms and phytoplankton as they take in the water and expell it through their gills, retaining the food.

The tiny duck weed is a great source of protein (up to 40 %) but should be thoroughly dried (read dead) before introducing it as food ,as if it gets loose in a pond its reproduction rate is so high that it will soon cover the surface ,cutting out light and creating many problems.

Proviso to this is that if your fish are in fine mesh hapa,s to confine the duckweed or you provide floating feeding areas to confine it also.

Ram is ok if you have a cheap source (4-5 baht kg max) but can also create problems through water souring .Fish feeding is all about protein content for your bucks and ram at 10 baht kg ,because of its low protein content (max 9%) is more expensive than paying 20 baht kg. for propriety pellets of about 22% protein .

As Isaanaussie suggests,greening you pond water by the addition of Phosphorus ( P ) in the form of animal manure or preferably 16/20/0 fertilizer will provide the conditions for micro-organisms and phytoplankton to flourish as food for your Pla Nin.

Then only a small amount ( if any ) supplimentary feeding is required for good growth.

We now use chemical fertilizer as our Phosphorus source as the P is available very quickly and quantities can be managed to prevent dangerous algae blooms.

Just for interest, and to invite comment, I offer the following:

Yesterday the wife and I visited a Thai friend who has a shrimp and fish farm. He sells his wares at a roadside stall and has an angling and barbarque area as well.

I asked him what he feeds Pla Nin, (which in anticipation of responses are very healthy, great to eat and grow as quickly as I have seen) and his answer was "Nothing". His ponds are a healthy green colour with no floating plant life.

So what's the point I am trying to make? Are we farangs with all our scientific protein and PH considerations, taking this a bit far? The friends theory is to balance the fish stock so that carnevours and omnivours all do what they do naturally, fry and fingerlings are cheap and his only occassional input.

Interested in everyone's views

Isaanaussie

I have just lost my job and been told that I have to go to Immigration with my employer so that I can have my one year Non B visa, expring July 2009, cancelled! If I do not do this I will not get back my personal documents (eg. degree etc). How long do I have to stay in the country once my visa is cancelled?

Judewil,

As far as I know you will have 7 days to clear the country. If you need/want to stay longer then you can kill two birds with one stone and do a two month tourist visa run. This can be extended by a month.

Visa runs are operated from the Sukhumvit area. Check the BP for ad's.

If there are any other complications or you have other employment prospects get some legal advice from one of the companies who advertise on the site.

Shaun,

Check out Maizefarmers posts on tractor/plough set up, should assist greatly. My tractor is much smaller so I am not the right person to advise you, but I question the size of the 3 point linkage. It appears to be a Cat 1 or 2 linkage plough and I thought yours should be larger?

Hope you get it to work, good luck.

Isaanaussie

Hi Isaanaussie

I'm just getting the hang of this forum, i've taken a look at maizefarmers topic's they go back to 2006 no mention of a plough setup topic, you wouldn't have a link would you ??

I'll goggle cat 1/2 do you mean there's a cat 3 etc ?

Cheers for the reply Shaun.

There are Category 1, 2 and 3 linkage setups. My little Iseki is Cat 1. My plough and rotary hitches measure about 24" between centres of the bottom two links. For Cat 2 and 3 hitches this dimension gets bigger. Sorry I have read most of MF's posts but haven't keep records of where and what, sorry.

It seemed to me that if the hitch is narrower than it should be then the power of the tractor combined with any offset loads on the plough maybe causing your chain to break.

Hi Mixedbreed,

Thanks for the information all the more resaon to spend some time in the area, especially Muak Lek.

I intend to chop corn stover etc.. in the field and avoid having to carry it back home to cut it. I hope to bale it onsite as well. All to do with time to process and nutrient values, as well as limited space and avoiding a mess around the house. I also do not want any more motors than I have to have and there is no electricity supply to our paddy fields.

If I could get a cutter than could feed straight into a small round baler than I will have arrived in heaven.

Regards

Isaanaussie

I am leaning towards a PTO driven cutter such as the attached Star model. Interesting to see if the guy in Muak Lek can make one of these or something like it.

isaanaussie

Star_Forage_cutter.pdf

We've just put 60 Pla Nin in our pond, so I'd like to get a decent size sack of fish food. Can anyone recommend a brand and rough price?

Thanks!

Pla Nin are plant eaters. if you have a source of rice bran (Ram) and a pond full of duck weed you can make your own feed. 50-50 mix by volume. Another option is to feed the plant life and let the fish look after themselves, ie. feed animal manures to the pond. Currently Ram costs about 10 Baht per kilo near us.

Help to send your more information if needed. PM me if you like.

Isaanaussie

Shaun,

Check out Maizefarmers posts on tractor/plough set up, should assist greatly. My tractor is much smaller so I am not the right person to advise you, but I question the size of the 3 point linkage. It appears to be a Cat 1 or 2 linkage plough and I thought yours should be larger?

Hope you get it to work, good luck.

Isaanaussie

Dear All,

I stumbled across a site from Texas that has a good library of treatment options for aquatic plants such as water lettuce. Hope it is useful to those with pond problems.

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/index/mgmt_options.htm

Isaanaussie

Dear TV Farmers,

I would like to ask if anyone has either installed a biodigester to handle animal manures, or knows of a working installation.

Most people use a pond system that I have seen but I want to make use of the processed effluent for a variety of uses. Any practical experience would be more than welcome.

Isaanaussie

Hello Isaanaussie,

I have never uploaded photo's before, so hope this works.

This is the muek Lek cutter

also an Abbriata square baler purchased from dealer in Bangkok

Almost anything is available in Thailand, just takes looking.

Most of this stuff I bought some years ago so not to upto date on latest prices.

Hopes this loads OK

Dear Mixed Breed,

Thanks for the photos, they will prove useful in explaining what I am looking for.

I notice that you have a decent herd of cattle and a lot of grassed area, both of which I do not. However the static use of the baler is something that interests me. I assume that there is a crew of people hand feeding the grass, hay and straw into it, is that correct?

If you don't mind, I would ask a few more questions about your Muek Lek cutter. What other types of crops do you use it on? Is it a flail (chains) or blade cutting machine? Is there any chop length adjustment?

By the way, your farm layout looks really great. Congratulations.

Isaanaussie

Dear MF,

Let me start at the beginning so I might benefit more from your knowledge.

I am growing rice with the family. We have plots at 12, 7, 23 and 1 rai in size. This year I will get a contractor with a combine in to harvest the crop and hope to bale the straw myself. I am also growing corn, sweet potatoes and peanuts all for product sale, as well as oil and feed outcomes. We are building a piggery which will house a total of 150 pigs, so my prime intention is to produce as much feed for the pigs as I can. All three crops produce foliage that can be ensiled and I hope to do that.

During the next dry season I want to plant further crops for feed and also other manure and forage crops on as much of the land (plus a bit I am renting) as I can get water to. Again feed is the primary objective.

Now comes the rub. I could buy forage cutter like the Star MFC2340, or a Flail harvester such as Stars MFH0930 or the Thai unit you have described. My feeling is that a 3 point mounted PTO driven cutter with the crop being cut by hand and feed in would probably be the best way to go, as it allows me to use it as a mulcher as well for vermicomposting etc...

A simple slasher deck mower, perhaps a rake/tedder along with the baler and for silage, a wrapper, will do most grass, legume type cutting I need. Green fodder can still be baled and then fed to the few cows we have as well as the pigs. Currently the Thai cows are fed almost entirely of carry over rice straw in the wet season and graze the paddy stubble in the dry. The intention is to selectively graze on smaller parts of the land on which we will grow suitable forage for them.

Obviously it is all budget driven as much as HP available. Locally the people tend to still do everything by hand and I do not believe that many would use the equipment as a service, (they all would if I offered it free).

Whatever I decide must therefore be cost effective for our own land as I am not relying on any external income.

I continue to be interested in any thoughts and opinions you may be able to offer.

Regards

Tony

PS. Tried to find the Thai guys contact details you suggested on the forum unsuccessfully but I have got his number written down somewhere here if I can find it.

Bale plastic and wrappers are avalible in Thailand - if still interested will message you details.

Dear MF,

As always thanks for the advice. I had not imagined a spoilage rate like that and as sillage was an added rather than vital part, I think it unlikely that I will be asked for more information. The vermiculture option seems a more reliable way to use the small amounts of potential sillage I will be handling. Pigs, fish and chickens eat worms.

Got any clues on a sillage cutter (local if possible)?

Again your advice is invaluable to me and I am sure many other members of this forum. Thank you.

Isaanaussie

My tractor is an Iseki TS2810 4WD and whilst the local sales people assure that the Siam baler is suitable, I doubt it.

I see from Siam's tech. spec. the power of tractor required is "at least 25HP" http://www.siambaler.com/eng%20technical%2...cifications.htm

You could try pulling mine around sometime (but out of rice straw baling season!).

Thanks PN,

I just take you up on that offer one day.

Regards

Isaanaussie

Siam baler off a TS2810 ?? - you'll need to keep the throttle set for max engine torque (rpm), but it will do the job.

If you're baling for silage can I suggest you square bale. Round bales you will have to wrap each bale individualy. Square bales and you can pack the whole lot into one sealed clamp. Just an idea.

Secondly, while the Siam baler handles dry forage matter, I have watched it run on high mositure fresh cut grass - for silage - and both myself and others watching the demo questioned the density consistancy of the bales it produced.

The Star is all round a better product, but expensive (landed in Thailand).

Out of curiosity - how many bales do you anticipate each season?

MF,

As you cab imagine there are many occasions when my little tractor is revving quite hard to get torque level up, so nothing new there.

Tightly packed bales is the target, especially for silage, so I take your point on consistency of packing. As I pointed out I want to keep the bale weight down so women can handle them easily. A wrapper is also on the shopping list as is a silage cutter. Star have these products but I will try to source locally if I can.

On bale numbers I have not worked it out exactly but offer this in response. We have a total of some 50 rai all under rice currently which we will bale this year plus I intend to grow grass and other fodder crops during the dry season on as much of that as I can get water to. The idea of baling for others has occurred to me but time will tell on that score. We are growing sweet potatoes, peanuts and corn and the stover will be chopped and baled as well.

You mentioned Star is expensive landed in Thailand, any ideas how much?

Regards

Isaanaussie

Dear Tractor Owners,

Does anyone have a small round baler here in Thailand? There are two models made by Star in Japan which interest me and are sold in the US and UK at prices far below the cost of the local square balers here. My tractor is an Iseki TS2810 4WD and whilst the local sales people assure that the Siam baler is suitable, I doubt it.

My use for the bales is a combination of feed (dry and silage) and garden mulching requirements and most of the available labour are women. Hence my restrictions are weight of the bales as well as HP of the tractor.

Any ideas welcome.

PS. I contacted IHI Star in Japan and was told Anglo Thai were the agents. Anglo Thai assured me they were not but had in Fact purchase Star equipment in the past.

Thanks man that really helps me out.

We have decided we might as well concrete the entire barn floor now at the same time, any ideas on a rough costs to concrete a 4 metre x 12.5 metre area? Just a rough guide will do, so I can judge if the local gang are playing silly buggers with numbers again.

OK 50 sq metres by 100mm thick is 5 cubic metres. Add 10% for shrinkage allowance and call the total 6 cubic metres. If they mix it on site, 4 guys at 150-200 baht per day. One day prepare, one day pour is being generous. Add the boss's wack and some mesh reinforcement, I would expect the total bill for the floor to be well under 18,000 baht.

As a gauge, we dig 20 600*600*600 post holes by hand, and put a footing of concrete 100mm thick in the bottom of the hole in one day, four guys at 150 baht each a day. I own the concrete mixer but they can be rented at less than 600 baht per day. Last offer to rent mine was in 2006 at 400 per day to make the concrete road in the village.

If you need more information PM me.

Isaanaussie

A last comment from personal experience.

Think of pest control, and not just the night watchmen. I remember my time in Indonesia where my fridge was worth more than I paid the gatekeeper and the difference was made up by the guy who robbed the place and had the watchman help him load it onto the truck. Valueables inside, guards outside, no keys. Make sure that rats and birds can't get in either.

Thanks man that really helps me out.

We have decided we might as well concrete the entire barn floor now at the same time, any ideas on a rough costs to concrete a 4 metre x 12.5 metre area? Just a rough guide will do, so I can judge if the local gang are playing silly buggers with numbers again.

OK 50 sq metres by 100mm thick is 5 cubic metres. Add 10% for shrinkage allowance and call the total 6 cubic metres. If they mix it on site, 4 guys at 150-200 baht per day. One day prepare, one day pour is being generous. Add the boss's wack and some mesh reinforcement, I would expect the total bill for the floor to be well under 18,000 baht.

As a gauge, we dig 20 600*600*600 post holes by hand, and put a footing of concrete 100mm thick in the bottom of the hole in one day, four guys at 150 baht each a day. I own the concrete mixer but they can be rented at less than 600 baht per day. Last offer to rent mine was in 2006 at 400 per day to make the concrete road in the village.

If you need more information PM me.

Isaanaussie

Hi folks,

I need to construct a secure lock-up and place for a night guard to hang out, some problems with things going missing out on my young ladies farm at night.

There is already a kind of barn structure, and we are thinking just build something under the roof of that, mainly for the shade really.

So we need to build something that is a 4 metres square, and 2.5 meters high, it needs to be concrete or similar (blocks?) with a single door and windows (no glass just shutters) in each of the 4 walls, the roof needs to be flat, and does not need to be completely waterproof, as the roof of the barn above will keep it dry.

Any ideas on cheap construction methods and what we should be paying to have this built? The local construction team seem to be quoting for something that must be coming with a swimming pool and be at least 4 times the size.

Thanks in advance.

Mac,

I am currently building a large pig sty and I would suggest you use a similar technique as I have used. Basically four concrete posts set on concrete pads and then a concrete beam running around the perimeter. The floor is poured onto the top and the roof can be made of steel (as I have done) or timber. The walls are simply made of concrete blocks and rendered (sharped) with the door and window frames included as the walls are built. Roofing in corrugated iron is the cheapest. Take a look at local structures for a few clues. There is a web site www.coolthaihouse.co.th or .com which includes photos of house construction methods which will give you a lot of information.

Sourcing precast concrete posts is simple from any of the local building supply yards and they range in price depending on size. If you have family members capable of digging a hole you should get them to do it as it will save some 30% over getting a local "builder".

Price indications are:

Concrete posts (5" square) 3m long either for bolted roof attachments or with exposed reinforcing for welding on the roof structure are about 420 Baht each.

Concrete reinforcing wire (1/4" to 3/8" dia should do the trick for you) 1/4" is the last I bought and runs about 140 baht for a ten metre length.

Concrete blocks are currently 6 baht each near us. (used to be 3 baht)

Cement ranges from 110 baht to 140 per bag depending on brand and type.

Sand and gravel run about 5-6000 baht per 6Q or 6 cubic metres.

Alternately you can get ready mixed concrete delivered at about 2000-2500 baht per cub metre.

Roofing iron is currently 20baht per linear foot and covers 700mm per panel.

Steel frame depends of the design but I would assume you will use a 100 mm or 75mm "C" section attached to the posts and 4*2" timber as battens at 1 metre centres. Checks local prices but last 75mm c sestion I bought for about 450 per 6 metre length.

Door frames were about 600 Baht and windows a bit less. Haven't bought any for a long time.

Hope all that helps

Isaanaussie

Hold the phone, I just found the flyer on Talaythong tractor, the post hole digger they sell looks like the attached photo. The phone is 043 721 405. they also have a site: www.talaythong.co.th I don't know if it works or not. Will try to scan later, going out now.

rice555

Rice,

That's the type I'm looking for. The pantograph arms allow the extra depth of hole. Thanks.

Isaanaussie

Hello Isaan Aussie, from the looks of the one in JerryPara pix's, it looks like the one that the one the Thai made tractor "Nagano" had in the showroom across the street from The Mall Korat. The P/N 044-837-179, fax 044-837-179. On the price list I have it's Bt.25,000. and they listed a backhoe attachment for Bt.189,000.

Back in Feb. at the ag fair at KKU, the other Thai tractor "Thang Tha-le" or Sea Gold(or gold sea??) had an posthole digger like I used in the US. I think they were asking Bt.40,000. They had 8" and 12". They had a one of the tractors(yellow) next door to the Kubota/Iveco dealer, will try to get P/N tomorrow as I pass by on the way in to town.

rice555

Thanks Rice and Jerry,

I have been checking around and the units similiar to those in the photos all seem to be limited to around 500mm drill depth. I am trying to get a deeper digging depth and have seen pictures of a pantograph style frame which allows up to a metre of penetration, yet to be proven. There is a manufacturer in Chonburi apparently and I will try to contact them. As usual plenty of units available overseas but not so easy to find here. Will let you know any results.

Isaanaussie

I now have a little sticker shock as far as the iron buffalo diesels. The new generation has direct injection and they are supposed to be 25 percent more efficient as far as fuel. Some dealers actually tell you that the old models are more efficient. A ten HP new generation will cost about 38,000 baht. A Kubota tractor frame with the new generation transmission, three forward gears and reverse costs about 28,000 baht plus buying the implements. Anyways it looks like I will be spending nearly 70,000 baht rather than the 50,000 I planned on.

It's all out go and no income so far. I guess that at least my wife will have the equipment and land to make a living if she throws me out or I die. It's worth something to know that she won't starve to death.

Getting a good "Mai Pen Rai" feeling never hurt anyone. Having a new toy and the freedom to choice it is one of the things that attracts me to Thailand. Keep up the smile.

I just purchased a tractor and all the bits and pieces and am really looking forward to getting into the mud myself.

Isaanaussie

Hi

I´m from Sweden and are a totally beginner in this forum and to farming. On 7 rai outside Ubon Ratchathani i want to design a edible forest garden according to Mr. Robert Harts ideas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hart_(forest_gardener)

http://www.risc.org.uk/garden/roberthart.html

So far so god, but now to my problem. All the books i read about this topics is from experience in europe. And i have no idea if this tree, schubs etc is possible to plant in Thailand? I have like millions question but i start only with one in this forum.

Is there anyone in this forum who have experiense of forest ore woodland gardening in Thailand?

Dear FG,

Good luck with your project. My only advice is check the water availability situation. Not much will grow in the dry season without it.

Isaanaussie

Hello,

Can someone please provide contacts for autmotive parts, accessories, chemical/cleaners to start an auto parts store.

I'm not in Thailand, but would like to get parts from there or business association for auto parts store in cambodia.

Thanks in advance,

Sok

If you would like to PM me with the type of parts you are looking for I will be happy to pass it on the the Thai Parts Association export group.

Where I used to work in Huddersfield, there was a pigeon problem. So one fine day one of the gaffers had a great idea. Catch the birds, and cart them off to Liverpool and release them. The birds were back in Huddersfield to their nests and mates before the captors.

Hence their name......'Homing Pigeons'............hahahahahahaha.........that is a typical English local authority 'stupid' idea.........lol....

My problem persists, if not increases. I managed to kill three I caught in a building by whacking them with the brush, I had a local boy in with his rat gun, he got five, but this hasn't scratched the surface; there now seems to be more. I am going to try to rig a trap up. The s##t they deposit is a major problem, it is everywhere & masses of it. I am actually washing down 'empty' buildings daily. The s##t brings the ants, it is a real problem! I am becomming paranoid.

With due care for the pigs, have you tried firecrackers? The locals here use them in empty market buildings. Seems to keep them away for a while after two or three loud bangs.