Oliver Miniature Acres

Oliver Miniature Acres

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Tips on Getting Started

12 Jan 2014

Fencing

I would recommend a field fence. It's more economical than goat or no climb horse wire. Although not as predator proof, it keeps them all in. Barbed wire works if it's tight and has enough stands, but the calves tend to roll underneath it or walk through it. If your neighbor has large cattle he would appreciate your bull not coming over to visit and you will not want his breeding your tiny cows. 
  • Update this website does an amazing job on how to build fence!
  • Great video 
1. Always put the wire to the inside of the T-posts, so that if they push on it, they push into the posts and don't pull the wire off the posts. 
2. Our T-posts are set about 10 foot apart. They need to be closer for larger animals or sandier soil. We live on iron ore if that helps. About every hundred foot we set larger wood posts in concrete for stability and to tie off to. 
3. Build good corner H's and use barbed or non barbed wire in an X pattern to keep them from shifting. 
4. How to build a homemade field fence streacher. Take two 2x4 pieces of lumber and cut to about 4 foot 4 inches long, so that they are a little longer than your fence is tall. Mark one 2x4 with a sharpie marker as bottom and the other one as top, put both marks on the same end either right or left. You will be drilling 4 holes evenly spaced into each 2x4 so that when the 2x4s are stacked the holes line up. Put the 2x4s stacked together with the marks on the same end and drill the holes either while your knees hold them or use clamps. The 2x4 labeled bottom will need to be 7/16 sized holes so that the bolt fits tight. But the 2x4 labeled top can have slightly larger holes about 1/2 inch (do this after all holes are drilled with 7/16 bit). Get 4 7/16 inch carriage bolts that are 5 inches long, 4 7/16 nuts and at least 4 7/16 flat washers (as your washers wear out first). Now your ready, place the bottom board on the ground with your bolts sticking up, place your wire so that the vertical run of fence abuts the 2x4 on the tractor side, so that it will stretch the fence evenly, and then put your top board on so that your marks are on the same end as your other marks (so your not putting together a puzzle every time). Place your washers on then your nuts and tighten. Get a piece of heavy weight chain about 6 foot long and two chain hooks. Wrap each end and fasten with a hook outside the outer bolts. Pics coming soon!
This website has a lot of good info!
Contact a neighbor or your local county extension agent if you need help on post placement or soil type. 
12 Jan 2014
20 Dec 2013

Sales Tax Exemption for Texas 

Go to this website and fill out online. Texas Agriculture and Timber Sales Tax Exemption. Rules and regulation are listed as well as tax exempt items. 


20 Dec 2013

Assumed Name Certificate or DBA

Not required, but our Tax professional recommended that as a smaller operation we should get one. This form is available at your local county clerks office or printed from online $25 filing fee. Our local county form was simpler and needed to be notarized. After looking at a few county's forms they are all similar but slightly different.
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