# Benefit of closing off pasture early?



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

As most of you know, this is my first year having horses at home, so it's a lot of trial and error. I have a smallish pasture (about 1.5 acres for two horses) and a 90 x 120 ft paddock. The plan is to close off the pasture for winter of course (we get a lot of snow here so no point in keeping it open). At this point, they have grazed it down to bare ground in some spots. Other areas have taller grass, but are pretty soiled with manure so they won't eat there. We pick some of it up, but have not been able to stay on top of the entire pasture. The point is, there isn't much nutrition left in it at this point. 

We are having freezing nights so growth has slowed significantly. I expect the ground to freeze solid by the end of October to mid-November or so. At that point, the ground can no longer be worked and any leftover manure will be frozen solid.

If I close it off now, the horses have a smaller area to exercise in and have to go on full-time hay. I have slow-feeder nets to mimic grazing so that's not a problem, but it will put more pressure on my hay supply. The horses are currently getting three flakes a day each. I expect them to eat about half a bale a day soon so just a little more than they're getting now. I should have enough hay to get through until spring, but do not have a ton of hay to spare.

But if I close it off, I can focus on cleaning it up, disc the soil a little to stimulate new growth and give the grass a chance to rest and recover before everything freezes hard. 

What would you do? 

BTW, I experimented early in the summer with sectioning it off into areas so some of it could grow while they grazed elsewhere. It worked well so I plan on adopting that approach more aggressively in the spring. I think it's the only way to make a small pasture work.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Close it, clean it, fertilize it with nitrogen and spray for weeds. If you have time before spring, section it off into the size lots you want them to have next year, so that all you need to do then is to spray when any weeds emerge and turn them out. If you have any doubts about your hay supply, get another couple of tons now while it's hopefully still available.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I would close it off as well and do what Dreamcatcher advises, except I would wait til spring to section it off and after the snow comes I would let them back out on the pasture on some nice days and then close them off again in the spring to let the grass grow up.
We are fortunate enough to have too much pasture so our horses are never closed off and it does make a difference in hay consumption.
If you are worried about not having enough hay, get more now when it's easier to get in the barn. Miserable job in mid winter.


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## Prairie (May 13, 2016)

If you want good pasture next year, now is the time to take the horses off. Just stock up on extra hay if you don't think you have enough to last till the pasture greens up next spring. 




It depends on whether the pasture is cool season or warm season grass for the timing of fertilizer and weed killer. Just remember to keep the horses off the pasture after treating it until you have a really good soaking rain.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Sounds like the pasture is already overgrazed, and you've had 2 horses for not even a full year :/

I'd shut them off now, probably before now, to try and save the pasture. After awhile it really doesn't bounce back so well.

It's important your dry lot area is large enough they can be on there long term without you worrying about lack of room.

Our horses have a sand paddock then 3 pastures. The first is open year round (during the day), and while it has grass it's not a real pasture. The second and third get closed off over the winter. They are still out in the second and third but we've stopped rotating. When the snow comes they'll be shut off (they won't go down there in the deep snow anyways, and keeping the fencing up is a pain). Then in the spring they won't be let on until AFTER the grass is well come in. We don't do annual seeding or anything, probably every 3 years or so?

There really is no benefit to keeping them out longer aside from the extra room. Sounds like they're practically on full hay anyways, and if not they will need it soon.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Thanks all! Will close it off this weekend and go about preparing it for next Spring. 

As for getting more hay, it's not that I can't get it, it's that I have no place to put it. I mean, there are possibilities, but we SHOULD have enough hay, it's just that I don't want to waste it either. If we happen to run out, three people have told me they have extra (including one who runs a huge boarding facility and bought 9000 bales) so worse comes to worse, we can get some. I'm just trying to find the right balance between grazing and hay. 

I fully expected the horses to graze it down to nothing. But there are areas of tall grass, it's just that they won't eat it because there's manure in there. Even when we pick the manure out, they don't like to eat there. I guess I was hoping that by opening up the entire area, they would pick a place to do their business and allow the grass to grow up elsewhere. And while there is one area like that, they still poop everywhere so it didn't really work. My plan is to divide it in 3 areas and do two week rotation starting in the spring, once things dry out and grow a few inches. That way, each area will have a month's rest. I don't think I'd bother putting step-in posts now, because the snow, frost and mud will most likely have everything down by spring.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Yogiwick said:


> It's important your dry lot area is large enough they can be on there long term without you worrying about lack of room.


Define big enough? My dry lot is about 90 x 120'. I could also section off a small area of the pasture to use as a sacrifice area if it's not enough, but I think it is. Harley was in with three other horses all of last winter in an area not much bigger.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

^I'm horrible with stuff like that lol. It really depends on the horses too and in the winter they just won't move as much on their own, so doesn't matter so. I mean ideally they'd have many acres, but honestly that's really not "necessary" as long as they can move around plenty.

"I fully expected the horses to graze it down to nothing." That's not good, now the grass is compromised and overgrazed.

2 weeks is fast, but whatever works for your set up. I will say the rule of thumb is to have the grass well above your boots. Don't have it at "lawn height" then turn them out as that's not long enough. Probably 4-6" is best. I'd mow down those long patches too.

Is your new avatar Kodak? I've been admiring it


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

I agree with what's been said already...also want to point out, 1/2 a bale a day for two horses in the winter may not be enough. I usually average close to a bale a day per horse in the colder months. So if you're already worried about your hay supply you should try and get quite a bit more. Nothing is worse then running out of hay in the middle of the winter.

During cold months you want to pretty much feed free choice, while still in hay bags to prevent mess and just complete binging lol! You should be feeding about 2% of their body weight a day in forage. You could invest in a cheap fish scale to weigh out your flakes so you have a better idea of how much you're feeding. You'll probably be wanting to feed around 20-25lbs of hay a day each though.

Sorry a little off topic, but I've ran out of hay in the winter before from misjudging how much they would eat and it was not fun.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Yogiwick - yes, my new avatar is Kodak  

And when I say two weeks per area, you have to keep in mind I am sectioning off three areas. So each area rests a month! What I meant about them grazing it down is that I never expected my horse would be able to live off my pasture. It's really just there to provide them with a bit of green grass and something to do, but I expected to have to supplement, given the size of the area. We are looking at turning a back field into a pasture, but with all the construction we had this year, we didn't get to it. Also, it will be a hassle to get electricity out there and the horses will be out of sight which makes me uneasy. But it is likely we'll turn it into a pasture in the next couple of years. 

evilamc - I am budgeting on 3/4 of a bale a day per horse until mid-June. So I do have extra. And as specified above, should that not suffice, I have hay sources. Getting hay is not a problem and I'm very happy with the quality of hay I bought and it's not that expensive, I just don't have anywhere to store a bunch more hay. When I say a half bale, I mean that's what they'll go on right now. They're almost on that already, though they are getting pretty chubby so I'm being cautious about upping their ration. Hay nets will be everywhere to encourage movement and keep them munching all day. Otherwise they eat it all and it's gone in a few minutes to an hour. The only time I'll throw a loose bale their way is on a chilly morning when I feel they need a little extra warmth. Otherwise, they get all their hay in haybales so it lasts them all day.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I meant they get them in hayNETs not haybales 

I figure there's 8 months between now and mid-June. So that's 240 days. Times 1,5 bales a day (3/4 of a bale each) = 360 bales. I estimate that we still have at least that much (we bought 400, but have only recently started giving them more than a flake a day and we haven't really put a dent in the hay storage). I won't be giving them 3/4 of a flake until things get really cold because they're both about 14.2/14.3 with small builds and do not have high energy demands put on them. We ride them a few times a week, but they're not exactly getting a strenuous workout. They would get really fat on more than what they're getting now. They will remain on about half a bale for a while longer, maybe for most of the winter. They get hay cubes twice a day, which are also quite cheap so I can increase their ration of that if necessary.

So you see, I do have enough hay, but just barely. Hay is not a rare commodity around here though, and it runs about 3-5$ a bale (5$ gets you a bale of hay from the local co-op in the dead of winter!). Our bales are also pretty large, around 50-60 lbs. I can get hay in the dead of winter, but obviously, I am trying not to run out. Buying more hay now just to store it under a tarp where it will get wet and mouldy does not seem like a good idea. 

Anyone who has followed my posts so far knows that if anything, I tend to be over-cautious about everything! The pasture is what it is - there isn't much I can do about it for now. The point of my initial post was that I don't want to waste hay if there's no point in closing off the pasture early. However, if there is benefit to closing the pasture - and it appears there is - then I will do so.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Yes,... indeed close off that pasture now...It is done being useful for this season.
Do though work on preparing it now for next year as you are planning.
You might not need to till or harrow the ground but drag the entire field to break up and then start the decay process of your manure piles.
If you can mow your fields to even out the grass length it will help as you also drag it...horses are picky eaters.
They will overgraze one spot and leave grass 10" long not 3 feet away, same grass! :-x
Fertilize and seed your pasture now so your snows can work their magic and your grass start ASAP in spring. 
If you have oak trees or mushrooms in your pasture talk to your area land management people about putting down a pelleted lime to neutralize the acidic ground from horse poop and urine...it helps with growth!! 
{I find a huge difference by me just liming my fields in growth and lime is cheap! Use pelleted as it lasts longer than pulverized and safer for you to apply too}

As for your "sacrifice" paddock,_ it is just that..._
You are _*not*_ going to keep it green and pretty when 2 horses are tromping around all day long on it...
Feed your hay as you need. 
You know if your horses are easy keepers, their workload and what they are looking like.
Feed accordingly. Use those slow feed nets too....love them myself.

Your hay supply as you use down say 50 bales, replace it... a ton of so if bales are lighter. If you've used it you then have room to replace it and keep it safely undercover.
You will not got caught short then if you purchase before the end of season or shortages occur...you also will have "choice" in what you are purchasing not getting stuck with eh hay!
You will also have peace of mind knowing if you need to feed more you can and not run out...

Welcome to pre-winter blues of horse-keeping. 
_Good luck this first year home with "the babies"...._
:runninghorse2:...


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Ah got it.

I guess I'm just thinking over pasture management in the long term when you say overgrazed. Sometime's you'll reach the "less now to have more later" point.

Honestly, while GREAT to OVERestimate, I would use far less. Say 1/2 a bale/day, less for the pony. My mare's hay is nicer and better quality (remember she is boarded lol) and bales are SOLID, so probably 1/3. The horses at the job I just left are big WBs in hard work but hay is 2nd cut and top quality so only 1/2 bale too. So keep that in mind, how much your individual horses need (probably not a ton for yours I'm guessing) and quality of the hay all bundled in to how big your bales are... obviously a 30 lb bale is calculated a lot differently then a 60. Hay bags are a good solution to stretch hay out in the winter. You don't want to overfeed/use more than you need to.

Then for example this area has been in a horrible drought all summer. So we have to figure we CANNOT run out, because there will be nothing left, and it could very well be a late first cut.

I think you need to send us some of your hay, while there's typically plenty of hay (brought in from NY and Canada when there isn't enough local, but there's usually a ton) it's close to $10! I would die, big quality bales for $3? Wow XD


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Ohhh ok! I must of misunderstood then sorry! Very good then  that's great you have plenty of hay sources too. When I first moved I got myself in a bit of a bind from misjudging and bad hay  it was not fun!


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## mred (Jan 7, 2015)

It is so different that far North. We will plant winter grass(rye) when the rain starts back. And will have some grass all winter. The ground almost never freezes. It is interesting that the cost of hay now is about the same. But later in the winter the feed store will sale it for $8.00 a bale. I use roll hay (about 800 pound each) and feed about 60 rolls last year. I purchased 90 this year. A lot too much. But I plan to keep the horses off large sections this winter to level, reseed and kill the weeds. I will have plenty to keep them off of the new grass until it is ready.


Keep letting us know how it is going. I love to learn how the different areas deal with things.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

horselovinguy - some great tips in your post, thanks! You're right, as my hay goes down, I could get another 50 bales. Good point. I may just do that so I have peace of mind, and, as you say, have a better quality hay than what I might get stuck with later in the winter. 

Yogiwick - yes, we can still get pretty reasonably priced hay. 10$ a bale would be hard on the wallet! I agree, half a bale should be enough, with the possibility of going to 3/4 of a bale when things get really cold and they need the extra energy. If anything, they're a little on the pudgy side right now because I always worry they're not getting enough. I see ribs and I panic. But I'd rather see them with a slight layer of fat going into winter than too thin. 

evilamc - no worries! I know the way I explain things can sound pretty dire. It's just that I know I have JUST enough hay to get through the winter with a little to spare and I find that a little stressful. The last thing I want is to run out. But I'll probably end up with a bunch left over. 

mred - yes, very different here. As things freeze and die, the horses start losing interest in the pasture. They don't go out there as much as they used to and will choose to eat hay instead of grass now. In the spring, it was the opposite. That tells me they're no longer getting much out of the pasture. Soon the snow will come and will impede their movements and they will start to live in a smaller and smaller area. I feel bad for them, but they seem to be ok with it. I will be spreading the hay around the paddock area though, to encourage some movement.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Here's what my pasture looked like two days ago. It is now closed off. As you can see, the grass is still green, there just isn't much of it.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

_Definitely close for the season...._
Mow it, drag it, seed and fertilize it.....
Let Mother Nature then snow on it and prepare that seed for a great spring emerging....
That for sure is what I would do if my land...
:runninghorse2:....


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

It's already closed horselovinguy! We are now going to do the prep work for spring. Luckily my husband (who has a master's in horticultural science and a particular interest in pasture management) has all the tools and the know-how to take over. And yes, I did ask his opinion before posting in this forum. He said pretty much the same thing all of you are saying, but I needed confirmation from horse people. Shhhhh!!! Don't tell him! But I am letting him do his stuff now. The good news is that we're having a really warm fall so there is still some growing.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Acadianartist said:


> As things freeze and die, the horses start losing interest in the pasture. They don't go out there as much as they used to and will choose to eat hay instead of grass now. In the spring, it was the opposite. That tells me they're no longer getting much out of the pasture. Soon the snow will come and will impede their movements and they will start to live in a smaller and smaller area. I feel bad for them, but they seem to be ok with it. I will be spreading the hay around the paddock area though, to encourage some movement.


Yes, instead of chasing them up with whips and threats for GRAIN my mom just stands at the barn and calls them and they come running XD

They are horses. They are used to it. Don't worry. Ours like to stand in their stalls and survey the land...when they aren't playing in the snow!

I just had to laugh at the "losing interest" part. While true my two "tough horses" (ranch horse from out west and imported Icelandic) BOTH will leave the giant piles of nice hay to paw through the snow and eat two strands of dead grass lol. I think they're a little TOO sensible!!

Lol at the above post! I love the picture, super pretty, but you need to take care of it while you have it, overgrazed like that will stop coming back eventually not matter how much tlc you give it. Less is more imo. And don't do what my friend does "why isn't it growing?" "maybe it's the 2 tons of salt you poured on there all winter?" XD


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

LOL @ Yogiwick... salt???? 

Yes, I understand I need to manage it more aggressively last year. Live and learn. I am researching everything, but sometimes trial and error works best. Next spring, they will only have access to a third of the pasture at any given time. 

My horses actually have lost interest in the pasture and want me to give them hay. So clearly, a little more spoiled than yours, LOL! Mine are looking at me like, "Really? You expect me to eat this crap? I KNOW the barn is full of hay, so why don't you stop being so cheap and give it to me already???"


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

I am also in Canada (northern Alberta) and pull my horses off the pasture in early October. When my horses still have access to pasture but want to eat hay, I start feeling it and pull them off the pasture. I have learned that my pasture grows much better in spring if I leave it a bit longer in the winter. If grazed down too much, the plants will start to thin out year after year and weeds will take over. Also, the early fall snows or rains we have soften the ground and the horses hoofs cause a lot of damage to the plants. Pasture plants that are stressed due to overgrazing or drought often have a much higher sugar content and increase the risk of founder. I've also learned that if the spring and summer are wet enough, you won't notice damage to the pasture so much but in drought years, it is really noticeable. Once a pasture goes, it's hard and expensive to get back.
1.5 acres isn't much for two horses to graze sustainably all summer every year. We have 4 horses on 8 acres and have a plan to till and re-plant sections of our pasture to re-establish the healthy grasses. In summer, I pick up or harrow manure bi-weekly and rotate the grazing area. In winter, I pick up or harrow until a steady freeze up and then pick up everything in spring. We fertilize once a year. Even with rotating, you may need to supplement with hay in summer and use the dry lot.
For winter, I always plan to have at least 25% more hay than I think I need. If it's really cold, my guys will eat 50% more. If spring comes late, or if the summer is dry, it is a relief to have extra on hand, specially if prices go way up. I bought two 12x20 portable garages (metal frame and tarp) to store my hay in. I line the bottom with a tarp to create a waterproof barrier on the ground and then lay wooden pallets over top to stack the hay on. The 2 year old hay left in there still looks and smells fresh.
It sounds like you are feeding a reasonable amount for warmer weather. I give mine 2 flakes each twice a day, so about 15-20 lbs of forage with complete feed added to that. One is a harder keeper and the others are in work. I also keep mine blanketed when it is cold so they don't waste calories keeping warm. If you are worried about them moving, feed your hay as far away from the water as possible. They will move between the two areas frequently. Once your pasture is well frozen and covered with a good layer of snow, you can turn them out for exercise, but continue feeding hay in the dry lot. Just make sure the ground isn't wet or soft and that they aren't out pawing for food.
I hope this helps. Managing small pastures can be a challenge.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Koolio said:


> I am also in Canada (northern Alberta) and pull my horses off the pasture in early October. When my horses still have access to pasture but want to eat hay, I start feeling it and pull them off the pasture. I have learned that my pasture grows much better in spring if I leave it a bit longer in the winter. If grazed down too much, the plants will start to thin out year after year and weeds will take over. Also, the early fall snows or rains we have soften the ground and the horses hoofs cause a lot of damage to the plants. Pasture plants that are stressed due to overgrazing or drought often have a much higher sugar content and increase the risk of founder. I've also learned that if the spring and summer are wet enough, you won't notice damage to the pasture so much but in drought years, it is really noticeable. Once a pasture goes, it's hard and expensive to get back.
> 1.5 acres isn't much for two horses to graze sustainably all summer every year. We have 4 horses on 8 acres and have a plan to till and re-plant sections of our pasture to re-establish the healthy grasses. In summer, I pick up or harrow manure bi-weekly and rotate the grazing area. In winter, I pick up or harrow until a steady freeze up and then pick up everything in spring. We fertilize once a year. Even with rotating, you may need to supplement with hay in summer and use the dry lot.
> For winter, I always plan to have at least 25% more hay than I think I need. If it's really cold, my guys will eat 50% more. If spring comes late, or if the summer is dry, it is a relief to have extra on hand, specially if prices go way up. I bought two 12x20 portable garages (metal frame and tarp) to store my hay in. I line the bottom with a tarp to create a waterproof barrier on the ground and then lay wooden pallets over top to stack the hay on. The 2 year old hay left in there still looks and smells fresh.
> It sounds like you are feeding a reasonable amount for warmer weather. I give mine 2 flakes each twice a day, so about 15-20 lbs of forage with complete feed added to that. One is a harder keeper and the others are in work. I also keep mine blanketed when it is cold so they don't waste calories keeping warm. If you are worried about them moving, feed your hay as far away from the water as possible. They will move between the two areas frequently. Once your pasture is well frozen and covered with a good layer of snow, you can turn them out for exercise, but continue feeding hay in the dry lot. Just make sure the ground isn't wet or soft and that they aren't out pawing for food.
> I hope this helps. Managing small pastures can be a challenge.


Thanks Koolio! I did pull them off pasture about a month ago and they have been dry-lotted since. I manged to find a pasture drag on Amazon Canada for 250$ delivered to my door free of charge! Amazing! I couldn't get one locally, and even if I had been willing to order one from one of the local stores, it would have been far more expensive. Gotta love Amazon.

So anyway, I had cleaned off a lot of the manure manually, but I finished off what was left with the drag and it worked marvelously. Will let the bits of manure work their way into the soil over the winter. It looks great already and thanks to the wet weather we've been having, is remaining very green. Not a lot of growth, but still plenty of roots for next spring. 

We are also planning to fence off another acre on the back of the property next summer. I think the easiest thing to do will be to create a corridor using electrobraid I can open up the current pasture into this back area. We have to cross a small brook and a mature forest, but we should be able to rope it all off so the horses can access the back area without me having to lead them over. It also allows me to just continue to distribute the electrical current to the new pasture - otherwise, I don't know how we would get electricity back there. I had considered solar panels, but would prefer to just tap into the current fence. My charger is plenty powerful for that amount of pasture (probably more) so we should be ok. It means I'll have to trim a few more branches and keep a close eye on falling trees and limbs in that area, but it's all doable. That will give us a pretty significant addition to our current pasture. 

As for hay, I had located a source, but it turned out to be a dead end. Haven't had much time to follow up on the next one, but I'm not terribly worried just yet. There are still people advertising horse hay, I just have to find time to go visit some to make sure it is of good quality. All I need is another 50 bales to put my mind at ease and as I stated before, the local co-op sells it year-round, but at 5$ a bale, which everyone around here thinks is a rip-off.


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

Hay at $5 a bale is a steal in this area. I got a good price at $6.50 and am still seeing hay advertised at $8 a bale.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Koolio said:


> Hay at $5 a bale is a steal in this area. I got a good price at $6.50 and am still seeing hay advertised at $8 a bale.


Eek... I got mine for 3.50$ in the field. It's 4.50$ delivered, but hubby thought we would save money, sigh. And it's really nice hay. 3-4$ is about average around here, luckily.


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