The great weather continues to make the farm chores a bit easier as the days get shorter. The cows and lambs are all done grazing for the year and are now eating hay. We didn’t make as much hay this year as we did the year before, but the quality was very good. It’s always nice to feed good hay that the animals grow well on. The two ewe flocks are still grazing stockpiled pasture and should continue for another month or so, weather permitting.
Above is the view looking down at the yearlings eating their hay. There is a small natural pond that you can see. We always fence ponds in the fields to keep the cows out. Cows tend to make a real mess out of any standing water.
Here we have used gravity to help unroll a round bale down a hill to help build up nutrients on the steep slope. The hay itself has good fertilizer value when it decomposes and the cows tend to deposit more manure near their feed, which helps build fertility also.
Now that we have a tractor with an enclosed cab, feeding cows is even more fun. It is always nice to have extra helpers along for the ride.
Thanks for reading,
Leith, Mary Kate & Norah MacKenzie