Hope you all are staying cool!
The animals can tolerate this hot weather as long as they have plenty of water. All our cow pastures have above ground water lines that carry fresh water to a portable tub. When we move the cows to a fresh paddock, we move the tub along with them. Each paddock has a place where the tub can connect to the water line and fill up. A float valve shuts the water off when the tub is full. As the cows drink, the float valve opens to let more water in. Moving animals to fresh pasture daily makes it easy to check on the water system and be sure all the components are working as they should.
Most of the cow moves are fairly straightforward for a single person to manage. We do have a few fields across the road from the main cow farm, so once during each grazing rotation we move cows across the road and then back. It is nice to have a helper for this job. One person stays in front of the cows and sets up a temporary fence across the road that guides them through the gate. The second person stays at the back and makes sure nobody gets left behind. These moves are extra exciting when we have calves crossing the road for the first time.
It's hard to believe this week is already time to harvest our second hay cutting! We have been a little extra busy this month welcoming our newest addition to the farm. Edith Rosemary MacKenzie was born on June 11, 2024, right after first cutting. She is settling in nicely and has already gotten to meet the cows.
Thanks for reading,
Leith, Mary Kate, Norah & Edith MacKenzie
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