19 August 2007
Musical Meadows
Posted by Richard under: Hay; Ponies and Horses; Sheep; Smallholding .
Its been all change down on the non-proper farm today.
We have spent the day reconfiguring the electric fence and moving stock from one field to the next. I tell you, it’s not easy to move electric fences while you are still using them to keep stock in - and not give yourself a shock. 5000 volts doesn’t half put the wind up you.
The Shetland ponies are now on the field that had the Southdowns in - but with just some electric tape to keep them away from our neighbours newly planted hedge. The ponies will graze the corners of the field that the sheep couldn’t get to due to the electric netting. The Southdowns are now in the next paddock, with the netting up, feasting on the fresh green grass. If anything they are getting a touch fat - which isn’t too good…we will have to starve them a little at some point before the lambs go off to slaughter and we get the tup in for the ewes. We have definately decided to up our flock size - but I will save that for another days post.
The chickens stayed where they were - 3 eggs today.
We also spent a good few hours removing all visible signs of curled docks from ours and our neighbours fields. Not one seed head survived.
…and the reason for all the activity?
It’s our first haycut next week (weather permitting) - and we only had to wait until the end of August!
2 Comments so far...
Lucy Says:
21 August 2007 at 10:31 pm.
Thanks for your comments! I too look forward to reading your blog and following your progress…let’s just hope that the weather tries to hold out for the remainder of the summer. I have all winter to “enjoy” standing out in the cold, wind and rain doing things!
Rebecca (living sustainably and felting in rural Ireland) Says:
23 August 2007 at 9:47 pm.
The joys of electric fencing! I thought our goats fence wasn’t working … I was wearing wellies … took em off and put my bare foot on the ground … yup, the fence was DEFINITELY working!!!