Back at it (about time)
So we just got back inside after a glorious hour spent outside on the top pasture moving our cattle to the next two days worth of pasture. I’m thankful for the breeze although it’s 19:30 and still 85 degrees out. The cool evening temperatures and well spaced rain has made our Brome grow thick, and the different Clovers are beginning to bloom. The cattle are looking good!
We are still rotational grazing but since we last spoke we have sold our flock of sheep and increased our head of cattle. It was hard seeing the sheep go but we only used them to bring up the quality of our pasture to forage good enough for the cattle. They (the sheep) taught us a great deal about rotational grazing, developing “the eye” and the most efficient way of setting up and taking down our electric hot wire. These days we only use a single strand and a geared spool. Fast and easy.
Another addition to our armory is “lane fencing” and fixed watering points at intervals down that fencing. Basically we split the top pasture into four lanes by using two strands electrified high tensile (smooth) wire run through PVC “T” posts so that we can trap the cattle in between two spools of hot wire leap frogging down the lane like ladder rungs. Clear as mud? Good! If you ask nicely perhaps I will show you…
Like I also said though, we ran 4000’ of water pipe across the pasture and set nine watering points that we can “plug in” a 50 gallon rubber trough for constant, self-filling, fresh water while the cattle are in each rung. This, I can tell you, was expensive but worth every single penny and a total game changer. No more running a UTV and water bowser around the pasture every day tearing up the track and burning expensive gas. I also think that there is a lot to be said for walking your land and getting a good feel for what’s going on to stay connected. The king’s relationship to his land should never be overlooked and neither should fresh air and quiet in my opinion.
Well, that’s all I have for you this week. Honestly journaling is very hard to keep up on when there is always so much to do and if I told you everything now you might get bored!
Later then…