No, we didn't receive any rain. Not one drop. No rain from that tropical disturbance in the Gulf Coast. Not one drop...
We have been watering those pastures, moving giant sprinklers and 2 inch hoses all over to keep the grass growing for the cows. At one point, out of desperation from physical exhaustion, we took the sprinklers off line and just let the hose pour water out over the pasture. We ran the hose to the highest point and turn on the water pump. The water ran from the highest point filling in lower crevices to the bottom of the pasture. It seemed to pump out more water than having the sprinklers, but was much less equal about spreading the water about.
The dirt has now dried so much that it seems like sand on a beach. The wind blows and the dirt flies around like a dust storm.
Even though it is hot and dry, I still have been collecting eggs from the hens on a daily basis. I collect 2 to 4 eggs a day. Some days I find the eggs in the chicken coop and other days I have to hunt for them among the crevices around the edge of the farmyard.
I sold our remaining piglet yesterday for $90. I was both sad and happy to see him go. Sad because I had built up a relationship with him. He would come running up and squealing at the same time to me when he saw me anywhere on the farm. He would let me pet him. Happy because he was rooting up the pasture and parts of my yard with his nose. He was starting to make some real damage. We love having baby animals roaming around the farm. When I see them it gives me the feeling that all is right in the world.
As you know we moved the boar with our brown sow, so maybe she could have another litter of piglets in the fall. We still have another black sow, the mom of the last piglet we sold. We will move her with the boar in about a week or so. We are going to fatten her up a bit before putting her with the boar.
We need the pond to be bigger because we are going to do some cross fencing to rotate our cows through different pastures and while in each pasture, the cows will need access to the pond water to drink. My husband has started that project a couple of days ago. Where we are going to expand the pond there are lots of little trees. He needs to remove those trees before he can start digging out the pond.
So as not to waste the trees and to also help us with our farm animal feed bill, we decided to give the green leaves to the animals to help supplement their diet. He cut down small trees with green leaves and piled it up for the cows to have access to the leaves to eat. They love it! Now when they hear the chainsaw motor they come running to eat the leaves.
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| Feeding Green Tree Leaves to Pigs |
We have also deposited some small trees into the pig pens and goat pasture for them as well. They too are enjoying the tree leaves. Once they eat all the leaves off the trees, I will remove the tree trunks and cut the trunks into logs for the outdoor fire pit.
We knew that cows like the leaves because our land was once so thick with lower leaves growing on trees, but the animals soon ate all that out and thin up the lower tree branches. So our conclusion was that if they eat lower leaves on trees, they will also eat the leaves at the higher branches as well. Which is true, because they have been eating up all those leaves on the trees that we have cut down for them. They really seem to enjoy it!
One of my goals is to have a productive farm where my family can eat for free or almost free the meat and crops our farm produces. To help with this goal we are trying out different cost effective and nutritive feeds for the farm animals.
May we all have a great July 4th today and remember all the men and women who have served in our military to make our freedom possible.
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