As we face our fourth winter here, we are pleased that each year we get ever more organized and able to plan ahead. Having the new barn means we have more space and as such, our aim is to try to get all our fodder and bedding in before the land gets too wet to drive on. So far we have over 230 bales of straw and now need to top up the hay (currently we have just under 100). Of course, if the winter is really long we may run out but based on previous years’ figures we will need anything from under 200 hay (winter 16/17) to well over 300 (winter 17/18). Straw usage has varied less, just over 150 (winter 16/17) to over 200 (winter 17/18). For us, winter starts the day the cows have to come off the land and stops the day they go back out for good.
We have a new straw supplier and his bales are amazing so we are quietly confident they will go further. Our hay man is the same as last year and as usual his bales are great – and VERY heavy, to the point where Jack can barely lift one on her own.