Thursday 19th October 2017
Shaggy coats!
Today was a bit on the dull, cold and eventually wet and windy side: the goats voted with their feet and have now decided that the barn, rather than the field shelter, should be their 24/7 accommodation. The cows on the other hand just took it all in their stride and carried on grazing. As the photo shows, the grass is now quite short and the nutritional value of it will lessen each day. As the photo also shows, the hay trolley is almost empty – again – despite having a whole bale put in there last night!!! They do need their hay as well!!!
The cows are starting to get shaggy coats again, this is part of their winter prep as they feel the nights getting colder and the days getting shorter. There are some cattle owners who trim the hair on the back of their cows once they bring them in for winter as being inside they are liable to sweat more. The 'shaved' hairlines help prevent that!
As ours aren't properly inside when in the Cow Pad, we have never felt the need to do that.
And so tomorrow night we get the start of Storm Brian, with warnings that the whole of next week is to get wetter. We wonder whether this time in a week the Cow Pad might be occupied!!!! !
As ours aren't properly inside when in the Cow Pad, we have never felt the need to do that.
And so tomorrow night we get the start of Storm Brian, with warnings that the whole of next week is to get wetter. We wonder whether this time in a week the Cow Pad might be occupied!!!! !