Back to rain and strong winds again and a slight worry that our damaged roof may get more damaged... So far so good though...
Our straw usage has certainly shot up this month and we are now using one bale a day with the cows as we battle with a couple of places in their shed where the water tries to soak up through . And course the cows come in with wet feet when they have been outside, so the top of the straw gets a tad damp too. The straw also gets very warm and a damp from where the cows lie down: it is amazing the warmth that they generate. The combination of straw and mats is certainly a fabulous insulator and we have no doubts that they will ever be cold in their shed, even if the temperature goes below zero. The woodchip pad is a little harder to keep on top of. It is basically a woodchip broth that we laughingly try to keep level but usually now, most days, has lots of little puddles sitting on top of it. We keep creating drainage channels but essentially the water table is just monstrously high and with water sitting on top of the field outside, there isn’t really anywhere for the water to go.
Next year, our plan is to get a lot more woodchip in there to raise the level but also to bury some drainage piping to see if that helps. Of course, the better plan would be for next winter to be dry, but we don’t quite have control of that….