The morning rounds are proving quite challenging at the moment in that they are taking a good three hours, and it’s a pretty physical three hours at that!! The goats are more work due to having Soldier here but as well as that, all seven goats are just not going outside at all. Not that we blame them, we have had some dry weather - in between the rain – but of course the ground is wet (which goats hate) and with almost zero browsing and poor grass, there isn’t really a lot for them to go out for!! The cows are just a lot of work because they are completely inside and so all poo and wee is in the straw, unlike when they are on the woodchip pad and so wee and poo outside more.
The poultry, which are mucked out last, are the easiest but there have been a couple of days when we have not got to them at all till the end of the day, by which time they just get a 'light' touch.
Mind you, yesterday was the winter solstice and so we do now start to see the days get longer again, albeit by just a few minutes a week but, it’s a few minutes so we won’t knock it!!!
And of course, all this mucking out does keep us fit (or knackered, one of the two!!!