Tree Fodder

We are always searching for ways to cut down on our feed bill.  Luckiy we have a lot of trees on the property.  So every few days I like to cut a couple branches of the trees. 

 The cattle LOVE certain trees and just nibble on others.  Eucalyptus trees are fast growers and the animals love to eat it.  It also has the advantage of seeming to be a fly repellent.  If I can give the cattle several branches of eucalyptus every few days I don’t worry about flies causing problems for the cattle.  The problem is Darling Husband and I have 2 very different styles of cutting trees. 

I like to cut 1 or 3 branches and give that to the cattle every couple days.

  Darling Husband wants to cut a couple big trees and not have to do any cutting for another month. 

In November I convinced him to buy me a small battery powered chain saw and I happily trimmed trees for the last 2 months trying to cut the trees so that the trees would be more bushy along the property line so our neighbor doesn’t have to look at the storage area on the property or just getting some of the trees trimmed nicer. 

I have gotten to the point that there are only a few trees for me to cut that my little chain saw will go through so I have been asking him to cut the bigger trees down so that when they grow big again I will be able to cut those branches with my little saw.  2 weeks ago we cut down several trees that were not giants and the cattle and sheep were in heaven for about 5 days.  This weekend I was determined to have Darling Husband cut one of the mammoth trees down.  This would provide food for the cattle and cut a tree that looked like it was forming a crack and I felt if we cut it down we could control it’s falling. 

Styx likes to play in the sticks as his mom eats near him.

Darling Husband was reluctant.  I said fine! I went to cut one of the small trees that I can cut.  Darling Husband heard that Fine! And thought he better cut a big tree.  Wonderful Husband cut the tree I was hoping he would cut then we started cutting up the branches to give to the cattle. I picked up a branch to throw over the fence, the branch didn’t budge, I realized my foot was on the branch so I lifted up by foot while I was still pulling on the branch and BAM

Darling husband and I had a nice Friday night Date in the local Emergency Room.  I scratched the retina of my right eye with a eucalyptus branch.  

Weed Eating the Driveway

The grass in the pasture with the cattle isn’t growing because of no rain and too many cows eating it.  The grass is growing along the driveway, so we decided to let the cattle graze it one day. 

Watching the cattle isn't such a bad job.

  We have a gate on the top of the straight away but not at the bottom so we used the cars. 

We also tied 3 of the sheep along the fence.  They enjoyed eating all the fresh grass.  

 

Egg using the truck as a scratching post.

Hope making sure my chair is safe to sit in.

Moon Lit Walks with My Husband

We had a beautiful full or almost full moon weekend.  The cattle were feeling it’s affects.  Friday night a neighbor used the arena that is in the pasture the cattle and left the gate open.  We were blissfully unaware of this as I put on my pajamas to watch a TV show and snuggle with Darling Husband until we received a phone call from our neighbors saying the cows were out.  We searched for flashlights and rounded up the cattle putting them with the help of our neighbors into a different pasture.  Not bad we were back in the house by 10:

The next night as the sun was setting and we were taking care of the rest of the animals Stick Boy looked at the cattle and Fillet our bull/steer was pushing through a hole in the fence that normally only the dogs can go through.  As we ran down to stop him 2 more cattle got out.  Since we could still see a little we decided to move the cattle back into the first pasture.  Everything looked good so we went to bed and didn’t worry. 

The next day we checked all the fencing in the pasture the cattle were in and felt safe in knowing they wouldn’t get out.  It had been a busy weekend doing I can’t remember what and I went to bed as the sun went down.  We got a call as soon as the moon came up – the cattle are out!  Our wonderful neighbors once again help us heard the stinking animals into a pasture that has new fencing on 3 sides.  I wanted to run a strand of electric fencing along the 4^th side that we have not fixed yet.  Darling (or some other D word) Husband said I was crazy and it was too late to worry about the fencing.  Wonderful Teen Son helped me find some wire to patch a hole that the sheep had been using and we decide to call it a night.  I got up several times during the night to make sure all our cattle were where they belonged.


This is the hole in the fence Teen Son and I "fixed".

Opening gates when you have an electric fence is a challenge.  I put the electric wire in some pvc pipes and framed it around the gate.  We can go in and out of the pasture without getting shocked.

The next morning while Darling Husband was at work and the kids at school between my morning duty and noon duty, I ran a strand of electric wire.  When DH came home all he had to do was fasten off the two ends.  It isn’t beautiful but it is keeping the cattle where we want them.

The fence is a terrible mess but it is working.

Midnight Herding

We are going to leave the kids in charge and Darling Husband and I will go pick up some cattle.  In an effort to make things easier for the kids we put an ancient 1 horse trailer in the electric enclosure so the sheep can sleep.  Then the kids can just open the trailer and let the sheep out in the morning and heard them into it in the evening.  Coyotees can get into the windows of the trailer if they really want to but we figure with Onyx and the electric fence around the trailer that will keep the coyotes safe.  Sounds good right? 

At midnight my daughter comes into my room saying it sounds like coyotes are with the sheep.  Darling Husband and I throw on shoes and run out to check on the animals.  The sheep are fine Thank God!  But Onyx is missing!  Thankfully the moon is full and we find Onyx in the pasture with the horses.  We move the sheep back into the coyote proof enclosure and leave Onyx were she is.  We get back to bed at 1:30.  The next morning I ask my neighbor and Onyx went to visit her horse and eat the hay she had sitting out after the coyotes chased her.  Happy Days!  

First Day of School

We had our first day of school and every year I always am going to be one of those prepared, together moms who lovingly take a picture of their children on the way to school.  Well guess what after 20 years of being a mom I still cannot take that all important first day of school picture.   This year I am doing Morning Duty and Lunch Duty for K, 1^st and 2^nd graders.  

On the way home from school I did take a picture of Onyx and the sheep.