The tractor's issue - one of them at least - turned out to be needing the clutch bled. The horses have their bale.
And the weekend didn't completely revolve around sheep. I picked up a mineral tub for the horses. They always have a mineral block, but they've been hanging over the fence to gnaw bark. Since they're all round and not squabbling over the hay at feeding time, I'm guessing they're not getting something nutrient-wise from the hay that they need.
After much label reading, the one I picked up is intended for horses getting hay, but not grain. (It has some other attractive qualities, too, but darned if I can recall exactly what they were without the label in front of me.
At any rate, the horses were thrilled.
Star discovered it immediately and left the first teeth marks, but at one time or another they were all nibbling at it. They also upped their water intake - another plus. For now the tub's located up by the waterer, so if they're locked out of water while G fills corn buckets for the sheep we don't have to worry about them eating at it and then not getting in to drink.
I also removed windtangles and checked the geldings' sheathes for stud crud. Too cold to actually do a cleaning, but maybe next weekend. They're also due to be wormed, but I didn't want to introduce the mineral tub and worm both the same weekend, and since I remembered the wrong wormer when I picked it up.... Next weekend for that.
This afternoon we took Aiysha back. I'll miss her furry little body keeping my feet warm tonight.
And discovered that the cows had pushed through one of the upper gates and followed the tractor tracks down to the hay storage area. They were happy enough to be herded back where they belonged, though.
So the weekend started and ended with escapees - none of them equine, thank goodness. Fingers crossed that trend continues.
Hope everyone else had a great weekend, too!
And the weekend didn't completely revolve around sheep. I picked up a mineral tub for the horses. They always have a mineral block, but they've been hanging over the fence to gnaw bark. Since they're all round and not squabbling over the hay at feeding time, I'm guessing they're not getting something nutrient-wise from the hay that they need.
After much label reading, the one I picked up is intended for horses getting hay, but not grain. (It has some other attractive qualities, too, but darned if I can recall exactly what they were without the label in front of me.
At any rate, the horses were thrilled.
Star discovered it immediately and left the first teeth marks, but at one time or another they were all nibbling at it. They also upped their water intake - another plus. For now the tub's located up by the waterer, so if they're locked out of water while G fills corn buckets for the sheep we don't have to worry about them eating at it and then not getting in to drink.I also removed windtangles and checked the geldings' sheathes for stud crud. Too cold to actually do a cleaning, but maybe next weekend. They're also due to be wormed, but I didn't want to introduce the mineral tub and worm both the same weekend, and since I remembered the wrong wormer when I picked it up.... Next weekend for that.
This afternoon we took Aiysha back. I'll miss her furry little body keeping my feet warm tonight.
And discovered that the cows had pushed through one of the upper gates and followed the tractor tracks down to the hay storage area. They were happy enough to be herded back where they belonged, though.
So the weekend started and ended with escapees - none of them equine, thank goodness. Fingers crossed that trend continues.
Hope everyone else had a great weekend, too!
3 comments:
Wow! Two sets of escapes in one weekend, again thank God for big bales of hay! I love my lick tubs for my horses. I actually get the 250 pound tubs. They love it.
I know - the farm gates are a whole series of blog posts just waiting to happen, and are one of my pet peeves. Good sheep fencing does not = good horse or cow fencing. The same applies to gates. But not always at the farm. The sheep are escape artists. I think the cows just walked out a gate the FO left open the last time he took them out a hay bale. And we didn't walk the half mile back to check that particular gate, because, "the cows are all set for the weekend." Sigh.... I should know better by this point!
Such beautiful photos!
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