I’ve been pushing off feeding out hay the last few weeks. Usually by now I will start feeding hay. I bring the animals in out of the field when gun season starts to keep them safe then go on from there with the winter hay routine. This year, while I did bring them in briefly for gun season, I put them back out. I bought my hay pretty tight this year (after over-buying last year), then I had trouble with animals escaping and had them at the barn more than I wanted too early this fall. So now I’m trying to make up for it and telling them to eat every blade of grass in the field before we start back on the hay.
The horses weren’t listening too well, though, and escaped their field this week. We brought them in to the front yard, where there actually is some green grass left, and decided to keep them there for about a week. This means keeping the gates at the drive shut–having to open and shut them every time we go anywhere–but it makes the most of what grass is available. Even if that grass is in the yard.
A little horse poop in the yard never hurt anybody.
Meanwhile, it’s been a bit of a hectic week, but I’m back!
You can order Chickens in the Road: An Adventure in Ordinary Splendor now!
Window On The Prairie says:
Problem in that once you get a cold snap in the fall, the nutrient quality of the grass goes down and keeps going down. So while the grass still looks green and pretty, it’s like the horses are eating newspaper. It’ll fill them up, but they’re not getting the nutrition they need. :hungry:
On December 12, 2013 at 9:32 am
yvonnem says:
That pic almost looks like early spring, makes it hard to believe it’s been so cold and not even officially winter yet!
On December 12, 2013 at 7:54 pm
holstein woman says:
Yvonnem, that is my problem. I can’t believe it isn’t winter yet. However, those photos sure are very pretty with all the ground showing and the horses looking so beautiful.
Our weather here has been frozen for over a week which is unusual for NW Oregon. We did get rain while about 38 today and all of the spots that got full of water will be frozen in the morning, so I’M STAYING HOME ON THE RANGE.
On December 12, 2013 at 9:17 pm
Joell says:
:happyflower:
In the Spring you will have those lovely big pops of higher green grass in spots–it will give your yard texture. 😆
There is a good side to everthing.
On December 15, 2013 at 11:16 am