Yesterday and today have been gloriously dry and so it was we decided that enough was enough and even with more rain forecast on and off over the next week, it was time to pretend spring was here and get the cows out!! It was all a bit of a military operation because we firstly had to get the sheep and alpacas into the top 3-acre, then get outside hay and water sorted which involved pushing/pulling hay racks and trolleys out of a soggy 4-acre field and into the equally soggy 3-acre fields. The next stage was to get the cows to walk (yeah right) out of the barn through the entire length of the 4-acre field and then through the open gate into the bottom 3-acre. They reached their destination fine but they certainly did not walk, and so a happy half hour was spent stamping down all the divots they made as the galloped, turned, jumped, leapt and all things in-between!!
We then had to get the barn mucked out and set up for the goats which amongst other things included creating a ‘hurdle pen’ around the entrance to the broody area so that the ducklings and chicks can get in and out with mums, but so that the goats cannot get in!!
Finally, we had a sort out of feeding troughs so all were in the right places for feeding times!!!
BUT, all was done and we are not entirely sure who was happier, the cows at being back on grass or us, at the thought that we now have two extra hours a day because we are no longer shifting cow poo twice a day!!!!
The ground is still wet, very wet in places and we know that the cows will make a bit of a mess but our hope is that with the grass being quite thick down in their field, the temperatures rising and, god willing, less rain being forecast as April progresses, all will be okay!!!
(PS –more goslings have hatched, we are now up to eight but our male/female ratio is 5/3!!! All still cute though!!!)