It's raining so I'm taking a few minutes to post about our natural feed. Last week we cut hay--not a very good yield since May was very dry and mostly cold, but the grass was heading out and the clover just starting to bloom so the quality was good.
The willow is also in peak condition so we've been cutting that and hanging it to dry the past couple weeks. After we'd cut a big trunk that was starting to lean really low over the road and taken that to dry, another section blew down and is still partly connected so staying green and is down where we can easily gather it for feeding fresh. So glad to have the new barn we built last year. the loft gives us plenty of space for hay and to hang willow and other stuff to dry where it is out of the sun but gets good ventilation without any rain blowing onto it.
We're feeding 8-12 4 gallon buckets of fresh forage daily. Lots of plantain and chicory, dandelion and wild carrot along with grasses and clover. My herb garden contributes parsley, cilantro, oregano, dill, and the borage which self seeded and is coming up everywhere. (The rabbits love borage--even though the leaves look sort of tough and prickly and bug-eaten)
The weather has been odd. So cold and dry for most of May and then we finally got almost 3 inches of rain late last week and then dry again and cold for June (highs in the 50s and low 60s, gusty wind) Anyway I'm grateful for the abundance and the space to store it well. And for how things grow in spite of the weather. The peas are blossoming and the asparagus is still producing well. Peonies and roses just starting to bloom this week. I've still been managing a walk as the sun comes up but sometimes crawl into bed before it's really dark
The willow is also in peak condition so we've been cutting that and hanging it to dry the past couple weeks. After we'd cut a big trunk that was starting to lean really low over the road and taken that to dry, another section blew down and is still partly connected so staying green and is down where we can easily gather it for feeding fresh. So glad to have the new barn we built last year. the loft gives us plenty of space for hay and to hang willow and other stuff to dry where it is out of the sun but gets good ventilation without any rain blowing onto it.
We're feeding 8-12 4 gallon buckets of fresh forage daily. Lots of plantain and chicory, dandelion and wild carrot along with grasses and clover. My herb garden contributes parsley, cilantro, oregano, dill, and the borage which self seeded and is coming up everywhere. (The rabbits love borage--even though the leaves look sort of tough and prickly and bug-eaten)
The weather has been odd. So cold and dry for most of May and then we finally got almost 3 inches of rain late last week and then dry again and cold for June (highs in the 50s and low 60s, gusty wind) Anyway I'm grateful for the abundance and the space to store it well. And for how things grow in spite of the weather. The peas are blossoming and the asparagus is still producing well. Peonies and roses just starting to bloom this week. I've still been managing a walk as the sun comes up but sometimes crawl into bed before it's really dark