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| Tsuga looks pretty pleased with her branch. |
We've had some strong winds recently,
which have brought down many small - and some not-small - branches.
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| Fern was perfectly happy with her branch. Until she saw Tsuga's branch. |
At this time of year, I only move branches and fallen trees if I'm going to trip over them. I can't afford the extra leaning.
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| Fern says, "Mama, why don't we share?" |
The goats spend hours nibbling on branches and downed trees.
I believe they find nutrients in the bark, buds, lichen and moss, and even the wood.
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| Iris has found a little stick All For Her Own Self! |
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| Or so she thought. Brother Rocket decided he would like that stick. |
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| Tansy found a nice branch, but then reconsidered. |
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| "I'll have my timber 'straight up' today!" |
In other goat nutrition news, I had 1400 pounds of hay delivered yesterday.
This made me deliriously happy.
It's in two massive bales.
Each one is 8 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet.
They were delivered in about 10 minutes with a skid-steer:
up my ice-covered driveway and straight into the roundtop.
It was beautiful to watch.
Unlike standard bales, which are carried one by one from the roundtop to the barns and then opened up and distributed to the paddocks,
these bales will have to be opened in the roundtop and then large amounts of loose hay will be transported over ice and snow and - soon - mud.
I hate wasting hay, and loose hay is...loose. I don't want to leave a long trail of hay everywhere I carry it, twice every day.
So I'm going to try to come up with one all-season transport method that will be effective, efficient, and which I hope will not require buying anything.
Fortunately, I don't mind a challenge. And there's a weekend ahead.
What new fun are you planning this weekend?
~~~~~
Lovely to see the goats and their new toys/food. I see squirrels in midwinter chowing down on the thorns on my wild cherry tree. I conclude that there's something important for them at that time. Other times of year they pass.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting! I don't know much about the squirrels' preferences here, apart from the contents of my birdfeeders. And odd things they collect for nestmaking.
DeleteBut I've noticed that one of the very first things baby goats will do when they are in a paddock for the very first time, is nibble on moss growing on wood.
Goats in the snow! ah, yes - one must envy another's stick. Ah, the bane of loose hay. Wow - those are big bales!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the cavies would think of them...giant hay monoliths?!
DeleteThey'd swoon from the sheer size of them! All. that. hay!!
DeleteLooks like the goats are pretty good at clearing away the branches for you. They probably don't mind helping with the hay, too. Sounds like you've got some mighty big bales to deal with. Warm wishes for your weekend.
ReplyDeleteI only wish they would put the sticks away when they are through with them instead of leaving them where I will trip over them when I'm carrying armloads of that hay ;)
DeleteYour goats look so happy and proud of their sticks! I love the jealousy factor.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of hay. Wow! Those bales are way taller than I am. It's hard to imagine that much hay!
I also found it hard to imagine the bales, and went to see some at a friends' farm before I called the hay farmer. And I've already had a shepherd here this weekend to have a look, in case she wants to buy some as well. It really is impossible to picture them accurately until you've stood next to them, I think!
DeleteI love seeing your goats. Beautiful colors. I've noticed mine are happy nibbling on fallen branches as well. I'm sure it is the minerals.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish the cashmere was the same color as the topcoat - not that I don't like the colors of the cashmere!
DeleteSeeing the goats with their branches is delightful!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I feed is the big squares. I use a big gray Rubbermaid wheelbarrow to haul the hay from the shed out to their feeding areas. If I pull instead of push it, it goes along the snow pretty good, as long as there is somewhat of a trail already made.
ReplyDeleteI think only goats would discuss ownership of sticks!
ReplyDelete