The Poultry Keeper

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2241 Location: North Cornwall

Would be interested to know how the grass is holding out where you are.

We are going to start feeding hay out in the fields on Monday as our grass is non existent and no rain forecast. Bit worrying Sad

debcat · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 7:52 pm Post subject:

not a lot, but for a different reason
It was so wet in the winter and spring that it all turned to bog Sad

now it's fine and sunny but the grass is so far behind Crying or Very sad

the hay bill this winter is going to be enormous

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7367 Location: isle of lewis

i'm going to reseed mine ,it's holding up quite well ,but i'm going to have to improve my grazing because i've been a bit of a silly girl today

debcat · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 7:59 pm Post subject:

not a silly girl at all Laughing

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2241 Location: North Cornwall

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7367 Location: isle of lewis

i've just said maybe to a pony after the winter ,he has got a few problems ,but with petrol prices the way they are i fancy driving ,well that's what i told the oh Wink

debcat · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:56 pm Post subject:

He's lovely,
just a bit misunderstood and very stubborn Very Happy

If I was well I'd have him back Confused

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7367 Location: isle of lewis

i'll love him you know that Very Happy

,

debcat · Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:00 am Post subject:

CP · Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:52 am Post subject:

Thought you were training the goats to pull a cart for you Suz? But I must admit, a pony would probably be better for it! Very Happy

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:55 am Post subject:

Not much grass in the big field here with the horses. Hay is doing better on this side of the island this year, my allergies are telling me. Enough heat to make the grass grow and it hasn't gotten bone dry enough like in England to bake it brown yet. But out of hay from mainland, according to my hay merchant until a couple of weeks from now when the new crop is harvested. Our hay bill has been enormous for the last couple of years as the land is too boggy and the horses too big. Sad

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1443 Location: Leicestershire

No grass here - one of my farmers (I'm an agricultural contractor) is having 3 artic lorry loads of feed brought in each week for his cows as the grass is gone, the grass fields are looking like harvested fields.

Itsybitsy Wink

Issy · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 371 Location: somerset

have just had to buy three more sheep (my arm was really twisted - honest Laughing

) as we have too much grass. We are on the really lush somerset levels and last year four dexters couldn't keep on top of three acres so when two went in the freezer we bought two sheep and offspring. One of those has had to go (the grass was too rich for her) so we have three replacements from a neighbors farm to help out. I hardly feed any hay in the winter and we have split the ground in two so that they can always have access to grazing. They are wading through hay length grass at the moment in the bottom half Rolling Eyes

, while the top half is resting for a few months.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

Issy, you poor thing having to buy 3 more sheep !! Do we get to see pictures of your animals, please.

Is there a reason why you don't have goats?

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7367 Location: isle of lewis

may be she's sane Wink

,you system sounds as if it's really working of you