I finally got the shelf in the goat barn put up to hold all my accessories. Some of the goats get oatmeal in their grain to help their poo remain in pellet form. I always make sure my goats and sheep have free access to Baking Soda - I have never had a case of bloat (knock on wood) as a result.
I took the food bowls out of the sheep barn and replaced them with hay racks. The bowls made feeding easier but they also doubled as sleeping spaces and as a result collected a lot of poo and pee. The racks have led to less waste but have caused a bit more jostling and head butting.
I would have liked to have found larger racks but they are ridiculously expensive, who knew?
The best news was that the Commander and one of my sons finally got the fencing totally attached! I was really getting tired of the sheep finding drooping areas and escaping underneath to get at the food on the other side of the fence line. If you click on the picture you will see how well the sheep have eaten down this area of the forest. Late this Fall the Commander will cut down a big chunk of the trees and throw down some pasture seed for next year!
Those goats are far more efficient than my horses! My critters leave a lot that has to be mowed.
ReplyDeleteif you want larger feeders, they are easy to make .... you can take 2x4 and make a frame for large wire, such as used for concrete or cut done cattle/hog panels for stronger feeders, use plywood or recycle lumber for bottom and sides and then hang on the walls. I have several hog panels that goats step on the cross wire and break the welds, they make for great feeders because sheep and goats can get head inside to feed.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing how something as simple as a shelf in the barn makes chores so much easier?!
ReplyDeleteYeeha! New pasture! I'm all for it! I need to rent some sheep!
ReplyDeleteIan - The place looks like it has been cleaned out by locust!
ReplyDeleteTombstone - I was going to use leftover cattle panels except they were all used up!
Carolyn - I feel so much more comfortable with a safe place to store things. The goats have always found a way to get into my stuff or to knock it down so the shelf makes things safer for everyone!
Mary Ann - Pasture land is our goal but for that one has to measure progress in years not months!