Just in time! I think the spring heat is about to arrive. Funny you should talk about being out so EARLY to beat the heat. The blackflies arrived here today. They chased the donkeys right out of their pasture back to the barn. Do you know HOW much they await their morning pasture treat?! They tried - oh they tried! - to eat the grass as quickly as they could and flapped their floppy ears furiously trying to rid themselves of the biters. But then suddenly all three - plus the two goats - lifted their heads and RAN through the gate and into the dark of the barn. So ... as they are donkeys - naturally desert creatures - they need LOW SUGAR grass. The grass is lowest in sugars from about 3 am to 10 am. The blackflies arrive and thrive from about 7 am to 11 am. Seems I am going to need to let the donkeys onto the pasture somewhere between 5 and 6. Guess I'm going to be getting up earlier and earlier. Maybe I'll have my chores done BEFORE breakfast. Of course ... being the sleep hog that I am ... I may have to go to bed BEFORE dinner! Ha!
Those flies sounds absolutely awful - your poor donkeys - do they go out and graze at night? I feel so sorry for cows in the summer - not only those awful huge horse flies but the flies that cluster around their eyes, Makes me shudder. Poor things.
Some time back I saw a picture at your place of feed bags hung from the trees in the cow pasture/paddock. The cows would walk through them and brush the flies off. That gave me the idea of hanging a sheet in the door of the donkey barn. Then when they come in they can brush the flies/mosquitoes off on their way in. Works VERY well!
Oh yes!! That is great! Do you remember that I used to put DE in the bags - they were hessian coffee bags so the cows got a wee dusting at the same time.
I love the sheet idea. That must feel so good for the donkeys.
Oh - one more thing. Our Rosie (donkey) has a condition similar to diabetes in humans. She doesn't do well digesting sugars. So our group has a very limited time to be out on the pasture. At this time it is about an hour. As the pasture dries out a bit and summer rolls in then they might be able to handle having access at night. That then gets complicated by the coyotes that travel in packs hunting at night. Safer in the paddock then. Sounds like we live in the wilds. Not really ... more like on the 'edge' of the wilds. ;)
Oh how lovely to have your voice accompanying me this morning... as I made yoghurt, prepped sourdough focaccia, and tidied up the contents of the fridge! You and I began blogging about the same time so it took me a little while to find your blog, and although I had gone back through TKG old posts I hadn't read these. And they are fantastic, still as relevant today as they were in 2011. I thought the timing was good, and I can hear you settling into your stride. You are good at this.
I love the natural feel to how you are reading your posts and commenting on them. Wobbly feels like we are just sitting at the table and you are gathering your train of thoughts.
There was no real decision. I just began. John and I married 16 years ago and I immediately proceeded to go organic. He goes along for the ride but would not have made that decision alone - when I am away he drifts back to convenience. He does not really care either way and spends his days off the farm so it is easy. I keep our marriage as private as I can on the internet.
Just in time! I think the spring heat is about to arrive. Funny you should talk about being out so EARLY to beat the heat. The blackflies arrived here today. They chased the donkeys right out of their pasture back to the barn. Do you know HOW much they await their morning pasture treat?! They tried - oh they tried! - to eat the grass as quickly as they could and flapped their floppy ears furiously trying to rid themselves of the biters. But then suddenly all three - plus the two goats - lifted their heads and RAN through the gate and into the dark of the barn. So ... as they are donkeys - naturally desert creatures - they need LOW SUGAR grass. The grass is lowest in sugars from about 3 am to 10 am. The blackflies arrive and thrive from about 7 am to 11 am. Seems I am going to need to let the donkeys onto the pasture somewhere between 5 and 6. Guess I'm going to be getting up earlier and earlier. Maybe I'll have my chores done BEFORE breakfast. Of course ... being the sleep hog that I am ... I may have to go to bed BEFORE dinner! Ha!
Those flies sounds absolutely awful - your poor donkeys - do they go out and graze at night? I feel so sorry for cows in the summer - not only those awful huge horse flies but the flies that cluster around their eyes, Makes me shudder. Poor things.
Some time back I saw a picture at your place of feed bags hung from the trees in the cow pasture/paddock. The cows would walk through them and brush the flies off. That gave me the idea of hanging a sheet in the door of the donkey barn. Then when they come in they can brush the flies/mosquitoes off on their way in. Works VERY well!
Oh yes!! That is great! Do you remember that I used to put DE in the bags - they were hessian coffee bags so the cows got a wee dusting at the same time.
I love the sheet idea. That must feel so good for the donkeys.
Oh - one more thing. Our Rosie (donkey) has a condition similar to diabetes in humans. She doesn't do well digesting sugars. So our group has a very limited time to be out on the pasture. At this time it is about an hour. As the pasture dries out a bit and summer rolls in then they might be able to handle having access at night. That then gets complicated by the coyotes that travel in packs hunting at night. Safer in the paddock then. Sounds like we live in the wilds. Not really ... more like on the 'edge' of the wilds. ;)
Oh how lovely to have your voice accompanying me this morning... as I made yoghurt, prepped sourdough focaccia, and tidied up the contents of the fridge! You and I began blogging about the same time so it took me a little while to find your blog, and although I had gone back through TKG old posts I hadn't read these. And they are fantastic, still as relevant today as they were in 2011. I thought the timing was good, and I can hear you settling into your stride. You are good at this.
Thank you!! I did go a bit wobbly at one point there I thought but the scrolling from page to page and post to post needs practice.
I love the natural feel to how you are reading your posts and commenting on them. Wobbly feels like we are just sitting at the table and you are gathering your train of thoughts.
There was no real decision. I just began. John and I married 16 years ago and I immediately proceeded to go organic. He goes along for the ride but would not have made that decision alone - when I am away he drifts back to convenience. He does not really care either way and spends his days off the farm so it is easy. I keep our marriage as private as I can on the internet.