Well, it's Fall and past time to get ready for Winter. Friday I had my first two bales of Haylage delivered. For those who don't know about Haylage, they are big rounds of hay, usually about 1000# each, plastic wrapped for storage. The difference between Haylage and regular Rounds is that the moisture content is higher, which is good and bad. The good is that sheep seem to prefer it because the stems are more tender - hence less waste, and they are usually leafier - depending on the producer. Bad is that it spoils easier if the casing isn't completely airtight. Hay rounds are same size, baled later and the moisture content is low plus it is only wrapped in twin which doesn't keep it from the elements. The added benefit of either haylage or rounds is the cost. One round costs from $24-45 each versus the small bales of 50-80# bales of hay for anywhere of $3 - 15 each. So, if you can do it, round are the most economical way of feeding sheep/cattle/goats. Horses - well they have too many issues with haylage and rounds so they pretty much get feed small bales.
I've fed Rounds before to sheep and cattle and they did quite well on it. This year I'm doing Haylage. There is a co-op of breeders in the area that uses this producer so I have high hopes that the sheep will do well on it.
Last weekend I measured out the main fields that I use for pasture and pounded in another cross fence line. I will wait until the field is mowed of scotch broom before putting up the fencing. This pasture is bigger then a regulation trialing arena - so it will give me more of an opportunity to train in a larger field then ever before at home. The other larger field I'm having mowed too but is really just for the sheep to graze and be sheep.
The weekend before that I put in the 60 x 60 training arena. Pounding in all the t-posts and laying the fencing temporarily until I know that is were I want it before I put in wood posts for ends and gate attachments. That is not something I'm looking forward to. Hard work. I hate digging post holes! Over the past weekend I scoped out the other back pasture and have been thinking that I could just as well put the round pen there instead and have the front section available for a larger area to work in but not as large as the arena. It would be about 130' x 135'.
I know that I should have done all this earlier this year but the weather hadn't been cooperative for the most part - either too rainy or too hot on the weekends. Lately it's been in the mid 60's so that's good working weather! For man and beast.
