Thursday, December 3, 2009

Snow-Dusted Cows

Winter may have finally arrived today. We got enough snow to cover the ground and make the roads slick. The cows look like they have been dusted with confectioners sugar.

The cows really like a strict schedule. Here they are eagerly waiting for their 5 p.m. appetizer. I give them a scoop of dried corn both morning and evening before I fill their hayfeeders and they really feel entitled to that treat, mooing grouchily if I am late. Now that there isn't really anything to graze in the pasture they consume about one bale of hay among them per day. That is precisely what the farmer who sold me the hay guesstimated they would eat. At that rate, we still need to get about 100 more bales to get through the winter.

2 comments:

Susan Tomlinson said...

Do you buy your hay? If so, do you have to store 100 bales, or can you buy them in lots?

Susan said...

Yes, we have to purchase our straw and hay. Our barn has plenty of room to store 200 bales or more, but our little pickup and trailer can only haul about 30 bales at a time. Two accomodating farmers have been willing to sell small loads to us. Hay and straw are on the agenda for this weekend...