We have decided to focus our energy on the established third fields and planting the fourth fields. The second field is not growing like it should. We suspect that a common Bermuda has taken over completely and compaction is limiting the roots efficiency. Common Bermuda is like turf grass for a lawn. Some giant Bermuda seed that you purchase will have a small percentage of common. Unfortunately the common chokes out the giant over time. In the meantime, the same is true of our horse pastures. We have decided to fence off the second fields and put the horses out to graze the fields. The horse pastures will be given some time to put some height on and eventually we will put the horses back on the pasture. We will have to rip and replant the second field with giant Bermuda at a later time.
The third fields look fantastic; weed free and lush green. This cutting will be terrific. We plan on having the cutting tested at the Wetmore Labs, so that we have an idea of the nutritional content. I would love to put some of this away for our horses, but I suspect it will all be sold before we can get it out of the field. We have this huge hay barn ready for stacks, but we are selling the hay so quickly it never makes it into the barn.
The animals seem to be dealing with our high temperatures. I was concerned as to how our Jacob lambs would handle the heat. They are in complete shade and have an enclosed area for privacy/security. So far they have only been eating our Bermuda grass hay. I also have a salt block for them and give them baking soda every few days to help their tummies. They have "hay bellies" and giving them the baking soda makes me feel like I am doing something to help prevent bloat. I am told that the alfalfa is generally the culprit when it comes to bloat, but just to be safe they will get their baking soda. A "hay belly" is just a big round belly.
We set up an poult pen next to the turkey trio. It too is completely shaded. Today I set up the mister so that both turkey pens have a mist spray. The little ones are doing well so far and are thriving. I took a couple turkey eggs yesterday (Emma has stopped incubating until the weather cools again), and stuck them under "Quacky" the mutt duck. I may have a couple more poults in a month.
"Quacky" is our resident duck. She really doesn't serve a purpose other than she is the offspring of a couple of Emma's favorite ducks. "Quacky" is a devoted mother to her her infertile eggs; poor thing. Yesterday when I put the turkey eggs in her nest, I removed some of the older duck eggs to throw out. She seemed perfectly happy to accept the speckled eggs and was on them this morning when I fed and watered her. This duck is one of the loudest I've ever heard.
The chickens are coping with the heat so far. The misters were moved into the coop house, so that the Orpingtons in the hutch can have some cooling as well. I repaired a hanging metal feeder and hung it in the coop yesterday, so that there will be less waste (ground feeders get dirt kicked into them and get kicked over occasionally) and the bugs or rodents don't have easy access. I can also fill the container with a generous reserve, so that the chickens always have food available.
The tortoises are active morning and evening. They are enjoying their open pen and have been chowing down on the greens, vegetable and fruit scraps. They are voracious eaters and rather interesting to watch at mealtimes. They remind me of the computer generated dinosaurs in movies. I remember thinking that the movie dinosaurs didn't look real to me, but after watching the tortoises I see how the robotic movements actually are realistic.
The grapes and trees seem to be doing well. The blackberries are struggling. I may have lost one already. I noticed this morning that it looks like some rabbits may have gotten to one of the Thompson grapes. I will have to secure the chicken wire to keep those cottontails and jackrabbits out.
The chicken stalls are still in progress. We work on them as we have time or temperatures allow. When the thermometer is reading 114 degrees, it is hard to get motivated to go back out into the heat to do anything. We are getting ready to put up the panels that will seperate the first two stalls.
The dogs are all shedding out their hair coats. Titan the pyrenese has the thickest coat of all. We take turns brushing him daily. Some days we can brush out a couple grocery bags full of shed hair. Needless to say the vacuuming chore is demanding. We let Titan in for the day and out at night. Zeus stays out day and night. He has claimed the underside of the house for the cooler temps, but doesn't allow Titan under with him. Bear is making due with horse and hay barns for shelter from the sun. He occasionally will take a dip in the horse trough, and always enjoys when we irrigate. Generally, he is a muddy mess, but he is a desert survivor.
We will be irrigating again this week, so that we will have our next cutting sometime during the beginning of July. We want to make sure we get a good length for nice bale flakes. I think we will do an overnight watering, so that we can get it all done and over with. We will start around 2:00 pm and switch fields through the night until all the fields have been watered, ending sometime the next morning.
We have almost made it through June. May was pleasant. Not to bad, but we still have July and August to survive. Here's to desert survival.
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