Sterling Day 11

This morning I went on a nice relaxed pasture walk on the school farm identifying potentially invasive weed species. The plan we developed to eradicate the weeds is to start feeding the goats treats in a black basin. We will do this for several days cycling through rolled oats, pig feed, rabbit feed, and other grains to supplement their grazing until they start to recognize that the basin means treat time. Then we will bring them a basin with 75% grain and 25% of chopped weed, in this case Canadian thistle. Hopefully we can keep increasing the thistle content until the basin has 100% thistle. Then we will set up there paddocks around areas that have thistle in them and hope that they feed on it. Normally animals are selective feeders, meaning they will only eat the most palatable, nutritious feeds. We will see if these goats can be trained to do otherwise. Then again goats are notorious browsers so it shouldn't be too hard.

Morning pasture walk




Next I had the coolest day of tractor school yet. We went back to the pasture that we mowed/raked yesterday and Mark drove the baler up and down the rows of hay forming them into bales. It is kind of funny to watch, it looks like a stout animal munching its way along and then a door in the back opens up and a hay bale dump falls out.

Here's a blurry pic of the baler after it just took a dump


The next step is what I had to do. After the bales are made I drove a large Valtra tractor around the field and picked up the hay bales one by one with a clamp attachment on the front end and then dropped them onto the wrapping machine.

Here's what it looks like


Then you hit the switch on the wrapper and it spins and rolls the bale to cover it in two layers of plastic to prevent it from drying out or getting too wet. The wrapping also causes the hay to ferment which makes it easier on the cow's digestive system. The Dunbar's have wrapped bales from last year that are still good for feed.

Here's the wrapper


Here's me cruisin the pasture with a bale. Fun times!