Saturday Jeremiah spent a good portion mowing, got about 1/3 of the property done. Amazing really that he spent a good 6 hours and only did about 1/3 of it. That's 5 acres. Now that I think about it though, Tex mowed Rick's 5 acres on Dawn Lane in 6 hours, so I guess it's about average.
I picked up a lot of the cut haylage and fed it to the girls. They want so badly to get out but I'm a little afraid to with the property fencing only being 3 strand twisted wire. Plus too, we still have the resident horse and while I doubt she'd hurt them, she seems pretty uninterested in them for the most part, I'd rather not take the chance. It's a real shame because there is so much good forage out there.
I could let just 1 or 2 out at a time but then they probably wouldn't eat and pine for the others on the other side of the fence. Except PJ, I'm sure she wouldn't give a crap about the other and just feed her face. Being the herd queen, the others tend to follow her so my theory is that if I led her around they'd follow, but again, I am just not ready to take that chance. They'd have to go a pretty long way to get into any real trouble to be quite honest and if I stayed out there with them it would be fine but who has time for that!? Anyway, enough about that. Maybe one day I'll work up the nerve to let 'em out and say have at it.
We still haven't decided for sure what to do about property fencing. We've gone back and forth on cattle panels vs. field fencing. For those of you who don't know the difference, here's a short explanation: Cattle panels are about 16 foot long, 4 foot 2 inches high made from 4 gauge (pretty thick) steel rods welded at the seams with horizontal and vertical "rods", for lack of a better term.
(Cattle paneling)They come in all sort of different combinations as far as horizontal stays but more often than not they are close together at the bottom, say 1 inches apart for about 4-6 inches then gradually increase in space until at the top the openings are like 4"x6" or 6"x6". There are also other panels (hog panels are about 3 foot tall) and Horse panels which was about 5 foot tall with 4x4 spacing top to bottom.
Field fencing comes in a roll, we're looking at field fencing that is about 4 foot high and the rolls are 330' long. The downfalls to this are 1. It's heavy! 2. you MUST have anchored posts (i.e. wooden or metal posts set in the ground (3 to a corner normally) and then spaced about every 50 feet with t posts set every 8 foot apart) and that requires digging or auguring holes. In order to last any good length of time it requires setting said poles in concrete. Most of the posts around the property are still good (not set in concrete but our soil is loamy and it drains well not allowing moisture build up on the wood per say making them last longer but technically you could just use t posts pound into the ground to hold up cattle panels and forgo the anchor posts. The reason it would be okay is because they are stiff and unlike the field fencing can stand up on their own with little a little bit of vertical support from a less sturdy post like one really set in. Wooden or metal posts anchored into the ground every 50 or so feet with 8 posts at every 8-10 foot intervals is ideal, but if we're talking about finances and needing/wanting a temporary/permanent solution to letting the goats graze, t-posts would do it) 3. you have to stretch field fencing with a tractor, vehicle or come-a-long. We don't have a tractor to lift it right now or to stretch it. I WILL NOT stretch 15 acres worth of fencing with a come-a-long and so pretty much if we plan to field fencing it may be years before it gets done and quite honestly, come next Spring I'd like to have the goats out on pasture at least 10 hours a day.
Field fencing is meant to give when weight is placed on it. The seams where the verticals and horizontals touch are wrapped in wire. This allows the fence to give if livestock rubs up against it. BUT, if the fence is low enough for a horse or cow (or goat) to place the weight of its head and neck on it, it starts to lean over and stretch out on top.
I am fairly sure, providing the goats have plenty to eat in any one given pasture they are in, they will have no need to climb on the fencing. HOWEVER, at least for the pasture up front or any pasture where they will have human interaction, cattle panels will be the ONLY way to go. But again, if we're talking about putting up pasture/perimeter fencing right away, I just don't see us living to finish field fencing!
Pros to cattle panels is that they are indestructible, nearly anyway. They hold up MUCH better to goats, especially, than ANY other fencing. They can be replaced much easier than any stretched fencing. If a tree falls on a section or two, you remove that section and replace it and you're done. In terms of something happening to field fencing, not so with field fencing. Cattle panels can be bought sections at a time and can be taken down, moved around, etc. Buy them as we get the money basically, a few a month. Yes, it may take a while but with it kinda being "pieced together" you just keep adding on.
Downfalls are that it can be much more costly to use them than field fencing to the tune of about twice as much. BUT considering the work saved both installing and repairing is made up for that and its longevity is unmatched.
While I will admit that field fencing is much more attractive (personal opinion). Cattle panels, if done right, can look just as nice though.
Anyway, enough about fencing. I tire of thinking about it. For all I care we could put up 4-5 strands of electric fencing. Jeremiah thinks it's double the work and it is...sort of. Anyway...
At any rate, Labor Day is coming up and I am hoping Lowes, Tractor or Orshelns has a sale on cattle panels. Lowes, at full price, has been the cheapest of all three and Jeremiah gets a military discount there. It would be just grand if they had a tax free weekend. That along with his 10% discount would be fantastic! We'll see...
I would like to buy 10-20 and make a pasture for the girls just so they have something to nibble on until the grass starts to die back. $5+ a day is getting expensive to keep them around which is what we are spending on feed and grain! Multiply that by the rest of winter and you can see that it'll be quite a bite out of the pocket book until next Spring when I finally get some milk coming in again.
If anyone asks what we want for Christmas, we want cattle panels. We're easy to please like that. You have no idea how indispensable these things are! I made a feeder out of one last week. They can be made into gates, they can be made into pens, and as I have proven, you can even make them into clothes lines.
There was some excitement yesterday evening. Jeremiah and I were in the bucks pen lowering the gates. There are 2 metal lean-to structures split in half, so technically there are 4 pens that utilize 2 shelters. That's besides the point but I was inside one of the shelters watching the boys as they ate and Price Charming was looking at something curiously. I turn around and there is a huge snake slithering across the pen! I am fairly sure the words I used were not suitable to repeat.
Jeremiah jumped up and probably said some choice words too. He wasn't nearly as close to it as I was. He asked me what I wanted to do. I am fairly sure it was a gopher snake but I told him I didn't care if it was poisonous or not, NO SNAKE THAT BIG WILL BE ALLOWED ON THIS PROPERTY so Jeremiah threw a cinder block at it. I think it landed on top of it but didn't kill it. I ran to get a shovel and it slithered off to the other side of the fence. Jeremiah went after it and between the two of us we killed it.I really do kinda feel somewhat badly about killing it. It measured in at 4 foot 6 though anyway, it's gone.
To date we've seen 4 snakes and quite frankly, that's 4 snakes too many. Reason #1 for keeping the place mowed or grazed down. I really have to start reading up on the snakes around here.
The neighbor said the previous owner did kill a rattler many many years ago. They are supposed to be rare though. Our real estate agent told Jeremiah Kansas doesn't have snakes when Jeremiah asked a few months back. When someone tells you that, take it like you would when the government tell you they are there to help you.
At any rate, I've got to get on getting the Explorer registered here in Kansas. I went to Walmart today and bought Kilz primer and concrete primer to paint the paneling downstairs in the basement. I'd prefer to take the paneling off but I assumed it was glued and nailed and quite frankly I just need to do something quick down there so I can get back to work. I also started removing the popcorn ceiling after lunch and it's coming off so nicely. I asked the inspector when he was out inspecting the house if he thought the ceiling had asbestos in it and he said there was none. Now granted, he could be wrong, but I'm going with that. There was small bit of paneling I started removing just to see if it was glued and it was just nailed so I am hoping it's all like that and I can just take it all down and paint!
The floor is concrete. Yesterday I used a stain remover and etcher. We're going to paint the concrete. I'll let you know how that turns out but I am pretty confident it will be just lovely. We were visiting friends a couple weekends ago and they had a painted concrete floor and it was just gorgeous! They were no experts so I figure if they can do it, so can I.
Anyhoo, that's all for now. The kid's school bus should be here soon and I want to get back to this crappy ceiling.
No comments:
Post a Comment