Saturday 11 September 2010

Winter Prep !!...all hot 'n' bothered !!...

Must be nice.....lazing in the sun-shine !!......
The barn preperation......all mucked out !! ...waiting for the hay !!

One side is full.....just the other side.....and the job's a goodin !!


We have been a little busy..over the past couple of days..to say the least !

Regular readers will know that I got 78 large round bales of Hay !!...and this now needs to be brought inside for the winter. So the quest to move the bales..has started.

I have got 28 in and...just another..........50 to go !! One side of the barn is full and the other is now empty and waiting for the rest.

I usually keep an area for the alpacas to be brought in if the weather is nasty. This area needed to be mucked out. I have been also using the extra space to bring the younger boys over night, just so that there is no concern from bullying from the older boys. So I also had this extra area to muck out. This is the place where the rest of the hay bales will be stored over winter. So, before I started...I had to muck out this area. The building is now all clear and drying out, in preparation for the hay.
I have been 'all hot 'n' bothered..mucking out the last bits.....the tractor does most of the work, space can be a bit tight...but we manage.

I have quite enjoyed myself......conquering the task list.....the hay has been pleasurable to bring in....I always get a nice satisfied feeling when the barn is full and ready for the coming winter.

We have had a bit of rain here overnight hence..the building was on the agenda...and not the hay carting. Weather/land depending...maybe tomorrow I will carry on....but if the land is too wet, it might take an extra day or two....before I can bring any more in.

So the winter preparation has started......I think I might have to move into the other building..for hay storage..as I don't think I'll fit them all in...but I shall do my best. Not to mention...the straw to find....home for..!!

:-0)

5 comments:

Alpacarae said...

It is a lovely feeling seeing all the hay cut, it is such a huge job, that as you say the saying of making hay while the sun shines is exactly that, you have to put everything asied and get the job done before any rains ro spoil the hay.
We have the opposite with our hay here, instead of placing them in a shed, as we cut at the beginning of our season, not at the end of the season, so we cut our hay usualyy about a week or two before xmas, which is really again like you a huge taks, as it is also shearing time, so it is such huge phycial efforts, and i am past it physically now, my husband also is feeling it at 55 ys old, but we run these along the sides under the cypress hedges, leaving about a 10 metre gap, this gives like a huge corridor for the alpacas to sit behind whilst the heat of the days through our summer, it is like an air conditioned room between the hedge and cypress, as the large numbers of alpacas, we need large areas for protection in case the weather has a sudden and dramatic change, as the alpacas are shorn. So on the hot days they all stand in this huge corridor, that is about 20 degrees cooler than in the middle of the paddock, and graze hoizontally off the hay bales.
The differences between the Australian climate, and that that is faced in the northern hemisphere is the complete opposite, which i discovered when we visited both Uk, France and Belgium in the Autumn 08, and the Canada in Autumn 09, a complete opposite in every way.
But i take my hat off to you all, as i think i would find it hard to house alpacas especially large herds all winter.
Looks like a great effort for the year, and you save so much from buying feed.

Terry said...

Wow! That is a lot of hay! It looks so nice in your barn. You are such a hard worker!

Shirley said...

Hiya Jayne, Well done - you're getting there. Hope the weather holds until you get the job finished. Remember that you can always be hot, but not too bothered! Take care. Shirley & Robbie

Rosemary said...

That is a very, very tidy looking barn! All credit to you - well done!!

Alpacas of Lewis said...

Iain is jealous...of your hay!!! All looks fab...we are still buying bales for the alpacas and sheep!