Solid Ground

It will soon be time to lock the main herd of cows out of the fields that are used for hay, pasture and nursery areas. Once the ground becomes sodden with late fall rains, the cows begin to sink with each footstep making for uneven ground when running equipment and downright dangerous human-foot-catchers. So far, the ground has been fairly solid and the herd has been enjoying the rotations around the various fields as they munch the grass that has come back after the cold October.

While the cows have been busy with their grazing, we have been slowly re-stringing the fences that change the landscape of the farm from being wide open to their meanderings to a more controlled farm.

The first and possibly the most difficult fence is actually the shortest. It is the sweeping stretch from the barn to the riverbank. It is less than 50 yards in length but will be the main barrier at the front of the biggest hay field during the winter and then again before and during hay season. This fence is put up and taken down seasonally so is constructed out of metal T-posts, that lightweight white tape wire called New Zealand electric fence and powered by a simple solar charger that is mounted on the side of the barn. We have found that the wire is very easily seen by the cattle, and two thin wires running across an expanse will contain the herd easily. The bigger critters don’t try to step over the fence and the calves learn quickly that they don’t want to try to test the barrier because of the small charge running through it.

The fence was taken off the power grid and the gate opened after the hay was harvested . But that wasn’t good enough for the herd, they spent hours and hours rubbing on the metal T-posts and playing with the lightweight woven wire thus tangling them up. Each day I would try to tamp the T-posts back into the dirt and straighten the snarled wire, it was sometime in August when I gave up and rolled up the two strands of wire and looped them over the solid wood post at the far end of the fence. I thought that by getting them out of the way of the main traffic that the herd would leave the rest of the fence alone.

My efforts did not discourage the herd. The bigger critters, those adults who should know better, kept using the T-posts, sans wire, for scratching posts. They rubbed this way and that, they rolled the posts around in the holes as the ground loosened. The taller ones in the herd used the top of the posts as a way to get to that little itch under their chin and would actually push the post farther into the ground.  More than one post was broken off at ground level. The calves, not to be outdone, kept messing with the rolls of white tape that were looped over the wooden fence post and managed to pull some of the wire while cinching the rest of the roll tight to the post. They would get their head through a loop or two during their own itch scratching fests. It did not help that there is a lot of snowberry growing in and around the fenceline and many of the loops were tangled in those plants, on parts of the permanent fence with the barb wire, and around the wooden post.

It took most of a morning just to untangle the whole mess while Mike set about resetting the bent, broken and sunken T-posts.

Note to self: Next year I will remove all wire and T-posts at the end of hay season rather than just opening the gate or rolling wire to the end. It is not worth the aggravation come the fall.

As the ground begins to get soggier with each day we inch toward winter, you can bet Muck boots will be my go-to footwear. Please click the link to shop at the affiliate as you normally do, I will get credit for directing people to their site and may make a small commission on your purchases without a cost to you. You do not have to purchase any item that I promote. Thank you for supporting my stories

 and don’t forget the local book Voices From The Mill Pond is now available for purchase