Tag: grass

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2014 Hay Season

This years hay has come in and it is beautiful but super expensive!  For hundred plus pound bales last year of high grade hay I paid $13 delivered.  This year for the same level of hay I’m paying $19.  Ouch!

haytruck

California is having serious drought conditions and it has affected this years growing season.  There wasn’t enough rain for a lot of crops to grow and some fields didn’t even get planted.  Because of this we are looking at higher demand for the hay that was grown.  Word around town is there just won’t be enough hay to go around this year so regardless of price people are having to stock up while they can.  I know some people have had to sell off a lot of their animals which is so sad but I understand the predicament – less grass grew because of less rain, meaning they would have to buy extra of already pricey hay.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday will be my last delivery load and I’ll be done buying hay for the year.  Its been an expensive month!  But to see my critters happily munching on some tasty grass hay or alfalfa makes it well worth it.

barnhay

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Grass really is Greener…

Finally the grass is growing to the point where I can let the sheep out to graze soon.  Not soon enough for them though!  Everyday now they are baaing to let me know they are ready to dive in to this years bounty.  It must be torturous for them to stare through the fence at the pasture all day long while not able to get to it!

I hold them in till the ground has firmed up.  If they go out when it’s muddy their hooves will tear up the ground and hurt the land and the vegetation.  Good things come to those who wait I keep telling them- but their demanding baas are drowning me out. 🙂

Green grass and sheep

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We need rain…

sheep pasture

I rely heavily on the pastures I have to feed the sheep in the Spring and Summer.  Unfortunately this year we have not had much rain yet and it is making me a little nervous.

The little rain we did have started some of my grass seed growing but since we’ve had virtually no precipitation since then it has actually started to turn yellow and brown.  I’m just hoping for some measurable rain very soon so that all of it doesn’t die before it got a chance to be even an inch tall!

The other concern of mine comes with what this potential drought means for the hay crops this year.  If we don’t get enough rain it could have a serious impact on hay yields and prices come Spring.

I’m just trying not to worry since we often do get lots of rain in February, March and April.  Plus there is not a lot I can do about it one way or another.  This situation is clearly not under my control!

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Summer, like Spring, came early this year

sheep pasture

April brought 90+ degree weather here which usually doesn’t arrive until June.  That heat and the lack of spring showers dried out the pastures early this year.  The sheep were very dissapointed as was I to see the green grass go.  Even worse this dry hot weather has increased the fire season in California which is always nerve-wracking.

sheep pasture
You can see the vast difference between one pasture to the next.

Usually after the pastures are grazed we get more rain to help the grass grow a second, third, and fourth round so the sheep can continue to dine again and again.  This year the hay will have to be fed out early.

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February Feels Like An Early Spring!

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Haggart and his Karakul family chomping away

 

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Colorful Camelia

 

My friends try to remind me that it is common for Sonoma County to have spring-like Februarys and then fall back into the rainy season in March.  Well it feels like that may happen again this year because we have had plenty off sunshine and warmth lately. 

The flowers have started blooming and the clover has popped up.  The sheep devour the tender new greens and munch with noisy abandon. 

I saw that there is a storm headed our way next week so we will just enjoy these past few days of heaven before the mud returns. 

Ewe eating grass

Bayarma devours clover
pink flowers

So dainty and lovely!