Saturday 16 August 2014

Getting a new field ready for cows

At the moment most of the fields do not have fences good enough to keep the cows in, even though the highlands seem much happier now they have a larger herd with the Jersey's here too. The fences have been working fine for the horses, but they are quite a bit bigger and are good horses who only go walk about occasionally.
We have had a plan for a long time to divide the fields up more so now seemed a good time to start as it would save doing better fencing on the whole of a large field, and progress us a little towards the end goal.
After a lot of work strimming, them putting a new fence across and providing water it is finally ready for the cows - there is still more work needed on the fence and the water but it is a brilliant start. Doug heroically did almost all the work. I have been busy preserving various produce. We will move the cows in a few days when we know Bluebell is getting on OK with being weaned - the newly prepared field is further from the house.
To give you an idea.
The total area is about 11 hectares. The green line is approx the border of our land although it is a lot more wiggly in places - there is even a small area off the top of the picture not attached to the rest of the land that we have never located
The orange field is where the cows currently are by the house. We call it the hay field.
The pink field is where the pigs are (pretty giant area! lucky pigs!)
The red area is the new field. The pale blue shows where the stream is and the darker blue (if you can make it out) is where the new water pipe runs)
Previously the bottom area was all one field (so the red triangle and the square next to it). Eventually we will divide the remaining part in to two. We will lose a little bit off the bottom as it is very boggy and we think we will just leave it to go wild. It is pretty hard to put a fence in a bog and the wet is not good for the animals feet.
If you look really carefully you can see some little white blobs in that field. I think that is our sheep and that the satellite picture was taken last summer!

The new fence dividing the triangular field from the other part. This is where the fence is running down by the stream, viewed from the end nearer the house.
 Water capture box. The pipe goes well in to the box and is held in place with plumbing tape and silicone sealant. The entrance to the pipe is protected with bits of broken plant pot to stop a stone getting lodged in there. The bottom of the box and round the pipe is filled with sand and the rest of the box with gravel.
The box is buried to the left of the log, the pipe comes out under the log and you can see where the pipe to take the water to the drinker is attached with a grey plastic thing.
 View from further away, log is too the left and you can see the pipe carrying water going under the dog
 The sink embedded in the field with the pipe flowing in to it. The spur of fence is just to stop the cows getting above the drinker and knocking the pipe or slipping down in to the sink and dislodging it. The sink has a plug in and the water is going down the overflow in to a pipe that you can see emptying to the left of the picture. We are going to get another length of pipe and take this water back in to the stream as we are keen to minimise boggy areas.

Showing the location of the sink. It is close to the fence so the cows cannot walk on the pipes in and out. You can see the land is fairly steep and that there is plenty of nice lush grass for the cows.


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