TheFarmOfDreams- a long awaited adventure
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- #162
Thefarmofdreams
Loving the herd life
Oh goodness, all of that is SO helpful! Thank you. I understand now that you were trying to keep the tension and split the taught wire down the middle without either end loosening. Got it. I was imagining a run of fence and only the end.
And i definitely plan on the better bolts. We've got a TON of gates on our tiny pen currently bc i had to be able to get trucks all around the barn- double gates front and rear, a man gate, and 2 gates inside that allow me to use one end of the barn as a run in shed. So I'll be reusing a bunch of them. (Since I have to tear down the pen anyways thanks to that stupid snow) And one came with the good bolts, I may just buy all good-bolt style gates going forwards. And the self-latching gates, for sure. I have too many kids that would definitely not close things proper.
We've had a busy couple of days. Got a ton of pallets in from the local duty free (finallllyyy free ones) to put hay on in the basement, bc i've got too much upstairs. The floor is sagging much more quickly. But, even though it'll be a pain to move it all, it is going to keep things SO WARM when the basement has animals AND wall-to-wall hay bales. Darn water tank still isnt insulate. Nor are the lights up. I'll get there eventually....
I did get the whole posse out for individual walks (the cranky old man that lets my baby walk him managed to kick me while he was trying to buck and kick and cavort at the end of his lead. You'd never know he has all that spunk!) I need to get Luke out for a good ride, almost all the snow is gone and i know he's dying for the exercise, and I'm ITCHING to go see my pasture.- Thread starter
- #163
Thefarmofdreams
Loving the herd life
I couldn't stand it anymore. The tree machinery is all way back so I went out and explored the garden and pasture. 
Here's my (future) garden and dry lot.
And a bunch from the silvopasture and living barn
This soil is going to be so rich when all this wood breaks down.
Here's my (future) garden and dry lot.
And a bunch from the silvopasture and living barn
This soil is going to be so rich when all this wood breaks down.
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Baymule
Herd Master
That soil looks rich now!
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- #165
Thefarmofdreams
Loving the herd life
It is really nice imo but I'm not expert. Super well drained sandy loam that , until this month, was pine plantation
farmerjan
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Just make sure you do a PH test. Although pine needles are a bit acidic, they say they do not add as much acidity to the soil as the soil is already acidic and that is where pines prefer to grow... low PH and well drained soils. It might be too acidic for some of the vegetable garden plants. Lime can fix that....and the pine needles etc., can continue to add organic matter....
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- #167
Thefarmofdreams
Loving the herd life
Good to know! I'm expecting to do a lot of amending in the garden area. I just need my tractor (hopefully these trees are buying me one!) so I can manage my manure pile for better composition. Then I'll have lots of beautiful soil.
I definitely am hoping to get my local cornell office to help me figure out the fine details on the silvopasture, living barn and garden soil.
Edit bc I'm bad at words. Said pasture, meant garden
SageHill
Herd Master
Definitely check the soil - to a full on test - even one you can do yourself. It'll be worth the time and effort. When I put in raised beds they brought in dirt- looked great, the guys that had it brought in said it was the best. Fat Chance. Tried growing - things just survived. Did a soil test and the nitrogen level wasn't even up to minimum. Wasted effort and time. Spent a year amending and replacing.
Finnie
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If your soil tests acidic, grow blueberries! 
- Thread starter
- #170
Thefarmofdreams
Loving the herd life
Phew! What a busy week. I've gotten a ton done the past few days and it feels SO GOOD. I hate when I'm busy all day but never check off anything I need to do.
But I've gotten half the hay moved down stairs in the barn. I gave up on that darn water tank, but I figured out a better plan to do, if I ever get to the bottom of the to do list, or for next year. I figured out how to fix our back door (the door jamb is the only place to mount the fence, so the door wasn't closing right, so the barn was NOT staying warm at all.). And today we fixed the fence so the horses can get out. Half the insulators are very questionable, but the fence is up.
Here's a link to our farm page with the video. I'd just embed it but it was on my sister's phone so I don't have it. Video of horses enjoying snow
And our barn slowly filling with hay. It's gonna be so toasty down there once it's full
The littlest helper cleans stalls nearly independently now. All I did in this stall is unbury the pee spot! He's so big.
Also. This horse is ridiculous. He's standing RIGHT over the littlest helper while he scoops ice out of his barrel, making the most ridiculous faces. Thought sure he was just so eager for water...... NOPE! He just really enjoys trolling small children.
Finally... I can't get enough of this pasture. I can't wait to put up the dry lot in the spring. I think I'm going to put it cross ways in the middle of the north side of the pasture... That way it'll just about reach each of the main cross fenced areas for the horses. (Everyone else will be in smaller mobile nets for intensive grazing) (in the map, green is garden, just south of the house, purple is my pasture, orange are potential dry lots and blue is my wet area. The barn is the white roofed bit just north east of the blue. My cousin is coming in the spring to help me figure out drainage to keep the dry lot usable. I foresee a ditch and a pond.) I can't wait for everyone to live outside all summer! (And maybe even some spring and fall!)
But I've gotten half the hay moved down stairs in the barn. I gave up on that darn water tank, but I figured out a better plan to do, if I ever get to the bottom of the to do list, or for next year. I figured out how to fix our back door (the door jamb is the only place to mount the fence, so the door wasn't closing right, so the barn was NOT staying warm at all.). And today we fixed the fence so the horses can get out. Half the insulators are very questionable, but the fence is up.
Here's a link to our farm page with the video. I'd just embed it but it was on my sister's phone so I don't have it. Video of horses enjoying snow
And our barn slowly filling with hay. It's gonna be so toasty down there once it's full
The littlest helper cleans stalls nearly independently now. All I did in this stall is unbury the pee spot! He's so big.
Also. This horse is ridiculous. He's standing RIGHT over the littlest helper while he scoops ice out of his barrel, making the most ridiculous faces. Thought sure he was just so eager for water...... NOPE! He just really enjoys trolling small children.
Finally... I can't get enough of this pasture. I can't wait to put up the dry lot in the spring. I think I'm going to put it cross ways in the middle of the north side of the pasture... That way it'll just about reach each of the main cross fenced areas for the horses. (Everyone else will be in smaller mobile nets for intensive grazing) (in the map, green is garden, just south of the house, purple is my pasture, orange are potential dry lots and blue is my wet area. The barn is the white roofed bit just north east of the blue. My cousin is coming in the spring to help me figure out drainage to keep the dry lot usable. I foresee a ditch and a pond.) I can't wait for everyone to live outside all summer! (And maybe even some spring and fall!)
