11 ewes and 30 lambs are going to be separated this week so that I can wean the lambs and give the ewes some breathing space. I know they will be relieved when the lambs are separate from them.
Pastures are dying back and the issue of hay surfaces again.
We feed good quality hay all winter long, and rely on it for both the sheep and other livestock we have.
For the last few years we've purchased from a local farmer and established a satisfying relationship with him. We've come to realize what goes into hay making and the role that God and nature play in determining hay quality and quantity. We are so reliant on the weather which has to be just right to go through each process necessary to bring the hay to final baling point.
This years' rain has pretty much hindered the hay making operation for everybody. Acres of cut hay waiting to dry have been saturated by torrential downpours effectively rendering it useless for feeding to livestock. Fields upon fields of cut hay have just been wasted and so, farmers and livestock producers are preparing to have less hay available. Thankfully it appears that we will have enough for our farm, but mostly first cutting this year. The second cut never grew enough to recuperate from the rain. What did grow was lost after being cut due to being rained on.
When I think about what we'd do if hay were suddenly unavailable its not a pretty scenario. The Amish get their hay by a different process though the steps are the same. They use horse drawn equipment and are able to put up lose hay as well as baled hay. But they too are governed by the sun and rain cycles to a degree.
I've heard it said that "money makes the world go around" but I disagree. I think the real currency is hay.
Think about it.
If you eat meat, you're likely to eat some creature that relies on grass and/or hay for its sustenance. This requires land, sun, water and manpower to plant, harvest, store and feed at the appropriate time. Given the amount of meat consumed in this country annually, and how much is grass/hay fed, without hay and the hands that make it, we'd have a whole lot less meat available.
Interesting thought.
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