Ryan and I finally got the barn cleaned out so I can set it up for the winter months. The cows have been enjoying their time grazing around the property but will soon be confined to their winter accommodations. I feel good about the feed that’s available for them this year. Previously, my custom harvester seemed to only fit me in around his other larger customers which meant that my feed was always just a bit over grown or past its prime. This year with a new custom harvester we were able to harvest when the time was right and I am hopeful that the feed will be much improved. I usually do a feed test after everything is settled to see how it is this season. Last year the feed was so bad I started drenching the baleage with apple cider vinegar after setting them out so that the cows rumen system would be more effective in breaking down the cellulose into energy. It actually worked so well that I will be doing that again this year even if it is better feed. How can you ever have too good of feed or animal gains. It’s a bit sad that all the activities on the property are coming to a halt but now I switch my focus to planning for next year, checking out new bands for the festival(we actually have been quite busy with that already) and doing a few conferences to find out the newest and the latest in animal production. Enjoy the wonderful weather. We still love to see people come out and enjoying the property so come on out and check out the beautiful fall colors if you get a chance!
