What Kind Of Fence Is The Best?

A couple of weeks ago when we had some nasty weather we had a large tree get knocked over.  It lifted up my electric fence which was attached to the tree and pulled a few T-posts out of the ground.  I have been working on the sudden influx of firewood, clearing it out. 

I am writing this as a way to, sort of, explain another of the many benefits to electric fence.  I didn't take pictures so I will try to explain the best I can.  The tree fell and tangled the three strands of wire around the root ball.  The tension it caused made a couple of posts shoot out of the ground, landing a few feet away from where they were.  That means there was a lot of added tension.  However, the wire did not break.  It was stretched about to it's limits and in other places was laying flat on the ground, but it didn't break.  I had to cut it just to get it unstuck from the root ball, but was easily repaired in a few minutes with splicers and a wrench.

I cut the tree out of the fence line, had a friend come over with a tractor and pull the jumbo trunk out of the way and repaired the fence.  The fence repair took about an hour-having to re-establish the fence line and drive the T-posts, splice the wire back together and re-attach it to the posts, then crank out the slack on the daisy wheels. 

Most of the tree is still waiting for me to cut it up, but the fence was fixed in short order and the bull placed back in his pasture (yes, I had a nice shock when I went out to feed him the next day and stared him in the eyes by the barn an hour before daylight., WAY out of where he was supposed to be!  It seems he had been out most of the night.)

In the end, I love electric fence.  It is incredibly versatile, easy to install, can be adapted for pasture rotation very easily, has much more "give" when something falls on it, and is easily repaired when something does happen.  Not to mention you can build electric fence for a fraction of the cost of traditional barbed wire or woven wire.  Yup, going electric was one shinning moment of good decision in my homesteading life.

A Busy Day On The Homestead

I think it is safe to say that we had a very productive day on our little homestead, today.  My lovely wife started her day (after her bible time) doing some work in the garden and the new green house (which I need to post pics of).  Actually, she didn't just start in the garden, she stayed out there all day, and why not?  The sky is clear and the temp is around 75-beautiful.  The girls went into the woods and shoveled dirt into the garden cart for momma, that nice, dark, rich, manure laden, decomposed leaf filled, mineral filled soil.  They brought it to her in the garden and she used it in the new raised strawberry bed I built for her this morning.  We have had strawberries for a few years, but my wife wanted to add a second tier to it, so I built her a box to put in the middle of the bed, giving her two tiers of strawberries. 

After I built that box, I then built five more raised bed potato boxes to add to the ones I built last year.  This should increase our potato crop.  When I finished those, I headed out to the pasture I started fencing in last year to work on that.  I am having to clear away years of growth along the old fence line so I can salvage some of it.  I was SO glad when I looked up from my work out in the boonies, to see my two girls walking out to me with a much needed bottle of water, what a blessing.  That took the rest of the day for me.  I did my chores and took a shower.  Now I am going to study my lesson for Sunday school tomorrow.  Big day, and I got to use my new truck.  New to me, anyway.

That's our day!  Tell me about a typical day in your life..

Will Cows Eat Snow?

Call it crazy, but I was watching the snow fall last night here in southern Missouri and I got to thinking about my years growing up in Wisconsin.  Stay with me here, I have a train of thought that, rather strangely, comes to a point (this is how my brain works).  So, thinking of snowy Wisconsin got me to thinking about one of my all-time favorite pets, a beautiful, blue eyed Siberian Husky.  I always had a ball with her in the snow, she just plain loved it.  As we would play in the snow, as all dogs (especially sled dogs) do, she would eat some snow as she got thirsty.  That got me thinking about cows (here comes my point), strange, isn't it-how my brain works?  Anyway, I began to wonder if cows eat snow when they are thirsty.  A quick search on the internet later, and I got my answer.  Yes, they do.  There are even some benefits to it, like:

• They will intake an adequate amount for their health
• Snow will not make them sick
• It does not affect the birthweight of calves
• Using snow as the water source can lessen production costs

One thing to keep in mind is that a newly lactating cow needs lots of water and, in this case, snow will not be adequate.  Read the linked article for more info.

A Talk On Preparedness Homesteading

I just came in from milking the cow and starting the grill for dinner.  It is somewhere between 100-105 degrees and it has been that way for 3 weeks.  At first, the heat didn't bother me, now it is wearing on me.  I must be soft.  I know my feet are, if I had to survive without shoes, I would lose.  We took the kids to the river for a break from the heat.  While swimming, I cut the bottom of my foot.  I have always had tender feet, though.  I hope to never have to go without shoes.

This got me to thinking about the recent series of posts on this blog all having to do with preparedness/survival.  I felt like I had to make a disclaimer about this.  I am not an expert in the field of survival skills or being prepared.  In fact, compared to others, I know very little.  I do, however, think that good ideas should be shared some way, somehow.  Here on our little homestead, we try to be ready for whatever.  First and foremost, we need to be ready spiritually.  God has got to be at the forefront of all our thoughts and preparations.

That being said, what I am attempting to do here is share some thoughts and good ideas, things that just seem to make sense to me.  I don't spend every waking moment thinking of disasters and what I need to be prepared for my family.  It just makes sense to me that everyone should have some sort of plan for anything that might happen.  Like buying a machete, for example.  We have a homestead, we have fence line and animals.  It makes sense to have one.  I happens that a machete is quite useful in the survivalist arena.  All homesteaders and farmers could benefit from thinking outside the box and being aware of all the potential uses of tools.  This is because we should be thinking about all the potential problems that can arise in life.  Personally, I think trouble will come geo-politically.  Again, I don't want that to be the thrust of what we do, but it is on our minds.

As I get new ideas, I will share them.  You, my readers, are encouraged to share your, as well.  Tomorrow, I will share a bit more on being prepared with rabbits.  See you then.

A Note On Machetes

Here is a little tip in the use of machetes that I learned.  When clearing brush try not to hit any rocks.  I put a big chip in mine on the first day.  It was a big rock.

Visit this site for all kinds of good tips and advice on machetes.

Chasing Wile E. Coyote

Yesterday, I spent the day, outside, in scortching heat.  I fixed some problems with the electric fence, that took way too long.  Then I busted a belt on the garden tractor.  My wife went to town for a new belt, but it was way too long, so I still need a belt.  It's fixable, so no big deal.  I also spent the day on the lookout for Wile E. Coyote.  She has been encroaching and stealing chickens.  If that's not bad enough, she does it during the day.  My wife and kids have all seen her, I seem to be at work when she comes by.  Yesterday, she ran into the yard in front of my daughter-not cool.  I killed acouple of wild rabbits, tied them to a tree and waited.  She didn't take them.  Wouldn't you know that while we were at church today, she took the rabbits.  My goal was to occupy her long enough to get a shot.  Tomorrow, I will kill another rabbit and try again.  I'm sorry, we can't have her coming so close and taking chickens.  She could be a threat to the kids while playing-Wile E. has to go.  I'll keep you posted.

A Quick Update.

We just finished putting up some hay.  This is the first time in 3 years I had a pile of hay in my barn.  This is a good feeling and will provide a jumpstart for winter.  It was hot work, though.  96 degrees and full sunshine.

Now all I need to do is get to work on my fence, now that the grass is cut.  My list of things to do is perpetually growing, then there are the incidentals that always crop up.  Like my car and a myriad of other things. 

Thanks to my nephew and brother-in-law for their help.  And to my father-in-law, you have always been there for us, thank you.

Sustainable Homesteading-More On Coppicing

In coppicing trees, the cut tree stump is know as the "stool".  The shoots that are harvested are known as rods, poles, or logs, depending on the size at time of harvest.  These shoots are harvested on a rotational cycle.  Want you want are shoots at various stages of growth throughout your woodland.  In other words,  you will want to have stools at different stages so that you can harvest rods, poles and logs at the same time, year after year. 

A rotational cycle typically might be every 7-8 years.  This depends on the type of tree and what the uses of the harvested wood are.  Obviously, the longer you let a coppiced tree grow, the larger the shoots will be.  For commercial use, it may be a 30 year cycle.

Here is a partial list of some tools and things made with coppiced lumber, or, trees:  ship planking, house lumber, pea and bean poles, firewood, charcoal, furniture, baskets, fencing, tool handles and broom sticks.  This is not exhaustive, to be sure.

A Long Week On The Homestead

This has been an icredibly long week.  I apologizr for the lack of new material here, but, well, you know how it is on a homestead.

Some big weight has been taken off my shoulders.  For the first time since we started homesteading, 12 years ago, I have next winter's fire wood supply put up.  Yes, this is a first.  I can't stress the importance of this.  Putting up your winter's wood well in advance of the season, is not only a load off your mind, but smart.  Freshly cut wood needs several months to cure (dry).  If you cut a green tree, it will need a year to cure.  Double that if you don't split it.  Trust me, I have taken storm damaged, fallen trees, that have been down for a year and still had trouble burning it because it was still very moist on the inside.  Here's a tip, if you cut green wood, take the time to split it.  Do this at least a year in advance of the burning season.  On downed trees split it 6-8 months in advance.  For dead fall, you should split it a couple of months in advance, depending on how long it had been down.  Now I can go into winter knowing that I do not have to scape the bottom of the barrel for fire wood.  I will not have to feel rushed to cut more and anything I do cut, from here on out, is for the next winter.  This is a good feeling.

Another thing that happened this week is that we bought a garden/yard tractor.  We bought it used but in great working condition at a very reasonable price.  It is 20 horses of power and big enough to do some pulling with a 46" cut.  I had been cutting quite a bit of land with a push mower that took me, on average, three hours with another 1.5 hours for trimming.  With this new machine, I cut the same grass in 45 minutes.  It still takes me an hour, or so, to do the trimming, but what a time saver!

Then there are the animals.  My partner and I are looking to bring in some new cattle.  We are going to purchase two Dexter cows (pregnant) and one bull (for the butcher).  We are struggling with where to put them as my land is not enough and his is not fenced.  I have the use of some land but, it too, needs fence.  Other circumstances prevent me from placing them on the in-law's land, so we are contemplating a lease of a few acres, until we can get some fence done.  But, these animals will give us a head start on some plans we have for beef.  We are excited and nervous at the same time.  God will work it out, I'm sure.

This, on top of my full time job has kept me away from the computer.  That is not all bad.  I have a big week ahead of me, as well.  I have a couple of shop jobs (sharpening) i have to get done to begin the week.  Then there are some repairs that need to be made on the chicken tractors along with additions to them.  Ugh!

Tell me what is going on on your homestead, I want to hear from you.  Thanks for stopping by!

Mob Grazing On A Small Scale

Comeback Farms: Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management


Where have I been, you ask?  Well, I have been here, just busy.  I know, the same old excuse, right?  I promise, I have been.

There are so many things going through my head, right now, that it is causing a little anxiety.  I am trying to do the foremost thing that a grassfarmer should do, think.  It would seem that, since I hit 40, that thinking thing comes a bit more labrously.

But, I am thinking of things I would like to do to prepare for the spring.  The biggest thing I want to accomplish is to get some grass sown.  I plan to do this the same way I have in the past, and it has proven moderately successful.  I plan to throw down the seed in the places I spread hay.  This serves a two-fold purpose.  The first is that the hay, itself, has plenty of seeds in it, thus I spread it around, trying hard to avoid feeding it in the same spot, day after day.  Through this, the seed gets spread, pretty simple.  The second is that when I throw the seed down around the feed spot, the cattle push it in the ground, saving me from having to till.  Dual purpose with good results.

A good source of grass is essential to a sustainable rotation.  I am still working toward this end as what we had to start with was not so good.  We have improved much over the last few years, and I expect that trend to continue.

I plan to cut down the brambles that plague the pastures.  This should help in the microbial action and build the soil.  Last year, I implemented what I call a pseudo-mob grazing on our small homestead.  I liked what I saw and I was even able to extend the grazing season a month longer than last year.  This year, I am going to try to dicipline myself to control the grazing a bit more and mob them even more.  I may chicken out, when the grass is too short, I get nervous.  The goal is to create a longer rest period between first and last paddocks.

I want to study this closer than in time past.  What I want to do is take our small homestead and make it a model for mob grazing on a very small scale.  We're talking 3-5 animals on 5 acres.  Ten acres, if I can get some fence built this year.  I've been trying to build that fence for two years now.  Pray about that, please.

So, I will keep you posted as things progress.  I have high hopes, but first, I need to get some seed in the ground.  THen there are the broilers and the rabbits and the.....

Electric Fence Problem

I have a slight problem with my electric fence I need to fix, tonight. I have a couple of spots where I didn't need a corner brace and just used the wedgelock bracing system. The wedgelocks work fine, but the tension on the wire is collapsing the plastic insulators on the post. Thus, the wire is coming in contact with the metal post and shorting out the fence. I am thinking of ways I can fix this without having to cut wire and re-splicing it. One option I came up with is to put a piece of wood or plastic underneath it. I'm going to give it a try, anyway. I will let y'all know how it turns out. If anyone smarter than me has a suggestion, I am glad to hear it. Leave a comment and let me know what oyu think. Thanks for stopping by.

Wedgeloc Bracing

I have used some of these here on our homestead. They are called Wedgeloc braces that fit on a T-post to create bracing systems for you fencing needs. They can be used in a number of configurations. I have used them in a limited way but am anticipating using them on some new fencing I have to build. They have proven to me that they hold up pretty well. Use the link from the text to go to their website to learn more. Happy fencing.

Should You Back Fence?

I am going to assume you know the term "back fencing". I have been observing and thinking, lately, that there are two things that I have learned in my mob grazing/MiG hybrid system. I must add that I do favor the mob grazing style as it produces much more dramatic results in a quicker amount of time.

The two things that I have learned relate to one concept, that is the idea of back fencing. The first is elementary, back fencing keeps the animals from wandering back to a favorite spot and grazing it into nothingness. The idea is to allow the grass to regrow without hindrance, to promote fresh green stuff the next time through.

The other thing is that with the back fence in place, and the forward fence in place, I can control not just how much the cattle eat, but what kind they eat. This is one of the bonuses to the mob system. In other words, I am forcing them to eat the things they would otherwise pick around. This is not bad, just good management. If you have observed ruminants very long you will notice that they have their favorite spots. These spots are over grazed if they are allowed to. You end up with "patches" of ungrazed grass that, eventually, grow out of control. I have noticed that in this system, the cattle will eat Sericea Lespedeza readily. If it is let go and gets tall and "woody", then there is a challenge to get them to eat it. It can be done, I have seen them eat the tall stuff too, when they are hungry.

The point, here, is that you control more than just the size of the paddock. The goal is to control what they eat, as well as how much.

Happy grazing.

Yup, Leaves Are Good

I had written about this subject not too long ago. I found this to be very interesting, in that, many farmers still insist that animals will get sick eating the leaves of trees. More research is now proving that to be false. Thanks to Alan Nation for keeping us posted, he did it agian. Read on.




Willows Make Great Forage

Friday, 21 August 2009
Unwormed lambs with full season access to low-growing willow trees often had significantly fewer internal parasites than wormed lambs grazed solely on pasture in a New Zealand research study reported by Jerry Brunetti in the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance July newsletter. The New Zealanders also found that the willows eliminated maladies such as facial eczema and ryegrass staggers that are caused by soil zinc deficiencies. The willows were found to be extremely high in both macro and micro mineral elements. The anthelmintic effect of willow is thought to be based upon its high level of tannins. These tannins convert highly soluble protein from immature cool-season grasses into a by-pass form that is digested in the lower gut. This helps prevent the buildup of urea in the animals’ blood and fat that can cause severe health problems as well as off-flavored raw milk and grassfed meat. Brunetti said the willow trees in New Zealand are typically pollarded to create a low bushy top for the animals to graze upon. He said "fodder trees" of willow and poplar are common in the drought-prone areas of New Zealand for the summer supplementation of cattle, sheep and farmed deer. Brunetti said he has done forage analyses of woody plants in Pennsylvania and has been amazed at how nutrient-dense they were compared to pasture.

Do Cattle Eat Leaves?

I was talking with a gentleman today about trees and their value as a forage. It is true and a little know fact that the green leaves of trees supply many trace minerals and nutrients that ruminants need. Trees have the ability to take minute traces of minerals and nutrients and combine them into very nutritious leaves and wood. They are capable of this action even in very poor, nutrient deficient soil.

I have noticed that my cows will reach up as far as they can to get those juicy oak leaves. I was told, once, that that is bad for them, that the leaves are toxic. I believe that animals know what they need and when they need it, and they aren't dead or sick yet.

This gentleman told me of a friend of his that, one year, fought the sprouting persimmon trees that had inundated a 10 acre pasture. He even went to the point of pulling out the disk plow and plowing them all under, only to watch them pop back up in a matter of weeks. I will vouch for the fact that persimmon are near impossible to get rid of, I have plenty of them. In fact, they are quite the nuisance.

After all his efforts failed, he then purchased $600.00 worth of chemical herbicides. He then sprayed the field. The results are unknown to me as we never got that far in our conversation. However, our talk helped me make a decision about what to do with the persimmon problem on our place.

Last year, I had our Dexter bull in the paddock that supplies us with the nasty trees. I had noticed that he had eaten all the leaves off the persimmon trees and when those were all gone, he ate the stem itself-end of problem.

This year I have our mini Hereford bull over there and he isn't touching them. Maybe he's not hungry enough, yet, I don't know. Thus, the problem. Honestly, the only thing you can do with these trees is control them, you can't get rid of them.

So here is what I will do to control the persimmon trees, put the Dexter bull back over there and let him eat them. Sure, I could go in there and work my tail off to try to remove them, like the aforementioned fellow. Or, as I have said in the past on this blog, I can let the animals do the work for me. I vote for the latter. I have plenty to occupy my time without adding persimmon eradication into the mix.

In fact, that would be my solution for the farmer who spent $600 on killing the trees. Mob graze the 10 acres, fenced off in tight paddocks, and let the cattle eat the leaves. If nothing else, without the leaves, they will die. But that's me. I don't believe in the modern way of farming in which we spend our way into astronomical debt and sweat when cattle prices fall.

The ideal is to have, or work toward, a least cost operation. The less you spend, the more you make. So, let the cattle eat those leaves, they'll thank you for it.

Lessons Gained Through Grass Management

While out walking the property the last few days, I made an interesting discovery. Well, it was more like a realization than a discovery. Anyway, it was eye opening, to say the least.

I was looking around at the grass in the paddocks, and I am feeling really good about them this year. The grass is taking over where there had once been weeds. Don't get me wrong, we still have plenty of weeds, but I am beginning to see a noticeable difference now. I am no expert, by any means, I am simply a student trying to apply what I've learned and I have a long way to go.

However, as I was looking around, the thing that stood out to me and opened my eyes to the fact that mob grazing and managed grazing really work, is that this new grass is not just taking the pasture back, but it is getting quite thick.

This is good. As I thought about it, I looked at the toes of my shoes. They were wet. This is significant for two reasons. First, it is in the early evening when I am walking around (usually doing chores), and, second, we have had a dry spell with very hot temps for over two weeks now.

It is then that I noticed how thick the grass was getting and it dawned on me. I realized that the thicker grass was helping to maintain moisture. This is an important milestone because with the kind of hot, dry weather we have been having lately, the grass growth slows to almost a stop. Thus far, praise God, it is still growing.

The next goal, then, is to get it up to eight inches, or so. This is where my discipline fails me. Just call me captain impatient. I see the lush green stuff and I want the cows to have it. Of course, it doesn't help when they stare, longingly, with their big, brown eyes at it.

All in all, I am making progress. I have begun to fence another piece of property that will open up a new direction for us. Pray about that, if you will.

I will keep plugging away and reading. In the mean time, feel free to offer your insight with a comment, or two. I love to hear homestead wisdom, so let me have it. Thanks for stopping by.

A New Book!

My wife picked up a great book from our church yard sale. It is entitled "600 More Things To Make For The Farm And Home".

The beauty of this book is that it is just a bunch of plans to build things, ranging from out buildings to water delivery systems. All done by hand. It is also great because it is old school wisdom that was published in 1952. In my opinion, so much knowledge and wisdom has been lost since those days. You know, the days before the giant agribusinesses and commodity farming. Much farming was local, in those days, so the wisdom is applicable to what we want to accomplish on our homestead.

The plans are strait forward and easy to read and provide a full materials list. I looked on Amazon and quantities are extremely limited on this volume as it is out of print, but if you come across a copy, I recommend picking it up. Good luck.

MiG Really Is Intensive Management

I thought I'd share something that I have learned, recently. This may not be new to all of you pro grass farmers, but it is new to me. Although, when I think about it, it really shouldn't be new at all.

Here is what I mean; it is vitally important to divide you pastures into paddocks. I had thought that I could let a couple of bulls out of quarantine and let them have their pasture, full time. I was very mistaken. In a matter of a week, they had eaten it down to almost nothing. Fortunately, there has been plenty of rain, recently, and I feel that it is not too late to get them off and let it grow again. But, I have to do it now. I have a bad feeling that we are moving into a dry period. I pray that I am wrong.

On the other side of things, with the cows, the grass is doing fairly well. I have begun a rotation to "test" how well it recovers. There are some spots that I am skipping due to my lack of comfort in the grass growth.

Some of you may be thinking, "It's the middle of May, and he's still worried about grass?".

You must keep in mind that I am starting with land that had been feral for eons and building the soil, and, therefore, the grass, is going at a slow pace. I don't believe in chemical fertilizers and any fertilization has come from the land and animals themselves. With the exception of kelp meal and a small amount of other natural amendments from Fertrell.

I am pleased with what I have seen in regard to the kelp meal and I see it only getting better. Sometimes things seem like a struggle when you are growing grass. I guess that's why the call it "management intensive".

I will pray that we get an inch of rain per week. Hey, nothing is beyond the power and scope of God.

Thanks for stopping by...

Next post: "How does your garden grow?"

Dancing the Happy Dance!

If oyu could see me now, you'd be laughing! I am dancing the happy dance! I know, this is foolish for me to write this but, I am happy. This is the first year with new ideas on our rotational grazing system and we have accomplished the first goal, no hay through August. As I have stated before on this blog, I started feeding hay the first part of August last year. Granted, we got much more rain this year than we did last year, and the weeds are still tall and ugly, but there is still grass out there and it is the first of September! The goal has changed now to see how far the grass can be stretched. Next year's goal is to stockpile forage.

If you would like to read a really good forum on this subject, there is one going on right now at www.homesteadingtoday.com under the "cattle" forum. Look for the title having to do with when to butcher grass fed beef-or something to that effect. There is a forum member, whom I highly respect for his knowledge, with the user name of "agmantoo". Look for it and listen to agman's wisdom. Enjoy.

What is a Farm?

I was having a discussion the other day with a gentleman I work with. We had been talking farming and the future of this precarious economy. During the talk, I mentioned a farm with eight acres. He said that is not a farm. A farm, to him, was a place with a lot of land that a person made his entire income from.

I disagreed. I think a farm can come in many forms. From your hobby farms, to a petting zoo, to big 1,000 acre places with row upon row of soy beans. I do believe that some sort of a salary or income should be involved to really be called a farm, but not necessarily all of that income. Many farmers work off the farm today. Especially with the mechanisms in place to make farming much faster and easier.

I call our small place a farm. No, we don't have 500 acres, (we own 5 and work about 8 with more in the future), we do have several small salaries generated from things we raise here and I do work a full time job. It is hard to keep up with, trust me. But I call it a farm.

So, I pose the question to you, the readers. What is a farm, in your view? Please find the poll at the right of this blog and cast your vote.

To all those that participated in the last poll, thank you for helping out. The poll was evenly divided 50-50, for weed whacking under the electric fence and just letting it grow. I will keep whacking the weeds, I can't stand seeing those weeds, so I will toil away. Thanks again.