Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Clearing Fields and a Walk About





I should have gotten much more done today than I did. The temps were nice, the wind not overly cold and the ground is starting to dry well but I just couldn't get myself really motivated for some reason.

It seems this time of year if I try and do anything too big once I start getting into it it's time to start picking up tools before evening feeding. Still I couldn't let the day be a complete shut out so I put the blade on the 8N and went down to work on my problem corner.

The problem corner is a section of overgrown fence, two big dead Elm trunks, briars, wild rose bush and Lord only knows what else all grown together where four sections of fence meet. The dividing line between the Small-Hold and our nearest neighbors and then the dividing fence that separates the hay field from the pasture on our side and the backyard from the cattle pasture on the neighbor's side.




As you can see it is a real mess and as I mentioned it has woven wire and barbed wire all mixed in and through it with a fair amount grown into those remaining old dead trunks too. I been slowly working on this area for years now. The Elms died at least five years ago. I can't cut them down because they are full of wire. No one, not me nor my neighbor,  want to clear out the vines and brush because we know once we do that whole corner is going to have to be redone. As it stands right now it is actually acting like a pretty good but messy looking hedgerow especially with the deadfall branches interlocked with the out of control rose bush.

Over the years though the falling branches and all allowed the mess area to grow out a bit further than it needs to so I been clearing it as the branches fall each Winter. Looks like I am finally done waiting for the last big branch to come off.




I drug the last good sized branches out into the hay field with the tractor and now as soon as we get a good ground freeze I will take the truck down there and cut em up. This will allow me to brush hog as far in as the remaining trunks and get a couple more square bales of hay off this field next year. It also leaves enough of the tangled mess that I won't have to worry about the sheep or horses getting out or the cattle getting in. At least for a while yet. Eventually something is going to have to be done about that spot though.




On the other side of the tangled mess I have cleared this small field of about an acre in size for next season's Buckwheat planting. I still need to run a fence around it to keep the horses out then plow it up but it is right down by the main apiary and should give the girls some nice forage. I may even start a stand of Sunflowers to mix in with em too. By taking this little bite out of the corner it will keep the horses away from the problem area while they are in the pasture.

On the way back I was met about halfway by Hennypenny our original (surviving) Red Sexlink hen. She was one of the first lot that came from a poultry barn and still won't use a roost. She has her own little dog crate to sleep in and much prefers the company of humans to other chickens.




This latest batch of hens have kinda run Hennypenny out of the barn, not from being mean but because she just don't like chickens, so she was out looking for a human to hang with and saw me coming back from the field.

Honestly I don't think these Red Sexlinks look as pretty as the true breed hens. Not as colorful and they seem kinda scruffy looking but they do lay well and they are cheap when the poultry barns want to get rid of them. Sure takes em a while to get used to free ranging though.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!!!


10 comments:

  1. daylight hours are so short this time of year its difficult to get into jobs, I am looking forward to the days getting longer so we can get stuck into some major work :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn - Me too. I do like the fact that the brush and tall grasses/weeds die back so I can see what I am getting into but the cold, dim and short light spans are kinda non-motivating.

      Delete
  2. We have some of those red sexlinks or at least that is what they are suppose to be, they look more tan than red to me and they are always scruffy.
    You need a flame thrower on that corner.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sf - One of the girls from this latest batch almost looks exactly like our Rhode Island reds. I think that is what they are bred from. I have noticed they are also a lot more noisy than the other hens too.

      Eventually I will more than likely have to burn that corner out. I am trying to avoid it as long as possible though as I got more pressing projects that need attention.

      Delete
  3. It's still dark at 8:30 am and right now at 4:445 pm I have maybe 20 minutes of light left.

    Exile1981

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exile - That sounds about right for here too. On cloudy days we don't even make it to 5PM though. It was sunny today so I think we were pushing 6PM and still had some light.

      Delete
    2. Considering how much farther north of yoy I am I'm surprised your dark that early.

      Exile1981

      Delete
    3. Exile - Well it might just be a matter of my perception too. I think officially it says today our sunrise was at 7:15 and sunset was at 4:46. Now that I think on it it's usually pretty light by 8AM but it ain't much past 5PM and it's already pretty dark here.

      Delete
  4. PP,

    Winter and the time change really screws with our work schedules :{

    There's a corner at our place that really needs cleaned up. Plenty of small tree's there needing cut, and leaves needing scooped up for the compost. Having wire mixed in wouldn't be fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sandy - The wire is the worst part. Get it snagged in a chainsaw blade and you can really do some damage to the saw and yourself.

      Delete

Leave a comment. We like comments. Sometimes we have even been known to feed Trolls.