That picture says it all. We have had an abundance of rainfall and the barnyard and all surrounding areas is a mess. The cows sink six inches deep when walking. I swear to you I can see looks of disgust in their big, liquid cow eyes of the mud. Nothing but mud for weeks on end! I have a plan to extend a wing on one side of the barn to create a loafing shed to provide the animals with a dry location to get out of the weather and mud. Right now they all get in the goat barn and that is a tight fit for four cows. We've tried letting them in the barn with the milking stalls before, but that didn't work. Let's just say they aren't good housekeepers.
As we slog to the barn in our rubber boots with milking buckets in hand, we try to pick the driest places in the mud in which to walk, but it is to no avail. The other day I walked right out of my boot and with the next step, I sunk my previously dry sock 6 inches in the mud.
We were washing Clarabelle the other night at the livestock arena before the show and I noticed that her hooves were showing the beginning signs of hoof rot. I talked to others at the barn who told me that their animals were experiencing the same issues. A lot of it is due to them standing in mud for long periods of time around the hay circle. We'll keep a close eye on their hooves and treat them, if necessary.
We'll also keep an eye on the weather forecast and hope that we have days of sunshine to give us (and the animals) a respite from the mud and muck.
No comments:
Post a Comment