Cold and wet

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I suppose at the end of July things should be cold and wet.  While we were away the cattle stayed on pasture, but I have put them into the feed yard since and have been feeding them hay.

This keeps them off the paddocks when they are at their wettest.  It will also use up some 2009 hay that I have left.  It also produces a bit of waste hay mixed with manure to turbo charge our compost.  This year we got access to some rain damaged hay from a neighbour.  We've now picked up most of it and put it straight into the compost bins.  By the time we're finished we'll have at least 4 compost containers - each 6 metres in diameter and about a metre deep once the material composts.

That is about 120 cubic metres of compost.  I'll add that to a similar quantity of chicken manure and rice hulls and put it out on my paddocks.  Actually 250 cubic metres will cover nearly half this farm!  This last year I did about 15 to 20%, but only the first 5% with compost.  From what I read and understand the compost mix should definitely be better than just the 'chicken & rice'.

Nothing much is growing at the moment - other, hopefully, than calves in cows.  It won't take long though and Spring will be here.  Last year growth didn't seem to take off until late September.  I can't wait to see how this year goes.
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