We've long since gone through the last round bale that was kept here at the house under tarps so I've been having to haul hay from Ms. Melman's barn every day. It's really not that much of a chore as Paul or I are up by Ms. Melman and Nugget twice a day, but it is making the back of my car a total mess.
But until we get some sort of hay shelter or a lean-to or barn or shop or whatever structure down by the house, I will continue hauling hay to the goats via the hatchback or bed of the dually.
I've seen a blog post a while back (somewhere, lost in the blogosphere) about making temporary shelters using cattle panels as the sides, t-posts to hold them up, then a cattle panel "hooped" over the top and covered with tarp. Kind'a looked like a quonset hut. I think that may be in our immediate (or as immediate as things happen around here) future since we're going to have to get several more bales of hay before spring.
It's finally starting to feel like winter around here; only supposed to have a high of 43 today and tomorrow. The only think good about that is that the wood stove will be cranked up and I'll be making.......Pea Soup!
Got to go find that ham bone from Christmas now; it's already been buried in the depts of the freezer.
The things we do for our animals, lol. Years ago I had run out of hay and had to put a bale in the trunk of a Lincoln Continental. You might want to put a tarp or blanket in your hatchback, will cut down on some of the hay getting caught in carpet.
ReplyDeleteI know what you are talking about with the hay bales, but here is one without. Same frame work, stack some bales up arund the outside? Stack you hay inside to keep is out of the elements, and build another one for the goats?
ReplyDeletehttp://atinyhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/12/more-on-cattle-panel-barn.html
....and the blogosphere provides a link to the cattle panel building.....eerie, like the ghost of Christmas Past!
ReplyDeletehttp://atinyhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/10/building-permanent-greenhouse-with.html
Do you ever have enough animal shelters and storage sheds on a homestead? Most of us can yell a resounding, "NO!" to that question. We've been talking more and more of building a barn that would be for poultry/animal living quarters and hay/straw/feed storage. If my husband could have his way, he'd go the European route and attach it right to the house so we wouldn't have to go outside during our 5+ months of winter weather up here! Well, it's on the list but several things demand the $$$ first. But it's fun to dream about how nice it would be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mama Pea, there is always another building of some sort needed!
ReplyDeleteI've got a hankering for Pea Soup myself but the weather has turned down right warm here, high of 70 most every day. You guys keep warm!
Tombstone, Yeah, I keep meaning to get a tarp back there. Getting anything out of that darned car carpeting is a pain, especially ground-in hay!
ReplyDeleteEverstuff, we're always thinking about moving goats / chickens / hay bales....I can never remember who goes where! But thanks for the link, I think that's where I saw it last time!
Chai Chai, Yup, that's it!
Mama Pea, no, one can't have enough buildings....I keep going back & forth though. Lots of little moveable buildings or one big ol' building for everything? I'd LOVE to have a barn/house attached. But Paul complains about the cats peeing in the litterbox inside, I can't imagine the pissing (pun intended) & moaning from him if we had the Mule pooping in the "room" next to the kitchen.
Candy, Pea Soup ROCKS.....but unfortunately, only on cold days. I'd much rather have warm days than pea soup though.
The cattle panel hoop would work beautifully for the hay. I have one in my garden permanently for growing pole beans. It is three panels wide (about 10 feet) and I can stand up in the center of it. Probably a 10x20foot tarp would pretty well cover it; or even a 10x15 footer.
ReplyDeleteA cheap (relatively) and easy (relatively) fix for the hay any place you want to put it.