As parents, we can’t complain: it’s been a summer’s worth of beautiful cloudless days and endless activities for the kids outside. But as farmers, it’s time for a little, or perhaps a LOT, of rain. Maybe just a day of flooding, soaking, relentless, Armageddon-style rain.
I mean, all these sunny days can be so…exhausting.
The creek beds are dry, leaves are falling, dust is everywhere and the grass has now turned to straw. Other than continuously making wallows for the pigs, there are a number of things we do to make the all the livestock a little more comfortable.
The sheep (and Bea) travel with a shade wagon and use it liberally.
Or sometimes they don’t use it at all!
The pigs have groves of trees and wallows created by the farmers to keep them cool.
But they like a little privacy, if you don’t mind.
The turkeys take to the high grass and trees for shade and little bits of food.
And the chickens like to convene under the chicken wagon for shade and to take a dusty mud bath.
But you never know when the animals will cotton to a little vitamin D intake.
And Kasey always comes out from under cover to see what’s happening when you approach the chickens.
But we think below is the best method of all: find a nice quiet spot in the shade and take a nap.
