Food - at last

We had our first visit this year from Jack Frost yesterday morning.  And again this morning.  Never mind the hollows in the ground looking like it had a t-h-i-n covering of snow - the cars were so iced over it appeared as though their paintwork was suddenly metallic - with the ice being about 3 mm thick.

Frost on the ground outside yesterday

We've woken up to a chilly 1oC outside on both mornings.

Have I mentioned lately that I love winter lol

We tried to grow fodder for the alpacas last year, with no success.  The cause was a mixture of soil amendment required, and lack of rain.  But, it was very disheartening for newbie farmers.

Adding 2 tons of lime to the fields acre

But this year, armed with our soil analysis, and 2 tons of lime which RMan added to the soil, we tried again.

The lime got added to the ground in mid-December - we were told to let it lie for 60 - 90 days before planting.

In mid-March RMan sowed the oat seed with the help of John, our local labourer.

This is what 153 mm of rain does to an almost empty dam

Admittedly, it was not only the lime, and the soil prep which contributed to the successful oat harvest - we had enough rain too.  The 158mm which mostly fell in early June was a Godsend.  Not only did it fill up the rainwater tanks, and the dam, but it also soaked deeply into the ground.Which was just what the oats, which had been planted in March needed.

The oats are gorgeous and green, and about a
foot high (isn't it funny how some imperial
measurements stay fixed in your brain)

In mid-June the oats were certainly looking 100 per cent better than last year's crop...

End of June this year - the oats are almost at
the top of the fence level and the fence is about
a metre high

... and were almost a foot tall.  Now, in mid-July they are nearly as high as the 1.0 mtr high fence.

RMan has been toddling out and harvesting an armful for the alpacas every second day.  Giving them a taster, so to speak.

But, it wasn't only the alpaca's who are enjoying the crop...

The birds - mainly weavers - enjoying their
early morning breakfast

... the birds too are have a field day bwahahahaha

Some birds you can see - and there are birds
further down that aren't  visible.

I'm amazed that the oat stalks are strong enough to hold up a bird, or two or three.  We don't begrudge them their seed meals - there is more than enough to go around.

Temporary dry storage for the small amount of
 oats that were harvested by sickle yesterday

We were told that the ideal time to harvest the oats for fodder is when the seeds give off a milky substance when they are crushed, as that is when the nutrition is at it's highest.  That time is now.  So, yesterday, with the assistance of a sickle, the start of the oat harvest proceeded.

Methinks we will need to sort out some sort of "barn" to store the oats in until next winter.  RMan and I have a couple of inexpensive ideas - more on that as it transpires.

There is great excitement all round.  Certainly for the next year the alpaca's oats fodder is sorted.  It feels so incredibly good to be more self-reliant and self-sufficient in that regard.