Summer at Eastleach Downs.
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There is always plenty to do
here at Eastleach Downs.
Weed control is a particular challenge at this time of year and being organic
we use only mechanical control methods.
These include harrowing the soil to pull out weed seedlings in the spring,
and the topping of seed heads in the summer.
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… but we accept that
we will still have some weeds in our crops at harvest!
This year we have grown wheat and field beans.
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We harvest the beans when they are dry. They
are a valuable source of protein in organic animal feed.
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It is very important to make sure that the pigs
are comfortable in summer.
They all have wallow troughs so that they can make their own wallows.
They start off by getting in to these low-sided troughs and lying down. This
is like getting into a very full bath, as the water sloshes over the sides and
wets the soil.
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The pigs then use their tough snouts to dig
in the wet soil creating a muddy pool.
Even the piglets have a go at this!
They use this mud to cool off, and as a sun block!
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We remove the back doors from the pig huts during
the summer to create a cooling breeze.
The straw-bedded huts act as shade and are comfortable to lie in (very important
for pigs as they do like to be comfortable!)
They always return to their shady huts after wallowing.
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One of the nicest things about
summer has to be dining ‘al fresco’
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It is important to provide
clean drinking water for the pigs at this time so that they
are not tempted to drink from the (sometimes rather murky)
wallow troughs!
They all have a separate high-sided drinking trough.
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