Back to normal weather

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The snow has finally all gone (except for dirty heaps where we had pushed what was once white and fluffy and covering the yard) and we're back to "normal" January weather. Work on the new building (much more than just a roof over the silage pit) is nearing the end of the first phase as the builders fit the final panels. We still have gates and doors to make and fit, but it's gone up much quicker than I could have imagined. It helped having a builder who wasn't deterred by the snow and who only seemed to have Christmas Day off.

Part of the reason for the new roof, which covers not just the pit, but links up with the main cattle housing, is to reduce the amount of rainwater that runs into the slurry pit. Dirty run off water soon fills up the pit in bad weather and has to be spread - whether or not it's an optimum time for applying to the ground. This week we're having to spread slurry on fields that are not too wet, to keep the level down. With less water in the pit and tower, we would be able to wait a few more weeks.

We've now got the tank in place for the next phase of the project. We plan to capture the rain that falls on the roof - skillfully directed by a series of gutters and pipes - and use for stock in the buildings nearby. Things have moved on since I took this photo a couple of days ago, and the tank (on the right in this photo) should be filling up. Part of the plumbing is in place, and we'll soon know if it's watertight.

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