Chapter 162 Walking on Snow
Now I know that only the tails of pregnant cows are placed at an angle.
The two looked at each other. The information above showed that most of the methods for confirming cow pregnancy were through test strips, checking progesterone and the like, but the two had nothing.
"Did you hear what the cows did when they came back?"
Mu Xi shook his head.
The sheep made a lot of noise, but the cow definitely didn't hear any of that noise.
Zhao Yeqing could basically infer the situation based on the information, the size of the cow's belly and his daily experience.
"So this means that this cow was already pregnant when we brought it back?"
"Should be...right?"
The two looked at each other and were speechless for a moment.
Suddenly Zhao Yeqing remembered something and quickly ran to the cowshed.
As he changed his shoes, he spoke quickly, “Pregnant cows can’t eat silage!”
Mu Xi also recalled what was written in the book and hurried to the hay room to carry the hay to the cowshed.
Zhao Yeqing took the cracked planting pot that had been placed next to the house to the cowshed, put hay in it, and lured the pregnant cow over to eat the grass.
Mu Xi's eyes were complicated. "I was wondering why this cow has a poor appetite and eats so little."
He was wondering at the time why they didn't eat silage and always ate straw used as bedding.
Zhao Yeqing also fell silent. I guess the cow was also thinking that it was too difficult to take care of itself.
Fortunately, they usually feed the cow a mixture of silage and hay, otherwise the cow would have miscarried long ago.
Pregnant cows are different from sheep and cannot eat acidic pasture. Silage is fermented acidic feed.
In addition to feeding hay, barley straw can also be fed to cows.
But these fibers are relatively coarse, so it would be better to feed them some refined grains. However, the two of them have to calculate how much refined grain they eat now, so where would they get the extra food to feed the cows?
If we count from the time the cow was picked up and was already pregnant, the size of its belly is estimated to take at least two months to give birth, and at most four months.
The two had no experience in raising cattle, so they couldn't estimate the exact time. But no matter what, the pregnant cow couldn't eat only hay and straw for a long time. In order to have enough nutrition for subsequent lactation, it still had to eat green fodder.
The two looked at each other, and Zhao Yeqing said, "How about we go and cut the grass back?"
In the pasture next to the wheat field, the second crop of ryegrass had not been cut and the alfalfa had not been harvested. If it had not been for the blizzard, they should have been harvested half a month ago.
There is such a thick snow now, and I don’t know how to dig out the grass.
The grassland and wheat field are facing away from the wind, and there is a small hill blocking the wind, so the snow is definitely not as thick as at home.
The house was close to the forest, and when the wind blew to their area it was blocked by the forest, and the snow piled up in their area.
But it was unknown how long it would take just to walk from home to the pasture. The snow was so thick that the dog could no longer pull the sled. It couldn't bury two people, but it was enough to submerge the dog.
Even if we can get there, it will be difficult to transport the grass back.
"Let's eat hay first. If the snow stops, we can clear the way back in the next few days."
This job sounds tiring.
Mu Xi also wanted to let her rest and he could do it alone, but under the current circumstances, if he did it alone, he would definitely not be able to get feed to the cows in time.
It’s not that Zhao Yeqing doesn’t want to work, it’s just that after resting for too long, he doesn’t want to work anymore and even his bones are lazy.
She raised her hands to rub her face, stretched hard, and said, "Huh!"
I felt more energetic instantly.
"It's just shoveling snow, no big deal."
Zhao Yeqing cheered up, and the two of them started working after dinner.
But things seemed to be simpler than they had imagined.
When you first step on the snow, you will sink into it, but after stepping on it a few more times, the snow will become solid and you won't sink into it anymore.
The two men hurried home and continued to dismantle the roof of the firewood shed which had been half demolished earlier. They got down two wooden boards from it and tied the boards to the soles of their shoes.
It's like wearing two skis.
With this wooden board, it becomes easier to compact the snow and the area is larger.
"This is good. All you have to do is walk back and forth. It can be considered as exercise after the winter."
Zhao Yeqing walked back and forth on the snow, and when he took a break, he let the dog out. The dog ran to the snow that had not been stepped on before and was immediately buried, with only a little bit of its scalp exposed.
I only let them play for a while and then lock them up back home because I’m afraid they will catch a cold.
Huhu and Xuebing are not as active as the dog. They prefer to sleep in front of the fireplace.
To transport the hay, the two men planned to use the same wooden board as before and add slide rails to turn it into a large sled.
Although not much can be transported using a large sled, it should not be a problem as it only needs a pregnant cow.
It took a lot of time to compact the snow. Fortunately, it didn't snow in the next few days and the temperature didn't continue to drop.
The two men walked to the pasture for three days.
When we get near the pasture, we have to use a shovel to shovel the snow.
The further I walked from my home, the thinner the snow became.
When we got to the pasture, the snow was only about thigh-high.
The two men breathed a sigh of relief after shoveling away the snow. Fortunately, the grass underneath was not rotted.
The snow on top was cleared away to reveal the still green alfalfa.
But the flowers are almost gone, leaving only the green leaves.
Alfalfa is very cold-resistant and can withstand temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
Even if you cut the grass, you still cannot feed it directly to cattle. Feeding cattle with grass that has been covered with snow and frost will cause diarrhea.
It has to be cut back and dried for a while before it can be fed.
While cutting grass, Zhao Yeqing began to envy the cows for being able to eat fresh vegetables in such a cold weather.
Her spinach plants are still tiny seedlings, and the pea tips she re-sown are only a few centimeters tall.
After the snow, although the snow outside the house is piled very thick, it also has an advantage, that is, the wind can hardly blow in. The outside is covered with snow, and the temperature inside the house is much higher, which is very suitable for the growth of indoor vegetables.
You don't even need to wear a coat after lighting a fire in the fireplace in the room.
She cut a handful of alfalfa and held it in her hand, staring at it for a few seconds, and suddenly spoke,
“Can I eat this alfalfa?”
This question made Mu Xi laugh and cry, "It's a kind of medicinal herb. People can eat it, but it's not very delicious."
It’s not that it doesn’t taste good, it’s just that the alfalfa in this season is not very fresh and tender, it’s a bit old, and it may have too much fiber in it.
If it is early spring, when alfalfa is fresh and tender, it is delicious to eat it cold or to wrap it in flour and steam it in a steamer like locust flowers and elm seeds.
Zhao Yeqing is not picky about food. As long as he can eat it, it's fine. In this season, he won't be picky if he can eat some fresh green leafy vegetables. If the vegetables are too old, he will just chew them and spit them out.
The Wagyu beef successfully grabbed the food, and the harvested alfalfa appeared on the table for the couple's dinner for the first time.
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