As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I was looking through old agrarian books, and came across a rather English version of architecture for American homesteads which intrigued me, as the system of buildings were basically all attached from house, barns, stalls and sheds, which made one large court yard in the center.
I found problems with the design in the sheep were what I termed exposed, as in small stock, including poultry should always be kept close, as neighbor's dogs to coyotes to bobcats, show up at the worst times killing everything.
It was though a most interesting scheme as the milk cows, and centered in this were the milk room, as the driving force of this farm yard.
Americans do things for reason, and the largest was they built with wood as it was cheap, and the two factors of flies from animals with odors, along with a fire catching everything on fire, as wood and prairie fires, along with lanterns burned things down.
I remember a breed who used to stay with one of my Mom's relatives, said, that old Ben always turned out the lantern, and then stood in the darkness for some time, looking for any embers or sparks that might of some how gotten shed off that kerosene lamp. It took a huge amount of labor to build things, and Americans were aware of how quickly a storm or the bank could take things away.
I have had at times my horses pruning my lawn, and I take delight in them, even if Libby broke off my pear tree rubbing past it. There is something delightful to me to step out the door and see ponies or goats on my lawn so we can talk. The horses are always interesting in pounding about the house at night.
So I have always hoped to have some of my stock close, as in order to keep grass down around my Mom's buildings, I always grazed the cows in the fall with an electric fence.
The interesting thing about them was they always slept in the yard as close to the house as possible, and never slept in the pasture when they had the opportunity. Cattle are forest animals, and something in them enjoys the cover of humans protecting them yet to give them security.
It is not that most Americans had their out buildings a mile from the front door, but this design for a farm yard is approximately half the distance, and of more importance to me is this court yard, for in it I see the opportunity for more fragile fruits like the peach. A protected yard is always warmer, and homes as much as animals give off heat at night, and in the day, the sun does warm buildings which radiate warmth on very cold nights. It is why cities are always much warmer then the countryside in winters, and much hotter in summer with all that concrete and asphalt.
The person who published these drawings mentioned that the calf barn was in the wrong space, as it was too far away from the feed. I realize that milking was the major chore and milk the thing of most value, but I still would flip the sheep and cow barn locations, with a pasturage to be shared with the horses for the sheep protection.
My horses, probably had a hand in the death of a first baby calf, but after that a little Galloway cow bunted them, and they learned to just stand guard over the calves. Horses, mules, llamas and donkeys hate canines, and they are the best protection for goats, sheep and baby calves.
That is why I would put the sheep by the horses, and the calf pen close too, as then all could enjoy the covering wings of the ponies.
This system has no chickens nor hogs. Hogs are actually when not in great numbers, a quiet animal and it is the cereal grains fed them, which produces the stink, as much as dairy cattle or fattening beef.
When the Lord moves the wealthy to the big donation, I believe I am going to build a form of this, as I plan a hobbit hut of concrete which will not burn, and festoon the rest with mostly tin, and what I really desire to build are straw sheds.
In the settlement of the American West, the people there built these rush, straw, hay or whatever sheds for the protection of their animals. They were simple affairs of poles in the ground, sometimes as my Grandfather mimicked them, he used corn cribbing, and on that was lofted rough grass or straw. Deep enough on a roof, it sheds water, and it breathes so that animals do not catch pneumonia. They are warm and livestock thrives much better in them, than any wood, concrete or tin shed.
My idea is a pole frame set in the ground, using pressure treated poles, a flat roof frame, and then corn cribbing, covered over with heavy plastic on the roof. I would think this framework would not ever rot, and the bales and straw would last 20 years.
I know my Grandfather's small straw barn which was built before I was born, still has the framrwork standing, and I could see hay around it yet. So this will last a very long time.
The benefit of this is tax assessors if they do not snoop too close could not figure out these were buildings and I could argue they were hay piles or something which was not permanent.
TL and I have dreams of things, and it seems I think I need draft horses, mules, horses to ride and miniature horses. Is like the cows, in I have a few beef cattle, but I think a miniature Jersey would be fun, as would Highlanders. It all starts adding up, as things need males for breeding.
.....and the problem when I say draft horses, it is like I think I need Clydesdale horses, and of course those Norwegian Fjordi horses.....I can talk myself into things easily as God made so many delightful things and I would like to enjoy them all........oh yeah I need a buggy horse too and buggy....cutter for winter........lots of things.
Lord willing it will happen and if the wealthy are obstinate, I will receive it from Jesus in His coming and they will be off in hell for a thousand years waiting Judgment.
I need to go rest and pray now, as this was just a fill in examining a necessary thing, as when a breakdown arrives of society, people are going to have to learn all of this again.
agtG
