We’ve finally got one! A feeding platform, that is, in our lambing facilities. For three long years, we’ve been planning to get one, but we have run out of time every single summer. Luckily, this year proved to be the exception.

In case you’re wondering what a feeding platform is, I’ll enlighten you: Our new lambing facilities, built in 2010, have a feeding trough on the outside of the building, installed at a set height. Because the floor of the pen will rise over the winter due to accrued manure, the feeding trough had to be installed with this ‘room for growth’ in mind. This means that, early in the fall, lambs will find it difficult to reach the trough. As an emergency solution, we built a makeshift feeding platform out of planks and expanded clay bricks. Over time, however, our solution sank into the mixture of manure and straw. We eventually found the remains of the platform when emptying the manure, stuck between the impeller blades of the manure truck… Which didn’t make the contractor exactly jump for joy. In any case, a feeding platform is an even structure that is built inside a pen in front of the feeding trough. By stepping on this raised platform with their front legs, lambs can easily reach their feed, even at an elevation of 60 to 80 centimeters.

This fall, we finally finished building the platform. First, we stacked a single layer of concrete slabs about 200 millimeters from the wall. This layer was then bonded to the concrete flooring. The platform was raised another 100 millimeters with a wooden mold, bringing the total height to 300 millimeters. After that, it was just a matter of hooking up the MAMMUT concrete mixer to the Case brand tractor and mixing some fresh concrete. After three hours of hard work, we had finally finished building the feeding platform, as well as small stands next to the drinking bowls. I was very satisfied with the result, and especially so when I saw a graceful row of young spring-born ewes gratefully bow to me over their feeding troughs.