Mute helpers and companions
The care for farm animals was the main activity of the husbandman, his wife, children and other employees and helpers. Several work horses, cows as well as goats, geese, hens, pigeons, rabbits and many other animals were commonly kept at larger farmsteads and farms. Most of these animals were bred for subsistence and sooner or later ended up on the table. Of course, the most valuable animals included cows, used for milk and meat, and horses as work animals. Everyday contact between people and animals turned them into real mute companions, much like the relationship between people and their pet dogs and cats is commonplace today. The farmstead No. 56 in Trstěnice will serve as a model farmstead of the first half of the 20th century. The farmstead did not undergo any significant adjustments during the 20th century and original cowsheds and many authentic details are preserved there. After necessary repairs, the farmhouse will be used as a residential area, while the cowsheds will serve their original purposes. The farm will keep a cow and a goat for milk, sheep for wool and a porker, while geese, hens and pigeons will move freely on the courtyard, which will be guarded by a dog, with several cats and a tomcat resting in the shade.
