5. Pferchäcker

In the 18th century, the three-field farming with cattle drives was still prevalent in Kottweiler and Schwanden which meant the houses had no stables and there was no stable feeding for the cattle. The cattle from Kottweiler drank water at the Ochsenbach creek in the morning and were placed in a pen (fenced-in enclosure) on the pen fields (Pferchäcker) during the night. It was the night pasture for grazing and draft cattle. The draft cattle were picked up in the morning by their owners to work in the fields, the grazing cattle moved with the shepherds to the pastures. From time to time, the location of the pen was changed and turnips were planted in the well-fertilized field.