Diary

December 2011RSS feed

Leo and Dickie back together again

Thursday 1 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 7:32pm in Sheep Comments closed

Well, that's tupping over for another year. The ewes and ewe lambs are now all together in Sheepfold, while Leo and Dickie are reunited in Home Field.

I spoke to the scanner last week; she needs to see the ewes before the 17th January, so I've marked the diary to call her after the festive season.

Sheepfold's pretty bare so I'm putting hay out - if they need it, they'll eat it.

Pickle's lame again - she's one of this year's lambs. She was lame a week ago, so I trimmed the foot and sprayed it with Terramycin. She seemed sound but I noticed she was a bit lame again tonight. We'll catch her tomorrow, clean it with Milton and spray it again; we'll repeat Saturday and Sunday and if that doesn't work, I'll ring the vet for an antibiotic on Monday.

Sloe gin

Friday 2 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 7:38pm in Brewing & Winemaking 3 comments Comments closed

We've bottled our sloe gin and vodka. The recipe says to keep it for 18 months - but it's lovely now. Just had a wee taste with tonic. The smart money's not on 18months - 18 weeks, maybe wink

Bugsy's new job

Sunday 4 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 7:22pm in Equines 2 comments Comments closed

Bugsy, our Shetland pony, started his new job yesterday - delivering hay. After a quick brush and pedicure, he got dressed in his klibber and carried two hay nets down to the hay boxes. He can't manage the knots, so I had to unload smiley

Bugsy wearing his klibberBugsy with his klibber

Hurricane Bawbag

Thursday 8 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 5:06pm in Smallholding Comments closed

We are in the grip of Hurricane Bawbag. However, we seem to be less affected here than other parts of Scotland, so we're grateful for that.

The animals seem fine. The ponies have been a wee bit spooky about stuff blowing around, but not at all bad. The cattle were cosied up in the field shelter earlier - I opened the gate yesterday for them. The sheep are grazing and pulling at the hay - I think a combination of wool and a low centre of gravity makes them pretty impervious.

I was most worried about the chooks but they have food and water in their houses, plus grit and oystershell feeders, so they can stay indoors if they want to. In fact, most were outside but looking a tad ruffled. Bet we don't have many eggs tomorrow.

Trees coming!

Wednesday 14 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 11:29am in Orchard Comments closed

Just had a call to say our apple, pear, gage and plum trees are ready for dispatch. I feel a backache coming on smiley

Hay racks

Saturday 17 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 6:42pm in Equipment & Machinery Comments closed

I bought two hook-over hay racks yesterday from another  TAS forum member - we had an "assignation" outside the village shop in Saline to hand over the goods.wink

I'm going to use them for the cattle but before I do, we're going to put some weldmesh inside them because the holes are quite big and the cattle will waste loads of hay.

New hayracksNew hayracks for cattle

Wood storage 3

Saturday 17 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 6:58pm in Home & Garden Comments closed

John and Dan started cutting the piles of wood in the barn this morning. We didn't have much in the way of logs, but we have loads of waste wood - so the saw's been getting a good workout. My job was to stack the cut wood in the old potato boxes we use for storage.

Barn before and afterFeel the tidy!

Wow, what a lot of space there was in the barn when we finished! That's only one pile - there's loads more around the holding and a HUGE pile stacked out in one of the fields. We put it out there when we first moved here to clear a space and did intend to have a bonfire but in these times of austerity, we thought  we'd better use it more sensibly wink.

Fencing 2012

Saturday 17 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 7:04pm in Fencing Comments closed

Dan, John and I walked the fences this afternoon and made a list of what needs to be done next year and what materials we need to buy.

If we can afford it, we'll make one big order for timber as it saves on the delivery costs. With our notes made, I'll be updating the spreadsheet and making up the order for pricing on Monday.

Dan's also told me to prioritise the various fencing jobs - not all that easy, to be honest, and it'll need some thought. Partly it depends on whether any more gets blown down by passing hurricanes. sad

Rhododendron poisoning

Saturday 17 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 7:08pm in Sheep 2 comments Comments closed

Our pet wether, Dickie, has eaten rhododendron leaves. These are very poisonous and he's a very sick sheep. The next 24 hours will be crucial. It's very serious and the prognosis isn't good.

I'm so cross with myself. There was a pot grown rhododendron in a sink at the back of the caravan; Dickie and Leo have been in there for a week and haven't looked at it and then today...

To be honest, I hadn't even registered that it was there, although I do know that rhododendron is poisonous. Ironically, when we were walking the fences this morning and looking at the place where the pigs are going, I noted that we had to remove the rhododendrons there, for that very reason. Anyway, it's moved now. Horses and stable doors come to mind frown

Back to work for Bugsy

Sunday 18 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 10:20am in Equines Comments closed

Bugsy's had a few days off because the wood part of his klibber broke. One of the haybags caught on the gate and, although he was very good and stood still, the wood split.

However, John fixed it yesterday, so this morning, Bugsy was out with hay for the ponies and the ewes. Next week, we'll have the cattle to do as well. Over the holiday period, I'm planning to get him going a bit further afield - like the local shop yes

Update on sickie Dickie

Sunday 18 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 10:26am in Sheep Comments closed

I'm very, very pleased to report that Dickie has recovered from his rhododendron snack.

He's had more charcoal, a few oatcakes then a wee feed and some hay. It's a lovely day here, and he really wants to get out. Yesterday, he was quite happy to be inside.

Off to grant his wish now, and let him out. He's a very lucky sheep smiley

Christmas Wreath

Monday 19 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 8:29pm in Home & Garden 2 comments Comments closed

Our friend, Rebecca, made us a beautiful Christmas wreath from leaves and foliage (holly, laurel, ivy, rhododendron) gathered at Dalmore. We think it's stunning.

Christmas WreathChristmas Wreath

I'm just about to order some hedging plants to improve the windbreak at the orchard. Now I'll be trying to select shrubs and trees that will yield materials for these.

Now Smokey's working too

Saturday 24 December, 2011

by Rosemary at 11:32am in Equines Comments closed

We're preparing an area for the pig enclosure. There are some rhododendrons that need to be removed, so we decided that Smokey was the boy to help. The idea was that he'd pull, using the scrub puller, and Dan would loosen the roots at the same time.

Smokey workingSmokey pulling rhododendrons

This was quite different to anything Smokey has done before - although he's pulled a log and a carriage, he's never pulled anything that didn't immediately follow him, and then that followed him in a rush. I was a wee bit anxious because a) it was new and b) I haven't really done much with him lately.

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