Bad back; Freezers; Spltting lambs; Sheep course
Posted: Tuesday 23 August, 2016
Monday 15th August
Cool first thing but shaping up to be hot. I let the sheep into a field with better shade – I think their agitation yesterday was due to the heat rather than flies.
Finally managed to submit my Scottish Beef Calf Scheme application for 2016. Payment isn’t made until about April next year; farmers have to claim for any eligible calf born in 2016 by the end of the calendar year, then the pot of available funding is divided up on a per head. I think we got about £150 per calf this April – for fours calves, but every little helps.
After he finished work, Dan did a bit more fencing in the Triangle and the feeding round. I was on dinner duty and making cookies duty and making chicken stock duty – all of which I have now completed.
Gary back today and working on the drive – it looks great.
Tuesday 16th August
My back is killing me. Doing Festival stuff today and ploughing through emails, mainly apologising for the delay in replying to folk.
Spent the afternoon lying on the floor trying to unkink my back. Not my most productive day.
Wednesday 17th August
Glorious day today. Cleaned out two henhouses; the third is fine. Picked loads of poo from the ponies’ field.
My back’s better – but sitting makes it worse.
Gary finished the drive – it looks good. Very pleased with it.
Thursday 18th August
Bit cooler today. Started weaning Wallace; he’ll be 16 weeks old on Monday and is still getting 3 x 500ml bottles a day. From today, he’s getting one litre between three feeds plus lamb pellets. He’s not 100% sound but he’s not bad – but the ABs will stop this weekend so fingers crossed that he stays sound. If he doesn’t, there’s only one outcome.
Linda, John and I cleared out the big freezer into the two small chest freezers – one for our consumption and one for selling. There was a lot less than I thought.
I’ve lifted out two ox tongues, eight lamb hearts and some unidentified bag of meat for the dogs. I’ll mince it all, mix and refreeze in portions for them. We always say we’ll eat the offal but never do.
There are three big bits of pork shoulder and one of leg, so we’re going to have a go at curing and smoking them. Looked out the River Cottage “Pig and Pork” book in anticipation. On a similar subject, called the abattoir to see what the implications of Mak being over thirty months when he’s slaughtered are – there’s an additional charge of £50 for the carcass to have the spine boned out, but that’s all.
Friday 19th August
Warm and overcast this morning; rain from lunchtime and quite heavy. We needed it but hope it doesn’t last too long. Bryn decided he would prefer to stay out in the rain, but being small he had no trouble finding shelter!
Bryn sheltering from the rain.
Decided to just chop up the offal for the dogs – that’s what they have big teeth for. So eight bags and I reckon each bag will do three days.
We’ve got all the freezers in the new storage room now.
Freezer room finished.
Emptied and moved the upright plus the shelves, so we can tidy up the classroom tomorrow.
Saturday 20th August
Split the ewe lambs form the tup lambs today and brought Teddy the wether home to keep Wallace company, since he needs to be out of the company of ewes too. He might have a gammy leg but everything else seems to in good working order. It was strange looking at the fourteen ewe lambs and knowing they will be my new breeding flock.
Spent some time preparing for our beginners’ sheep keeping course tomorrow, which included baking cookies and tidying out the classroom.
It’s been warm and showery – there must have been a fair bit of rain overnight, looking at how much water was in buckets this morning.
Sunday 21st August
Beginners sheep keeping course today. Really enjoyed it but it’s tiring. It’s been the most glorious day too.
