Calves / Hens / Holidays
Posted: Sunday 6 November, 2022
Monday 24th
So that’s the Scottish Smallholder Festival over for another year. It all went swimmingly – or maybe more like the swan analogy – all calm on the surface and paddling furiously under the surface. We now have a bigger team and a very good one. We’ve had much positive feedback on the Festival from visitors and stallholders – thankfully, it doesn’t make us complacent but makes us want to do better next year. I’m staying on for another year to do the rural skills but not the communications. Most of my stallholders want to come back next year, which is great – on, because they were very good but two, because it allows me to think about new things to do. The cookery theatre went well – I think that will be back next year. Tidying up now, copying over files and thanking everyone.
Tuesday 25th
The very was out today to PD the cows. Delighted than all four are in calf.
The three heifers are 99% definitely in calf – all around 14 weeks, so have held to the service after the prostaglandin injection. This makes them due around 27th April, but I think they may be a few days early, based on previous experience. There’ a bit of a question mark about Blizzard; her uterus had dropped so the vet couldn’t see as clearly. He’s 90% sure she’s in calf – but the uterus can drop a) because the cow is older and everything is a bit slack or b) that the pregnancy is further on. Now, when he came to jag them, I asked him to give her an internal exam and he said she was about six weeks in calf. So there is a possibility that she’s 20 weeks into her pregnancy. We’ll just need to keep an eye on her. So, well done, Grey.
Wednesday 26th
In preparation for our forthcoming holiday and for winter, we were going to reduce our hen numbers by killing the oldest flock. We had a chat and decided we didn’t want to – the extra eggs are very welcome at the food bank and we bought a tonne of food a while back so that cast’s “forgotten”. Tonight, we moved the 20 hens and Napoleon, the Serama-type cockerel into the brown house with the 21 hens and Duck, our big cream cockerel, that are already there. I’m a bit anxious about the two cockerels but I’m hoping that the size disparity will prevent any problems.
Thursday 27th
All seems well in the hen house. Thank goodness.
Friday 28th
Took Gwenna to the vet for a check up. They are very pleased with her progress. I guess they see it more than we do, because we see her all the time.
Sunday 6th November
We’ve been off on holiday for a week, to Gardenstown. We love it there. Back yesterday; no problems while we were away so today we housed the cattle and moved the ponies to Far Top to strip graze it. It’s a funny field and quite tussocky, so hopefully the ponies will eat this down and give it a good start away for next spring.
Dan went for hay, emptied the muck trailer and put up the electric fence. I tidied up the holiday stuff, cleaned out the field shelter and baked biscuits. And dealt with dozens of emails. Feel like I haven’t been away.
