Hens out / Worming / Foot trimming / Diesel's gotcha day
Posted: Monday 6 March, 2017
Monday 27th Feb
Packed day today; visit to Ravensby to have a look at the grazing. It looks pretty good – there are two good shed, one a hay barn and then a block of looseboxes. Need to have a better look at the fencing though.
The owners have a lovely golden Labrador pup – he’s one of Bryn’s buddies now.
Made my weekly pilgrimage to the skip. Linda preempted me and turned out the potting shed. Much evidence of mice – it’s built with sleepers so not even nearly mouseproof so everything edible has been removed and the cats given free access – Bertie is dining well.
Did a wee interview for Farmers Guardian for the upcoming smallholder special.
Roast chicken for tea, Dan had an audience.
If only they were always this attentive.
Tuesday 28th
Called Rural Payments to see if Ravensby had a CPH number – it doesn’t, so printed off the form for the owners.
Had a visit form the surveyor that did the boundary maps when Dalmore was sold in 2010 and sadly he confirmed that our fence and not the hedge is our boundary. Not what we wanted to hear. So Plan B is to try and purchase a 3m strip along the boundary; tried this last year and didn’t even get the courtesy of a reply but hoping for better luck this year.
Nik, the cattle foot trimmer, gave the three cows their annual pedicure.
Blizzard getting her feet trimmed.
He said that their feet were good, which is comforting. He has a new crush that doesn’t have a floor and I think the cows liked it better.
Moved the hens out of their lockdown quarters ready for getting out tomorrow. Happy birds!
Wednesday 1st March
Happy hens this morning.
Chickens out.
Next joy is cleaning out the byre.
Submitted my first article for the new “Smallholding” magazine. Very exciting.
Had the previsit for the RHET organized school visit next week.
Thursday 2nd
Nice but windy today. Got a text last night from the miller at Barry Mill to say Teddy was hopping lame, so that was our first job this morning – arrived, shouted on them and he and Urquhart came hurtling across the field, sound as a bell. I reckon he maybe had a stone caught.
The cows are on hunger strike because I’ve changed them from hay to straw.
Note to self – start with the least popular feed at the beginning of winter. The straw is much less dusty though, so less coughing and Smokey’s breathing is hugely improved.
Friday 3rd
Nice and less windy.
This is Diesel’s Gotcha Day – two years ago.
Diesel's progress.
Applied Closamectin to Ace, Winnie and the four steers.
Started to clean the byre – it’s a mix of soil (from the turfs), chopped straw and chicken poop, so I’m going to keep it separate in the hope that it will make a suitable potting medium.
Dan cut the front lawn!!!
Gave the cows wormer in their feed. Worked last time but “fool me once etc. etc.” and they only ate a wee bit before refusing any more, so I don’t know how much wormer each had. So I’ll leave it a week and then dose them normally.
Took delivery of a load of fencing stuff this afternoon.
Saturday 4th
What happened to Spring? Cold, wet and windy. We’ve had a lot of rain overnight and there’s standing water in a couple of the fields.
Just when I was thinking about getting the harrow on the tractor too.
Sunday 5th
Gave Ace his first jag of Bravoxin 10; he’ll get his second initial dose in four weeks when the cows get their booster; I’ll give Teddy and Urquhart their booster at the same time.
Also vaccinated the 14 ewe hoggs and Niamh with Bravoxin 10 instead of Heptavac.
Dan’s been pruning apple trees; pruning should be done by the end of March.
