Update w/e 24th May - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Sunday 24 May, 2009

by Rosemary at 7:59am in Anything goes Comments closed

Deep joy! I've been collecting poo samples from the sheep so that we can have worm egg counts done. I'm just a glorified toilet attendant and there's some debate about the "glorified" bit.

We don't have a lot of land and four ewes will be about our maximum. It also means we have to manage what grazing we have. It was stressing me a bit but I now have a grazing plan that, if it works in practice, should allow each parcel of land to rest and recover for 6 months of the year.

I had to buy sheep tags for the first time this week. Not looking forward to the application - I remember what it was like getting my ears pierced.

Li'l' Bud and Dickie got their first injection of Heptavac P Plus this week; a second will be administered in six weeks. It's then an annual booster, if they are still around. Next sheep tasks are applying the tags; registering the two lambs we are retaining and organizing shearing.

We've also been busy in the vegetable garden. All the beans that we started in the greenhouse – broad beans, runner beans and dwarf French beans – plus the peas, have been planted out. The cabbages and sweetcorn aren't quite ready. The Czar runner beans came to naught, despite two sowings, so I've direct sown more "White Lady". If they can avoid the weevils, they should be OK.