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Beetroot / Caterpillars / Tap

Monday 13 September, 2021

by Rosemary at 10:40am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 6th September

We had a visit from Landscape Resource Centre yesterday – Henry Maitland – with his spiker machine to break up the pan in our fields. I’m torn between wanting it to stay nice weather wise and wanting see if it’s made a difference.

henryHenry and his spiker.

Also on Sunday, Bean and his chum escaped back to the field beside the ewes; the loony Shetland lamb got under the fence, so we had to let Bean through to join them.

Bulls / Greengages / Lynbreck Croft

Monday 6 September, 2021

by Rosemary at 12:10pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 30th August

It was a sad day today as we said goodbye to our bull, Ace. It’s never easy but there are animals I’ve been far happier to see go than this big boy. I guess that’s farming though. I hope he’s got Rosie in calf.

Pottered about in the garden and potted up the wallflowers that came at the weekend. The containers they’re going in are still full of dahlias and scabious.

Lit the stove for the first time this autumn - it's a kind of comfort thing.

Pigs / Pots / Steers

Monday 30 August, 2021

by Rosemary at 4:58pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 23rd August

Sunrise was 5.55am today; by Thursday, I’ll be up before the sun rises. Just a thought.

Curtains up in the dining room – yay! Then some paperwork; moved Bean and his chum into the caravan paddock (where there is so much grass), then off to Brechin to pick up the flat trailer from Duncan Mackintosh (great service as always) and on to Forfar to collect a tonne of layer pellets.

apelletsWho needs the gym when there's a tonne of pellets to be unloaded?

Jam / Polytunnel / Keys

Monday 23 August, 2021

by Rosemary at 5:58pm in Smallholding 2 comments Comments closed

Monday 16th August

Cool morning, warm afternoon. Did all the outstanding paperwork except contacting the bank about access to the account of a voluntary organisation I’m involved with. I just have feelings of such despair with these things. I know it’s probably a sign of getting old, but it was so much better when there was a branch in the village with nice, helpful staff.

To cheer myself up, I made up my seed list and ordered my vegetable seeds for next year. I also want to buy some bulbs but I’m faffing over what to order. It’s pathetic really.

Willow / Lambs / Flagpole

Monday 16 August, 2021

by Rosemary at 12:23pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 9th August

Cool, sunny with rain overnight. There’s s definite feeling that we’re into “late summer” now.

Pretty much a full on office day, with quite a lot of Festival stuff to be done. I don’t quite know how this happened – I was only supposed to be doing the online cattle show and the goat show. Hey ho. Interfering old bag syndrome, I guess.

We did wean the lambs so it’s quite noisy. But not as bad as weaning calves though; I hope the Quietwean work when we get to that time of year.

Rora / Rain / Squashes

Tuesday 10 August, 2021

by Rosemary at 8:05pm in Smallholding 1 comment Comments closed

Monday 2nd August

Today saw Rosie, Bronte and Rora return to the herd. Rora headed for her mum to suckle but Blizzard said, quite firmly, “Not on your Nellie”. So I guess she’s weaned now. Next job was to clean out the field shelter ready for – whomever.

On the first day of his holidays proper, Dan cut the grass and strimmed all the edges. Looks very tidy.

The calves have chewed the end of the hose. Now the water comes out in four directions, as I found out this afternoon when I got a cold shower.

Rosie / Storm / Lammas

Monday 2 August, 2021

by Rosemary at 3:10pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 27th July

Hot, muggy. Rosie is in season and she’s lame, which gives me a dilemma – I want her served but I can’t bring her in with Ace because the mats get slippy if they are wet and if he mounts her and she slips, she could do serious damage. So I’m hoping she’ll be better tomorrow. The gods love an optimist.

Tuesday 28th July

Still hot and muggy – we’re just waiting for the rain.

Rosie is still lame and still in season. We’ve bought a new bull. He’s called Hartons Grey, born mid-April. I like him a lot and his dam looks like a good cow. Now I have to arrange for Ace to go to the abattoir, which is making me sad.

Drone / Vegetables / Polands

Monday 26 July, 2021

by Rosemary at 12:02pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 19th July

Annie is fine this morning, so I’ve put her back with Ace and Rosie. I’ve let Rora out with Blizzard into the wee paddock by the barn, but will bring both in at night so Rora’s lessons can continue. It’s so quiet!!

Sheldon looks better today; he’s eating and drinking without encouragement. Fingers crossed. The remaining twenty hens seem fine, but I’m well over a dozen eggs a day down. I’ll try and get another twenty if I can.

Mastitis / Gooseberries / Fox

Monday 19 July, 2021

by Rosemary at 12:23pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 12th July

Bit of haar, then the sun came out and it was very warm.

I milked Annie out with the machine – about 2.5 litres – and she’s not sore at all. There was a cut on her teat and a bit of flappy skin, but that came off when I washed her, so I think that will make her more comfortable. Blizzard was obviously stimulated by the noise of the machine and was leaking milk. Maybe not dry yet.

The flies are torture.

Tuesday 13th July

Rora’s doing well at her halter training. She now stands and lets me put it on (pretty much) because she knows she gets her bucket afterwards. They’re no daft, cows.

Blizzard / Pond / Mastitis

Monday 12 July, 2021

by Rosemary at 12:52pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 5th July

Heavy rain showers and I had a bit of a duvet day. After the chores were done, of course. Blizz is lame again, off hind. Again. My guess is a recurrence of the abscess.

Wee Donald, our Poland cockerel, looks a bit over whelmed, so he’s gone to Tara for a wee while, until he’s bigger and more mature. He and Tilly, her Serama, have hit it off.

Tuesday 6th July

Showery and cooler today. Quick trip to Harbro and the supermarket for some bits and bobs.

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