Smallholding
Arwen / Avian Flu / Niamh
Monday 29 November, 2021
Monday 22nd November
At 7am, it was clear and sunny; by 9amit was cold and overcast. Still, it’s dry.
Had a bit of a tidy up in the byre; advertised the broken freezer on social media and a chap came to pick it up tonight. Yay! Dan and I are going to try and get half an hour this week just moving things around; there’s stuff to come in from the barn, where I want to clear more space so we can store more hay in winter, just in case the roads are bad.
Grey / Astrid / Apples
Tuesday 23 November, 2021
Monday 15th November
Our neighbours won’t love us this morning – Grey has been exercising his lungs all night. I didn’t sleep well either, if that’s any comfort to them. Sun’s out mid-morning – looking lovely.
.jpg)
Hartons Grey.
Blizzard and Buster enjoying the sunshine.
Tups / Cakes / Grey
Monday 15 November, 2021
Monday 8th November
No body part dreams so slept until 6.30am. Cows were in then, so shut them in, checked Blizzard (fine) and gave them some beep pulp, while I brought in the ponies. Managed to give Bronte a scratch, which was a first. Then I opened the gates so they can loaf outside. It’s a nice day – cool, but dry and still.
Puddings steaming and cake in the oven by 10am, then into the office until lunchtime.
Wednesday 10th November
Beautiful morning! Long may it continue.
Pennan / Saddle / Yule
Monday 8 November, 2021
Monday 1st November to 5th November
Oh, we had a lovely break at Mill of Nethermill Cottages, near Pennan. Wild weather, but that just let us appreciate our cosy cottage even more.
Our cottage even had special corgi windows.
Corgiwatch.
Mill of Nethermill cottages.
Blizzard / Butch / Pennan
Monday 8 November, 2021
Monday 25h October
There was wee bit of rain overnight but it turned into a beautiful day – bit blowy, but clear and sunny. And I got a load of washing dry outside. Yay!
Dreamed about loading cattle, then got up and did it for real. I think these two steers were the easiest ever to load. So that’s them off; paperwork done. I forgot the FCI for the haulier so had to email it to the abattoir later. It’s part of the pig movement licence but for cattle it’s a separate document. And sorted Rora’s off/on movement to the Festival on Saturday.
Buster / Frost / Festival
Monday 25 October, 2021
Tuesday 12th October
After yesterday’s events, we’re just chillin’. But it was a nice day, so Blizzard and her new calf re-joined the herd. He'll be registered as Rosedean Braw (in keeping with our weather theme - Braw ina New Guinean wind and it being a B year) bu has been given the pet name, Buster.
Baby meets Buster.
Pumpkins / Gracie / Blizzard's calf
Monday 11 October, 2021
Monday 4th October
Lovely morning; no calf yet. I’ll do a 2am check now until she’s calved.
A few showers in the afternoon. Started giving he hens soaked corn in the afternoon. Audrey and Dusty went to bed on their own for the first time.
Tuesday 5th October
Still no calf.
Wednesday 6th October
No calf. Horrible wet night forecast, so brought the cows in. Saves my jammies getting wet on the night-time checks. They can go out during the day though.
Cattle / Ewes / Bantams
Monday 20 September, 2021
Monday 13th September
Beautiful sunrise and another lovely day. The hen house for Sheldon, Amy and Penny has arrived from Jim Vyse Arks.
New hen house.
Tuesday 14th September
Annie and Rosie, just because. Rosie is almost sound.
My lovely Annie.
Beetroot / Caterpillars / Tap
Monday 13 September, 2021
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.
Henry 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
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.
