Smallholding
Mastitis / Gooseberries / Fox
Monday 19 July, 2021
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
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.
Donald / Lambs / Elderflower
Tuesday 6 July, 2021
Monday 28th June
Still warm and dry. Spent some time in the vegetable garden; early peas are ready and delicious and the early tatties (Red Duke of York) are ready. And the Mini Munch cucumber in the polytunnel.
Ace and Rosie looking loved up today, but I haven’t seen her stand for him. Marked 17 days in the diary.
Home produced pork, peas and new potatoes for dinner.
Tuesday 29th June
Overcast in the morning, bit of haar, but the sun came out in the afternoon and it was hot, hot, hot
Sea / Grass / Rocky
Monday 28 June, 2021
Monday 21st June
I’ve organised for the vet to come an take a second blood sample from Blizzard a week tomorrow; he’ll take samples from the two calves for BVD too.
Office stuff and weeding.
Tuesday 22nd June
Ace and Annie seem a bit loved up. She calved 26th April, so she could well be in season. I didn’t see her served though. Just need to keep an eye out in 17 days or so.
Lorna and I had a walk along Carnoustie sea front. Very blessed.
Blizzard / Tests / Topping
Monday 21 June, 2021
Monday 14th June
Quite a lot of rain overnight, which is welcome. Just pottered about today until the footie at 2pm.
Tuesday 15th June
Dry, sunny, breezy.
Well, this is a blow. Contacted the vet about the results from the cattle blood tests. All cattle clear for everything - IBR, Lepto, Neospora and Johne's except we have an inconclusive test for Johne’s from Blizzard. Not quite sure yet what the consequences are – there will be a retest. Feeling gutted. In touch with our vet and reading up. Can’t believe she’s got it – she’s probably a condition score 4 and is carrying her tenth calf in ten years.
Flowers / Calves / Lambs
Monday 14 June, 2021
Monday 7th June
Another glorious day. Had a cheeky wee smallholder’s lie-in, then took our daughter swimming. Then some paperwork. How can it be a month since the last credit card bill came in? But it is.
Dan and I had a happy hour weeding in the veg garden before dinner. Three of the four transplanted blueberries have survived he move. Mixed blessing as their expected demise would have given me space for loganberries and tayberries. I’ll find a space somewhere.
Sunshine / Cows / Broken PTO
Monday 7 June, 2021
Monday 31st May
First job this morning was to dose the lambs with white wormer to protect them against Nematodirus; the NADIS report said we were a red area.
I rode Smokey. Actually put on the saddle and bridle and rode him in the field. I think he was a bit surprised. So was I.
Tuesday 1st June
Dan started topping Laing’s Field. It takes about four hours, so he’ll do an hour after work until it’s done.
Tara and I took the ponies for a walk.
Gardens / Shearing / Blood tests
Monday 31 May, 2021
Monday 24th May
We had more rain overnight and the day was cool, damp and drizzly. We ate the last of last year’s apples this morning – we cooked and froze tonnes (well, it felt like tonnes) in the autumn. I fear we may not have a good a crop this year. Some of the apple trees look rough and the poor weather will have affected the number of pollinators.
Wednesday 26th May
(No, I'm not sure what happened to Tuesday either)
Finally plucked up courage to plant up the tubs for the back door. And one hanging basket.
What's happened to summer?
Monday 24 May, 2021
Monday 17th May
Nice morning, but rain started at 4pm.
Picked up two bales of hay. Took the faecal sample to the vet; as I arrived, Alistair was leaving, but he took the sample back to get it sent off. Ken arrived with diesel and to collect the weight thing off the front of the tractor.
Did some paperwork then had a snooze. Was woken by the rain!
Dan went off to empty the muck trailer because I’m going for a tonne of layer pellets tomorrow. It’s all time critical because the car’s going for an MOT on Thursday and the trailer’s going for a service next week.
Pigs / Rhubarb / Mucking out
Monday 17 May, 2021
Monday 10th May
Definitely, finally, feels like spring. Warm, sunny showers, a light breeze. Braw.
Office day but did sow grass seed in Sheepfold where Dan harrowed yesterday, and put a tape across to divide the field into two unequal halves. I thought it would be nice to see what grows if it’s not grazed.
Found a dead hen in the field shelter – she must be four years old and must have just keeled over while scratching in the straw. Not a bad way to go. And we had to cull one of the new batch. She’s been looking off for a couple of days, then looked better, but was plainly struggling today.
