Smallholding
Bees / Polytunnel / Culture
Monday 6 January, 2020
Monday 30th December
Dark and overcast, some light rain but very mild. Andy came over to do “man stuff” so he and Dan finished trimming, sorting and moving the brash – it’s going to be some bonfire when we get round to holding it.
I picked up a load of hay and checked the steers and Zeph at East Pitkerro. All well.
We have a robin residing, at least part-time, in the feed store. He now has his own feed bowl. And the goldfinches are back - the niger seed feeder had been untouched for weeks, but there were two goldfinches on it yesterday and they seem to be making up for lost time!
Christmas / Beach / Ponies
Monday 30 December, 2019
Monday 23rd December
Wet in the morning so planned ride out was cancelled. We’re not completely fair-weather riders, but it was chucking it down.
Did a triple hay run, including one to East PItkerro. Wee bit worried about Wee Charlie; our big guys are fine, but I think they get stirred up when we’re there so it’s hard to tell.
New wheel on my barra'
New wheel
Escapees / Steers / Festive cleaning
Monday 23 December, 2019
Monday 9th December to Friday 13th December
Lorna and I had a good break – lots of swimming and cake. All was fine here except on Thursday night, about midnight, Dan heard cattle and they had escaped out on to the track. Normally this wouldn’t have been a big problem but the fence between the track and John and Linda’s garden was down, for the septic tank repair, and the big hole, full of water, was accessible. And Blizz looked interested. So poor Dan was out in the cold and dark, on his own, getting three very excited calves and an equally excited bull (the cows are far more chilled) back in the barn. He was pretty tired when we got home on Friday afternoon.
Ewes / Brash / Wreaths
Monday 16 December, 2019
Monday 2nd December
Grey and drizzly, but the water’s unfrozen. No sign of Septic Tank Man. Picked up four bales of hay.
Kit has a green bum. If they are all in lamb, this will be the most drawn out lambing ever. Actually, that's not true. We always have one tail-end-Charlie.
Went for a hack on Smokey, with Rebecca on Ave.
Archie, the steer calf, has discovered the delights of the beet pulp pellet bucket.
Archie and his bucket. Finally.
Manure / Wreaths / Frost
Monday 2 December, 2019
Monday 25th November
Another dreich day and the winter blues have struck. I was mucking out the cattle and working out how much it cost to keep them – and that caused me to reflect of whether we were making a surplus or not. Retiring to the office, I did some sums and we probably do very slightly better than break even on the cattle. The sheep make a surplus if we attribute al the income form sheepkeeping courses to them. But then we have grass rents, business insurance and accountancy costs to cover.
Tack / Tank / Feet
Monday 25 November, 2019
Monday 18th November
Cold and sunny; the ditch has a blockage that stopping it flowing properly so Dan’s getting the waders on to sort it out. I started a Christmas cake, but I need to get oranges and lemons. And almonds.
Jane was here to fit Smokey’s saddle. Credit card about to get a thrashing. The saddle I’m buying is the same as the one I sold when we “retired”. I need two saddle racks too.
Took a load of muck to Guildy Farm and picked up four bales of hay.
Hay / Yarn / Ponies
Monday 18 November, 2019
Monday 11th November
Grey and drizzly so it was time for a turn out of the kitchen cupboards. I do try to be tidy but inevitably, if we’re really busy, stuff gets shoved back in, without much care. I also wanted to have a look at the bakeware I have – some is really old (it was my Mum’s, but I think it’s time for practicality to take over from sentimentality) and if I’m baking for ours and afternoon teas next year, I need some better equipment. Some some identified for recycling and a list being complied of new tins.
More rain / Pontoons / Leaves
Monday 11 November, 2019
Monday 4th November
Wet and windy. Brought the steers in at East Pitkerro – they were happy to follow a bucket in, good boys that they are. The shed is very open and I’m wondering if we should put some windbreak across the gates.
No14 has a yellow bum – five down, eight to go.
Now that the cattle are in, they get fed twice a day, so are tied up, to let me muck out and top up hay. Today I put wee buckets out for the three calves – Archie and Zeph not interested, but Zen was straight in there. She has her mother’s food genes.
Samhain / Cattle / Rain
Monday 4 November, 2019
Monday 28th October
Glorious day - calm, frosty and sunny but we’re on Festival clear down, so mostly seeing it out the window. Still, managed to take Smokey and the dogs for an hour’s walk to the golf course.
Tuesday 29th October
Another lovely morning, but clouding up to grey later. Finally got Diesel to the vet – third attempt. He’s fit and well, as we expected.
Gave in and put Urquhart in with the ewes – a few days either way won’t make any difference come spring. Of course, this meant separating off the ewe lambs – which haven’t been weaned, except by their mammies. Been a bit of shouting this afternoon.
Festival / Blizzard / Sheep
Monday 28 October, 2019
Monday 21st October
Frosty start followed by sunshine. I slept poorly – too many things in my head.
What a fright this morning. Went out to feed the cattle – Annie and Rosie at the fence as usual, Ace in the field, calves bawling and no sign of Blizzard. Walked over to Laing’s Field and she’s flat out up by the fence, so I’m running and phoning Dan to say she’s down. I thought she was dead. As I got closer, I could see her moving her legs – she was cast.
