Smallholding
Scything / Fox / Shearing
Monday 27 May, 2019
Monday 20th May
As usual, Monday is paperwork day. With it being the start of the new financial year and with the business reorganisation we’ve done, the systems are just settling down. I will admit to finding this quite stressful. I also seem to have done something weird to the spreadsheets we use while transferring them to the new year. Dan is not best pleased at having to sort them out. Again.
Shearing is arranged for Friday afternoon. The ewes are peching.
Annie / Cream / Dahlias
Sunday 19 May, 2019
Monday 13th May
Another nice day. Milked Annie for the first time this lactation and Rosie for the first time since Archie was born; both were very good. Got about 15 litres from Annie, but in a few days she’ll start feeding the calf before milking.
Annie's first milking.
I need to put some electric fence in Near Ditch to stop the cattle going on there after milking. Added to list.
Archie / Bees / Pears
Monday 13 May, 2019
Monday 6th May
Lovely warm, sunny day. Dan got into the bees – all hives have queen cells, so he’ll have to take anti-swarming action this week. He also did some weeding in the apiary – loads of thistles – and started to harrow Laing’s Field.
Busy hive.
I weeded the strawberries – loads of couch –and sowed seeds – Parsnip Tender and True, Swede Ruby and Joan, Cornflower Polka Dot,Gypsophila Monarch White, Nigella Persian Jewel and Larkspur Dwarf Double Mixed.
Workshop / Pullets / Zephyr
Monday 6 May, 2019
Monday 29th April
Cool and grey in the morning but getting sunny and warm. It was Bryn’s 4th birthday today – where does the time go? He had tuna for dinner as a treat.
Vet came out to give Leo his second tetanus, so that’s him up to date and he doesn’t need another one for 13 months.
Tuesday 30th April
Delivered a talk at a local primary school on farming. One cheeky wee B, but he wasn’t for long. Caught up with some paperwork. Wrote a shopping list, which lead into a good tidy up of the pantry and a defrost of the kitchen freezer.
Spuds / Shallots / Peas
Monday 29 April, 2019
Monday 22nd April
Good weather continues – it’s pretty dry. Brought the cows and Ace in but didn’t milk; still the routine is re-establishing. Some things we do the same all the time – hens, meat chicks, pigs; some seem to change every year, like the cattle’s routines.
The pet lambs diet is underway; having read the packet, we’re overfeeding them. Maybe should have read the packet first. So every second feed is now only 300ml; planning to stop the 2am feed soon.
Lambs / Bees / Zephyr
Monday 22 April, 2019
Monday 15th April
Short but heavy rain shower overnight; cold, cloudy and windy during the day. Feels like rain but it’s stayed dry. Bought a big bale haynet for the ponies.
Tuesday 16th April
Weather’s continuing cool and grey. Had a smallholders lie-in today – did the chores then went back to bed for a couple of hours.
No2 is close to lambing – so not the 6th May as I thought. So that’s just her and the mad Shetlands to go.
No5 / PIgs / Pullets
Monday 15 April, 2019
Monday 8th April
Lovely spring day – sunny and warm. Moved No5 to the maternity ward then went for hay. Dosed No7 and No11 and tailed their lambs; turned out No11 but keeping No7 in until I’m sure the lamb’s eyes are better.
Turned out the pet lambs during the day but brought them into the maternity ward for overnight, just to be sure they’re safe.
Managed to get our personal tax returns done and off to the accountant; one down, three to go.
Dave / Wayne / Tim
Monday 8 April, 2019
Monday 1st April
Where’s the rain? And the grass? A wee bit drizzle today – not good enough. And it’s cold.
First open farm tour today; Niamh lambed a few minutes before everyone arrived so first stop was the lambing shed to see her and her lambs. Both the kids and the adults loved it; Niamh wasn’t in the slightest bit bothered. She’s got a black boy and a black girl. The wee boy has quite bad entropion. If I can’t sort it by tomorrow, I’ll need to get the vet to put a stitch in it.
Lambs / Rainbows / Lambs
Tuesday 2 April, 2019
Monday 1st April
Sunny, and with the wind dropped, much warmer feeling. No6 doing well with her two ewe lambs – weighed at 4.3kg and 4.5kg at 24 hours. At 1pm, No14 lambed a black tup and a white tup; white one came head only, black one with a leg back. They’re all fine though; she has plenty milk and loves them both.
Yin and Yang.
Sheep / Leo / Lambs
Tuesday 26 March, 2019
Monday 18th March
Braw day! Fields are drying up nicely and the water levels in the ditch have dropped significantly. Bit of warmth now should see the grass come away nicely. Up early and had the hen houses cleaned out before breakfast.
Water levels dropping nicely.
Vaccinated the cows with Bravoxin 10; perfect timing for Rosie’s calf but a bit early for Blizzard’s, but better than nothing. They were OK - Rosie jumped but at least she didn’t take the huff, unlike after the foot trimmer / flukicide, when she wouldn’t eat her sugar beet for two days.
