Smallholding
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.
Smokey / Boxes / Beef
Sunday 20 October, 2019
Monday 14th October
The sun is out and Diesel is home. We think he was probably shut in one of the stores at the roofer’s yard adjacent to our property. At least, he appeared about 10 minutes after the men arrived for work at 8am.
Dan pumped up my purple ball, which has replaced my office chair. Hopefully it will help my back and I certainly like it so far. And I haven’t fallen off. Yet.
Dan ordered a pallet of bottles for apple juice. A pallet was much the cheapest way to buy them and they don’t go off. We thought they’d come in boxes but no, they come on bug cardboard trays. So Dan’s ordered some boxes to put them in. Hey ho. Best laid plans… He juiced the Ellison’s Orange today.
Frost / Lambs / Holiday Bromance
Monday 14 October, 2019
Monday 30th September
Last day of September is overcast and mild. Took six lambs to the abattoir this morning – four Ryeland tups and two Lleyn wethers. I wasn’t awfully happy with them. The Ryeland tup lambs (not the Lleyns or the Ryeland ewe lambs) have had pretty shitty bums. They’ve all been wormed with Zolvix and that’s improved things but they aren’t fab looking.
We’ve kept one Lleyn wether as a possible tup companion and three Ryeland tup lambs that are nowhere near big enough to go. The plan is to keep them over winter and put them away with any empty ewes that we have at scanning in February.
Pigs / Steers / Horses
Tuesday 1 October, 2019
Monday 23rd September
Well, that’s this year’s steers away. They were very obliging at coming in, getting on the trailer and moving to the haulier’s lorry. They are both just a few weeks short of 30 months.The job’s not done until the trailer’s cleaned out and the paperwork done – so both are now completed.
Office work this afternoon.
Tuesday 24th September
Rain overnight, and cloudy today with a wee bit of sun.
Euro / Hazels / Hens
Tuesday 24 September, 2019
Monday 16th September
Cool start, but sunny later in the day. A lovely autumn day. Our big cockerel, Nugget, attacked me this morning – drew blood and ripped my jammies (I was planning to do the hens than take a cup of tea back to Dan in bed, now it’s getting darker in the mornings). Usually he waits until I’m out the gate and attacks the gate, but either his or my timing was off this morning. It’s really sore. His coat is on a very shoogly peg.
Looks like Leo will be swapping with Euro. I’m a bit sad but it’s for the best all round.
Honey / Pigs / Pears
Monday 16 September, 2019
Monday 9th September
Rain overnight but a decent day. The lame lamb is sound and Annie is much better, which is good news.
In preparation for their imminent departure, we wormed, fluked and tidied up the three ewe lambs. The two coloured ones now race in for their cake, with Niamh, her lamb and the three BFL but the white lamb hasn’t quite worked it out yet. When she’s herded in – and she comes in fine – she watches the others eating. Bless her. Not the sharpest tool in the box.
