Grass / Cherries / Peas / Sink
Monday 16 July, 2018
Monday 9 July
We had a wee smidge of rain – I do mean a smidge – overnight and it’s been cooler and cloudier today. So much more pleasant, in my view.
Paperwork day – so I started to look at last year’s income and costs – it’s not making happy reading. This year will be worse as hay for the coming winter has doubled in price – and while it might be good quality, I hazard that the cows won’t eat half as much. And doubling the price of beef and lamb isn’t an option.
Barn alterations / Ace / High summer
Monday 9 July, 2018
Monday 2 July
Still hot, dry and sunny. I guess this is not going to be good news for winter forage. Sheepfold is very dry but we have a bumper crop of clover.
Dan made some alterations to the barn, which will give the ponies (now) and the cattle (in winter, if the weather is good) access to the outside. There’s a gate to go on and the fence to replace the hurdles to be put up but it’s a step in the right direction.
Trampoline / Pigs / Vegetables
Monday 2 July, 2018
Monday 25 June
The good weather continues. The grass in the fields has stopped growing though. Still, it’s long enough to hide two calves.
I thought I had made a mess of my lamb registrations but it’s not as bad as it first seemed and it’s easily fixable. Ordered the tags I need and will get them sorted next time they are in.
Royal Highland / Lamb ID / Flowers
Monday 25 June, 2018
Monday 18 June
Cool, cloudy and breezy. Vet here to take blood sample from Bug and we decided to start Smokey on steroids to see if it will help his breathing. Dan will pick the drug up tomorrow when he picks up the Heptavac.
Tuesday 19 June
Warmer than yesterday with rain this afternoon. Spent most of the day pottering in the vegetable garden, doing bits and pieces, and mowing the lawn. The back garden looks OK.
Poorly car / Dogs / Baycox
Monday 18 June, 2018
Monday 11 June
Cloudy with light rain this morning. Surprisingly, the cows asked to come in this morning, so it seemed churlish to refuse. Ace was fantastic. All in, wee bit of sugar beet, a rub on the brush and back out again. No milking today.
Tuesday 12 June
Been overcast and thundery today.
What a relief – correct passports for the two steer calves arrived today. Thank you to BCMS for sorting out my muddle!
Took Bryn and Bertie for their annual check-ups and boosters. Bryn was 17.5kg and Bertie was 5.6kg; both are fine. Got the schedule in for Kinross Show on 11th August – there are companion dog classes. I’d like to show Bryn and Gwenna. Dan won’t go but hopefully I’ll be able to find someone to chum me.
Open Farm Sunday / Dead lamb
Monday 11 June, 2018
Monday 4 June
The good weather continues – wish it would rain now, but none forecast. Walked the fields this morning and the thistles in two paddocks are pretty grim, so the topper is on the tractor and John’s going to top the them and Laing’s Field. We’re considering spraying with GrazonPRO. We don’t like spraying but no amount of topping seems to be making any difference.
Tuesday 5 June
No6’s white ewe lamb is a bit off colour tonight – nothing specific, just ears down. Will see what she’s like in the morning.
Courses / Meat chicks / Honey
Monday 4 June, 2018
Monday 28 May
Clear blue skies and sunny. Rain forecast for Wednesday / Thursday, so I hope it does. Dan was up and out with the paint roller before breakfast, so that’s the walls done – just the windowsill to do now.
I did a bit of housework then cleaned the living room window and washed all the pictures, ready to go back in. We don’t use the room very much – our routine tends to be work, dinner, chat round the dining table and bed.
John harrowed Home. I did some weeding.
Shearing / New queen / Topping / Calving
Monday 28 May, 2018
Monday 21 May
Weather still good – i.e. warm and dry. Woke up stressing about grass.
Ace seems fine in his pen. He can see the cows and they come round to touch noses every day. Still, we’re planning to make his pen a bit bigger.
Rosie’s calf is a bull – and has been named Rocky. She came down to the barn today at milking but didn’t come in. There’s no rush.
Went to register Rocky and discovered I’d made an error with the registrations. Two calves, two errors – not good. To be fair, the first error caused the second one but I’ve emailed BCMS and pled insanity.
8 years at Dalmore / Meet Rocky / Dead lamb
Monday 21 May, 2018
Monday 14 May
Eight years in! Can’t believe we’ve been here eight years – and yet it feels like we’ve been here forever.
At the start, we used to joke that we were on a ten-year plan, but actually I think we were pretty close to the mark.
By the end of this year, we’ll have replaced every fence except the one round the front garden and it’s been refurbished. Every building has been upgraded in some way. It’s easy to forget how much we’ve done.
Meet Ruaridh / Mucking out / Foot trimmer / Lame lambs
Monday 14 May, 2018
Monday 7 May
Sunny but cooler than yesterday. Since it’s a bank holiday, Dan’s working on the renovation of the outside toilet and John’s running water to Laing’s Field.
I’m doing paperwork. But the swallows are back and nesting in the byre, so the door has to be kept open now.
Tuesday 8 May
Up early to move the cows to fresh grass, to find they had moved themselves and Annie had calved – a nice red and white bull calf, that we’re calling Ruaridh.
Read more on Meet Ruaridh / Mucking out / Foot trimmer / Lame lambs