Smallholding
Lightning / Barn / Beans
Tuesday 2 July, 2019
Monday 24th June
Heavy rain overnight, as forecast. Access to the barn is now restricted, so Ace wasn’t allowed in this morning.
Ace, wanting in.
The duck has gone. I guess the crows took all her ducklings and she left. Sad.
Urquhart tried to make me think he was dead. Wish he wouldn’t do that.
Urquhart, not dead.
Barn / Strawberries / Rosie
Monday 24 June, 2019
Monday 17th June
So changeable today – warm, cold, sunny, raining. Four seasons in one day and just a few days to the Summer Solstice. Dan topped our neighbours paddocks but it was too long and wet for a good job, so he’ll need to go back. Then he went back to his thistle pulling!! The man’s on a mission.
Moved the sheep to Near Top – they do get excited about it, bless ‘em.
The pears are developig well - looks like a good crop.
Pears.
Dead lamb and mucky straw
Monday 17 June, 2019
Monday 10th June
Sunny and breezy today. Moved the sheep to Home, with access to the wee paddock the caravan is in. The grass is pretty long in there and I’d rather they ate it down than us cut it.
Dan topped Near Top – nice to be topping, in comparison to last year, when we were scrabbling around for grass. Then he checked the bees – all way well; they are very busy and he should be able to take some honey in the next couple of weeks.
Did some paperwork, sowed three varieties of beetroot and did some weeding in the veg garden.
Swarm / Gooseberries / Grass
Monday 10 June, 2019
Monday 3rd June
Not a bad day, weatherwise. This combination of sun and showers is great – just need a few nice dry days for the hay.
We had one very heavy shower - and Ace wanted to come in. Wuss.
Ace, not enjoying the rain
Our new farrier came to trim Smokey, who was as good as gold so the farrier will be back in eight weeks. It’s not easy getting a farrier and even harder to get a good and reliable one.
Travels / Strimmer / Courses
Monday 3 June, 2019
Monday 27th May
Between the fox last week, eating the meat chickens, and crows egg stealing this week, I think Mother Nature is trying to put us out of business. So baffles are in place at the henhouses to discourage winged thieves.
Off to Inverness to take part in some workshops for the EU SALSA project, run in Scotland by the James Hutton Institute. Looking forward to meeting small farmers from Norway and France, and to visiting a couple of crofts, as well as meeting some form from ScotGov, Crofting Commission and Scottish Crofting Federation.
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.
