Smallholding
Scanner / Trimmer / Snow
Sunday 3 February, 2019
Monday 28th January
Frosty but plenty snow on the way to Inverness to meet with folk form Scottish Crofting Federation. Planned to work on the train but my reserved seat didn’t have a table so just had to read and admire the scenery.
We had a visit form the local rates Assessor to discuss the impact of any diversifications on our rates liability. Very helpful.
Tuesday 29th January
Cold and raw; icy early but thawing later. Spent the day catching up from yesterday.
Boots / Bees / Flukicide
Tuesday 29 January, 2019
Monday 21st January
Frozen water this morning, thawing later and light rain this evening.
Office day today.
Tuesday 22nd January
Mild at 6am but frosty by 8am, then lovely sunshine.
Baked biscuits and popped down to East Pitkerro to see if the steers needed hay. They did – and straw. Last year they were very clean but they’re mucky this year. I guess many years of old bedding, dried for years too, acts like a big sponge.
Snow / Nest / Apiary
Monday 21 January, 2019
Monday 14th January
Cold and sunny with an icy wind, but getting milder as the day progressed.
Lots of office work today – in fact, I’m going to be pretty much office-bound all week.
Jane came to trim the ponies’ feet.
Tuesday 15th January
Spent most of the day working on www.dalmore.org.uk stuff
Wednesday 16thJanuary
Cleaned out the hens then back in the office.
Topping / Polytunnel / Raspberries
Monday 14 January, 2019
Monday 7th January
We’ve had some rain overnight but it’s mild and breezy this morning – forecast to get colder though.
Tara popped down for a blether and did the milking – needs to keep her hand in for February when we go on holiday. I don’t know if we’ll still be milking then.
Finished weeding all the veg beds; Dan put some manure on and we’ve only one to do. The strawberry beds are thick with couch so after they fruit this year, I’m going to clear them out and replant. Pruned the blueberries – they’re so easy to keep – must try and make cages for them this year though so that WE actually get some fruit.
Ditch / Mastitis / Sheep
Sunday 6 January, 2019
Monday 31st December
Hogmanay – and it’s dry, sunny and windy. Not complaining though! Picked up a bale of hay and a bale of straw for the steers at East Pitkerro – they were very happy indeed. The last bale lasted ten days.
The last beef box was picked up today. Still got hundreds of £££ of beef and lamb to sell over the year.
Spent an hour or so in the office – I like to start the New Year with an empty filing tray. And I have. The filing is now lying on my desk. Completed my 2018 Flock Registers and started my 2019 one; I intended to update my flock records in the Ryeland Flock Book but it was just too hard. Updated the pig health and welfare plan; will do the rest this week.
Cushion / Crumpets / Wood
Monday 31 December, 2018
Monday 24th December
Hard frost with temperature -4C at dawn and didn’t go up much all day. Milked all three cows but planning to move to alternate days now, so won’t be milking tomorrow. Put hay in for the cows – a round bale is lasting five or six days.
In anticipation of Christmas, the ponies had a can of “Sweetheart Stout” on their feed. And carrots. Even though they aren’t reindeer.
Dan made bread and wholemeal sourdough crumpets. The bread was delicious; the crumpets were interesting.
Bread / Salmon / Weaning
Monday 24 December, 2018
Monday 17th December
Cleaned out the green henhouse – managed not to bash my head. It’s a good house but the roof is a really awkward height. The brown house is an adapted shed, so is high enough to stand upright in.
Sorted out the invoices for the beef – we’ve sold seventeen boxes and we’re determined to be well organized this year. Finished sorting out the freezers, ready for tomorrow.
Ross came down with Jenny and Nicki – Jenny goes away to start her formal training on 8th January.
Caravan / Beef / Leo
Monday 17 December, 2018
Monday 10th December
Took Tom to the vet for his dental assessment; he only needed a scale and polish but he’s well in the huff with me. I am persona non grata. Every time he sees me, he dives for cover. Hey ho. Still, he's come a long way in his relationship with the dogs.
Tom and the dogs - and no hissing.
Almost finished the backlog of diary entries – the process is now well consolidated.
Sheep / Howff / Bonfire
Monday 10 December, 2018
Monday 3rd December
Lovely day – frosty, sunny and still –perfect apart from the water being frozen.
Frosty morning.
Tuesday 4th December.
Hard frost again this morning changing to rain, grey and miserable.
We had a two and a half hour power cut so Dan spent the time tidying cupboards in the classroom, using the head torch. We’ve identified a pile of stuff that’s now surplus so he’s going to put it on eBay / Amazon / Gumtree.
Steers / Ponies / Lambs
Monday 3 December, 2018
Monday 26th November
So today was the day that Paulo and Pedro, our 2016 born steers, made their final journey. It was only their second journey – the first being from Dalmore to East Pitkerro, where they have grazed and wintered for two years. It’s always a bit of a wrench to see them go but they’ve had a good life and they’ll supply a good few locals with prime beef with minimum inputs. As usual, we loaded them on to our trailer to take them to the haulier’s wagon – they loaded quietly and calmly both times.
