Smallholding
Plums / Rocky / Honey
Monday 8 October, 2018
Monday 1 October
It’s raining. It’s now over two months since Blizz had her dead calf and I haven’t seen her come into season yet. Unless Ace has changed his technique – he’s usually pretty obvious in his courtship – she’s not been bulling. Not worried – yet. She’s still giving about 20 litres a day – it’s been pretty constant since day one. With the pigs away, we’re kind of coming down with milk. Dan’s planning to start making more cheese.
Lambs / Pigs / Manure
Monday 1 October, 2018
Monday 24 September
What fantastic weather for this time of year. Long may it continue – makes the winter feel much shorter.
Took six tup lambs to the abattoir this morning. Not my favourite job.
Electrician was here putting up a new light beside the outside WC
Tuesday 25 September
Spent most of the day doing Festival and Smallholding Scotland stuff.
Blizzard is still milking well.
Blizzard, my best girl.
Apples / Lucy / Rash
Monday 24 September, 2018
Monday 17 September
Moved from Cumbria to Northumberland today - got reacquainted with Winnie (Rosedean Windward), her calf, Aubrey, and Paddy the steer. And our chums, Foster and Debra. Went to a talk by their vet – very good and free beer and hot beef rolls included.
Blizzard in now behaving fine for Tara, but Lucy’s leg is much worse. Decision taken to have her PTS on Wednesday
Tuesday 18 September
Sadly, Lucy had to be PTS this morning. She was down in the field and couldn’t get up. Very sad. We're very grateful to our neighbours, John and Alan, who were absolute stars moving the body to where it could be uplifted. Gutted for Tara.
Brownies / Cider / AGMs
Monday 17 September, 2018
Monday 10 September
Windy with sunny showers, Still warm. Started to pickle shallots, process apples and roast tomatoes
The calves pushed through a poor bit of fence on to the ditch banks. It was between our land and Laing’s Field and if the gate was shut it was fine. The most surprising thing was that they hadn’t gone through it earlier. Shoo’ed them back and Dan installed some decent rails.
Tuesday 11 September
Very windy but dry and sunny. Went to see the physio about my sore neck. Got exercises to do.
Yogi / Yorkie / Mullein
Monday 10 September, 2018
Monday 3 September
Don’t know what happened last night but the electric fence in Sheepfold had taken a hammering. Sorted now. While I was out sorting the fence, I took some time to look at the sward – not a lot of grass but lots of ribwort, yarrow, clover. Poorly lamb seems better today but I’ll keep him in a bit longer.
Bug thought Blizzmight want to share. She didn't.
Shares?
Seaweed / Coriander / Lambs
Monday 3 September, 2018
Monday 27 August
Making my monthly shopping list and tidying up the store cupboard – found some out of date apricots and a bag of muesli mix that we don’t like much so Dan made flapjack. Result!
Processed the first twelve meat birds – these were mainly cockerels, a few days past 12 weeks old. Total weight, cleaned 48kg, ranging from 3.38kg to 4.48kg. It’s been a good year. Planning to kill and process the remaining 13 next weekend.
I rescued a particularly dozy toad that leaped into the henhouse as I was closing it up tonight. Dan rescued five from the drain out on the road because the toad ladder has broken.
Willow / Vegetable Garden / Bryn
Monday 27 August, 2018
Monday 20 August
No sign of Annie bulling again so hopefully she’s back in calf – she’ll be due about the 9th of May, if so.
Gwenna has had terrible scoots, so Dan took her to the vet this evening. Apparently there’s a bug going round, so bland diet, and anti-nausea jab and a paste to “firm her up”. She seems fine in herself.
Started sorting out electric fence bits for Laing’s Field. It’s all a mystery to me.
Flower Show / Cheese / Lambs
Monday 20 August, 2018
Monday 13 August
Wet today, but not cold. Cleaned out the upright freezer – bit of a bonus for the pigs as there was quite a lot of fruit that we clearly were never going to use. Emptied the big freezer, checked the stock, pulled out the empty freezer and cleaned behind it. That meant all the other freezers had to be done too – but the result was worth it.
Dan made mozzarella and ricotta –we’re having friends round for a film and pizza night on Friday, so the mozzarella will be used then.
Farm walks / Camembarry / Honey
Monday 13 August, 2018
Monday 6 August
John topped two paddocks this morning – mainly to take off the thistle flowers. Some of these were quite short and he had to cut a bit lower than I would have liked – just as well we’re getting a bit of rain now to bring the grass on. Moved the tups to Home paddock. Four have slightly squitty bums and are under observation.
Did my paperwork and some prep for the Smallholding Scotland meeting with ScotGov officials tomorrow.
Tuesday 7 August
Rainy and cool today, but brightened up later. Woke up at 3am, unable to get back to sleep panicking about the Festival, the ScotGov meeting, squitty lambs and hay. Not good.
Boots / Calves / Queens
Monday 6 August, 2018
Monday 30 July
Warm and sunny with showers – watch the grass grow. Ace is courting Annie again – 21 days after their first “romance”. This is good news and bad news – bad news that she didn’t hold last time but good news if she holds this time – because that will move her due date to 10th May, by which time, the cattle will be turned out. If she comes back in another three weeks, I’ll be gutted.
Blizzard is giving almost 18 litres of milk a day. Cheese making will be starting very soon. Gwenna is doing her best to help with the milk lake.
