Smallholding
Birthdays / Planting / Clouties / Mucking out
Monday 23 April, 2018
Monday 16th April
Dan has embarked on a tidying of the workshop. He may be some time.
I visited a local primary school today to talk about wool (they’re doing a topic on Mary Queen of Scots, so it was about wool as a fabric of the time). We also discussed sheep keeping and dog worrying.
And I made cheese apple and walnut mini loaves.
Tuesday 17th April
Wet overnight but clearing mid morning. I’m writing this on Saturday and have no idea what I did on Tuesday.
Lambing / Fencing / Pressed Flowers / Cheddar
Monday 16 April, 2018
Monday 9th April
Mild and cloudy, after early morning sun. Turned out No. 5, No. 6 and Winter with their lambs. Still a bit bothered about Winter’s boy, but if he struggles, we’ll bring them back in.
Turning out the lambs.
Spent most of the day doing paperwork and the year-ends. Be glad to get them finished. Ran off entry forms for the forthcoming poultry sale and horse / tack sale at Forfar – planning a clear out!
Lambing / Steamed Pud / Fencing / Pig Prep
Monday 9 April, 2018
Monday 2nd April
Dry and sunny start, but getting colder and windier, with a stiff east wind. Sleety showers by evening feeds.
Came out this morning to a surprise – No. 8 had lambed in the field. Not sure what had happened – she had one black lamb with her and there was a white lamb about 3m behind her, not licked and very cold.
She’s a first-timer and I guess she had the black one, had the white one and the black one’s wandered off and she’s followed him.
Lambing starts / Fencing / Dishcloths and cards
Monday 2 April, 2018
Monday 26th March
Another lovely spring day, but it’s not forecast to last so housed the three ewes due 1st / 2nd April, and Winter, because she’s very calm and will settle the other three who are less well handled.
Popped to Forfar for more licks – bloody sheep are inhaling them – and some shopping for us.
Dan worked in the orchard for a wee while then helped me bath Annie with the pressure washer. She was absolutely fine and we got a lot of muck off her. We tried the washer on me first, to make sure it wouldn’t hurt her.
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Lambing prep / Fruit & veg gardens / Spring cleaning
Monday 26 March, 2018
Monday 19th March
Spring’s back – although nor sure for how long, but we’ll enjoy it while it lasts.
Bug has been breaching the electric fence, so that was a top job today. I think I’ve beaten him.
Turned out the two young steers at EP; they were very excited. I’ll feed them some sugar beet for a week or so, to get them used to coming to the call and car horn.
Our next door neighbours were in their veg garden today and kindly donated some blown Brussel sprouts to the sheep – they were gratefully received.
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Heifers away / EYF! / Tom / Ponies
Monday 19 March, 2018
Monday 12th March
Grey and overcast, but at least it’s dry. Did paperwork and caught up with emails.
Arranged a visit from our local EHO to discuss selling home baking – we’re due an inspection anyway.
Delighted to see Whyte, the limpy calf, now bouncing about!
Had a bit of a run-in with Urquhart, our tup. Now, he’s usually pretty amenable and he needs to be, because he weighs about 110kg. Today, he butted me when I went to put hay in. Then he did it again. And that was plain daft.
Thaw / Steers out / Hogget / Orchard
Monday 12 March, 2018
Monday 5th March
Most of the snow has now gone; it’s been grey and rainy and miserable but at least the taps have unfrozen. After the thaw, the flooding.
Culvert our fields eventually drain into.
Feeling a bit sorry for the sheep; the four single bearing ewes, the tup and the wether are in the pig pen. It’s pretty wet and there’s no grass – but they have the hay rack and a licky bucket.
Beast from the east
Monday 5 March, 2018
Monday 26th February
Wee bit of snow on the roofs this morning but none on the ground. Not looking forward to “the Beast from the East”. We’re usually at the tail end of any weather fronts but looks like we’ll be in the frontline of this one.
Linda tidied up where the wood’s been cut – all looking very neat!
Tagged Missy this morning; she was tagged as a calf of course, but managed to lose both tags, which is quite an achievement.
Willow / Sheep / Freezers / Icing / Rugby
Monday 26 February, 2018
Monday 19th February
Grey and damp, but much warmer. Not as much rain as forecast.
Took three barren ewes to the abattoir then brought the remaining eleven plus the tup and wether home. Used the last movement license in the first book of licenses. The new owners of Astwood move in on Thursday.
Split the sheep into two groups – twins in one and the four singles, plus Urquhart and Ted in the other; filled the hay feeders as there’s no grass to speak of.
Heifers weaned / Conference / Willow bed / Sheep prep
Monday 19 February, 2018
Monday 12th February
Glorious day – frosty, but sunny. Paperwork day – including final arrangements for the Smallholding Scotland Conference, which is on Friday, and my Powerpoint presentation for Longforgan W.I. on Wednesday.
Tom was out and about on his own - he's really coming on.
Tom out and about.
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