Smallholding

Diary

Mostly cattle; Autumn jobs; Pig pen prep

Thursday 3 November, 2016

by Rosemary at 11:25am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 24^th October

Been a lot of rain over night. Paperwork day today. Need to get started on the Smallholding Scotland Conference programme this week. The venue’s booked and the catering sorted – just the speakers to arrange now.

Tuesday 25^th October

Woke to our first proper frost this morning – had to scrape the car at 10am. To be fair, it was parked in a shaded area.

Popped up to Astwood to check on the lamb with orf and give another spray with Alamycin. The sore bit looks much less angry and I can’t see any sores on any of the other lambs. They were very well behaved and came into the pen no trouble at all.

Cattle and pigs away; mittens and yarn; possible orf

Monday 24 October, 2016

by Rosemary at 11:37am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 17^th October

So the pigs and the cattle are away. The pigs loaded a treat; we put them into our trailer when we fed them this morning then transferred them to the haulier’s wagon about 10am.

The cattle were a bit more challenging to load; Mak would have loaded no problem but Hamish was less keen. I think I’ll have a bruise on my leg and my right big toe, where Mak stood on it. Still, all done with not too much angst. Can’t say I enjoy it – felt a bid sad so kept busy with “pottering” type jobs this morning.

Lamb and mutton; Odd cuts; Apple juice; Garden Cottage

Monday 17 October, 2016

by Rosemary at 11:30am in Smallholding 3 comments Comments closed

Monday 10^th October

Well, that’s the paperwork caught up from the holiday. Been to the post office, the bank, the skip and the laundry, then fed the steers at Astwood (softening Hamish up for loading at the weekend).

Dan has cut the grass, since it’s been another lovely day. Hopefully, this will be the last cut of the lawns – but if the grass in the fields could keep growing, that would be good.

I finished weeding the house flower beds and cut back about half of the roses.

Lambs away; Holiday to Skye

Monday 10 October, 2016

by Rosemary at 7:18pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 26th September

Well, that’s our four cull ewes and six tup lambs safely delivered to the abattoir. They all loaded without incident and we unloaded them an hour later into a straw bedded pen with an automatic drinker. It was all very calm. All abattoirs should be like this.

Got the paperwork up to date and that’s us down to sixteen sheep for the next 12 months.

It was lovely this morning – cool but sunny. By mid afternoon, grey and rainy. Still shouldn’t complain. There’s so much grass at our rented grazing. We’ll take the ewe lambs, Niamh and Teddy up on Wednesday, I think.

SSE tree cutting; Scottish Smallholder Festival

Monday 26 September, 2016

by Rosemary at 7:04pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 19th September

Had a visit from the Scottish and Southern Electricity tree-cutting supervisor today. They are coming tomorrow to cut back some of our trees that are fouling the power lines. These are mainly beeches that have been allowed to grow up through the beech hedge that bounds the southeast side of the vegetable garden and the orchard.

The trees have to be taken back to at least 1m below the lines but we’ve asked for them to be taken down to hedge level. We’re having some of the big timber for firewood and a couple of loads of chips and the rest of the chips are going to friends with a smallholding nearby.

Abattoir arrangements; Path; Sasso processing; Festival prep

Monday 19 September, 2016

by Rosemary at 6:55pm in Smallholding 1 comment Comments closed

Monday 12th September

Another lovely day. We’re having a real Indian summer.

Got the tup lambs and cull ewes booked in to the abattoir for the last week in September – just need the butcher to confirm now. I want to take the lambskins to Skyeskyns when we go to Skye on holiday, so timing was crucial.

Tuesday 13th September

John’s started the last section of path. It will be lovely when it’s finished.

Harvest; Farmers Market; Festival; Sore throat

Tuesday 13 September, 2016

by Rosemary at 7:45am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 5^th September

Paperwork day and it’s no very warm. Too early for the central heating but definitely considering lighting the stove.

Tuesday 6^th September

Yesterday I was thinking about lighting the stove; today it’s sweltering. All the animals are pechin’; poor Smokey’s sides are heaving. It’s looked really stormy but it’s come to nothing.

More Festival stuff today – all P&W and livestock entries in the spreadsheets ready to go in the catalogue.

Festival prep; Peas; Pears; Apples; Poultry; Cattle

Wednesday 7 September, 2016

by Rosemary at 9:10am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 29th August

There was a slightly autumnal feel this morning but my, did it brighten up into a glorious day.

Moved the sheep and cattle to fresh paddocks and put a mineral lick in for the sheep.

There’s another Sasso with a bad leg so he’s isolated, as he was being bullied. We’ll have to cull him in the next 48 hours though.

Dan pruned the espalier pears in the vegetable garden. They've got a bit of fireblight damage but should be strong enough to overcome it with judicious pruning. A good crop in prospect this year.

RIP Wallace; Sheep movements; 2016 yarn; Sassos; Bull

Monday 29 August, 2016

by Rosemary at 7:20pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 22nd August

Grey and drizzling this morning but the sun came out at lunchtime and warmed the place up nicely. The sweetcorn must have grown two feet in the last week. Not sure if summer will last long enough for it to ripen cobs though – some of the trees are turning already.

Mak is courting Annie, which is good.

Tuesday 23rd August

Grey and mizzley all day; mild though. Been sorting out the paperwork for the twelve ewes and gimmers I’ve sold. They are going to their new owner tomorrow. I will be sad but onwards and upwards.

Bad back; Freezers; Spltting lambs; Sheep course

Tuesday 23 August, 2016

by Rosemary at 8:39am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 15th August

Cool first thing but shaping up to be hot. I let the sheep into a field with better shade – I think their agitation yesterday was due to the heat rather than flies.

Finally managed to submit my Scottish Beef Calf Scheme application for 2016. Payment isn’t made until about April next year; farmers have to claim for any eligible calf born in 2016 by the end of the calendar year, then the pot of available funding is divided up on a per head. I think we got about £150 per calf this April – for fours calves, but every little helps.