Smallholding
A mixed bag - Floors, sheep, bees, weeds
Tuesday 9 August, 2016
Monday 1st August
Nice day today; mainly sunny but with a bit of a breeze. Monday is usually paperwork day so spent most of it catching up with emails and other bits and pieces. Tried to submit my application for the beef calf premium but there was a fault with the system. Also caught up with some phone calls. Swept out the loosebox, ready for Brian the joiner tomorrow.
Dan was in the orchard after dinner sorting out the windbreaks. I had a look at the trees in the vegetable garden – the Victoria plum is laden with fruit so I’ll have to thin that down. One of the gages has a bit of a crop but the other three are disappointing. One got broken and we tried to bind it together but I think it’s had it, and another had fire blight and Dan had to prune it really hard.
Holidays!
Tuesday 2 August, 2016
So we’ve been on our summer holiday – to Wales. As one might expect, the weather was a bit variable but it was good to learn that Welsh midges are less ferocious than Scottish ones.
We spent three nights at Dot and Tim Tyne’s smallholding, glamping in their bell tent.
Glamping with Bryn at Tyn y Mynydd
Produce; Nugget's escape; sheep and lambs; holiday prep
Monday 25 July, 2016
Monday 18th July
Summer’s here – for today and tomorrow according to the forecast. It was 22°C on the car thermometer when I went to check the cattle. It’s windy though.
Made raspberry jam and more blackcurrant cordial – bad day for it as the kitchen was like a sauna.
The Caerphilly came out of the cheese press today and looks really good. Can't eat it for 3 weeks though. :-(
Caerphilly fresh from the press.
Read more on Produce; Nugget's escape; sheep and lambs; holiday prep
Cheese thief; Wallace's health; birthday; tidying & making
Monday 18 July, 2016
Monday 11th July
Today’s cheese making lesson is don’t leave the drying cheese where a dog can get to it. The first cheddar is gone. Not a crumb left. Bentley is No1 suspect by virtue of being a Labrador and having previous food stealing form. Hey ho. A second cheddar is through the press and drying – where the dogs can’t reach.
We have a new-to-us lawnmower – it’s a John Deere and it’s fab. Almost looking forward to cutting the grass.
Read more on Cheese thief; Wallace's health; birthday; tidying & making
Swallows; poorly lamb; lots of produce!
Tuesday 12 July, 2016
Monday
Wallace has finished his course of Pen&Strep and is a right as rain. He was sound after 24 hours but we completed the course of ABs as recommended by the vet.
Dan strained and jarred our honey – twelve jars looking lovely.
Jarring honey.
He moved the new colony of bees into a full sized hive – they’re looking good – and he gave the newly moved ones and the weak hive a feed of syrup.
Weeds; Game Fair; sheep movements; Sassos
Tuesday 5 July, 2016
Monday
Trailer duly delivered to the local dealer – not as bad as we feared so we should get it back Wednesday.
Vet came to see Wallace – he’s had Pen&Strep and Metacam, and he’s looking better. He’s got another seven days of antibiotics though.
Tuesday
Winnie is turning into a right little madam – she’s full of bounce and doesn’t listen to her mammy. Bringing the three cows and calves in is a bit of a rodeo – best idea is to keep calm and not rush them. Bryn tried to help but didn’t – he has to be shut in the house or the rodeo becomes a rammy.
Winnie; Royal Highland Show; Cheese cave
Sunday 26 June, 2016
Monday
Been another glorious day here but windy – a good drying day! We’ve been working on the “cheese cave” – the old fridge out of the caravan. I’ve given it a good clean and Dan’s been setting up the temperature gauge. It looks good – hope it works.
My pony, Smokey, has a cough, so the vet’s coming out tomorrow. Other than that, it’s been paperwork day, as Monday always is.
The trailer is booked in to the dealer’s for repair a week tomorrow. Hope they can fix it in time to take cow and calf to the Game Fair.
Rain, cheese and weeds
Monday 20 June, 2016
Monday
We actually got some sun today – came out about noon until about 4pm. Really warm too. Either side of that it’s been overcast, with rain this morning.
Dan started to make some beer – bitter, I think.
The poorly pig seems to be OK and has been reunited with his brothers.
The milking routine is falling into place but I need to get another cleaner – an alkaline one this time. The hypochlorite seems to be coming via South America. Having a bit of a problem with the legs of the cluster touching the ground when I’m putting it on – don’t know if there is a problem with the machine, a problem with the operator or if it’s just due to my cows having short legs. We need a resolution though.
Land of milk and honey
Sunday 12 June, 2016
Monday
Sneaked off to the cinema to see “Love and Friendship” with Tara. Nice to get a break and relatively dressed up.
Winter and Wallace are now on three feeds – 6am, 2pm and 10pm and glugging down a full 1/2 litre at each feed.
Pedro and Paulo are doing well. Annie has a terrific udder on her – hope she’s prepared to share.
Tuesday
Getting myself in a bit of a brain freeze about cleaning the milking machine. I have two sets of instructions – and, of course, they are different. Just need to think it through logically – first stage is a cold rinse, so that’s a start.
Calving under way
Monday 6 June, 2016
So we’re into flaming June and the weather continues dry, with some warm days. We still have a fairly persistent easterly wind, which is keeping it cool a lot of the time. We’ve had to start putting the sprinkler on in the vegetable garden – Dan puts it on at 6am for an hour or so. I hate to say it but we could do with some rain. :-)
We planted out the sweetcorn, some squashes and the rest of the peas and beans. The celery failed sadly, and I fear over rigorous weeding means we need to resow the parsnips. My excuse is that the rows weren’t marked and parsnips are slow to germinate, so when I resow this week, I’ll mix the parsnip seeds with radish or lettuce seeds.
