Flies / Kitchen purge / Ace home / Barn planning - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 14 August, 2017

by Rosemary at 3:48pm in Smallholding 1 comment Comments closed

Monday 24^th July

Full sun today – feels like summer.

Annie has a couple of really sore teats and the flies are horrendous. That led to contaminated milk today, so the pigs will have a good tea tonight. Really annoying though.

Vaccinated the three calves with Bravoxin 10 and put Spot-On on the three cows, Winnie and the three calves.

Need to find a way of eliminating the fly problem at milking.

Tuesday 25th July

Indulged in some retail therapy and bought an Eazyzap fly killer.

I know how to spoil myself.

It was dull today, so flies weren’t a problem.

I think Sudacrem is most effective on Annie’s udder.

Did the steers and Ace with Spot-on.

In the aftermath of the wedding, we have a lot more wine and other glasses to accommodate, and that lad to a full scale turn out of all the kitchen cupboards, a purge on things we don’t use any more and a good clean.

I don’t think I’ve turned the cupboards out since we moved here – the presence of wood dust in eth cupboards might be taken to imply that I didn’t clean them out awfully well then either. However, the job is done and all is beautifully organized.

Wednesday 26^th July

In the kitchen purge, the pets’ cupboard and the pantry were turned out today. I found a tin of Coleman’s mustard powder dated 1996. That means it’s moved house three times – twice out of date.

Had a meeting with Rural Payments in Perth today about a possible application for Small Farm Grant. Some details to sort out but it looks hopeful.

Thursday 27^th July

Spent this morning cleaning out hen houses.

The pantry purge had identified some bags with wee bits of fruit and nuts – half a dozen glace cherries, a few peanuts, a dozen apricots – so I made flapjack and used them all up.

Friday 28^th July

With some trepidation, we set off to bring Ace home from Astwood.

As it turned out, he was a wee star; we got him into a pen by the trailer, lured by a bucket of sugar beet (as always); he sniffed the trailer ramp, put his front feet on it, I tapped his bum and on he went, good as gold.

His arrival home was a bit anticlimactic. He liked Winnie. We thought Blizz was in season so we expected fireworks but nothing. If she was, maybe he was bit intimidated. If so, I hope he’s over any inhibitions by the next season, whichever cow it happens to be.

We killed another five meat chooks – four left. 17kg total, average 3.4kg, 3-4kg range

Saturday 29^th.July

Cleaned the five chooks – all hens – and they weighed 17kg total, average 3.4kg, 3-4kg range.

I did the first milking with Ace in the herd and he was absolutely fine. He came in, stood in his “spot”, got his halter on, got his bucket then went back out when we finished.  So pleased. And relieved.

Ace during milking.

Can’t believe the wedding flowers have lasted so long – I sorted them out today and got four vases for the house. I don’t think they’ll last much longer but they are pretty while they do. Might try and grow more for cutting next year.

Dan, Paul and Andy held a major pow-wow in the barn to plan its alterations.

Barn planning session.

Sunday 30^th July

Smallholding Scotland board meeting today.

Blizzard behaved SO BADLY today – struggled to get her in, then she kept kicking off the milking machine. Must have a stanchion for next year. I think she’s hormonal.

Dan did some strimming.

Trying to sort out arrangements for picking up our new puppy – too many commitments. I think we’ll need to send Bryn on the train to bring his sister home.