Garden / Fluke and worm testing / Owl mittens - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 15 January, 2024

by Rosemary at 12:44pm in Smallholding 1 comment Comments closed

W/e Sunday 14^th January

Not a whole lot happening. The weather has turned dry and cold, which is great and water levels in the fields are dropping.

The man we’re hoping will do the landscaping in the front garden came to see it on Friday and is preparing an estimate.  These photos are as it is now; Dan and Murdo have burned all the brash and we can actually see the space better now. Feeling quite excited. And Dan’s ordered the sleepers for the retaining walls in the sunken garden.

Right hand side of the front garden looking pretty much due South.

Swinging left.

And left again, looking almost East. The space on the right of the Holly is where the summerhouse is going, facing due West to catch the afternoon sun..

I took a dung sample from each of the four cattle into the vet on Wednesday to be tested for worm and fluke eggs – and they’ve come back showing mo fluke and very low levels of worms, so no treatment needed. Given how wet it’s been, I’m very pleased. Also picked up a bottle of Bravoxin 10, which I’m sharing with Alistair.

Thursday morning, jagged the cows, to boost immunity for the coming calves. Skip and Socks can get their booster when we jag the 2024 calves. We’ve decided buy a new bull. I can’t face starting again with an unkown young bull.  We’ll see how things stand by May; we could use AI or we simply might not breed again. I love my Shetlands but it breaks my heart to see the breed society doing nothing to grow and promote the breed.

Ponies have almost cleared the vegetable garden; I did let them on the back “lawn” yesterday but Gracie was eating Linda’s camellias, so that was a no go. I think I’ll give them access to the front garden to eat ot down. Nothing to damage yet.

Gracie and the wooly boy, Smokey.

Dan is knitting me “owl” mittens. One done, one to do. I love them but am forbidden to take them into the garden. He says he’ll knit me a “working” pair.

My owl mitten.

Corgi profiles, just because.

Bryn and Gwenna.