Henhouse / Pointing / Crow - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 25 March, 2024

by Rosemary at 9:43am in Smallholding No comments Add your own

Monday 18^th March

Lovely morning, sunny with a wee breeze. We took our post-breakfast tea outside with Cooper and Riley. They were much braver today. They have a joint vet appointment tomorrow – him, to be weighed and registered, her, maybe bloods.

The stirks aren’t going away until Wednesday now.

Single Application Form completed; this may be our last year as by next year, we won’t have any livestock. I need to check if having other folk’s livestock on the grass allows us to claim.

And this evening, we moved our four hens – Arial, Elsa, Merida and Princess Leia up to their summer quarters. It’s a bit leaky, but I think they’ll be OK.

 

Tuesday 19^th March

There’s been some heavy rain overnight, but we woke to blue skies and sunshine. The hens seemed very happy to be on grass again.

Hens in summer accommodation.

I made ginger nuts before breakfast, confirming that I am, truly, solar powered.

I took Riley and Cooper to the vet; him to get weighed (3.3kg) and her to get weighed (2.5kg) and a new plan for the poorly tummy. Vet things it’s dietary, so Riley (in truth, Cooper too) is on a special diet. Coop fell off the windowsill in the surgery but only limped briefly. Honestly *rolls eyes*

Oops, I didn’t shut the barn gate this morning, so the cattle have had a run round the field. Good practice for tomorrow.

Spring must be on the way; Smokey is releasing his nest building material for the birds.

Smokey, casting.

Riley not keen on the new diet, but Cooper munches it. Oh well, that’s all there is. She was helping me work today.

My workmate, Riley.

Wednesday 20^th March

Digby arrived with the trailer to take the stirks to their new home. They loaded like a dream, and were equally calm at the other end. There’s been a bit of posturing in the field but they quickly settled to graze. Their mammys have made not a squeak.

Socks and Skip in their new home.

Dan’s potted up some black elder for use in the spinney.

Black elder.

And he tidied up the wee patio, ready for repointing.

Tidy patio.

And I tidied up the bed next to it. And oiled our very old patio table.

Tidy bed.

Spoke to Rural Payments; I’d made a mistake on my SAF, now corrected. I’ll be able to claim support payments next year since we’re letting the grass for sheep grazing.

The owner of the pony here on livery is moving her, so I need to find a companion for Smokey.

Thursday 21^st March

It’s been windy.  On their outing today, Riley chased leaves and Cooper ran back and forward, very fast. He steals my pens. And sleeps on Dan.

Cooper.

I advertised some willow on Facebook and we’ve had about a dozen folk want some. All gone now.

Willow fro the taking.

I took the livestock trailer to Brechin today for a service and to get the brakes sorted. I took willow for someone who lives there – save some miles.

Friday 22^nd March

We had afternoon tea with A&J; we’ll be hosting their sheep once the cows are away. I can check them daily and fill water, so they don’t have to be trailing back and forward.

The trailer needs five new tyres – not because they don’t have tread but because they’ve been on so long, they’ve perished. We’ve never put tyres on it in 14 years, so can’t complain. The brake discs need replaced too.  We’ll probably sell it in the summer once the cows are away – so I asked them to give it a wash. And they kindly agreed.

Saturday 23^rd March

Lovely spring day. There’s a weather warning for next week, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Mucking out the cows is a breeze now – well seeing who made all the mess.

I made a start on painting the hens' winter house.

Ready for painting.

I saw Dan and Murdo’s new fence today, when out with the dogs. Big improvement. Just need to get the old metal “gate” in now.

New fence.

Dan started to point the patio and I oiled the table again. It’s very old and a bit done, but we decided to give it a wee bit TLC and hopefully, it will last a bit longer.

Sunday 24^th March

Another lovely day, until about 4pm, when we had a shower of rain at which point I whizzed out and scattered grass seed on the chooks’ winter pen.

Dan tipped the hen house on to its other side, so I was able to get a bit more done. That’s it almost all painted and it will go up on bricks for the summer.

Our chums, Andrew and Janis came for lunch, with their four month old Laberenese (I prefer Bernador, but what do I know), Islay. What a sweetheart. Riley, a bit anxious, but Cooper completely unfazed. He was out in the field this morning. Supervised.

Cooper in the great outdoors.

Gwenna’s crow is back. It came last year and the year before to take twigs from the top of the Turkish Hazel and it drives Gwenna nuts – she barks at it and scrabbles at the tree trunk. I’m sure it taunts her deliberately.