Meet Ruaridh / Mucking out / Foot trimmer / Lame lambs - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 14 May, 2018

by Rosemary at 3:40pm in Smallholding 2 comments Comments closed

Monday 7 May

Sunny but cooler than yesterday. Since it’s a bank holiday, Dan’s working on the renovation of the outside toilet and John’s running water to Laing’s Field.

I’m doing paperwork. But the swallows are back and nesting in the byre, so the door has to be kept open now.

Tuesday 8 May

Up early to move the cows to fresh grass, to find they had moved themselves and Annie had calved – a nice red and white bull calf, that we’re calling Ruaridh.

Annie and Ruaridh.

Ace has been banished but he’s fine. I was a bit worried because he was a pain when the cows calved last year – keeping the calves away and trying to mount the cows. So far, he seems to be fine. Think he’s been telt.

Our friend, Alex Harris, came to have a look at the bucket for our tractor – he’s a vintage tractor expert. He gave Dan some instructions, which he’s following, so hopefully we’ll get it going soon.

Lucy is in season and Bug is the object of her desire. It’s a bit of a pain because he can’t go out on the grass and she frets if they’re not together, so they’re all in.

Got into the veg garden and planted out peas and sowed beetroot and parsnips before the rain came on.

Wednesday 9 May

Beautiful morning.

Registered Ruaridh with BCMS. Annie is less lame now that she’s out and calved but I’ve contacted the foot trimmer to see when he can come take a look.

Ace met Ruaridh – Ace wanted to play but the calf was too fast and nimble for him.

Sowed, carrots, coriander and purple sprouting broccoli. Planted out runner beans and courgettes. Took some stuff for recycling.

New hen crates arrived - puppy crates just don't do the job when moving 30+ birds!

Hen crates and inspectors.

Dan spent an hour in the orchard digging out thistles and ragwort.

Thursday 10 May

Sunny but very windy. Tried to sow more seeds but just not possible. We’ll have swede growing all over the place.

No.15 lamb lame first thing – looks like scald, so sprayed with Alamycin spray; sound at teatime. A couple more lame – same treatment. Never had a problem with scald before.

Took the staples out of No.14 lamb’s eye – it bled a wee bit but seems to have done the trick.

Dan started to put in a gate to Laing’s Field but is waiting for hinges.

I got the milking machine out and cleaned it.

Foot trimmer coming on Saturday.

Friday 11 May

Went to EP to put Spot-on on the steers; not easy as they aren’t all that interested in sugar beet now that there’s loads of grass.

Came home via the vet to pick up more Alamycin spray (always like to have a spare tin) and Heptavac; went to the bank and did some shopping.

No.7’s ewe lamb is poorly so off to the vet (who lives near us) for Metacam and antibiotic. Also gave her some white wormer for nematodirus as a precaution. She’s breathing a bit fast and looks “off” but no scour or any other worrying discharges.

Picked up the Avant, ready for mucking out the barn over the weekend.

Collecting the Avant.

Milked 10 litres off Annie.

Saturday 12 May

Glorious day – and the wind has dropped. Dan out early planting hedging plants – these were extras from the apiary.

No.7’s lamb looks better but not 100% yet.

I had a meeting with Martin about the Festival; picked up diesel and paint and dropped stuff at the Cat Protection charity shop.

Dan’s been cracking on with mucking out the barn. Three loads have gone to the community garden and some is going to the local allotments. It’s braw stuff.

He took time midday to go into the bees – all seems to be well.

Nik, the foot trimmer arrived this afternoon. Annie had an under-running infection in her foot, which he has cleaned out, dressed and bandaged and put a block on the other cleat. What a difference – she was striding about the field immediately afterwards. The bandage is to come off in a week.

While we had his mummy in, we tagged Ruaridh and ringed him. He seems neither up nor down.

Took about 5 litres off Annie but managed to sook up some bedding, so this is pig milk.

Milking Annie.

The pigs weren’t sure what to do with it at first but it was all gone by morning, so I guess they worked it out.

Sunday 13 May

Lots of rain overnight and a bit dismal this morning. Ponies look cleaner though.

Dan’s cracked on with the mucking out – another load to the garden and two to the allotments, then off to pick up plastic pallets to start the renovation of our muck heaps, to take the rest. We planned to do something with the muck heaps sometime this year, but not right now but needs must where the devil drives.

Sun came out this afternoon and it was just lovely.

Milked Annie. Left the machine on for three minutes and got about 8 litres. She was very good but Ruaridh declined to come into the field shelter. I guess his traumas of yesterday have had an impact.

The pigs got some milk and eggs – they know what’s in the bucket now and slurp it up.

The pigs getting their eggs and milk.

Tomorrow it will be eight years since we moved here. Then, we had Felix, Harry and Bertie cats, Tess and Meg, Fillan and Kimi. The only one left now is Bertie.

Hard to believe our wee black kitten is now senior pet.