Murray / Niamh / RPID inspection
Posted: Wednesday 15 December, 2021
Monday 6th December
Raw weather today – cold and damp. Now that all the leaves are off the trees, Dan went off to start clearing the ditch. He got about half done, so he’ll do the rest this week.
I had a wee tidy up, did some paperwork, put up the Christmas tree and some of the decorations. Then I made a start on the hen houses. I’ve taken out the perches and will pressure wash them; I managed to get the nest boxes cleaned out in both and the brown house shovelled out. I’ll finish them tomorrow -
Tuesday 7th December
Well that’s the henhouses given a good clean out. The hens being out gives us the chance to do any repairs that are hard to do when the houses are occupied.
My waterproof trousers finally gave up the ghost – the zip on one leg was gone and it was flapping around annoyingly. Fine for cleaning out the hen houses but wouldn’t be much good in wet situations.
We had an RPID inspection of our cow mats, because we got a grant to buy them. That was all fine and we received Buster’s BVD blood test results – negative, as expected, but I always get a bit anxious until it’s confirmed. And Rosie and Annie aren’t going away until 18th / 19th.
Pretty wild here this afternoon and night as Storm Barra passed over. A bit of the barn roof had come loose, so Dan did a quick repair – one screw. But a stitch in time and all that. He gave my such a scare though – he went off to retrieve his rake thing for clearing the ditch, in the dark, without his phone, in the storm. I had him drowned, struck on the head by a falling branch. He’d decided to clear a bit more ditch. Boy, was I relieved to see him. And cross.
I kept the ponies tied up in the barn until 8pm, with water and hay. They seemed quite content and by then, the worst was over. The Bluefaced Leicesters were not happy, though.
Wednesday 8th December
What a difference twelve hours make. Mild enough to work in shirtsleeves and a gilet; drizzly and grey, but at least no wind.
We have a new dishwasher. Yay! Two nice men came and installed it this morning and took the old one away. We’d had it 11 years and it had been repaired a couple of times. The new one is so quiet. I have to keep checking it’s on.
Dan emptied the muck trailer then picked up hay; we dropped one bale here and took one to East Pitkerro, but they didn’t need it, so we’ve left the trailer there and will go back tomorrow. We can only put hay in from the trailer because of the design of the shed.
We then spent three hours waiting for a nurse to come and give my daughter her Covid booster and flu jab. Grrrr. But it’s done.
Three brown Shetlands, just because - Buster snugged up between his Mammy and his big sister.
Family group - Aurora, Buster and Blizzard.
Thursday 9th December
Oh dear, egg production is well down. Dan’s been in the ditch, clearing out leaves.
Put hay in for the steers; they seem quite relaxed in their shed, just the two of them.
Friday 10th December
Dan was in the ditch again. Progress is being made. He did a few wee jobs off his list too – repaired the pig ark, repaired one of the hen houses, jarred our honey crop.
Some of our honey.
Saturday 11th December
So today was the day Murray went home and Bean went back in with his two wether chums. The ewes are now back together as a little flock of eleven and they seem very content about it. Bean and his chums are eating off the grass in the wee barn paddock, before going into the pig pen, with hay and a licky bucket. It has good shelter (including the pig ark, if they choose to use it).
The ewes have access to the field shelter (which I cleaned out today) and will have hay and a licky bucket until mid-February, when I’ll start feeding those that need it, if they are carrying multiple lambs. I’ve messaged the scanner with dates, so she’ll be here end January, probably.
I think Rora’s in season. Bit of a rammy out there.
Sunday 12th December
Woop, woop – actually got out for a wee ride on Smokey, with Tara / Euro and Ashley / Gracie. Gracie walks fast. We had to trot to keep up – but we did go in front sometimes.
Me'n'Smokey.
I don’t think Niamh is going to last much longer; she seems to be getting stiffer and stiffer and the bute doesn’t seem to be making any discernible difference. Oh, dear.
Euro and Gracie.
