Poorly car / Dogs / Baycox
Posted: Monday 18 June, 2018
Monday 11 June
Cloudy with light rain this morning. Surprisingly, the cows asked to come in this morning, so it seemed churlish to refuse. Ace was fantastic. All in, wee bit of sugar beet, a rub on the brush and back out again. No milking today.
Tuesday 12 June
Been overcast and thundery today.
What a relief – correct passports for the two steer calves arrived today. Thank you to BCMS for sorting out my muddle!
Took Bryn and Bertie for their annual check-ups and boosters. Bryn was 17.5kg and Bertie was 5.6kg; both are fine. Got the schedule in for Kinross Show on 11th August – there are companion dog classes. I’d like to show Bryn and Gwenna. Dan won’t go but hopefully I’ll be able to find someone to chum me.
Bryn and Gwenna.
John’s been topping thistles in our paddocks and in Laing’s Field.
I’ve decided to stop milking this year. Just got too many other things to do and Dan doesn’t have time to make cheese this year. Tidied away all the equipment for next year. Still no sign of Blizzard calving.
Wednesday 13 June
Finished the outside WC. Treated the walls and ceiling with Osmo and Dan glossed the shelf. Just the pictures to put up now.
Went to Forfar, to the bank, Harbro and supermarket. Terrible noise coming from the passenger side rear wheel. Phoned our garage who advised not to drive it; called Green Flag, who sent a man and a truck to get us home. Hopefully, it’s something simple. And cheap.
Thursday 14 June
Storm Horace or whoever is here today. Very windy.
The required repairs to the car are relatively simple but not cheap. Won’t get it back until next Tuesday either.
Friday 15 June
Popped along to the garage to get the bags of feed I bought on Wednesday. Could only get two in the Panda.
Hung the pictures in the WC – they’re photos that Dan took, framed up. They look really good. While doing that, I noticed an exhausted bumble bee in the wash hand basin – made up a saucer of sugar syrup and put it alongside, using a teaspoon(!). Went back in half an hour and it was gone. Yay – feelgoodfactor!
The meat cheeps are now two weeks old – time to start cutting back on heat lamp time. We’ll also need to get the pasture pen moved – that’ll be fun.
Moved all the sausages into the big freezer – and turned another freezer, and the milk fridge, off. Only three freezers running now.
Afternoon off – going to see the new “Star Wars” film “Solo”.
Saturday 16 June
Heavy rain started about 9am; not complaining as we’re needing it.
Dosed the lambs with Baycox. The PM on the lamb that died ten days ago showed a level of coccidiosis that merited treatment. We don’t have a weigh crate but I thought we should weigh at least some of the lambs – our vet had given me 8ml per lamb, which is the dose for up to 20kg.
We used the sling harness I use at lambing time and a luggage weigher – with Dan lifting them off the ground. We weighed the littlest lamb (No 2) and what we thought was the biggest (No 15) – 18kg and 28kg respectively. Of the 16, only 4 were under 20kg; nine were between 20 and 25kg and three were over 25kg. In fact, the biggest lamb was not No15 as we thought, but a black tup, which was 30kg. I had enough to do the 13 smaller lambs, but had to go to the surgery to get more for the three big guys. Still, that’s them done. They’ll be in next weekend for their second Heptavac vaccination; I’ll check the ewes’ feet and trim any that need done, then they’re going out in Laing’s field.
Dan topped the rushes in one paddock - on his new tractor seat! Just Home to do then we can get back into Laing’s Field. He had a wee while in the orchard and sorted the pophole on the brown henhouse (making it smaller to deter crows).
He got a bit distracted by the France v Australia football game, but then went off to paint the guest room.
Sunday 17 June
Back to dry and sunny, and breezy. Dan checked the bees – the new colony seems to be doing well but he’s feeding them sugar syrup to give them the best chance.
Spent some time in the veg garden; thinned carrots and put up the fly barriers; manured the beans and fed them and the courgettes with comfrey liquid; dug out some ragwort; weeded (of course). Made a list of other things to be done this week (of course). I’m actually quite enjoying the veg garden – apart from the brassicas, which are a source of shame and embarrassment.
