Ruaridh / Rocky / Sheep
Posted: Monday 19 November, 2018
Monday 12th November
Back from holiday at 10.30pm. No disasters while we were away. No sign of Blizzard coming back into season, so hopefully she’s in calf, due 30th July. Nine yellow bums out of eleven.
Tuesday 13 November
Nice day to welcome us back – sunny and pretty warm. Mucked out the cows after milking and put down fresh bed. Not quite sure how the mats and bedding are going to work out. Put in a new bale of hay – looks like one is lasting six / seven days.
Went to East Pitkerro and put a new bale in for the steers – a bale is lasting them about eight days, so once the two 2016 steers go and the 2018 steers move to EP, I reckon both places will be using a bale a week.
No11 had a yellow bum – that only leaves No5.
Caught up with mail and paperwork.
Wednesday 14 November
Very warm today. Urquhart is lame in his nearside hind; cleaned and trimmed it, soaked it hot water with Milton and applied blue spray. I could really do without a vet bill – got the one for euthanizing Bug and the uplift of the body. Jings. Applied new yellow raddle.
Thursday 15 November
Glorious day – the ivy is in full flower and was covered in honeybees.
Urquhart is a bit better and managed to serve No5 overnight, so that’s good. Another foot bath and spray today.
Friday 16 November
Urquhart much better today. Went to EP with a bigger water trough, then on to the butcher to pick up the three lambs. They weren’t big but the meat looks lovely – not too fat at all.
Ruaridh has worked out that there's someting good in the bucket.
Ruaridh and his bucket.
Rocky has not - he likes to try and eat the milking machine instead.
Rocky and "his" milking machine.
Saturday 17 November
Changed Urquhart’s raddle to green.
Planted some containers with bulbs – determined that the garden will look nice next year – it’s always bottom of the list.
Cleaned out the greenhouse. Dan spent ages raking up leaves – he must be Finnish!
Finally got round to culling the oldest hens – the best looking ones got a reprieve and put in the brown henhouse, taking the numbers up to about 40 – I hope I picked the ones still laying. Dan put the rest through the meat grinder for dog food - they love it.
I put the fruit for the first Christmas cake to soak.
Sunday 18 November
I had a day off, visiting the V&A with two friends. We decided that the world had lost a lot of style and glamour over the years – the special exhibition is about the great ocean liners, so much style and glamour there.
Dan had a very busy day – he dredged the ditch and cut back the brambles that clog it up. He repaired the gate at the field shelter that Smokey had rubbed off its hinges and he went to the skip. Oh, and he made a fantastic white bloomer loaf. Best ever.
