Beehives / Ponies / Mud - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 24 February, 2020

by Rosemary at 2:58pm in Smallholding 1 comment Comments closed

Monday 17^th February

Very windy overnight; Dan’s bee hives took a bit of a battering – two fell over. One was the weak colony which wasn’t expected to survive the winter but the other was strong colony. Hopefully, it will be OK. Other than that, just spare deer netting blown around.

I went for hay, then did various chores like shopping, bank, post office, then worked in the office. We had a visit from our new knitting tutor. Very excited to be offering knitting workshops here at Dalmore Croft.

Tuesday 18^th February

Blizzard’s getting daily Pen&Strep for five days – this is Day 2. He leg is less swollen and she looks much easier on it. Fingers crossed. Ewe No11 is lame so bit of a pedicure. Unusually for a Ryeland, her hoof looks pretty poor. Trimmed it, washed it and applied AB spray.

Wednesday 19^th February

Much colder today and still windy, but dry and the ditch is flowing well. Took hay and straw to East PItkerro. There was quite a lot of hay left, so we filled three rubble bags and left them there for emergencies. Gave them a new licky bucket too. Charlie’s still small but he looks well.

We put a bale of hay in Sheepfold in the ponies’ Haybell. I want them off Laing’s Field so we get some grass for the cattle going out at the beginning of May. Sheepfold is our driest field but there’s a wet bit at the gate - where

Ewe No11 is now sound.

Thursday 20^th February

Dan took Zenith off to her new home on Skye. Sad to see her go but she’s going to a first class home. They left about 8.30am and he was there about 2.30pm; unloaded, cup of tea then on the road back, through gales and heavy snow to arrive home at 10pm. What a guy.

I set up the electric fence in Sheepfold, and turned the ponies out there after they had been fed.

Friday 21^st February

More gales – beehives moved again but they seem to be OK. Dan’s weighted them down and has a new plan for stabilising them by adapting the stand. I went for hay when the wind dropped a bit; the straw from Zenith’s bed in the trailer was remarkably clean so I’ve used it in her old pen – we’re planning to bring Zeph home from East PItkerro on Wednesday so I can handle her a bit.

When I turned the ponies out, I took them down to THEIR Haybell – I think they’d been standing at the gate, stopping the sheep eating from the sheep Haybell.

Did a bit of work on future courses and a Dalmore Croft newsletter.

Saturday 22^nd February

We’ve had a good bit of rain overnight and it’s still very windy. It’s been sunshine and showers, but cold – about 3C. Dan started the day with a long list, as usual. He’s got a few things crossed off before the rugby came on. I was a bit less organised and couldn’t get going today. I find the wind really tiring – seems to blow away my energy. Still, there’s always tomorrow.

Sunday 23^rd February

Started the day thinking I had to make up for yesterday’s sloth and I think I did. Cleaned out the hens, gave the cattle a good muck out and weeded the flower bed along the west side of the house. There are lots of bulbs coming through – wish I could remember what they are. I guess time will tell.

Flower bed before.

Flower bed after.

It’s been a nice day – sunny and dry, breezy but warm out of the wind and in the sun. Dan also made good progress with his list, although moving the tractor had to be delayed until the battery was recharged. Andy was here so they emptied the black compost bin, which has fallen apart after 15 years of use, and riddled the contents on to the polytunnel beds. That prompted  search for teabags without plastic – we’ve decided to go for loose tea and we’ve bought a special teapot for the purpose.

The ewe hoggs were out of hay so we took away the Haybell and gave them a wheeled hay rack - in the field where the ponies can’t steal their hay.

I took some photos of the sheep equipment I’m going to sell, including the crate, the handling equipmentand two wheeled hay racks.

Finished the day taking Lorna swimming then having a good dinner of Toad in the hole, made with our Lamb Mergeuz sausages. Yum.