Boots / Bees / Flukicide - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Tuesday 29 January, 2019

by Rosemary at 1:11pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 21^st January

Frozen water this morning, thawing later and light rain this evening.

Office day today.

Tuesday 22^nd January

Mild at 6am but frosty by 8am, then lovely sunshine.

Baked biscuits and popped down to East Pitkerro to see if the steers needed hay. They did – and straw. Last year they were very clean but they’re mucky this year. I guess many years of old bedding, dried for years too, acts like a big sponge.

Frosty sheep.

Wednesday 23^rd January

Hard frost and sunshine

Cleared out my email files so that they can be transferred over to iMac. Very therapeutic and a bit scary.

Took hay and straw to East Pitkerro – steers very happy.

Some hens found their way to the muck pile. Juicy eggs tomorrow

Busy hens.

Thursday 24^th January

Very cold today

Feeling a bit sad. Sold Bug’s boots and sorted out his harness for selling. Smokey’s was mixed in with it so there was a bit of confusion. Sorted now - although there are still bits that I don't recognise.

The cows have made an interesting pattern on their mineral lick

Mineral lick.

 

Friday 25^th January

Mild and damp. Cleaned out the hens.

Wondered if I could substitute beet pulp pellets for 18% ewe rolls for the in- lamb ewe, come mid February. I have lots of beet pulp pellets, which the cows are getting through slowly. Thankfully, they don’t go off. General opinion seems to be no, so the cows will just have to hang in there.

Saturday 26^th January

Did some work in the apiary, weeding, while Dan put new wood chip mulch on the weeded bit. It’s taking longer than I expected.

Dan put fondant in for the bees – the weakest colony has died so that leaves three. It’s not really a surprise.

Diesel and his BFF, Tom. Just because

Diesel and Tom.

Sunday 27^th January

Cold and windy with wintry showers. Leo’s got his rug on.

Was going to dose the cows for fluke today but decided it was sensible to wait until Friday when they’ll be in the foot trimmer’s crush.

Had a thought about using Albex (albendazole) for the ewes after scanning on Tuesday. Usually I’d use a closantel flukicide this time and at lambing but don’t have any just now. I have Albex for the cows – it’s one of the few flukicides that can be used on milk cows. Vet says it’s fine – just remember to use the higher dose rate and that it only kills mature fluke. That should be fine as it’s 12 weeks since I fluked them before tupping and I’ll use closantel at lambing, which kills fluke from 8 weeks of maturity.

Went for hay; one bale for the barn and one for the ewes.