Cattle brush / 2018 planning / Halter training
Posted: Monday 8 January, 2018
Monday 1st January
So 2018 begins – with a planning meeting! Dan and I always have one around 1st January then maybe every quarter through the year.
I thought 2018 was going to be the year of pottering but maybe not. I’d like to start growing flowers for cutting and Dan’s keen to plant willow – for sale and also because he wants to learn willow weaving.
I moved the tup and wether into Home, from the makeshift pen by the byre. They let themselves out today and they didn’t like it much. On the plus side, this lets us get the area beside the barn tidied up after the work on the apiary and the triangle last year.
I got four orders for yarn – only five balls in total, but I actually don’t have all that much of the DK left, either from 2015 or 2016. Improving the yarn marketing is a priority for 2018.
Tuesday 2nd January
Bedded the cows and gave them a new bale of hay. Despite my best efforts, they do get dirty over the winter. I’m wondering if we could build temporary cubicles for them
Rain and sleet this afternoon, but we managed to make a start on tidying up beside the barn and along the track.
Wednesday 3rd January
Lovely day – dry and sunny. Kept on with the tidying, moving wood and digging out the roots of the salmonberry.
There’s a big sheet of plywood that used to be the projector screen in the classroom – I think it might form part of the redesigned sheep handling – it will give us a solid, curved end to the race that the sheep should move through better.
The dogs have started playing on the small mound of wood chip we've got left over - what is it about dogs, lambs and humps?
On top of the world.
The vegetable seeds arrived.
Thursday 4th January
Horrible day – cold, heavy rain.
Started halter training the two heifer calves- Panda’s going to be easy; Missy, not so much.
Panda haltered.
Picked up two bales of hay for East Pitkerro and put a fresh bales in for the steers
Friday 5th January
Just more and more rain. Horrible.
Dan put up the cow brush. Ace was using it while he was still tied up.
Ace at the brush seconds after it was installed - he's still tied up!
They love it. Best cattle purchase I’ve made, I think.
Saturday 6th January
Better day today – and the waters are receding.
Took the dogs to Lunan Bay – they loved it, it was beautiful and they were SO tired tonight.
Weighed Gwenna – she’s 11.7kg so she’s put on 2.1kg since 27th November. She’s still teeny though.
Sunday 7th January
Lovely day – cold but blue skies and sunshine.
Loaded up the trailer with rubbish and took it to the skip. Then lit the fire and had a sherry.
Shetland beef stew for dinner tonight – smells fab.
