Pigs / Pots / Steers
Posted: Monday 30 August, 2021
Monday 23rd August
Sunrise was 5.55am today; by Thursday, I’ll be up before the sun rises. Just a thought.
Curtains up in the dining room – yay! Then some paperwork; moved Bean and his chum into the caravan paddock (where there is so much grass), then off to Brechin to pick up the flat trailer from Duncan Mackintosh (great service as always) and on to Forfar to collect a tonne of layer pellets.
Who needs the gym when there's a tonne of pellets to be unloaded?
Vet was here just before 3pm. Ace was tied up in the field shelter; cows and calves were in the barn. I was really pleased that Rora got her halter on really easily, because she’s had a few weeks off with the herd. But she hadn’t forgotten her lessons. Or what a bucket is.
Blizzard was actually better today, and Alistair showed us that the infection was actually clearing up and healing well; he trimmed away part of the hard bit of the hoof that was pressing on the remaining sore bit. And hopefully, she’ll be good now.
Rosie has an abscess in exactly the same place as Blizzard; a bit of a bruise on her sole and a crack in the hoof. Alistair trimmed it all back – she was very well behaved – put on AB spray and gave her a long acting antibiotic and painkiller. Hopefully she’ll now be comfortable enough to get back in calf.
Tuesday 24th August
Braw late summer day – bit of a mist this morning buut cleared to warm sunshine.
Late summer /early autumn morning.
Blizzard is much better – almost sound; Rosie, not so much. If she’s not better tomorrow, I might get some Metacam for her.
Baked Walnut oat biscuits (from the C-------- magazine I found last week). Very nice but not very nutty. I think I could adapt the base recipe in a number of ways – orange, cherry, roasted hazelnut.
Cleaned all the pictures but not quite ready to hang them yet.
Wednesday 25th August
Cool, misty morning but lovely warm afternoon. Finally started to hang pictures – got about half done by lunchtime (it’s not the Tate, I was doing other things as well.)
Pigs are looking well.
Pigs are growing away well.
Thursday 26th August
Finished hanging the pictures and I’m quite happy with most of them. Only made one noticeable mistake that need a wee smidge of paint.
Found some pots for my indoor hyacinth bulbs. Now I just need the hyacinth bulbs.
Pots for hyacinths.
Baked this afternoon – fruit loaf, gingerbread biscuits and coconut bites. Also made orange and cinnamon syrup from the “C” magazine. It’s for flavouring hot milk. And for giving as a gift.
Friday 27th August
Introduction to smallholding course tomorrow so today was mostly preparing for that. Rosie’s still lame. Maybe a bit better.
Baked raspberry muffins for tomorrow. I’ll do scones first thing in the morning.
Polytunnel is rampant.
Tomato trees.
Saturday 28th August
Last Introduction to smallholding course for 2021 today. Tried the orange and cinnamon syrup in hot milk – it was delicious. And I had a good night's sleep!
Sunday 29th August
Bit of an easy day today. Popped down to see the steers and put a salt lick and a mineral lick in for them. They’re up to their bellies in grass. Also thinking about how we’ll load Ace tomorrow. We have a plan.
Harvie, 2020 born pure Shetland steer. They look funny with no horns.
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Albie, 2020 born pure Shetland steer.
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Archie, 2019 born pure Shetland steer.
Charlie, 2020 born pure Shetland steer.
