The Importance of Shutting Gates!

Ok - prepare for a soap box rant! We worked long hours over the weekend - lambs don't stop arriving just because it is the weekend. It's ok - it's not for long. However, we could do without ramblers being so completely inconsiderate - SHUT GATES - THEY HAVE A PURPOSE! On two separate checks of his at least five daily checks in the fields, Andrew found two different gates left open. We have turned our lambs and ewes out into adjoining fields. They have a footpath going through them - there is a stile to get over the fence. Next to the stile there are two gates. One is tied up with very strong baler twine as it has not yet been hung properly and so it is like a piece of fencing - this is not a right of way - the stile is. The gate beside works normally, as does the one at right angles to that, which leads to the same place as if you went over the stile. Not complicated and relatively easy to see, for most people. We don't mind people using the gates - BUT SHUT THEM! One of these ramblers untied the tied gate and left it open - ewes and lambs got muddled and lost - this can lead to lambs starving if they can't find their mothers. The other rambler left the gate that works open - letting all the ewes and lambs through on to a fresh field which we were keeping as clean grazing for when lambing has finished. This is part of rotation and is an important management tool in organic farming. Why do people not see the importance of gates? I can almost understand it if there is not stock in there, but this I can't. It is downright rude - these people should not be allowed to walk through the countryside. These lambs are our paycheck. If we went into these office dwellers offices and mucked up all their filing cabinets and moved their desks around, creating extra work for them and cancelled their pay for a few weeks - they wouldn't like it! But apparently it is ok for us? Unbelievable. Time for a cup of tea. Rant over.

Calf weaning

Another job Andrew managed to achieve this week, was weaning the big calves that are nearly as big as their mummys, off their mummys!! We do this by simply having a fence or in this particular case, shed gate, between them so that they can see eachother and talk to eachother but just not access the milk. It is low stress for the cows and calves doing it this way. The cows are due with their next calves very soon and to be honest are probably pleased to be having a break!!

Eggs are in the shops!

Maggie has started delivering eggs to the shops. If you look at our news section on the website you will see where they are!

School visit from Tooting

On Wednesday we had a school visit from Graveney School, Tooting. Jane, their tutor, brought a group last year too but that was a lot wetter visit - this year the weather was kind. Normally Andrew does visits as he has all the knowledge on everything to do with the farm, facts, figures and info on environmental stewardship and so on in his head and I just don't have the confidence. However, we were so snowed under with the lambing, that I did it - my first visit. They were a lovely group of kids (lower 6th I think!) and we did a walking tour, including visiting the lamb shed. It was very rewarding and not as scary as I thought it would be. It is always encouraging when the kids ask lots of interesting and intelligent questions, showing a real interest in what we do. Thanks Tooting crowd! All the best with your studies!

Lambing in full swing

Sorry for the gap in info - we have been a little bit manic on the lambing front! All is going well but it adds an extra intensity to the workload. Lambs cannot wait for it to be convenient to arrive! Once each ewe lambs we move her with her lambs to a little pen where they can get used to feeding their lambs without being hassled by the other ewes, as this leads to confusion for the lambs and mothers! After 24 to 48 hours they then move to a bigger pen, with others and then, depending on how strong and well they are doing, we turn them out in to the field and they love it! So far we have got a few little lambs that we are bottle feeding. We do have an 'adopter' which helps a ewe who may have lost her own lambs, but has plenty of milk, to take on another's lambs. As soon as the lambs have drunk enough to smell like her own lambs, she accepts them. It is really great when it works!

Maggie, our new egg lady!

Maggie has joined us now to grade and deliver the eggs. First day was Monday and so that was a day of training and Thursday we did some deliveries together as well. We are very lucky because Maggie is our friend and neighbour and is excellent at egg management! Thanks for joining us Maggie!

Sifunda kids!

This week our kids with Sifunda came out to the farm and did a fine job burning up all the gorse they cleared last year. It had been a bit too wet and boggy beforehand but they were pleased to be back! They also started to tidy some hedges for us. Good job!

Lambs vs foxes

The ewes are all now safely housed in the shed and we have set up little pens to look after the new born lambs and ewes to give them the best chance possible. We have found that if we lamb entirely outdoors we lose so many lambs to the fox, even with the alpacas on guard. Fortunately a few people in the area shoot foxes regularly and one of them is particularly effective! He shot a fox running away with a lambs head in its mouth. Foxes are not all cuteness and fluffiness and there are an awful lot of them. They are beautiful animals, but we need the balance to be right.

Cow sorting!

Today we sorted out the cows who were in 3 large groups in or near the shed because of TB testing. The nature of our farm lay out means that we have roads and cross roads to negotiate when moving animals and so we always need help. Help arrived - Nick and Fiona. So once sorted the first mission was to move a gang of young ladies down to the common. Everyone was in place and they were trotting down the lane when one of them decided they would like a picnic in the woods!! Poor Nick was bringing up the rear and was chasing them through the woods - twice! Eventually they went where they were supposed to be going but not without upsetting a car driver who wanted to go down the lane! The world is in such a rush....cows don't get it!

Calf at the pub!

Today we took our little orphan calf, Lily, to The Castle Inn at Corfe Castle. We took her up in our stock trailer and she had a little pen of her own and met some lovely people. We had a fine lunch all made with local produce and a good pint! A splendid few hours on a Sunday afternoon!

TB test results

Well it was a busy morning but the results are all clear! Thank goodness for that!

Found the eggs?!

We hope you are enjoying the eggs back in the shops!

Yesterday was a very long and full day and Farmer Head was thinking about all sorts of things and one of his last jobs was filling up the water trough for the cows and sheep in the shed. Unfortunately he left the tap running in the shed.... all night. Today he now has the extra job (already having a full day planned!) of mucking out the middle of the shed which is nothing short of a bog. Very frustrating - but all part of being a ridiculously busy farmer!! All the animals are fine of course, just requesting wellies!!

TB testing

Morning! Half term is over all too quickly. March already - did we feel the first signs of it in the milder weather?! O I hope so - we are all waiting! Yesterday we did the first part of the TB test for our cattle. Horrendous job - always a worrying time. All the cattle have to come in, go through the crush, have a little bit of hair shaved in two places, close together, have a skin measurement taken in mills at each place and then a jab in each place. They are then let out, left for three days and brought back in. This will be on Saturday. They will be remeasured and if there is a reaction shown then they are kept on their own and re-tested 60 days later. In the meantime there are movement restrictions for the whole herd and we are worried to bits over whether they are ok. Hopefully though, we will get the all clear.