Straw baling is well underway so Sybil made the most of a gallop through it and on it before it gets taken out of her field!
Sunday, 1 September 2013
End of Harvest 2013
With only a few days when rain stopped play harvest is now complete. One of our neighbours has the most fabulous gadget which meant that we have some great harvest photos from a slightly different angle than usual.
Sunday, 4 August 2013
Harvest 2013
3rd August 2013
It was a beautiful summer morning which Sybil and I made the most of with an early walk. The footpath across the 70 acre was very peaceful - but not for long as harvest started today and the oilseed rape in the 70 acre was first to be cut. Early feedback is that yield and quality look good but just as the first swallow doesn't make a summer, the first cuts of the combine don't make a harvest!
It was a beautiful summer morning which Sybil and I made the most of with an early walk. The footpath across the 70 acre was very peaceful - but not for long as harvest started today and the oilseed rape in the 70 acre was first to be cut. Early feedback is that yield and quality look good but just as the first swallow doesn't make a summer, the first cuts of the combine don't make a harvest!
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| View from the 70 Acre looking to Wiggin Hill Farm |
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| The oilseed rape hours from being cut |
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| View across the 70 Acre to Spinney, 25 Acre and Grasstrack Fields |
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| Sybil, enjoying her early morning walk |
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Sheep Shearing 2013
Annabel puts the sheep shearing course to the test ...
14 June 2013
14 June 2013
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| Shearing station ready for action |
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| Woolly girls ready for their haircut |
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| Kelly is first to go ... |
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| Lots of wool coming off! |
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| All done ! |
Monday, 10 June 2013
Pigs and Buttercups
10 June 2013
What a tremendous year it has been so far for the buttercups in the grassfield. The yellow rattle has also spread like mad so there will soon be another flash of colour when that comes into flower.
The 2013 pigs have arrived at Fullards Farm, Constance, Florence and Hermione (named after Lord Emsworth's sisters in P.G. Wodehouse's Blandings) have settled in very well already and have been enjoying finding their way around their paddock.
What a tremendous year it has been so far for the buttercups in the grassfield. The yellow rattle has also spread like mad so there will soon be another flash of colour when that comes into flower.
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| Looking down the grassfield towards the house |
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| Sybil enjoys the view! |
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| Constance is a very friendly pig ... |
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| ... but they all come up close at feeding time! |
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Bank Holiday Weekend
25 May 2013
It has been a lovely summery day today, thank goodness ten degrees warmer than yesterday and the rain/hail has moved on.
We have been putting nest boxes of various types around the farm in recent years and are very lucky to have some neighbours who are bird experts; Duncan and Debbie have been keeping a close eye on the boxes this spring and have reported that one of our old barn owl boxes has been occupied by Tawny Owls who have hatched two chicks who are now growing well and can sometimes be seen out and about of the branches of their oak tree. A red list species, the Tree Sparrow, has also been reported as using one of the special nest boxes that were put up to try and encourage this rare species to breed in this area. There has been quite a lot of Barn Owl activity recently with many sightings, but as yet we are not sure which of their nesting sites they are using.
On the domestic animal front the sheep have been moved onto the top section of the grassfield and are enjoying the flush of spring grass which has now come. The lambs are growing fast and gradually weaning off the ewes. Leonard however, the last lamb, is quite a bit smaller than the rest. Leonard's mother has had mastitis in the past which means that she is not milking fully in both teats and whilst his brother is on the "good" side, he was on half rations. In order to give him a boost we started topping him up with some formula milk and whilst there was an initial reluctance he now comes galloping down the field when Neil goes in there with his bottle.
It has been a lovely summery day today, thank goodness ten degrees warmer than yesterday and the rain/hail has moved on.
We have been putting nest boxes of various types around the farm in recent years and are very lucky to have some neighbours who are bird experts; Duncan and Debbie have been keeping a close eye on the boxes this spring and have reported that one of our old barn owl boxes has been occupied by Tawny Owls who have hatched two chicks who are now growing well and can sometimes be seen out and about of the branches of their oak tree. A red list species, the Tree Sparrow, has also been reported as using one of the special nest boxes that were put up to try and encourage this rare species to breed in this area. There has been quite a lot of Barn Owl activity recently with many sightings, but as yet we are not sure which of their nesting sites they are using.
On the domestic animal front the sheep have been moved onto the top section of the grassfield and are enjoying the flush of spring grass which has now come. The lambs are growing fast and gradually weaning off the ewes. Leonard however, the last lamb, is quite a bit smaller than the rest. Leonard's mother has had mastitis in the past which means that she is not milking fully in both teats and whilst his brother is on the "good" side, he was on half rations. In order to give him a boost we started topping him up with some formula milk and whilst there was an initial reluctance he now comes galloping down the field when Neil goes in there with his bottle.
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Sunshine!
6 April 2013
What a difference some sun makes! Even though the grass is yet to start growing the lambs have really enjoyed the first warm, sunny day that we have had for ages ewes and lambs had a lovely few hours soaking up the rays...
The dry week that we have just had has also meant that we finally deemed it warm and dry enough to get the first row of potatoes planted - about a month later than normal. Sybil supervised Neil in getting the trench to the right depth and the seed potato spacing just right...
... until she was diverted by a passing ice cream van.
What a difference some sun makes! Even though the grass is yet to start growing the lambs have really enjoyed the first warm, sunny day that we have had for ages ewes and lambs had a lovely few hours soaking up the rays...
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| Cuthbert catching some rays |
... until she was diverted by a passing ice cream van.
Kitty's Lambs
6 April 2013
The last ewe lambed earlier this week with her first lamb arriving at 3.20am. Having checked her over we thought she was done and dusted (if still a little large), she surprise us by then delivering a twin sometime between 9.30 and 11.30am; this is an incredibly long gap between lambs as sheep normally drop within an hour or two of the first arrival. Both boys are fit and well but it has become apparent that Kitty has had mastitis in a previous season - one of the perils of buying in new ewes. In anticipation that she will find it difficult to keep up with the demand for milk from her boys we have been trying to get them supplementary feeding, they are not keen but will hopefully come to the milk bar as and when they need a top up.
The last ewe lambed earlier this week with her first lamb arriving at 3.20am. Having checked her over we thought she was done and dusted (if still a little large), she surprise us by then delivering a twin sometime between 9.30 and 11.30am; this is an incredibly long gap between lambs as sheep normally drop within an hour or two of the first arrival. Both boys are fit and well but it has become apparent that Kitty has had mastitis in a previous season - one of the perils of buying in new ewes. In anticipation that she will find it difficult to keep up with the demand for milk from her boys we have been trying to get them supplementary feeding, they are not keen but will hopefully come to the milk bar as and when they need a top up.
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| Annabel putting a lamb on the milk bar, watched by our neighbour Bob and Kitty in the trailer. |
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