How beautiful has today been? Really perfeck (as Pa Larkin would say). At last some real nice warm and sunny weather to warm the heart. Thank goodness it's May. One of my most favourite times of the year. Although we could do with some rain in the forecast, as we're not seeing the grass grow quick enough for the cows to eat it!
I've just come in from sitting in my garden with a glass of wine, thinking over how lovely life is at the moment. (You have to savour days like this or you'll forget them). It's past 8pm and all the farm is quite. All the milking ladies out in the Home Field, munching on grass or lying in the evening sun. Our five down calving cows in the Dairy paddock right in front of our house, so we can keep a watchful eye on them. I did see one Ayrshire lady walking quietly away from the others, to find a spot under the hedge, with her tail lifted. I'm sure she'll calf during the night - they often do when all's well in their world.
We've now got 21 baby Ayrshire heifer calves in the shed, who I've been feeding milk to morning and night. No blarting now. They're all quite now with their belly's full and content to snooze. The eldest ones are seven weeks old tomorrow, so soon time to start weaning them off milk. They've always got water, corn and hay available in between milk feeds so some are trying the hard feed now.
I've been shepherding our dry cows and young stock in the fields across Owston Road this afternoon, after fetching the milking ladies in for afternoon milking around 3.30pm. Again, they were happy and lying in the grass, basking in the calm sunny afternoon weather we've all been longing for all year.
My daughter Charlotte has just returned from the YFC AGM at Blackpool having driven her little Punto up the M6 for the first time on Friday and back again today. She's had a wonderful time which brought back many happy memories of my experiences at National AGM weekends. The weathers helped too! Now she's in bed trying to catch up on sleep ready for work in the morning.
Harry has had the weekend in Somerset with a good friend Ed and his family. They've been to Bath shopping, cinema and today was spent at a County Show. Again, many happy memories in the making of his last term in the South West. I'm sure he'll look back in years to come and say "those were the best years". Next are the dreaded GCSE exams from now til mid June, then he'll come home and work all summer!
Mark and I did have an afternoon off this weekend on Sat! We went bull shopping!! A quick trip to Bakewell (where the tarts/puddings come from) to an Ayrshire breeder/farmer to look for our next bull. The plan is to sell Ferdinand (the Hereford) at Melton market next week and then in June, we'll fetch our new young Ayrshire (not sure of his name yet). Although we'll have two Ayrshire bulls on the place, care will be taken they never meet! Jealousy and rivalry between young bulls, could result in a massacre. Anyway we need to swop them over every three weeks, when the time comes to start bulling the cows again for next years calves.
We are thrilled to tell you we've got 21 new Ayrshire heifers born so far this spring. All since 18 March. Most are by Mulberry and some from using sexed semen by artificial insemination. Another 20-30 cows to calve yet, so more to come. Will keep you posted.
So all in all, a very satisfactory start to May 2013. Did I just hear the weatherman say rain is on its way? Perfeck!
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