March 2011
Another year and a similar weather pattern. Let's hope the grass grows longer and more lush than last year. The cows loved their arable silage so that will be on the menu next winter. They are looking well, the older calves have been weaned and calving begins again at the end of the month. The younger calves will be weaned in May.
It looks like we have enough haylage to last until the grass is plentiful and we no longer need to carry bales around.
All the haylage fields have had a dressing of farmyard manure and we can plough the barley fields in April. As soon as the conditions are right everything seems to need to be done at once!
May 2011
Well, the haylage is bagged and another dry spring has left us even lower in grass and haylage than last year. The prime beef animals are all doing well in our valley by the beach, but if we don't have significant rain soon we may have to buy in feed or grazing.
All the cows that have calves at foot are looking well and the calves are growing fast. We have had very few red calves this year as Bertie is black and Simply Red has sired fewer calves this season. Simply Red has been sold for breeding on a farm in Devon. We are very sorry to see him go, but so many females are related to him that he had to move on.