Invasion of the seed snatchers

So...

...our sparrow breeding programme is going well...

A week on the farm

Recently Ian M went to Sardinia to meet his new nephew Sebastiano, and left me in charge of all things farmy.  As Ann does, I write a diary to bring him up-to-speed on his return...

Tuesday

The sheep in Cleave want to move and are hanging around by the gate - will shift tomorrow. Gave a magnesium bucket to the cattle Below The Farmhouse and a salt lick to the Quarryfield lambs...there are some shitty backsides on the rich grass, but no maggots.  A ram in Little Field had a scrape on his back that was attracting flies - wrestled him to the ground, got covered in crap, and blue-sprayed him.  If the flies persist, I will spray properly.  Did a limpy lamb (pre-foot rot) in Raceground - blue spray, blue dot on neck to ID him, and 3cc Alamycin.  Got to Common to find only 17 cattle instead of 18 - finally located the missing calf haring about in the field below (Ball Allotments East) and faffed about for a while trying to get him back over the hedge.  Tied up the hole. Cody killed a pheasant in 7 acres...why do they fly right into him?  Young and stupid, I guess.  Have started feeding the Quarryfield lambs twice a day now, half each time, as they seem to need a reminder to go over to the troughs and the rain is ruining the cake if left too long.  Caught the black-faced limpy lamb - there is nothing obviously wrong, so sprayed his hoofs and 3cc.  Blue dot on neck. All in all, a quiet first day...

Wednesday

Moved singles from Cleave to Gratton - much happier now.  Billy Big Balls had a small sore patch on his back attracting flies - what is it with the boys, first the ram, now the bull?  Needless to say, did NOT wrestle him to the ground. Snuck up on his blind side as he was gazing into the distance, sprayed and ran.  Two rams had bloody heads where they were fighting, and it's not even tupping time - gave them a talking to, but could not get close enough to spray.  Sod them.  Low cloud on Common, so it took me ages to find the cattle as I had no idea where I was in the field most of the time (Sonny loved it).  The sheep got short shrift.

Thursday

Cody killed another pheasant...ditto to Tuesday.  Pity they are young, otherwise that could've been dinner. Blue sprayed the bull again. Brought in a scouring and pathetic lamb from Edwin's (the one that has always been pathetic), shaved his bum, drenched and sprayed, then took back out. Lost my anti-insect goggles somewhere...probably Edwin's.  Raceground needs topping.  Lanes smell of honeysuckle and meadowsweet on the way up the hill.  Sonny is missing you, but we helped Richard and Andrew move some sheep as Dan is now too old to control them properly and Trev too young (he was so excited).  A bunch of wayward ewes started off down the wrong road and Sonny retrieved them perfectly - I think he was showing off to his captive audience.  Counted 42 sparrows and 3 baby bunnies in the garden.

Friday

Absolutely drek day, but managed to get the stock done before the major downpours (although still got very wet).  The baby swallows were sheltering on the window sills.  Moved the Below The Farmhouse cattle to Over The Road - as there were no animals in sight, I stood at the gate and called, and they soon crested the ridge at full gallop.  If only there had been someone there to see it - very impressive stock control!  Moved Edwin's hogs and ewe lambs to Below The Farmhouse - lamb from yesterday was still pathetic, so I carried him and parked him under the hedge.  Not sure he will make it.  Didn't find my insect-goggles.  Did foot and injection for the lamb we treated before in Ball Allotments West as he had a maggotty hoof - he was hard to catch, and I fell on my arse again.  The heather is flowering along the top road, and it was so windy at Common that the buzzards were riding the gusts to hover above the field.

Saturday

Ungrateful lamb died.  Sprayed a handful of lamb hooves in Quarryfield, but no injection as nothing obviously wrong - probably strip.  Another foot-rot lamb in Raceground - and yes, I slipped over again on the wet grass and sprained something.  I'll live.  Weather ok this morning, but storms predicted for later.  Huge rat in the flowerbed when I got home!

Sunday

Got absolutely drenched - Sonny loved it.  Moved sheep on from Gratton to 13 Acres, and they were very happy to be munching fresh grass - I think we spoil them.  Got a lamb's head out of the wire where it was stuck.  Put all of the Gratton buckets into 13 acres so no-one has any excuses to get mineral deficiency.  In the afternoon I brought up a Quarryfield shitty lamb for drenching, feet and a proper spray.  I have blue hands again.

Monday

There is a half-blind ewe in 13 Acres (black-face), but needless to say we'll need to get them in to treat her as she is too fast for me.  Your pregnant cow has STILL not done anything - udders have not even begun to bag up.  Spent the afternoon clearing up the top yard.

Tuesday

Common and Raceground need buckets when you are back (we have run out).  The ewes are ready for weaning as they are kicking away their lambs. A ewe and her twins belonging to Andrew are in Allotments West - I've informed him.  Other than that, we're set for a hand-over back.