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Here we are in September with the balmy days of summer definitely behind us. The lambs have been weaned from their mothers and we sold some of the smaller lambs at our local auction mart for a reasonable return (you always want more than you get!) and have retained our better wedder (male) lambs for wintering and speculative sale in the spring. The ewe hoggs (female) will be wintered and brought into the breeding flock next summer. Our Aberdeen Angus cows still have their calves ‘at foot’ and will not take kindly to the inevitable weaning, probably in November…….. much mooing and we will update you when this happens.
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We have had a busy time since our last update. All the silage was made and the sheep shearing completed during a very hectic week at the start of August – very early mornings and late nights, fortunately the weather was excellent. We had our local agricultural show on the 3rd August (Carloway Show is held on the first Wednesday of August each year), but due to other committments we did not enter any livestock this year but the trophies were all polished and returned so maybe we will win them back next year. We will be weaning the lambs from the ewes in the next few weeks and hope to sell some of the lambs at the auction mart in Stornoway. The peats have all been lifted and are ready to come home – all the hard work is forgotten about in the winter when you are sitting with your feet up in front of a peat fire with a wee dram!
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Great excitement this month with the arrival of our new Aberdeen Angus bull, Spittal Shore Prospector – we have nicknamed him Hector, much easier to say! He is 18 months old and a very handsome young man – Poppy, Jasmine and Peigi are very impressed.
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Thursday 19th May 2011 – Jessie gave birth today, we are very thankful that all calves have arrived safe and well. We will let them settle for a day or two and then move them from the heather hill onto grass.
Pippin delivered a lovely heifer calf on Friday – only Jessie left to calve. All the lambs are skipping around, enjoying the warm, dry and sunny weather. The only downside to the dry weather is that the stream where the cows normally drink has dried up and we have to carry water to them and they like to drink!
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We have had the shortest lambing season ever – all over in three weeks, fantastic! Two more calves due in the next few weeks and then we can stop worrying. Nitrogen fertiliser has been spread on all the cropping fields, this will help to boost the grass growth for the silage making in August and grass re-growth after cutting. Peat cutting has started but has yet to be finished. Excellent sunny and dry weather which is very welcome.
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Second calf of the year arrived last night to Jexette – a lovely heifer calf. Lambing is half way through with a few problems but on the whole everything is going well. The weather has been rather changeable but once the lambs have had a night indoors they are strong and active enough to face the elements outdoors.
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Lambing has started – early mornings and late nights for the next 6 weeks. We housed the ewes last Monday and they are being fed a ration of whole barley, beet pulp pellets and ad lib hay. Most of the sheep have been housed before therefore they are well aquainted with the routine. I feel they prefer Radio 2 however our son thinks they much prefer Radio 1!
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Exciting news …………. our first calf of the year was born today, earlier than expected but Mum (Princess) and daughter are both well. That is the beauty of the Aberdeen Angus breed, they usually calve with no assistance from us. As the calf is still slightly wobbly on her feet we have moved the 2 of them away from the other cows and they are now tucked up in their own little field.
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Sheep scanning went very well, with a good percentage of ewes scanned carrying twins. These have now been removed from the main flock and are getting ‘a little extra feeding’. Spring is well on the way with the snowdrops in full bloom and the daffodils starting to pop through the ground. Day length is stretching and is now bright until well after 6pm.
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Sunday 6th February 2011 – Wow – what a night on Thursday with windspeeds estimated at 90 mph !!! Went to look for the cows and Eric the bull on Thursday afternoon as they were not at their silage, but they are not stupid as they were all in the lee of the hill in the shelter, chewing the cud and looking at us as if to say …….. are you crazy – coming round the hill in this weather – don’t you know there’s a gale blowing ??? When we got home our old old Spaniel Meg got loose and the silly old deaf dog couldn’t hear us calling her. Average Spaniels are daft enough but deaf old ones are a real challenge !!! However all ended well and she appeared to enjoy her trip back home on the front seat of the pick up.
Sunday 23rd Januray 2011 – Much better weather, day length is stretching and animals are all well. Pregnancy scanning for the ewes is scheduled for 9th February – this will tell us if they are carrying twins, single or no lambs and enables us to manage their dietary requirements more efficiently. All cows have been confirmed in calf so now we wait for Spring when the hard work starts all over again!
Friday 7th January 2011 – Snow again today – hopefully this will be the last snow of the winter. It is lovely to look at, sledging and snowball fights but it can take it’s toll on the animals. The sheep and cattle are now getting a daily ration of concentrate feed to supplement their silage. The first calf is due in early March and lambs in the last week of March.
Wednesday 15th December 2010 – With the unusually prolonged snowy and freezing weather for Lewis all hands are on deck to keep up with the feeding of the animals. ‘Eric’ the bull, this year’s weaned calves and the pregnant ewes have been fed silage for the past month. The cows and heifers normally graze croftland 10 miles away in the township of Achmore with a supplement of concentrate feed on a daily basis, however due to the snowy conditions we are moving them back to Carloway today.