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| February 2017 |
Date |
Entry |
Comment  |
| 1st | Dosed all the steers at Wenningber with “Optimax” which is a concentrated mineral and trace element dose to try and give them a boost after the pneumonia outburst this last few weeks. Went up to Malham to try and find the missing steers and heifers. The heifers were easy to find just in the next field, I could see 3 steers which leaves 2 missing, I will have to go when I have more time and a pair of binoculars. Had good evening at Blackburn eventually as the “magic hat man” won the game in the last minute. | |
| 2nd | Went to a NFU meeting with their livestock adviser and a small group of farmers, we had a good discussion about relevant agricultural matters. Had a visit from an old farming friend who has suffered from ill health so it was good to see him out and about | |
| 3rd | Donald came with a tanker full of water to flush the slats out as we emptied the underground slurry tank. I finally managed to get the 3 steers in the pen at Malham and bring them home, where we clipped and dosed them. We then took 6 steers to wenningber into the cubicles to try and create a bit more room at inside at home. Mark Thompson brought me a highland bull and a heifer from Lancaster auction. Ross Greenwood brought 4 cows into the cubicles. |
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| 4th | Macallan of hellifield returned from Cumbria after doing his job up there, along with a steer and a heifer that I have bought off Christina. Managed to watch both Rugby Internationals on TV. |
|
| ROS 5TH OF ESCAFELD CALVED SIRE MACLEAN OF ALLANFEARN |
Bull Calf |
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| 5th | Had a visit from Phil & Sue who want to sell me their 2 in-calf heifers and buy a yearling heifer off me, they picked a nice black heifer. | |
| 6th | Took a steer for slaughter to CCM Skipton for the shop, I also took a cull cow and one of Andy’s Longhorn cows as well they are going to Swaledale Foods who supply several outlets in London. Took a bale on to the moor and brought 14 into the yard off the stack in the field. Fixed one of the broken cubicles. | |
| 7th | Cleaned the outside feed troughs out, which is a back breaking job as I have to do it by hand. Neil came and castrated the bull that Mark had brought, we then clipped, dosed and dehorned the 4 that had had arrived in the last couple of days. | |
| 8th | Went to check the animals on Highside and Langcliffe and take them some “Tithebarn” feed buckets. Fixed another couple of cubicles. | |
| 9th | Sold 2 yearling heifers to some new breeders from Cleckheaton. Sorted some steers out in the silo building to create a bit more space. Fixed another couple of cubicles. | |
| 10th | Wendy and I set off for Oban for the weekend, the venue for the 126th Highland cattle show and sale. | |
| 11th | A busy day as I have a Breed development meeting in the morning, Then as chief steward for the show and sale my team of stewards and myself had to weigh and measure all the 2 and 3 year old bulls in thesale. After that it was the AGM of the society which passed off peacefully for a change, then on to a drinks reception, its a hard life but somebody has to do it. | |
| 12th | Show day and our judge for the day is Jimmy Laing a well known stockman from Invergordon. The day went well and he made T P Radford’s 3 year old bull Champion only the 2nd Black Highland bull to be made champion in nearly a 100 years. The bull was brought out by Daniel Rowbottom on his first time exhibiting at Oban. | |
| 13th | I managed to buy the bull I set out for which is unusual and for less than my budget which is even better. The highest price was for one of the Glengorm entries and it made 8000gns, Daniel’s made 6500gns. Overall averages were up which is all you can ask for. Our bull and 6 steers which I had bought earlier from Ballimore estate were joined on the wagon down with some other heifers which were going south they arrived at 11.00pm at Green farm, Wendy and I were still in Oban so Andy got them unloaded. | |
| 14th | Wendy and I had a nice leisurely drive home. The day was made better after we beat Bristol 2-1 it should have been a lot more but our forwards seem to like faffing about instead of shooting. | |
| 15th | Weighed and clipped the 6 steers that have just arrived. Collected some Beef Burgers from Stanforth’s. Chris Rushton came to put up some gap’s in our dry stone walls which have fallen down. A potential customer came to have a look at purchasing a couple of yearling heifers. | |
| 16th | Chaos as usual, Roger Dakin comes to PD all his heifers as Donald brings a load of water to flush the slats
out in the cubicles as David Booth comes to collect the heifer he bought in Oban and was delivered here,
He also buys 2 of our yearling heifers at the same time. Saun then arrives to footbath Jonathon Caygills Heifers, it all seemed to work and the morning passed quickly. Fixed some more cubicles. Took bales out onto the moor and the back of the buildings at home. |
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| 17th | Finished fixing the last of the cubicles, for now anyway. Ross Greenwood brought another 5 cows. We split Roger Dakins heifers in to 2 groups in-calf and still to serve, the in-calf group don’t need feeding any more so it makes it easier for the AI technician who comes everyday. |
|
| 18th | Phil Harsley brings Moretti of Hellifield back home from Pately Bridge he has done his duty with his 4 cows. I took him and Coinneach Riabhach 6th of Leys up to Wenningber where they had the usual fight to see who is boss. Did the VAT. | |
| 19th | Had to remove a broken water bowl in the calf pen, Why do firms make such feeble things the bowl is fine the bit to fasten it to the wall is c*** luckily I had a bung for the pipe and they have a water trough as well. | |
| 20th | Seemed to spend the day shifting big bales, Andy had to feed them at Wenningber so we had to pull them nearer the back wall so he could grab them without going into the field he always picks a cold wet day for doing this, it needs 2 of you with a long rope to pull them over. I then brought a load of bales off the stack under the tree into the yard so I only get the Manitou mucky once a week or so. I then took some out on to the moor and the back of the buildings |
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| 21st | Really good planning today. I decide to do some administration work in the morning having done that I then set off to check all the animals at Malham, Highside and Langcliffe and take them some buckets, As I set off the weather wasn’t good, by the time I returned wet through and blown all over the place and only seen some of the cows on Highside because the mist was so bad. I thought you are a muppet. | |
| 22nd | Had a visit from a potential beef buyer who supplies some of the top resturants in London, we will see how it goes. Started work on one of the bike trailers, last time I used it the draw bar broke (Jeremy’s feeble welding) as I start to dismantle it it looks like a major refurbishment is needed. |
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| 23rd | Went up to Wenningber with a big bale of straw, Andy is busy Lambing at the moment. One of his Dexter bulls had injured its leg so after the vet had examined it to make sure it was fit for human consumption the slaughter man came and humanely killed it and took it away. Took bales out on to the moor and elsewhere. Went collect some beef from Stanforth’s the butchers. |
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| 24th | Andy and I went to Langcliffe to bring the 15 cows back, we were a day late as one had just calved, so we left her there to give the calf chance to get up and be able to walk a mile or so to the lane where we can put them in the trailer. Jimmy Newhouse came with the wagon and we soon had them home where we vaccinated them for BVD and Leptospirosis, and dosed them for fluke & worms. | |
| ANNE-MARIE 5TH OF WAINSMORE Calved SIRE SIMMENTAL | Bull Calf |
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| 25th | A rush to get finished early as yet another kick off time is changed to satisfy the great god of Sky TV. When I come to power they will be told where to go in no uncertain terms. Anyway a good game great atmosphere and a victory. When I got home I brought Uallach Ruadh 2nd of Pollock in along with a heifer that had been delivered here from Oban on route to Warwickshire. Annie & Terry Perkins are coming for their heifer and delivering the bull to Cheshire, where he has been sold to, on there way home. |
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| 26th | Loaded the 2 animals in Annies trailer and that is another 2 that are not sinking in all the mud we seem have everywhere. Had a visit from a potential customer who wanted to check out some of our animals. | |
| SHONA 1ST OF FLASBY MOORSIDE Calved HC “SHARANE” SIRE FINGAL OF THE HORN |
Heifer Calf |
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| 27th | Seemed to spend most of the day moving big bales into feeders or bringing them into the yard off the stack. Took 3 steers and a young cow to CCM Skipton, one for me for the shop and 3 for Swaledale foods. | |
| 28th | ----------------- |
