Departures and arrivals

“Reports are coming in that a sheep in South Wales has bluetongue. The animal was imported from Holland and follows the confirmed case in Dorset earlier in the week”. Such news on the radio sends a shiver down my spine. At the moment there is a vector-free period when animals can be moved out of the B T zone in which we find ourselves to the 'clean' area in Wales. This could end at a stroke with a decision by DEFRA. On the weekend of 9th February we were finally able to get Nutmeg, a heifer that had been sold earlier last summer, to her new owner over the Welsh border near to Wrexham. The number of hoops that had to be negotiated never ceases to amaze and confound and with the help of our vet from Minsterley we were able get through the ‘minefield’. We still had the heifers that were sold in the autumn on the farm. They, along with Nutmeg, were tested for the bluetongue virus and TB and we were relieved when the tests came back negative. The new owner of the pair of heifers was to be on holiday until 14th and we are starting to get anxious about their departure. Then the time was arranged and the two ‘Alices’ were transported to their new home near Llanfair Caereinion. It was sad to see the three of them go, but as D says “we can’t keep them all”. She is, as usual, right but has a special reason for saying this because she has her eyes on a new laptop. Now that monies have been paid no doubt she will be off to make a purchase at the ‘laptopshop’.
On the dairy farm 28 cows have been pregnancy scanned. Not for them gel poured on the stomach but an internal examination with a probe. Perhaps that’s enough said on the mechanics except that we were delighted with the results – 22 safely in-calf. We must be doing something right!
Last weekend two of the Herefords calved. They are the ‘grand old ladies’ of our herd. Caroline is 11 this year and produced a heifer calf, Chicory (her 10th calf), and Alice T11 who is 8,had a bull calf, Albion (her 7th calf). Albion’s front legs were ‘knuckled over’ which meant that he couldn’t stand properly. This not an uncommon occurrence and with a little TLC it usually corrects itself. He needs some help at the moment to get him to suck his mum which means getting up early to feed him before going to milk the dairy herd and then making sure he has a feed in the early evening. Now he is four days old and is able to ‘find the teat’ on his own and those legs are starting to straighten. The more exercise he gets the quicker will be his rehabilitation.



Here are the ‘three graces’ that have gone to pastures new.
L to R Alice 4th, Alice 5th and Nutmeg

I’m reminded of the song by the Everley Brothers recently covered by Robert Plant (ex Led Zeppelin) and Alison Kraus – ‘Gone, Gone, Gone’. I can hardly believe they really have!
We hope that they behave themselves and don’t turn into the three disgraces!!