Bank Holiday Monday.................

It’s gusty this morning, so much so that the strong wind helps the waking up process. The fact that I’m down the field moving the electric fence is incidental. I find the time useful to reflect on the events of the weekend, not that anything fantastic happened, but a new relief milker started and my job to try to train him into our ways of doing things. It’s not that we have the perfect way but it suits us. The new chap is called Chris from Welshpool and whilst he is only 17 and is 6 feet tall. By his own admission he carries more stones in weight than years and says he is not averse to being teased about it, and then adds “I put the brick under the trough at the other end”. He says wryly that the lightest he remembers is 6 stone, and not to miss out in this tit for tat banter, I inform him that the lightest I have ever been was 6lbs 7ozs. (It’s an old Frank Carson joke), Chris laughs sympathetically. In the milking parlour he struts up and down the pit whilst waiting for each side to finish not too reminiscent of a gun slinger who has just rolled into town in order to settle a slur on the family honour.

These thoughts are interrupted by a sudden gust of wind and a buzzard circling over a dingle behind Birch Cottage catches my eye. The bird finds it difficult to maintain position in the swirling air and occasionally having to swoop round to get back over the dingle. Then suddenly it is joined by a large crow who appears determined to ‘see off’ the unwanted visitor - perhaps there are young in nests in there. A buzzard/crow dogfight ensues. The crow gets behind the buzzard and with a feint to the left the buzzard turns right – a move of which Phil Bennett, Barry John or any flyhalf would have been proud. The roles are now reversed but I soon discover that I’m not the only one looking on and out from the dingle come carion reinforcements. The buzzard must have realised that staying on is futile and he then heads off up to Marton Crest perhaps to get his breath back.

As it bank holiday there is time to do some little jobs that have been literally piling up. One in particular to tidy up my office desk where there are piles of papers needing to be sorted out and soon the pile of paper to be thrown away is the largest. D suggests that a shredder should be purchased to which I agree. Her cousin has one and says its very useful and then throws the shredded paper under the cows!

We’re having not one but two computers. D needs a laptop for her history projects and the other is a desktop, which will replace the one we bought in the last century (that makes it sound really old). At the end of the paper sorting process I have gained more brownie points than I know what to do with – I shall have to get a new card to put them in. I also know that they can be lost in an instant!!

A Few More Mouths.......

After weeks of waiting, all the dairy cows are out at pasture and as always there is still hustle and bustle around the farm. We spent last week setting free several groups of in-calf, bulling and maiden heifers onto the hill behind the buildings. Now comes the task of cleaning the manure out of the winter quarters but jobs have to be prioritised as there is only a fortnight until silaging starts (weather permitting). All the Herefords are now in the field by the road showing off their physiques.
This is a favourite time of year, as the stunning shows of blossom especially the brilliant yellow of the gorse bushes. Only yesterday we saw gardens in the village, which are a riot of colour with laburnum juxta lilac – very pleasing to the eye.
Of course it’s not only the flora which have been busy but the fauna as well. The curlews have been warbling with great vigour in the fields around our house. Hopefully they will have had a good breeding season, providing that the predators leave them alone.
We are in the process of putting away machinery used in winter feeding but with a twist. The tractor that is used for chopping and blowing straw on the cubicle beds has a robin’s nest tucked in the roof space of the cab. Every day the machine is used we make sure that it’s put back in the same place so that mum can return to the nest. We were wondering what is happening in the woven mass of hay and straw. So as it’s impossible to look in due to lack of space, I thought my camera would capture the scene in the nest. It was a pleasant surprise to see five hungry mouths facing the lens

Springwatch is due back on the telly, so I thought that D and I could be the Bill Oddball and Kate Mumble of Marton

A Birthday Treat

A few weeks ago I asked D what she would like for her birthday at the beginning of May. The question had a two fold purpose – viz firstly to get something that she wanted and secondly to let her know that I hadn’t forgotten. She said she would like a day out, preferably at a property owned by the National Trust. Not too difficult as we are members and also if the cows could come back up to Marton by May 3rd it could be possible. The cows are now in the field bar two. One has a calf, which regularly suffers from bloat and the final cow due to produce a calf. Our stock bull has gone seriously lame – the vet thinks that a course of antibiotics will clear it up. I’m not convinced that he will be able to serve the cows, as it is a back foot. So we made a decision to find another bull. So last week we went to a Hereford breeder near to Bridgnorth who had one which would suit our requirements. After much deliberation we settled on Highfields P 1 Count – a twenty-month-old package of bovine testosterone! I think we will have to find a nickname for him – James or something similar (suggestions on an e-mail).
D’s birthday was on Saturday, so I wondered whether we could collect the bull and have the day out as well. The thought of all this in one day would probably be too much to fit in. She agrees, so we fetch the bull early in the day, then have the afternoon at home before going to Mellington Hall near Churchstoke for a birthday meal.

I’m not sure who coined the phrase ‘the best laid plans of mice and men’, but the day wasn’t going to go to plan. Yes the bull arrived safely and unloaded in the field with the cows. They came running over to check out the new arrival. There was a lot of sniffing and snorting and after a few minutes they calmed down and all James wanted to do was to eat grass. Later in the afternoon the last cow to produce decided now was the time to expel her infant into the world. Here’s the dilemma – do we stay and wait for the calf to be born or go for the meal and hope that she will hang on until we get back. I certainly didn’t want to cancel, so rang Mellington to explain the situation. “Come early, if you wish” the receptionist said. “Can you turn us around within an hour”, I asked. “Yes”, was the reply. Our neighbour said she would keep an eye on things whilst we were away and would telephone the hotel if there was any news.
The staff was very helpful on arrival and took our order and soon we were seated tucking into our birthday fayre. When we were ordering I was tempted to ask for a crocodile sandwich – and make it snappy. The staff has probably heard all the old jokes anyway! Just as the sweet course is served a lady appears at our table saying in a voice that most of the other diners can hear. “Your neighbour has just telephoned to say that the cow has had her calf, everything is fine and to enjoy the rest of your meal”.
The bill is settled and we are soon on our way home. It’s important to get collostrum into the new-born as soon as is possible. After a quick change we climb into the pen where the newly born calf is trying to stand up. All four legs are a 45-degree angle to its body in order to brace itself against a mother bent on licking every inch of her new-born. The rasping tongue eventually knocks the calf over but it is soon up again. It’s instinct is milk and with a little help finds a teat. Both are happy as the cow can still groom her offspring. We eventually retire to bed safe in the knowledge that all is well. D asks, “are you OK now”. “Pass the Rennies” is my response.

We had our day out today at Brockhampton Estate near Bromyard, perhaps later in the week I will relate our travels

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!!

As the days lengthen, snowdrops have already bloomed; the daffodils are starting to form in the garden. Our weather girl on the Midlands News said that spring is on its way. That may be so, but it’s only the first week of February. Our ‘spring barometer’ is the curlew. We are fortunate that they come to nest in the fields behind our house and it will be a little while before we hear the warbling of that welcome guest.
We have had the first calf of the 2008 season just two days ago. I have been watching as the young mother to-be gets closer to giving birth. We had a new bull last year so it’s unknown territory as to whether the calf will be too big for the heifer. Two days ago I could see she was getting close, checking her four times during the day. I decide to go to Pontesbury to see the cows, the heifer close to calving is lying down cudding nonchalantly in deep straw. So on returning I thought it best to check her again. Lo and behold, I see a head on the straw and with a final push the calf is expelled. My first thought is to see if the calf is O K. A little trick is to get a piece of straw a put it up the calf’s nose which causes the calf to draw breath. However on this occasion all is well so I go and thaw some colostrum to make sure that the calf has enough antibodies in its system.
Sometimes assistance is required, so we have a calving aid, which is a vital tool to get calves alive. I have a cousin who witnessed his first calving and on seeing his father pull a live calf from a cow, the five year old said “how the heck did that get in there”. In the interests of balance, when ever I have told this tale my mother has reminded me of a similar experience. She would say “what about you, all you could say, I bet he thought it was dark in there”.
However here is the new arrival Alice 7th. She is only 36 hours old but was unwilling to stand still for the photographer.

It’s not been a week anyone would want be in the public eye. I wonder how those that walk in the corridors of power not only sleep at night but manage to get about with two slipped discs. Poor Mr Darling had to ‘fess up in front of the nation the blunder at HMRC of which he oversees. This being coupled with the fiasco at Northern Rock – not the kind of rock you would want to build your house on! I suppose he should go for a hat trick and take the blame for England’s defeat on Wednesday. It was announced on the news that the police had completed the search of the HMRC premises. The question I would ask is, did they have a woman to do the searching? In my experience, women are much better at this and I would volunteer D for the task! D took some of the grandchildren to see a pantomime in Worthen this afternoon and whilst I couldn’t go as I was milking, I thought that someone should rewrite one of the classic pantomimes with the regard to the recent events. It would be called ‘Alistair in Blunderland’! I’m sure there would many suggestions for public figures to take the roles of the characters.
On the farming front the Hereford incalf heifers were getting short of grass and I didn’t want to feed them outside, as the ground will cut up easily. They are now in their winter quarters. It’s been in good summer on them, like Alice shown here. They don’t drive easily so a ‘carrot’ is necessary in the form of small bucket of nuts. They follow with eagerness into the shed and scoff heartily in their trough not realising the prison door closing behind them. Their diet until they calve is just hay; perhaps someone should start Bovine Weight Watchers!
To round off a busy day, it’s off to Kerry, some ten miles away in Wales for the ‘rock gig’ in the evening. We didn’t quite know what to expect as we were told that the band was a little rusty but had been practising regularly. It was a sell out and as the audience waited eagerly for Blindeye to appear we were ‘entertained’ by the ‘Clun Cowboy’. When they took the stage they were greeted with cheers, whistles and clapping. I’m sure there was a lot of nervousness but once the first chord was struck the nerves disappeared. It was as loud as I imagined, and was reminiscent of dances when I was at college. My philosophy is – ‘if it’s too loud you’re too old’. Blindeye were fantastic, bodies jigged and jostled on the dance floor, which include D and myself. Songs by Quo, Credence Clearwater Revival and Free were in the first ‘set’. Unfortunately I was milking the next morning so didn’t stay for the second half. Late nights and early mornings are getting more difficult to mix. Somehow the radio in the parlour won’t be loud enough!

First snows of winter

In the last few days we have experienced such a variety of meteorological conditions. We had just retired to bed when I was sure that one of our cows was bellowing near our house. D thought I was imagining it, but I couldn’t rest, got dressed to go and check. Outside it was so foggy that my torch cut through the darkness, it was like being on the set of Star Wars. Eventually I found the cows, counted them – yes they were all there, cudding under the oak trees at the bottom of the field as if they hadn’t a care in the world. Then I heard the bellowing again; it was coming from a neighbour’s farm, so I could retire to my bed without worrying. On my return D asked, “ well, were they alright”. “Yes they’re all fine” was my reluctant reply. D says that she can be talking to me and suddenly I’m aslee………. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
This weekend, apart from the farm work taking some of the Hereford heifers to their winter quarters, D and I have been visiting family on Saturday and a gathering of people researching the same surname as D on Sunday. We went to see Aunt P on Saturday night, not only to see her but also to collect the tickets for the‘Blindeye’ gig next weekend. I’m never sure at what point you should ask a lady her age, but there come a time when the information is volunteered, “I’m 87 you know, 88 in the Spring” she imparted with glee on more than one occasion. It’s always good fun to visit her and after a short while she produces a little light supper. Sandwiches, raspberry tart, cake and copious amounts of tea to wash it all down. It was more a meal really, after we left D and I were quite full, but we slept very well almost like cats in front of the fire.
On Sunday we gave a lift to a distant cousin of D’s to this researchers day at Cleobury Mortimer. Going over Clee Hill it was so foggy D thought we were in the clouds. Twelve people were there from different parts of the West Midlands – Tamworth, Birmingham, Ledbury, etc. Bren from C M was the hostess, providing places for those attending to put files of their research for the rest of us to pore through. She also provided a soup and sandwich lunch and, rather fittingly, mince pies as it had started snowing. We left in the early afternoon, the snow on Clee Hill was quite bad by now and the roads very slippery coming down to Ludlow at little more than 5 mph.
Later on The North Shropshire Methodist Youth Choir was at our church in Pontesbury – they were very good. Everyone stayed for a cup of tea afterwards. Then it was home to revive the fire in the grate then to sit and watch ‘Cranford’. D was enthralled by it and I was thinking – back to work tomorrow for a rest!