Red Poll heifer We have decided to sell four of our young female animals. They were born in April/May 2009 so are ready to breed now. Two are registered pedigree with the Red Poll Cattle Development Society and two as A Grade with the Red Poll Cattle Society. We would be happy to run them with […]
The first calf our herd produced, all the way back in 2003 was a beautiful heifer that we called Poppy. She has over the years grown into a lovely cow who resembles her mother, Nancy. Since her first, she has borne a succession of excellent bulls including the notable “Elvis” so-called because of his first few very […]
Things were a bit on the low side during the latter stages of the winter and in March, Copper, a cow that we’d been nursing since October had a final visit from our vet, Caroline. Having tested negative for a whole range of conditions, we were hoping she might somehow recover. This was not to be and Caroline, […]
I spent yesterday morning sitting in the sun outside our barn making obelisks for an order that needs to be ready this week. The barn begins to double as a workshop very early in the year when temperatures rise enough for it to be bearable and our store of hay and straw for the cattle has diminished sufficient […]
Every year I enjoy the violets that appear all around the village. I don’t remember seeing so many anywhere else although Jane tells me that there used to be more when she was a kid; sounds like a rose-tinted memory to me. I think these are common dog-violet, Viola riviniana, although I stand to be corrected […]
Young stock out on hardly any spring grass What joy! There were some pretty excited and rather dangerous jumping and kicking going on on Friday as we released our young stock and beef steers onto grass after five months inside on a diet of hay and straw. Before they could enjoy a taste of liberty there were two eartags to […]
Despite some pretty nasty weather, Gravenhurst’s P3 group turned out (with a couple of special guests) last weekend, to attack a fourth section of one of our old thorn, boundary hedges. It’s a pretty spiteful hedge – some old, gnarly stems of hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna and belicose blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, fighting with a storm of spikes […]
We’ve had a spell of constant strong winds which have been hard work – tiring to be out in all day. Before that it rained enough to saturate the ground. The River Hitt came close to over flowing; it’s been higher, but not much. The lowest lying areas of our meadows were underwater for a day […]
Late in November last year an Atlantic front ripped across the country bringing with it lots of rain and wild winds to Gravenhurst. It caused me to postpone a job in a Luton lower school which involved making hazel arches – I don’t like to appear to be a softy, but it would have been very miserable […]
After a spiritual uplift, something of a downer. Copper’s been off-colour for a while. In fact she’s been looking a bit below par through the autumn. This six – year old cow is one of our favourites. I know, the well-hard farmer’s front breaks up very quickly, but she’s placid and friendly; always one to […]