A Day in the Life (2010)
A single day in the life of the farm is difficult to encapsulate since there are many factors that will determine what must be done , what needs to be done and what is achieved. The seasons, the weather, planned and unplanned events, availability of resources, our own capabilities and hours in the day all have a bearing. However, two things are certain:
Animals always need feeding, watering and checking for their health, well being and security
There are never enough hours in the day to achieve all that is planned
A typical cold and frosty November Day: Rise at 0630, dress up warm and load up with coffee while listening to radio – recheck weather forecast for the day, since it has been snowing heavily overnight and temperature has now dropped below 0.
0700 – 0900 Check round all animals, let out the poultry and top up feeds for Pigs, Chickens and Turkeys. Check water supplies are unfrozen and provide fresh water in buckets for Pigs and Chickens. The snow and frost requires hay and sheep nuts for the sheep, since they cannot get at the grass below. Ducks and Geese do not seem to notice the weather, but fresh fox trails in the snow suggest they have been out looking for easy food.
0840 Debbie and Findlay to nursery and then Debbie to work. (long shift, not back until just before midnight)
0900-1200 Continue with cladding on new Barn. Getting the roof on just prior to the snow was good, but I must remember to apply all final fixings as soon as the frost clears and it is safe to work on the top. The lack of power in the barn is also a priority and will need to be sorted out if we are to use it effectively during the winter (job for next week). 1030 – take delivery of 1 tonne of turkey feed, 10 sacks sow and weaner rolls, 2 sacks sheep nuts, 2 high energy sheep licks, 4 Layers pellets for Chickens. 1115 mutley arrives with Tupp to go in with breeding ewes. (find raddle and get it attached)1155 (ring nursery and apologise that I will be late for pick up). 1220 Tupp in field and working – leave for nursery run. Collect Annie on return.
1330-1530 Lunch for Findlay and I complete and with Annie watching over dogs and Finn means I can get back to Barn. Snowing again and still feeling cold, so better check water first. Chicken water frozen again so more buckets. Collect the eggs at the same time, noting they are slightly down in numbers. Need to talk with Debbie about sorting out additional lighting, improving the nestbox arrangements and scratching facilities, and upping feed. Getting dark earlier, but I note that one of the Sows looks ready to move to the farrowing shed. Set up to move her and put new straw in.
1530-1630 Moving one Sow should be easy, but separating her from the rest and moving her proves to be challenging. One hour later- Success.
1630-1730 Shut up Turkeys. 80 independently minded birds with no concept that a warm and dry shelter with deep straw is preferrential to the cold and snow laden environment of the glen with its added attraction of predatory foxes. Fresh feed and water is some enticement, but nothing beats a good chivvying with a long pole. Feed Pigs and finally return to Barn, where lack of light is making further progress on cladding difficult.
1730-1930 Tea, bath and bed for Findlay, and feed the dogs. Thank goodness for Annie, although she left at 1800.
2000 – Start catching up on e-mails and submission of report for CNM (the job that pays). The meetings with SW and other industries will require a lot of focussed attention during Debbies days off next week.
2330 – Debbie arrives home, quick catch up over a coffee before she sits down to submit some outstanding show reports and article for Our Dogs.
2359 – Retire
This may have been a haphazard sort of day, but it was certainly typical.
A Day in the Life (2017)
New script to be added
Animals always need feeding, watering and checking for their health, well being and security
There are never enough hours in the day to achieve all that is planned
A typical cold and frosty November Day: Rise at 0630, dress up warm and load up with coffee while listening to radio – recheck weather forecast for the day, since it has been snowing heavily overnight and temperature has now dropped below 0.
0700 – 0900 Check round all animals, let out the poultry and top up feeds for Pigs, Chickens and Turkeys. Check water supplies are unfrozen and provide fresh water in buckets for Pigs and Chickens. The snow and frost requires hay and sheep nuts for the sheep, since they cannot get at the grass below. Ducks and Geese do not seem to notice the weather, but fresh fox trails in the snow suggest they have been out looking for easy food.
0840 Debbie and Findlay to nursery and then Debbie to work. (long shift, not back until just before midnight)
0900-1200 Continue with cladding on new Barn. Getting the roof on just prior to the snow was good, but I must remember to apply all final fixings as soon as the frost clears and it is safe to work on the top. The lack of power in the barn is also a priority and will need to be sorted out if we are to use it effectively during the winter (job for next week). 1030 – take delivery of 1 tonne of turkey feed, 10 sacks sow and weaner rolls, 2 sacks sheep nuts, 2 high energy sheep licks, 4 Layers pellets for Chickens. 1115 mutley arrives with Tupp to go in with breeding ewes. (find raddle and get it attached)1155 (ring nursery and apologise that I will be late for pick up). 1220 Tupp in field and working – leave for nursery run. Collect Annie on return.
1330-1530 Lunch for Findlay and I complete and with Annie watching over dogs and Finn means I can get back to Barn. Snowing again and still feeling cold, so better check water first. Chicken water frozen again so more buckets. Collect the eggs at the same time, noting they are slightly down in numbers. Need to talk with Debbie about sorting out additional lighting, improving the nestbox arrangements and scratching facilities, and upping feed. Getting dark earlier, but I note that one of the Sows looks ready to move to the farrowing shed. Set up to move her and put new straw in.
1530-1630 Moving one Sow should be easy, but separating her from the rest and moving her proves to be challenging. One hour later- Success.
1630-1730 Shut up Turkeys. 80 independently minded birds with no concept that a warm and dry shelter with deep straw is preferrential to the cold and snow laden environment of the glen with its added attraction of predatory foxes. Fresh feed and water is some enticement, but nothing beats a good chivvying with a long pole. Feed Pigs and finally return to Barn, where lack of light is making further progress on cladding difficult.
1730-1930 Tea, bath and bed for Findlay, and feed the dogs. Thank goodness for Annie, although she left at 1800.
2000 – Start catching up on e-mails and submission of report for CNM (the job that pays). The meetings with SW and other industries will require a lot of focussed attention during Debbies days off next week.
2330 – Debbie arrives home, quick catch up over a coffee before she sits down to submit some outstanding show reports and article for Our Dogs.
2359 – Retire
This may have been a haphazard sort of day, but it was certainly typical.
A Day in the Life (2017)
New script to be added