SEPTEMBER 2002
Home page
For silage the grain should be the consistency of cheese but as this picture (taken on the 30th) shows it is still rather wet. We hope to cut it around
the third week of October weather permitting. We have only had one calf
this month a black and white heifer so it has been quiet on the calving
front. Although it is September
I have still been sowing fertilizer as the weather has been warm and
the grass is growing well. Hopefully we will be able to keep the heifers
outside until the end of the year if this continues. Early in the month we were
inspected by our dairy co-op representative to see we were meeting all
the various rules and regulations. Apart from a few minor
things we passed, however, we must shut the sparrows out of the feed
loft above the parlour, repair a piece of worn concrete in the parlour
floor and continue the never ending battle with the cobwebs. Cow number 64 "twinner" as we call her has had twins each time she has calved and she has now produced 6 calves (all naturally) but because of this she always looks skinny as the twin pregnancies do take their toll. She was in the veterinary stalls when David the inspector arrived (my fellow farmers who read this page will understand this) it is always one of the worst looking cows that seems to hang around when such officials arrive. He did understand however.
Wednesday the 25th saw
the annual Cheshire ploughing match (cancelled last year due to foot
and mouth) and it was very well attended.
Click here to see more. This month has seen Paul and I carrying on with the cellar project in the farmhouse and we now have the walls painted with sealant to keep out the damp and the ceiling lined we hope to have it finished for our annual bonfire night party.
The kids are now back at school with Simon and Hannah starting the final year of their GCSE's.
The 2002 team left to right James, Lucy, Claire, James, Richard and Simon. The competition has
been running for many years and I along with Dorothy, Graham and Alan
were members of a winning team in 1878. Click here for mine and Webby's nature report, see you next month Phil.
|