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Almost a week has passed since I last blogged and it has been another really busy week. Lambing is now properly underway, and we have had another calf born safely. We’ve had three calves so far this spring and it is lovely to see them skipping in the sunshine.
Unusually, I have driven almost 1000 miles this week either viewing and riding horses to replace the previous horse who didn’t settle, or undertaking farm business. I am quite glad to be at home today for once even though I have been working flat out since 6am..
I think I have found a suitable horse for riding around the farm and hope to return on Monday for one more ride on him before agreeing to one month’s trial. It has been very hard to choose between two particular horses [ and of course they were 200 miles apart] after looking at and riding many equines over the last few weeks.
Only two were not as described in their particulars, or by their owner [with one, I should have remembered to ask about feet before doing a 250 mile round trip], and we have seen a huge variety of types and breeds, but it has finally come down to a choice of two and after next week I hope to be able to write more about the experience.
I have however met some lovely people along the way. The trust that has been shown to us, to take horses out unaccompanied and alone by someone that they don’t really know [or have any idea if we can ride] has been amazing and a very important part of the process. One little horse was almost discounted as when rode her for the first time, in the company of other horses, she almost went to sleep. Taking her out on her own, a month later, was much better, however I think she will probably be the last losser… but I am trying to be very objective about the whole process and have also taken advice. If the two finalists could have merged together I believe we’d truly have the perfect steed, but I guess that only happens in dreams.
We have also had a farm walk this week with fifty visitors of all ages. These educational visits are brilliant for making us have a major tidy up around all the buildings. Perhaps it is time for visitors in the farmhouse too… but since the Dining room is already overflowing with educational material for OPEN FARM SUNDAY, perhaps it will have to wait. It is always very interesting to us to hear new questions from the public about what we do, and to see how they act when visiting a farm. There are always a few people who think they can go anywhere they like on the premises and others who make the day for us by being so polite, patient and so very interesting.
All the plants that were potted on last weekend have grown on well, and I still hope to plant the onion setts very soon but must be careful not to over do the bending.. all our backs are creaking right now and we are all queuing up for the chiropractor. The cauliflower seeds have come up in record time but I am slightly confused by the instructions in the gardening book and no longer sure if we are growing late summer ones or early winter ones.. so long as we can eat them in due course that is all that matters.
PS: Poor Ruby has mastitis again, and is back on the intramammary tubes. We had to rush out and buy milk for the house, and hope she will be better soon. She has been turned out with the bull by day and is back in her byre at night. We hope to be back on her milk by Wednesday as we always go over the reccommended withdrawal period for all medicines.
The horse went back to Wales this afternoon, very sadly she never settled here in her new home. However I think she has taken a piece of my heart back with her and in all honesty I can say that not all the horses I have had in my life have done that.
We have moved some pigs around today and it is amazing to see how high a fully grown young sow (gilt) can jump while they are working out the electric fencing system. They get used to the ‘hot’ wires pretty quickly and it means they can live the life that is best for a pig, outdoors and rooting all the day long.
Last night Ruby had more suspicious clots perhaps indicating a continuation of the mastitis in one quarter of her udder so we stripped it out [milked] by hand and put in another veterinary cream tube, and again this morning. We will just have to see what tomorrow brings.
Ruby the shorthorn heifer was very sore this morning and couldn’t be milked. She appeared to have mastitis in 3 of the 4 quarters of her udder. We rang the vet immediately who told us to use milking cow antibiotic syringes twice a day. These are little plastic tubes with an antibiotic cream that is inserted into the teat and the creamy contents squeezed into the udder. We keep them in stock in our medicine cupboard along with the dry cow syringes which are used to dry off cows after weaning or when milking ceases.
They advised this as the first treatment only, rather than injecting antibiotics as well. There were no signs at all last night of any trouble in her udder and we actually had over 3 gallons from her yesterday from 2 milkings. However, she was so sore first thing today that Jethro was quite worried that he might have to dry her off completely, and I had to rush out to buy milk as yesterday’s supply had to be poured down the drain and there was none even for a cup of tea.
Tonight Ruby was MUCH better, so much better in fact that we are all thrilled and amazed. Jethro was able to use the milking machine and her behaviour was actually no worse than usual. She stands quite well while eating her food and then I think when the machine feels as if it is pulling on her udder, rather like a calf suckling for too long, she kicks it off. Usually Jethro manages 3 sessions per milking and after she kicks it off for the third time he stops.
Jethro inserted more of these antibiotic tubes after milking and will do so again tomorrow morning. If all goes well it looks like we could actually be back on our own milk soon. The withdrawal period for the tubes we used is 96 hours [4days] however we will double it [as organic farmers do] and tip away the milk for 8 days after the last treatment.
It is not just the household that uses this milk. We use the surplus milk to supplement the feeding of our weaner pigs and we have one fattener, due to go on Wednesday who really loves this extra milk. He was the smallest of a batch that were sold last week and to make up for being on his own we have been giving him milk twice a day, he rushes to the door and then rushes to his dish when he sees the bucket of milk and it has had the desired effect upon his figure. He was too lean as his greedy brothers obviously pushed him out of the way while they ate the most but he has now gained weight at an increased rate with extra food and milk. As an uncastrated boar he must go before he reaches his piggy adolescence and starts producing testosterone as testosterone taints the pork and renders it uneatable. From tomorrow, I shall cheer him up with some old brassicas from the veggie garden, as the garden needs clearing, until he goes on his last journey to make up for the sudden lack of milk.
We have no idea how the mastitis started. Ruby has clean straw every day, her udder is washed with teat wipes before every milking and udder cream is applied after every milking. The area of her byre she is milked in is washed every time both before and after milking and we have an old dishwasher through which the milking machine and all the pipes go twice a day. This dishwasher has been adapted so the tubes and clusters are actually connected to the upper parts of the machine.
We are really meticulous over the hygiene aspect as it is raw milk that we all drink. I guess it was just a case of bad luck or the fact that bacteria lurks all around all of us all of the time.
I simply don’t know where the days go!
Christmas came and went and the daily work on the farm simply carried on. We had a pig with mastitis on Christmas Eve [now cured], and a shortage of electricity causing the bore hole to stop working.
16 days of hard frost followed on Boxing Day leading to huge water problems with the outdoor livestock. Thousands of gallons of water have been carried out to cattle, pigs and sheep.
The frost thawed and then the rains came [ still falling] and the pond and the fields are now almost overflowing with excess water..
The younger generation are returned to their seats of learning and even Jethro has had a week away this month studying for his MSC. While he was away we had a burst radiator in a bedroom which nearly brought down the ceiling of the farm office, thanks to the NFU insurance for their swift response in drying us out [ the fans are still whirring] and a very poorly pig who was sadly and swiftly put down. This pig was one of our absolute favourites owing to her lovely nature, she was 18 months old and had just been weaned from her litter of 10 at 8 weeks old. Customers are queuing to buy our breeding stock and I have already pre-sold 4 out of the 5 gilts, we will keep the best one to be her replacement, in due course.
The horse has come and is settling slowly, our progress has not been helped by either the terrible weather nor a terrifying experience for both of us with some trespassing motor-cross riders who all revved their engines at once causing her to frantically rear again and again and me to be thrown. Steps are being taken to restrict access on the bridle paths to those who are entitled. I am the third serious accident that I know of in this locality and sadly I fear a tragedy if nothing is done.
I missed blogging but the days were not long enough. However the nights are lighter now and we have Spring to look forward to.
I am back and will do my best to post often. Camera still not sorted.
Yesterday, the new mother of 10 did not finish her breakfast.
A pig not eating is a VERY BAD sign so we took her temperature, which was raised, and immediately administered antibiotics by injection. With an ill pig every minute counts, their health can go up and down in a matter of hours, not days, if you wait, it can be too late. With so many piglets in need of a mother we could not waste a second. There were no obvious signs of mastitis (infection in the udder) or metritis (infection in the womb).
The pig got worse. The 10 piglets started to look hungry and restless as the milk supply lessened so we called the vet. The vet was as puzzled as we were, and gave additional medicines to reduce the fever which was now dangerously high and another antibiotic. The birth had been totally normal with no interference to the mother, just a little help to get some of the piglets who came out backwards to take a first breath.
At tea time and again after supper I spent ages sitting with her and syringing fresh water into her mouth to try to keep her hydrated, every so often she would swallow. I also sponged her down to reduce her body temperature, she was really hot to touch. The piglets had another feed from her and settled back under their heat lamp, this time they appeared to be satisfied, this was encouraging.
Before bed time I checked again, this time the gilt walked around the stable and nibbled on a brassica leaf I had picked from the garden for her. A good sign. I fetched her pig meal and she ate some, an even better sign. She flopped down again and I used the 100ml syringe again, she sucked the cooling clean water down straight from the syringe, she seemed to be making good progress.
I woke in the night and got dressed, even though it was 4am she was very pleased to see me. She had eaten a lot of the brassicas and windfall apples I had left for her and had a little drink. I gave her some more meal, and watched the piglets feed again. Her sister who is due to farrow tomorrow snored loudly in the next door stable. Apart from that the night was quiet until something, a fox perhaps, or a cat, disturbed the ducks on the pond and a cacophony of noise echoed around the farmyard. Once the gilt had settled down to sleep once more and the piglets snoozed under their lamp I made a cup of tea and went back to bed.
Daylight came all too soon, and the thermometer revealed a slight fever still, but we could all see a much healthier pig. We must finish the course of treatment and keep a close eye on them all. I am feeding her little and often until she gets back to normal, her digestive system seems to be functioning normally.
It was a close call for her and for us, probably as close as they come, farrowing fever is what the pig-men call it, to me it felt more like harrowing fever as the concern for 11 lives is immense. Let’s hope her sister does better.
