"Where's Wally" (Jake)

Jake's seen us opening the deflea pour-on for dogs, so he's disappeared.  All the others are hanging around like a bad smell.

"Well they might be okay with this, but not me - no way Boss- I aint comin out"

The boss had to reach in and pull him out, and after it had been applied.  A few mls to the back of the neck!  Jake retreated right to the back of the kennel - he didn't appreciate us laughing at him either.

A Rather Sad Day

Sniff (March 1996 - April 2012)
Made the very difficult decision to put our lovely Sniffy down when the Vet was here for Pregnancy testing the cows.  He was such a great cat, and of course really perked up for the last week, although yesterday morning he looked awful again.  16 years is not a bad innings when you've been rescued at 3 months old, and he was such a character of a cat.  One of those truly memorable pets.  Sniff used to be a real demon at rabbit hunting, he'd sit on top of a hole for hours and just scoop up the rabbits as they came out.  The Jack Russell (Patch) thought she'd be able to do it to, and it was most amusing watching them set off together with cat in front and pup trotting behind, but Patch didn't sit quietly on top, she sat in front and barked - needless to say  the rabbits didn't come out.  Sniff got sick of this so he'd plant Patch on a nest then go off and find another for himself, mind you Patch would find him plus rabbit later and steal the rabbit.  And he loved intimidating people, ruled the roost with number 3 for many years.  I'll miss him poking about the garden and meeting me as I come in at night, won't miss the cat litter tray we've had for the last 12 months though.

The calves all nicely settled as their Mums come through the race for the vet to check.

The Boss having a busy day!  He did really I just couldn't resist this shot.  He still hasn't worked out how to get into my blog, perhaps it's just as well!!

Calf Weaning 2012 (take 2)

Here we go again - the mob stringing up to the yards, led by those whose calves were sold.  The bulk of the mob is still well back so there is a small risk that the cows in front will turn around and come back out.  They didn't today.

The end of a very long day, calves have been drenched for internal parasites (worms) and had a clostidial vaccination.  The steer calves have also had their NAIT tag (National Animal Identification Tracing Scheme) in their ears.  This system is going to enable electronic tracking of all cattle beasts from birth to death (that's the theory anyway).  At present all cattle sold for meat can be identified by the yellow tags we've had to use for sometime, and unfortunately there will be problems with reading these radio tags as the "powers that be" opted for a low frequency tag (cheaper in the short term), but the Australian's have already found it doesn't work.  So will be interesting to see how the new system goes - so far all we know is it is very very expensive to buy tags.  Mainly due to the levies imposed to run the scheme - and that would be unusual wouldn't it!!!

Mum's patiently waiting to get their calves back - sorry girls aint going to happen today.

The calves sold well at the sale too.  Steers were a little disappointing in the price as compared to others of the same weight, but a real bidding war on our white faced heifers (Angus crossed with Hereford), as two buyers who had bought them before wanted them again - quite gratifying really when so much time and effort goes into producing good stock.  And pleased with the way  the cull Angus heifers sold too.

Calf Weaning 2012 (take 1)

As predicted no truck could come in this morning, but at least it had stopped raining just looked like this

and very very muddy once again, but just sticky enough that when you lifted your foot it wouldn't move.  But I won't be as stiff in the morning as the stock agent and the Boss who both got good kicks from stroppy calves. 

Two trucks are due in tomorrow morning now, so we just might make the sale - we're getting a little truck to ferry a few calves at a time out over the bridge to load onto a big truck, if the river still prevents the larger one coming over the ford. 

Then having taken all the calves off their Mums, the Boss let them all back (except the sale ones) as the yards are too muddy to keep them in, and we couldn't get them drenched - it'll all repeat on Saturday.  But they are all happy on fresh grass till then.

Oh and the Boss says to tell anyone reading this blog "I wasn't stuck - you're only stuck if you have to get pulled out!!"  Obviously sticks under the wheels and pushing doesn't count!

The River Rules

Looking up towards the unfordable ford

and as the bridge can't take a loaded stock truck it looks as if the calves will be staying at home and not going to the sale as organised tomorrow. 

Everything has been organised around Friday's sale, so we can get on that plane and fly away to India, which will still happen, but there will be 50 more calves left than there should be.

On the positive side we had a beautiful Easter, absolutely perfect weather (our brief Summer) and the Boss got all the dagging done, all the lambs have been sold, and cows and calves down for weaning.

Crockpot Chicken

1 whole chicken
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 thumb size piece of fresh ginger, crushed
2 petals of star anise
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
Wash and dry chicken, and place breast up in the crockpot (slowcooker).
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.
Cook on low till done, and serve with the liquid (thickened) poured over it.

Try to remove the star anise petals as they are not nice if you bite down on one - I accidentally put 3 in then forgot and one was left especially for the Boss - he just loves it!, seems to get them in the curries I do too.

Dagging

Dags - "Poos stuck to the wool around the bum", then more poo sticks to what is already there and the dags grow.

So they have to be chopped off!  Mainly this is to prevent flies laying eggs in the faeces, but also when the sheep are going to be shorn dags can stain the good fleece wool of other sheep around them.  And when they are going to the meatworks they have to be clean so there is no meat contamination as the pelt is removed.

An electric handpiece makes it so much easier than the old hand blades (big scissors really)

And the handpiece helps keep the Boss a little happier.  When he has to do it with the blades he gets grumpier. (I don't because I just don't do it - never have, never will)

Picking up what has been chopped off

All finished - if only it was the last in the mob.

As sheep have been bred over the centuries for more wool, it means the poo sticks easier.  Some breeds of sheep (Wiltshire) are barer around the tail so they don't get as many dags, and even some Perendales are better than others. Feed and parasites can affect the number of dags you get as loose sticky poo sticks whereas nice little hard pellets don't.

"rattle your dags" - hurry up, get a move on.  Dried dags really do rattle when a sheep runs
"a bit of a dag" - something funny, a hard case person, joker or comedian

The Front Face and Getting Stuck

The Boss setting off for his wee walk across the face.  He got the bike stuck coming across the Fault Bog (the daughters will know the one), but CC&B didn't dare take a photo "We" were not amused!!

And the cloud is dropping, there are sheep further up in it that we saw as we came out.  They did come down with Jake's noise.

Maid this is your mob to hunt up - I know you've seen them

And she's done it - uh uh it's Cruise, Maid must be a bit sore from the yard work the day before and wasn't keen on going across the gully - she is 10 years old now

And the ewes are off and pouring through the gate

and at the run disappearing into the distance

still running

even the tail enders aren't stopping.

I caught up with the lead halfway down the next block, while the Boss walked behind.  The lead was still running, even though there had been no dogging since before the gate.  Was just difficult to keep Cruise on task heading the sheep as he rather thought stirring up cows and calves was more fun.
And now the Boss has a happy weekend "dagging" and the ewes are full of energy so there will be much swearing me thinks.  ( CC&B  -  "I don't do dagging").

Show jumper anyone?

No way are we going to go that way - doesn't look good!

And the first 3 hurdled the front of the drafting race rather than go up the ramp onto the conveyor.  Only 2 left in this picture as the showjumper has already gone over the gate (not the lower part).

On the way back to the rest of the mob to get vaccinations (Toxoplasmosis and Campylbacta), which cause abortions.  And an ear tag to show they've been done

And here's the third, having jumped yet another fence to get out of the yards and into the paddock ("and I aint comin back")
She did!

And the view of the conveyor race that they were objecting to.  Up the ramp, suspended along the race and carried through by the green belts.  So much easier - the mob of 500 were tagged, and received the 2 vaccinations in an hour.  So much easier on everything - especially the Boss.

2 Tooth Competition

 - involved drafting the light ewes out of 2ths this morning - which meant a lot of swearing by the Boss.  Me - I was having a little chuckle at the back of the yards, as the ewes went 3 ways off the drafting race.  Going 3 ways was what was supposed to happen, but leaping over the drafting gates any one of the 3 ways WAS NOT.  They are full of beans.  Butter wouldn't melt in their mouths during the judging though.  A dinner tonight will reveal the winners, but won't hold my breath.  11 farms in, all cross bred sheep, and ours will probably be the smallest.

And waiting to here if "wee Rory" has safely made it to New Plymouth, he's going into a storm, but at least it wouldn't have been too bad as he went across Cook Strait on the ferry.