March on the farm
We have finally turned our cows out during the day. With the spring sunshine on their backs, it is always a joy to watch, as all our lady cows kick up their heels and race about the field, mooing to each other and excited to see fresh grass again.
We had the coldest night last night, with a hard frost first thing this morning. But the sun always comes through and melts it all away by the time we finished morning milking.
We've been bull shopping this weekend, to see an Ayrshire breeder in Norfolk, who may let us know when one of his cows delivers a bull calf. Even though we've got Windfall, who is a replacement for our previous bull Mulberry, we still need two for this Summer. It's all very technical this breeding lark you know!
Just to catch up with the family. Charlotte has finished working in Oz after six wonderful months and has moved to a 1300 cow dairy farm in North Island, New Zealand, where she's working looking after children and horses for the farmer and his wife. They are, of course, coming into Autumn and Winter months ahead. They are a hunting family and are happy for Charlotte to hunt too. She has her mount Max, who is an ex show jumper and a very comfortable ride! I've got to post out to her, her hunting jacket and boots!
Harry is away in Cheshire, still at Agricultural College. He's home most weekends and works very hard when he is home. Last weekend, he spread tons and tons of two year old well-rotted manure over the silage fields, to fertilise them. And again this weekend, he's muck carting from the yards at the farm, to the muckheap in the fields, so it can start to break down and rot over the summer and hopefully, be spread before winter.
We've also invested in a second hand fertiliser spinner for the tractor. Harry and his granddad, are hoping to put that on next weekend. It's all go, go, go.
So, as you can see there's so much more to do now that the ground has dried up and grass is starting to grow.
Only job for me to do now, is go out there and walk the fields, measuring the grass growth. Someone's got to do it!