Computerised Cattle Ear-tags & Hideous Weather

Walking the dogs one morning recently I found we were being closely watched by one of our neighbours handsome Charolais cattle peering through the leafless hedge at the antics of the dogs who were busy chasing imaginary rabbits along the hedge line.

Today the weather is vile, very blustery with persistent rain being hurled at us as we were working outside. I had to stand for about 15 minutes at the end of our lane to halt traffic as we were moving lambs down the main road with the aid of our trusty sheepdogs and got very cold and damp, not pleasant. After moving the sheep I was then called upon to be the scribe for taking down the ear-tag numbers on all the miking cows. They were given new tags that link to the computer system of the new milking parlour that will record how much milk each cow gives and how much cake she is to have. It is all very clever. All 71 of our milking cows were passed through a crush, tagged and then released into a holding area before returning to their nice dry, clean cattle-shed. With three of us working that was the morning gone.
While we were with the cattle a tree came down near the shed where the Farmer houses his saw-mill...rather conveniently really...but an indication of how very windy it is here today.

The puppies are now reduced in number as they go off to their new homes. Another one leaves us this evening. They are lovely and very jolly but unfortunately they are having to be kept in an indoor pen as they get so muddy after these days of rain. They would much rather be outside watching what is going on.

Autumn

Walking around the farm with the dogs each day the seasonal changes are a joy, especially at this time of year when the colours are glowing. Even the shades of green are made more distinctive with the fallen golden russet leaves veiling the mossy banks in our beautiful ancient sunken lane and caught on the spines of the deep green holly leaves that grow under the tall oaks.



Although it is November it is still relatively warm and there are are columns of midges floating in the sunshine. Most os the trees have lost their leaves and I spend much time sweeping away the drifts of golden brown beech leaves that accummulate outside the door to the house and take every opportunity to blow in whenever anyone walks through the door.

The puppies are now almost 8 weeks old and very jolly. I have got homes for them all and they will make a lot of people very happy.