28th September, 2023

I slipped out early to check on the new calf (named Zipper) and it seemed like he might not have been drinking. So I took him out a bottle of colostrum and wrestled it into him. He seemed like he had a good suck reflex and wasn't all that hungry so I waited on the next bottle and I was rewarded just on dark with him having a good long drink from Sorcha. So all will be well.

I also had a horrible cough, runny nose and marked lack of sleep so I called in sick to work and also reluctantly skipped the Legendairy Ladies meeting. Went back to bed after feeding Zipper and a shower (got covered in poop) and slept for a couple of hours.

Later in the afternoon Geoff and I moved the electric fencing in the main driveway area to allow the girls to graze the circle area. They were most impressed by the knee deep grass and it was also great to see Joey and Star hooking in and grazing like pros.

Leigh's remaining pig has decided that living on her own in the pen sucks and has been climbing out over the fence to wander around with the weaners. Leigh puts her back with her feed every day and tries to build the fence higher, but so far she is winning.

27th September, 2023

Chloe visited today and met her heifer, Freya. She also got well chewed on by Joey and Star decided to come out of her shell today and stood for chin scratches and brisket scratches.

Work was a long night, we ended up with 3 mini buses of drunk mountain bike riders. Honestly, I can see why people in tourist towns end up detesting tourists.

I finished paying for my new glasses today, combining distance and near lenses a bit like the old bifocals but without the hard line. They will now assemble them and post them out, and I can get them adjusted on their next visit to Scottsdale if the frames need tweaking. If the format works for me I will get another set made for work.

Geoff made hotdogs for dinner, he went to quite some trouble. Sauteed onions and mushrooms and bacon, with brioche buns. We both agreed that the brioche sounded good but wasn't very practical, being more of a cake in texture.

Just after I got home from work Sorcha calved. It's a large bull calf, with the lineback markings that many speckle park have. This is a mainly dark body with a white line down the backbone. Sorcha is attentive and the weather is still and clear, so after a second check to make sure all is going well I left them to it. 

I think me moving around with the torch was only making Sorcha nervous. Hopefully he latches on overnight and when I go out in the morning he will be making friends with the other three calves. They are going to be a bit of a gang I think, the bonus of having a few calves born at the same time.

26th September, 2023

I had a lovely visit today with a new friend, Kelly from Nabowla. Kelly and her husband have moved here from South Africa via Queensland and she has been in Tasmania for just under a year. She's got a little farm and so we did a tour of my place, visited with the animals and did a milking before going for lunch. It was great to meet her and talk and I hope we can catch up more.

25th September, 2023

I woke up to find the hanging  pig gone, I can nearly smell the bacon ! I took the liver, heart and kidneys round to Rob for his culinary pleasure. Turns out there was a live pig in the shearing shed too, the remaining pig went for an excursion over the piggery fence and was contained there while adjustments were made.

I had some errands in town today, including picking up some chook pellets. As usual, just as I settle into a routine of knowing what product to buy where, the place I get the pellets changed up brands and now I have to start comparing product and prices again. 

While I was out I picked up some Momar drain cleaner (for the bathroom sink) and some clearance dog coats (for lambs and calves) and set aside a line trimmer/brushcutter for pickup on Wednesday when it goes on deep discount. I also dropped off the signed tax return docs and went via the chemist for tablets. I left it up for fate as to whether I stopped at Ellesmere Patisserie for some greek vanilla slice, but there were no parking spaces so fate was mean today.

Tonight's dinner was a chicken laksa-style soup made in the slow cooker. We had to add a fair bit of coconut cream as the red curry paste had a fair kick.

I started putting the large buckets through the dishwasher instead of trying to wash them in the laundry tub, which is handicapped by being an octopus nest of pipes for the dishwasher and washing machine. Another step towards simplifying life.

Scottsdale Suzuki came and picked up my quad for a service, she should be back tomorrow all ready for another year of being the farm workhorse.

Still no calf from Sorcha, she's happily grazing with her homies. Checked on Belle today and she's doing fine too. She has to be over there for at least six weeks to confirm two heats, unless I see a mating early on and no sign of heat 21 days later.

Forest Secrets - Sandra Henderson

24th September, 2023

Today I moved Flora and Little Moo in with rest of the cows, and they promptly marched out into the driveway grazing area. The rest followed rather sheepishly, and will hopefully make a dent in the long grass.

Discovered another broody, this one in the implement shed. Classic broody behaviour of puffing up, growling and mad pecking.

The calves have nibbled the muesli at the new station, I think it's going to be a matter of waiting until the milk ration doesn't meet all their needs before they hook in, as the are grazing with the big cows now and not as hungry as they might be if they were in a pen by themselves.

Sarge had a big night last night, bringing in a bat (released), a mouse (Shadow ate it) and a huge rat (thankfully dead). He was quite pleased with himself.

I emailed off my application for the Council admin positions, yet another wait and see exercise.

Leigh killed another pig, currently hanging from the forks of his tractor in my hay shed, wrapped in a sheet. Hopefully there will be bacon.

Charlie dropped around to talk silage and hay, he will take two of my older bales of silage in return for organising the delivery of 10 round bales of hay from a contact of his. He is also on the lookout for small squares and we will keep each other informed. In the meantime he has photos of the hay feeder he made out of a palecon, and it struck me that one might form the basis of a good calf and hay sledge too.

23rd September, 2023

It was a glorious day today. The kind of soft day that makes you want to put up a hammock and find a good book. 

Roda, my cleaner, came today after a couple of weeks off and together we kicked the house into shape. I also managed to take a soft toothbrush to Geoff's old CPAP equipment and gave it a good scrub ready for storage now it's been replaced. And four loads of washing. And emptied and cleaned all the bins.

I set up an electric fence around a section of the main driveway area, where the grass is approaching knee height. I had been contemplating putting out some hay for the girls, and getting the mower going. But synergy is when you solve two problems with the same answer. They can get into the fenced area through an open gate and I hope they find it. Of course, if I'd opened it and was hoping I'd get away with them not noticing it they'd be through like a shot.

I also moved Sorcha in with Annie and Jaffa, she's so close to calving that the closer she is to the house the happier I am and the easier she is to check. That leaves Little Moo and Flora in with the sheep.

I set up another muesli station at the feeding point for the calves. This one has a lid so I can open it up for that window where they have finished their milk and are still hungry enough to nibble, and close it to keep the other cattle and the chooks out.

22nd September, 2023

Not a bad day today, but I'm not going to fall for it, there's more wind out there.

I had an early start at 1pm, so not alot done around the house except to vacuum up the cardboard confetti that Suzie (Shredder) produced last night out of the box that Geoff's new CPAP came in and the feathers left over from an unfortunate sparrow that Shadow brought in.

Sorcha is still holding onto her baby, it can't be long now. I don't know if she will have a large calf too, she's had good nutrition so it's a possibility. 

The local Council is advertising more admin positions. I might throw my hat in the ring again. Can't hurt to have a job that isn't so physically damaging.

21st September, 2023

Nicer day today, did a tour of the farm looking for eggs with the improved light to see deeper into sheds. No surprise nests, but it's only a matter of time. There's a broody hen in the dog kennel in front of the chook house, I'll set up the broody pen on Saturday and put her in.

I rang around looking for old toboggans to make a farm sled, without success. They do make purpose built quad sleds, but they aren't cheap. I was hoping for an old car bonnet, but I think I can actually do something a little better. 

We have some old metal piping I think I can make runners out of and some heavy mesh that might just make a good body. Something that will carry two bales of hay and maybe a calf with a cargo net over it to keep it in. It would be easier to roll a calf into that than try and drag it up onto the quad bike, especially a large and active calf.

20th September, 2024

OK, that'll teach me to think mother nature doesn't have another card up her sleeve. 5mm rain overnight and one of the biggest wind gusts we've had since we moved here. I spent a while picking up things that had blown from one end of the farm to the other and I don't think I got it all.

Belle will be pretty dark on me for moving her across the road where there isn't a lovely solid shelter. But she is in good condition and can fill up on hay to generate heat. The cattle didn't come up for the hay until later in the afternoon when the wind finally dropped, I think they were all hunkered down in a gully.

I did the training for the AEC job on referendum day. I worked at the polling booths at the last election, it was good money and quite interesting. So when the emails went around again I put my hand up for this poll. The training was pretty much a repeat of the procedures, but it was good to get a refresher.

I picked up calf starter muesli and milk powder to store in the chiller. I've now got a bag each of all of the feeds I use stored so that if I run out of the stuff in barrels on the weekend I am right to just pick up more the next business day. It's nice to be organised.

Geoff cut some mats from around Poppy's ears and collars, I passed her treats as he worked and she put up with it quite well.

The calves were hunkered down in the sheep shelter straw bed when I went out for their night feed. I was surprised they weren't with Jaffa and Annie and Freya in the loafing shed, but I suspect they went to bed earlier in the cold and wind and were sound asleep when the others moved out of the weather.

The wind blew my weather rooster off his perch, I'll have to climb up on the roof to reinstate him.

19th September, 2023

The wind ! Aaarrghhh .....

I checked on Jack and Gizmo over on the 75 acres. All the cattle were well down the slope, staying out of the wind. I debated whether to separate Belle and Moose and try and cut out one of Leigh's young bulls and put them into the end paddock to try and get her pregnant. In the end I decided it would be easier to lead her and Moose over the road and put her with the proven bull. Beanie went along too, just in case she wasn't already pregnant and to get three mouths off the grass on the 25 acre side.

Not long after I put Belle and co across the road Leigh put a round bale out for the weaners and one across the road for that herd. So at least she'll have hay to go along with the new grass. He parked his tractor next to the piggery, I think he means to butcher another one of the pigs.

Work was a slog, I think the front end manager is starting to get desperate for staff, and there's plenty to suggest other departments are too. 

One of the old original australorp chickens is heading downhill. She's getting thin and some sort of growth has appeared on her leg making it harder to get about. She's got seed put out every afternoon and a feeder always full of pellets, so if she's losing weight that suggests she's nearing the end. 

The Visitors - Sandra Henderson

18th September, 2023

Starting to get into a rhythm with feeding the calves, back inside for breakfast, washing and or dishwasher, then down to milk, then feed the chooks. Seems to have a good flow and I get some breaks in between rather than slog my way through the day. With animals the rhythm is everything, if they know what order things happen in they will go with the flow. Try mixing it up and you have everyone confused.

Went to a self care workshop this evening, got some new ideas and gave some thought to other ways I can use my craft room. For example, the hammock will hang from the old cutting rails, I could put on some music and scented candles and read for a while, or just nap. No phones allowed.

Freya seems to be a very relaxed calf, I have no trouble going up to her. Although her mum is still very defensive.

17th September, 2023

It's still ridiculously windy, but at least the rain has passed and the sun is out. Good drying weather so I gathered everything that could use a wash and got it out on the line.

All is good with the new calf, Freya. She is very pretty and is leading her mother a merry chase as she explores. Joey and Star are keen to meet her, but Jaffa isn't so sure about the riff raff.

On the way to take a load of recycling to the tip I stopped in at the art gallery to pick up a chai latte and look at their current exhibition. All the paintings are nice, but the ones that I think are something a bit above and beyond are by Sandra Henderson, from over at Penguin. I'll post some pics of them over the next few weeks, when I don't have a photo from the farm to put up.

Sandra Henderson "Bush Bouquet" www.sandra-henderson.com

16th September, 2023

Today was a classic Nasty Spring. Filthy weather, sleet, cold, wind fit to tear the roof off.

I fed the calves before work, which was crazy busy. What is it with bad weather bringing people out ? I can't think of anywhere better to be than home in bad weather. At least it was a short shift, 10am to 2pm. I milked when I got home, then had a cup of tea while I thought about what to do for the critters.

I figured the weather was going to keep the cattle and sheep under shelter and limit their time for grazing, which is fine for some of the fatties, they have enough blubber to hibernate. But the two heavily pregnant cows are under more pressure as the calf leaves little room for grass and they have to eat little and often. So I put out some hay for each of the groups closer to the house and then took two small bales up to the pregnant girls, only to find Jaffa wasn't with them. Which could only mean one thing.

Jaffa's water had broken when I got there, so I checked and the hoofs were huge, which was worrying because she is well overweight and nothing I do has ever dropped a kilo off her. Know the feeling ... Anyway, she was pushing so hard she was on her side with all four legs off the ground. I went to get the phone in case I had to call the vet and this is what I found when I got back.

Clearly sired by Jason's young speckle park bull, Rocky. The yellow colour is merconium, which is an indicator of a hard birth. The calf looked fine and alert though, and was keen to get up.

The calf was quite large, probably over 40kg. It took two of us to load it into a wheelbarrow to get it and Jaffa up to the sheep shelter, because the weather wasn't any good for a newborn on the exposed hillside that mum seemed to think might make a good birthplace.

Once settled in the shelter I checked underneath and was surprised to find the calf is a heifer ! Very large for a girl. She got right into looking for dinner and it wasn't long before she was filled up. It's always a good feeling when they latch on and you know things are probably going to be ok.

I had been going to feed out the hay, feed the chooks and collect eggs, then order pizza from the new place. As it was, after all the calf kerfuffle it was too late for that and we had chicken and prawn hotpots made up from leftovers. I thought briefly about going out to get icecream, but there comes a point when you need to batten the hatches and once the power started to flicker I just went and gave the calves their night feed and fed the dogs and hopped in for a lovely long hot shower.

15th September, 2023

It's been a long and busy couple of days. Woolies is short staffed, the front end alone up to three missing each day. It means those of us who are at work are pulling longer shifts and more shifts in a week. So I did a nine hour shift then had to take Geoff up to the hospital with a series of nose bleeds. They sorted him out but bed was 2am. I did the checks, milking, feeds and then went back to bed for a couple of hours until my next shift.

Last night was another big one, today was a long one. Big shifts (busy) and long shifts are a slog, but a big AND long one really knocks you over. And an extra shift this week on top, I am doing full time hours. Very much looking forward to Sunday and Monday off.

So, in summary, all the critters are well, made a new friend exchanging honey for milk to make yoghurt. Had a bloke come in and he and Geoff pulled down the old fence along the Sledge Track that was sliding down towards the road and looked like sooner or later it would take the wing mirror off a milk tanker. That was a good job done in the nick of time. He's going to come back when I have a slower week and help me clean out the dairy and loafing sheds.

Geoff needs a new CPAP mask and his machine is gradually fading away from old age, so I spent a bit of time on research and the next one will be the same make and model but with an autoset function that adjusts it's settings every three breaths. Hopefully it will be even better than the current one, which has done a sterling job.

12th September, 2023

I made a rice pudding last night. The old fashioned way. Rice, sugar, vanilla, milk and nutmeg. I used to make them so often that I didn't need to measure the ingredients. Same with scones. Once I've got my hand back in I'll start tweaking the recipe. A little coconut milk, maybe some turkish delight, perhaps egg. I love comfort food, bread and butter pudding is another one. 

Jaffa looks like she'll catch up with Sorcha now, they're both on daily close checks.

11th September, 2023

I took two dozen eggs to an egg customer and got $10 and a bottle of port in exchange. If the port is any good it will be nice to have some, I haven't bought any for ages and there's nothing like spaghetti bol made with port instead of red wine.

I topped up the calves' muesli, it seems to be at nibbling stage. Annie was keen to get in and eat it all up (very yummy !) but she is still stymied by the creep. She is annoyed at being separated from the rest of the herd, but I need to have her close to the dairy without opening and closing gates and having to go and get her, and the same with the calves for feeding. So she can socialise over the fence and get over it in return for a good feed every day.

I checked back ends and udders for all the girls, Beanie isn't doing anything and heifers start building an udder a way out so she's got plenty of time. Jaffa is slowly building an udder and is a bit poofy, maybe a few weeks there. Sorcha is looking like the calf could fall out and her udder is getting well defined, less than two weeks I think. See how the predictions go.

Finn didn't want any milk again, nor any breakfast. He did eat last night's dinner about lunchtime, so he's eating but not hungry like usual. I guess when all the pork bones are gnawed off he'll return to schedule.

I brushed Poppy again, a few dry days in a row and we're making real progress. I have extended the clean patches on her sides to meet up over her back, where the nasty matted stuff is. This means that I can start nibbling the mats around the edge and I think four or five more sessions will get her done with everything I can reach without a second pair of hands. She's weird about her tail and will need clipping there and under her collar and ears, but the risk of getting a hot spot or fly blown under those back mats will be gone.

I checked the tag on my dwarf mulberry and the expected height is 2 - 4 metres. I think I will find the biggest affordable pot at Bunnings and put it on the apron in front of the craft room. It will let the sun in in winter and leafy shade in summer. And hopefully berries, which I might have to fight the birds for.

I'd like to plant a full sized mulberry as a paddock tree, they are great shade trees and grow quickly. I have been surprised how many people haven't ever tried a mulberry !

Mum is back online after computer troubles, "HI MUM !" I hope you catch up here soon :-)

10th September, 2023

Almost a frost today, and mostly sunny. Icy edge to the wind but a good drying day.

Finn is not coming in for dinner and isn't keen on his bowl of fresh milk in the morning. He doesn't seem sick or off, maybe he's just filling up on all the bits of pig strewn around. He is hoarding the head, not sure if he is gnawing on it or just admiring it.

I moved Annie and the calves back into the barnyard/sheep shelter paddock where they are closer to the feeding area and dairy, reducing the time I spend walking to get their attention for feeding or milking. And making sure the calves are close to their muesli.

Sarge brought in a mouse last night. Showed me then promptly dropped it and let it run under the lounge. I wish they'd dispatch them before carrying them in !

I gave Poppy another brush today, 15 mins interspersed with treats. I am making good headway in the areas which are relatively untangled but blowing her winter coat, and today I started on some of the matted and dirty areas along her backline where she wallows in the puddles she digs. She looks so much better already.

I've started doing a load of washing on any evening that isn't forcast for rain the next day. If the washing is on the line for the whole day it stands a good chance of drying without needing the dryer. And it's one less thing to roll into the morning.

Tomorrow is my one day off before another five days of work at woolies. With so many off sick we are all pulling extra shifts.

9th September, 2023

Back to cold nights/frosty mornings. It feels like there's a random weather generator.

I reintroduced the calves to the muesli bucket. With all the doings around the hay shed they'd started avoiding their previously chosen lair. They're not hugely hungry for it yet, their milk is going a long way to filling them up. As they grow they'll want more to fill and will turn to it.

I was supposed to go to Launnie yesterday for a skin check, but I accidentally made an appointment for the beginning of October as well, so given the horrible weather for driving and how tired I was I cancelled yesterday's. The roads can be difficult when the rain is pelting down, and less than clear thinking is asking for trouble.

Leigh dropped off a pork roast, no crackle as he had to skin the pig (too big to scald) but will eat well nonetheless. Maybe done with a citrus and honey marinade....

I was worried the chickens would fret about the loss of the rooster, but they are fine. It's not like they have a stressful life or any shortages. They've kicked up a notch in the laying, time to sell a few more.

8th September, 2023

There was a thunderstorm last night, according to Poppy, the early warning system. And the rain came in hard and heavy from the northeast. Our rain gauge said 20mm and the BOM station said 1.2mm. I am waiting to see if that gets corrected or stands as an example of "patchy".

I only did the basics today, the weather was so nasty it invited a good long sleep in. I got up and fed the calves then went back to bed until around lunchtime. Milked, fed the chickens, collected eggs, emptied and filled the dishwasher. Caught up on emails and worked on my house plan until calf night feed.

Some days the weather is telling you to hibernate.

7th September, 2023

The day started foggy and windy, then went to lovely, warm and clear, and then to warmish but raining. Three for one deal. During the nice part Geoff did some mowing and I sat Poppy down for another brushing session. She's shedding her coat ready for summer so the more of that I get out now the fewer dreadlocks she'll develop. As it is she needs a heap cut out from under her ears.

Leigh has been moving the pig carcass around with the tractor, keeping it wrapped and in the shade in places where the wind can keep it cool. Unfortunately this is messing with all the setup I had for the calves creep feeder and the sheep foot bath. I will be relieved when the pig gets cut up small enough to go hang in his chiller.

Part of the messing involved letting the cows out into the part of the main paddock where the sheep are. This included the calves, who were delighted to find a new place to explore, new places to nap, and more company on the other side of the electric rope. Oddly, like the sheep, they are small enough to walk under the single line but stayed on this side. It was a bit of a walk going to get them for their dinner though. They might have to stay in the barnyard/sheep shelter for a few more weeks.

I had confirmation that my applications for the Sheep Connect NSW job had been received, which is always a nagging worry.

It seems the survey plan for the sale of the 75 acres was requisitioned. That means the surveyor was asked for more information or to fix a mistake. I knew that it was unlikely that he had done a good job on the plan when I saw the names of the original grantees misspelled twice, in two different ways. It's just one more slow down on an already ridiculously drawn out process, and so close to the end of the ordeal too...

6th September, 2023

Someone was cleaning out the calf muesli overnight, so I set the calves up with a creep feed area. This is an area that adult cattle can't get into but calves can "creep" under a barrier and access. Their muesli is in the hay shed now and the cows are locked out of that. They have the loafing shed anyway, and the calves like the hay shed. 

I can start reducing their milk when they are reliably eating 1kg of muesli per day. That will be a while off, but everything they nibble now adds to their nutrition. The vet said they looked healthy and happy, so we'll keep going with things as they stand.

I took my subaru into Goodyear in Scottsdale to have the suspension checked out. I was told by another mechanic that I needed four shocks, new link rods and new boots. The roads in Tassie are quite windy so good mechanicals is essential for safe driving. 

The guy at Goodyear took it for a test drive and then up on the hoist, hit the right front suspension with some CRC and said no charge. He tactfully declined to speculate on the advice from the other mechanic, but I knew when he bounced the corners of the car when I dropped it off and he looked very confused that I had possibly been misled by the other guy. I'll organise an alignment and rotation for the tyres in a few week.

Leigh butchered one of the pigs this afternoon, which will leave the other two with more space and certainly reduce his feed costs. I think he's fed them a good six months longer than he needed to.

It was a very large pig. I took the liver, heart and kidneys round to Rob Taylor's as he makes pate and pies with those. He is after some pork fat for venison sausages too, so I gave him Leigh's number.

I put on a batch of slow cooker yoghurt with 3 litres of the shop milk that I bought for the 3L bottle it came in. Each one of those does a full feed for the calves, 1.5 litres of Annie's milk and 1.5 litres of powder.

5th September, 2023

The vet came in the morning to take care of the calves. Bull calves need castrating and any with horns need dehorning. I don't keep adult dairy bulls, they are too dangerous. And while horns are good in theory and probably essential in rangeland situations ... I've never had a cattle here with horns that didn't become an arse and a bully with the extra power they bring.

I did think Star might be polled, but the vet found some very small horn buds. So both Star and Joey were dehorned and Joey had his liabilities removed. They were sedated, given a nerve block (local) and some meloxicam (long lasting pain killer). Then the wounds were covered with alushield, an aluminium based spray that keeps off insects and kills bacteria. By the time they woke up the meloxicam had kicked in and they haven't missed a beat.

We also pregnancy checked Annie and Belle. Annie is estimated 4 - 5 months pregnant, which falls right between exposures to a bull and reflects the imprecision of the craft. I'll have to sit down and do some real cow maths to work out when I should dry her off based on the likeliest due date.

Belle seems to have slipped an early pregnancy, so she will need to go back with a bull soon. Getting her AI'd isn't a problem, but she's not showing overt heats so getting the timing right is difficult. And doing a synch protocol is expensive for just one cow.

Finn got his vaccinations and a check over, he's in excellent health, perhaps a little plump. The vet was hesitant when he found out he was going to vax a maremma, then realised it was Finn and figured it would be perfectly fine. Alot of maremma aren't properly socialised, Finn loves meeting people and the more pats the better.

4th September, 2023

Joey is now eating muesli after his milk, hopefully Star will watch and copy. I pulled all the baling twine out from around the old bales in their corner of the hay shed, calves will chew on anything. I also fed them in the hayshed tonight, carting everything down to them, as it was raining and I didn't want them to get cold and wet.

I checked the hops plants, and about half of them are showing shoots. This coming weekend I will prep the trellises and clear the grass from around them so there's less competition.

I went for a paddock walk and checked the power on all the fences, mostly sitting around 5.2 which is good enough to make the cattle think twice. Despite the fact that the sheep should be able to walk under the single line splitting the main paddock, they seem to be respecting it.

I fixed the loose palings in the fences of both cottages and the loose panels on the implement shed. There's still a couple of battens on the chook shed to do. One of the chooks lays an olive green egg, she started back up after a winter break today. She's not a prolific layer so that tells me that they should all be picking up soon.

I also took Poppy into the shade next to the greenhouse and spent some time brushing her. She has a dense coat that is shedding right now, and has a bad habit of laying in mud. She needs to be brushed for about 15 mins a day to keep her coat in order but can't be brushed when her coat is wet. The fur just stretches and knots. With the ongoing wet weather and her personal habits, days when she is dry enough to brush are few and far between. Maybe over summer we'll get her in order.

I looked up slow cooker recipes for milk caramel, the dulce de leche ones were all for using a can of condensed milk. So I looked for cajeta recipes (which is caramel made with goat's milk) and because you don't get canned condensed goat milk they actually showed how to do it in a slow cooker from liquid milk. 

I have a small slow cooker in the cupboard, about 2 litres, so I did an experiment with 500ml of milk and cooked it down to about 200ml of caramel sauce. Normally I do 4 litres in a saucepan. It takes about 2hrs that way and the slow cooker was about 8 hrs, but you have to stand with the saucepan and stir while the slow cooker is turn on and check once an hour.

3rd September, 2023

We moved the last of the round bales out of the loafing shed, where they were subject to cow predation, to to boat shed, where they can be locked away safely. Bessie is now in the boatshed too. She has an oil leak, and it might be time to do a full oil/coolant/fuel check. Plus cut the bale net that's wrapped around the PTO.

The rooster, Franklin, was put down today. The attacks have been escalating and it was getting difficult to feed the chooks without getting done over. Once his spurs got sharp it was going to be dangerous. I am not sure if the hens miss him or not. They did follow him around, but they're pretty comfortable free ranging anyway.

I visited all the sheep and cattle today, handing out scratches and chin rubs. I don't see much udder action with the girls, they may be pregnant to the little speckle park bull after all. Those with angus in their breeding are starting to shed, they look pretty moth eaten.

I set up a second calf feeding station at the chook house gate, moving the one from the sheep shelter. That opened the shelter up for Annie, Little Moo and Flora too, who will probably enjoy the straw bed now that the calves have decided to camp in the hay shed.

Leigh's old ram Jack, who had been living with the cattle on the 75 acres, was also put down today. He was starting to pack it in and was limping badly, so rather than let him go down hill the hard decision was made. This will make it easier to visit the cows on the 75 side, as Jack was a grumpy old bugger and was keen to headbutt all female people. He had a go at Siobhan and me, and put Adeline on her backside a couple of times. He never took on the blokes though.

2nd September, 2023

Nice spring in the house today. A gentle breeze, good drying weather.

I closed off the ryegrass paddock for hay, if it doesn't suddenly get dry before it gets warm we should have either hay or silage off it this year. It's also time to look at fertiliser or lime. When you take hay off every year it's a net export of nutrients. It would be great to get a load of manure to spread over it.

We had a lamb roast dinner with Shane and Juliet and family tonight. Shane set up his telescope and we had a good look at the blue moon. It's amazing how much detail you can see with good magnification. He also took some photos of a small aurora. Apparently 2025 will be the peak, so the southern lights will be building up over the next couple of years and we might even be able to see them from the farm. It's nestled a little low at the foot of the Sideling to see the lights.

The calves are routinely turning up at the back of the chook house and I have to let them through the back yard to their feeder at the top gate. I might as well move the feeding station across to the chookhouse gate and save everyone a bit of time.

Sarge has licked himself another booboo. It's down one arm so his coats won't cover it, so he's stuck with blue cones for a week while it gets cream applied and heals.

I sent off my job application for Sheep Connect, fingers crossed !

1st September, 2023

Hello Nice Spring ! I would love to think you are here to stay, but ....

Not alot to report today, besides a good job replanting my pinball wizard carnation where the pipe exploration went through the middle of the garden. 

The wiltshire sheep agisting in the hop paddock have gone home, just when one of them lambed and they were going to be interesting to watch. The ram did have spectacular horns. They had eaten the paddock right down though, and were going to have to be fed hay soon.

I went to pick up a filled prescription from the chemist, only to find the tablets didn't require a script and weren't even pharmacy. They said they wouldn't be surprised if we sell them at woolies. Hmmm. Why did the doc write me a script ?

We're using up the gas in the cylinders before Elgas comes and takes them. They won't supply any more gas until we have a compliance plate and we can't get a gas fitter to come and do the inspection. We have a reverse cycle unit installed and gas is getting more and more expensive, so we gave up and cancelled the gas supply account. As a bonus the r/c does cooling as well, which the gas doesn't give us.

Mind you, we only need the cooling for a handful of days each summer where we don't get a breeze.