Friday 21 February 2014

Calfies at feeding time!

The best thing we've ever done around here was to put the fence up around the garden. 
I had to really push for it after one of my german shepherds was run over on the road.
We used to have electronic collars on all the dogs, but for some reason they didn't work all that well on the shepherds.
Now we can have some calves (and with a bit more fencing) hopefully some lambs in the paddock.
We used to have horses with a bit of electric tape around the garden.

Each morning and night we go through the following routine with the motley crew!



In order to get them to come when called, we had to talk to them and say 'come on, come on' while they were being bottle fed in a confined space.
I also insisted that we rubbed them all over and talk to them the whole time so they aren't afraid of us.



There is a bit of pushing and shoving by the older 2 who have been eating calf pellets and steam flaked barley for a few weeks now. Once they are on pellets they don't need any milk.
If we want to do something like put tags in their ears, we give them a bottle or a drink in the over the fence feeders.




This big guy hasn't ever been on milk.
He went straight onto grass  but loves the pellets and barley as well.





Look at my Grass! 
Watering that grass has had me walking about 3 km every day just moving sprinklers and turning the  hoses on and off. I am clocking up well over the 10 000 steps recommended most days.
I started with long lengths of hoses coming out over the fence from the garden lawn. I love wobblers and had 4 lots of 3 all attached in a row. Wobblers are so gentle, but once the grass got up a bit they were too short, so I moved to wider spreading percussion sprinklers.

It's the million dollar grass.
Thank got for the 56 solar panels on the new shed and great bore water.

Thursday 20 February 2014

I feel the need to share!

I feel the need to share.
It's no secret that a huge part of Australia is in drought conditions.
We too have been having a fairly huge lack of rainfall around here! But we have been far more fortunate than others and we had a bit a few weeks ago and then another inch and a half today! 

A few weeks ago I found this lovely out the front of my house on the main road, so I popped her in our paddock and waited for her owners to come and get her.
The green pick on the ground is just where the septic hose runs out in the paddock.
It was that day I thought I should start watering the paddock, so I spent a small fortune on sprinklers and hoses and fittings so that I could get it going.


It's nice and green now as I have been madly watering since early January. In order to prepare for an influx of these little suckers.


These guys were bought from the sale yards and had a really tough time in the drought. 
Husband was hinting at bringing home a hundred of our own if the cows got too poor and stopped producing milk.
Thankfully that hasn't happened, they have struggled on with the supplements we have been giving them and the dry grass that was still in the paddock.
Luckily we haven't lost a cow or calf.

Daughter has now gone off to boarding school and this little boy needed some new brothers and sisters! So poddy calves it is!


They spent a few weeks in a small pen as they were very poor and weak when we got them.
Their digestion was shot and we poured a dozen or more sachets of vitrate into them.


Then we had a friend find us this Profelac gold. It should have gold flakes in it for the price! 
It's been fantastic and got these 2 going and a couple of others we've had for a week. It has been so worth it, as the 2 new calves have had no problems and are thriving on it.


That's my Christmas present in the background. 
A new netting and electric fence that keeps my doggies in!! 
I also have an electric gate out the front. 
Lazy things we are!




This was the first calf purchased. 
There were hints that Henry could bottle feed him. we tried to pat him and he bucked and bellowed, NO he was indeed a grass eater from the start!!!
We currently have a stocking rate of seven, with only 2 on bottles.


We saved a lot of cash in the last half of 2013.
Henry thought he would do a shave for cancer fundraiser, but all that hair became too annoying for him. 
The last haircut I had was way back in July!!!!
There are serious financial benefits in not colouring one's hair!!


Someone got his mug on the front page of The Land


Then dad was on page 3!!



When we dropped daughter off at boarding school these took my eye.
I must source these red/pink gums They are so gorgeous with fabulous big nuts.


This creeping spiky thing is up to it's flamboyant tricks.
Quite the stunner!



In preparation for the big wet a bit of protective investment was undertaken!!




Thank goodness it paid off!

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Sensational sunset

Hello,
Jodie just shared an Instagram photo with you:

view full image

"Sensational sunset after 1.5inches of rain!! The rain was most welcome, but not during our school swimming carnival where I got a nice little surprise when a past student told me I had given him THE BEST DAY OF HIS LIFE!! when I shared my (unhealthy) KFC lunch with him!! #itsthelittlethingsthatmattermost"
Thanks,
The Instagram Team
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