We had some friends over last night , and despite my Cholesterol reducing diet I had a bit of a bloated feeling, after many sandwiches in the garden. The over full feeling was alleviated by a game involving 6 adults 4 children a terrier and a football. There were no rules , considerable physical contact ,no outcome and a lot of fun. The unnamed game ended when it got so dark we couldn't see the ball or the other combatants.
This morning was a very slow start, not being the highly tuned athlete I once was . A quick scan of a pen of 60 weanling's ( cattle that have just gone off milk to a solid diet) revealed trouble. Many years of looking at animals, and cattle particularly gives you an eye for trouble. One of the bunch was suffering from Bloat and if you read what is contained in the link you will be a bloat expert.
The young Hereford in question was looking pretty sorry for himself and very full of gas. The old remedy is to give them a drink ofbicarbonate of soda and warm water,then walk them round to help the gas escape from one end or the other. After an hour it was obvious the remedy had failed and the vet was called. John is a brilliant cattle vet, and vet in general and acted quickly. While Steve and I restrained the patient, who John called "Fred", perhaps that's his name and I didn't know?, a small incision was made in the left side. When I say incision it was more of a nick and a plastic cannula inserted into the top of the rumen. This is a tube that allows the offending ( and offensive smelling ) gas to escape.
The whoosh of escaping gas left Fred about 30% smaller and a 100% happier. It would not have been long until the pressure inside Fred would have suffocated him, so the nick was in the nick of time( am i trying too hard ?). The cannula will stay in Fred for a couple of weeks until normal digestion returns.
What a dramatic start to the week, and tomorrow Sues Aussie friends head for home and we are taking them down to Heathrow, which could well be another drama, I do hope not!
Monday, 30 June 2008
Thursday, 26 June 2008
All Clear
The TB test was passed without a hitch, next we test the whole herd on July 14th. Tomorrow I must make sure the restriction is lifted.
Its a wet windy night here in S Shrops, time the weather bucked up. This time last year we were in a state of chaos , with water every where. This year its the turn of the US to suffer flooding. This is a report from Agriculture online about the whole gruesome situation.
We are having great trouble with a huge flock of crows and Jackdaws around the yard. They are helping themselves to the cattle feed, which has barley and oats in it, its like a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds" when we go to the yard the other side of the road.
My attempts to drive them off with occasional gun fire are not working, any one got a plan B ??
Its a wet windy night here in S Shrops, time the weather bucked up. This time last year we were in a state of chaos , with water every where. This year its the turn of the US to suffer flooding. This is a report from Agriculture online about the whole gruesome situation.
We are having great trouble with a huge flock of crows and Jackdaws around the yard. They are helping themselves to the cattle feed, which has barley and oats in it, its like a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds" when we go to the yard the other side of the road.
My attempts to drive them off with occasional gun fire are not working, any one got a plan B ??
I am angry, really angry......
On Monday I told you about getting cattle sorted for a TB test (tuberculosis) , these were a8 cattle from 4 herds that had a TB breakdown. The cattle were traced to me , as i bought them as baby calves. The vet and I knew the test had to be done by the 24th, so we were a day early, today is Thursday and the test will be read today and the results sent to the Animal Health department.
This morning I have received a restriction order, stopping me from buying or selling cattle because the test has not been done. i took several deep breaths and rang the number on the letter, and without swearing expressed my frustration. The duty vet told me that the test should be completed by the 24th, , the letter says done by the 24th. I know this sounds like hair splitting but , as I said through clenched teeth to the vet in question, "this sort of draconian action does nothing to encourage cooperation from the likes of me".
Having got that off my chest, had a coffee and a piece of toast, which i shouldn't have as there was butter on it and I have raised cholesterol ( 8 gulp !) I feel guilty but calm.
Thanks to Isobel davies for the comment on the Worshipful Company of Farmers being like the Bunderberg group. I have found out who they are and its exciteing to be compared to the worlds most powerful club. If the Buderberg gang are China and the Indian subcontinent our WCOF group would be an uninhabited island off the Orkney's, you get the idea.
Time for more coffee and a couple of deep breaths.
This morning I have received a restriction order, stopping me from buying or selling cattle because the test has not been done. i took several deep breaths and rang the number on the letter, and without swearing expressed my frustration. The duty vet told me that the test should be completed by the 24th, , the letter says done by the 24th. I know this sounds like hair splitting but , as I said through clenched teeth to the vet in question, "this sort of draconian action does nothing to encourage cooperation from the likes of me".
Having got that off my chest, had a coffee and a piece of toast, which i shouldn't have as there was butter on it and I have raised cholesterol ( 8 gulp !) I feel guilty but calm.
Thanks to Isobel davies for the comment on the Worshipful Company of Farmers being like the Bunderberg group. I have found out who they are and its exciteing to be compared to the worlds most powerful club. If the Buderberg gang are China and the Indian subcontinent our WCOF group would be an uninhabited island off the Orkney's, you get the idea.
Time for more coffee and a couple of deep breaths.
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Wrong Again
My gloomy prediction of yesterday was proven wrong. Steve fenced, I helped a bit in the morning by pushing some posts in with our trusty digger, Robert tidied some grass, including the chicken run, which impressed Sue, and I even got some office work done.
I managed to spend half an hour with Dad before lunch, hes wheel chair bound due to a stroke, and we put the world right I can tell you. Dad has time to read the Telegraph in some detail , which possibly gives a skewed view of the world which suits us fine. We concluded that politicians are beneath contempt and euro politicians are well below that.
Its easy to snipe at our leaders and whatever political colour they are the same probably applies. It does seem that there is a greater emphasis on job security and future pension payments than on making difficult decisions for the greater good.
The decision by the European Parliament to ban the use of many of the sprays used on our crops seems insane. In the face of rapid food price inflation and looming supply issues why do anything to make that supply more difficult ? This was discussed on farming today this morning and featured Kit Papworth a Norfolk farmer who was on the Worshipful Company of Farmers Course that Matt Naylor and I met on , its worth a listen http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/radio4/aod.shtml?radio4/farmingtoday_tue
.
I managed to spend half an hour with Dad before lunch, hes wheel chair bound due to a stroke, and we put the world right I can tell you. Dad has time to read the Telegraph in some detail , which possibly gives a skewed view of the world which suits us fine. We concluded that politicians are beneath contempt and euro politicians are well below that.
Its easy to snipe at our leaders and whatever political colour they are the same probably applies. It does seem that there is a greater emphasis on job security and future pension payments than on making difficult decisions for the greater good.
The decision by the European Parliament to ban the use of many of the sprays used on our crops seems insane. In the face of rapid food price inflation and looming supply issues why do anything to make that supply more difficult ? This was discussed on farming today this morning and featured Kit Papworth a Norfolk farmer who was on the Worshipful Company of Farmers Course that Matt Naylor and I met on , its worth a listen http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/radio4/aod.shtml?radio4/farmingtoday_tue
.
Monday, 23 June 2008
lets get started
I have wanted to blog for a while, it took a little push from my mate Mat Naylor, blogger and fellow Pure Tilth member, along with Ian Pigott to get me going. To listen to our fledgling podcast try this www.puretilth.com .
Mat is relatively techy, compared with me, I still marvels at the alchemy that must make calculators work. Like most people I just use what I absolutely have to in any tech situation and never go further, time to change.
If you have read my bio, that Mat kindly put up you will have a general idea of who what where etc. You will probably have noticed that we live and work on a farm, and thats probably going to be the main "thrust" ( good word) of the pure hereford blog.
So whats been happening farm boy ? I hope you ask.
Its monday, and Bob Geldof, in a rare moment of performing talent said " i dont like Mondays`s at all", neither do I Bob, and today was a bit of a stinker.
It was mostly/ completely my fault, several jobs had to be done this morning includeing takeing cattle to market, and a meeting scheduled with a really nice chap called Bob Slater from FWAG www.fwag.org.uk , and cattle prepared for TB testing at 2 pm. I was on my way to Ludlow market with two very fine fat cattle when a chap rang to say he would be there at mid day to select Herefords for next week delivery, which was a suprise as I was about to call him. Got home, washed the trailer out from the Ludlow trip, when Bob Slater rang to say he would be an hour early if thats Ok, in the meantime 8 cattle had to be penned for the vet at 2 pm to do TB tests.
As usual it all got done, and the machine that blows straw into the cattle pens for bedding was temporarily fixed and 9 Herefords were selected for next week, Steve and Robert who help me on the farm got it sorted
Tonight has been one of those magical early summer evenings we so rarely get, and to make it even better we have one of those big beer boxes in the pantry made by www.hobsons-brewery.co.uk .Left over from Sues parents 50th wedding aniversary at the weekend, congratulations Bill and Jean, it was fantastic. There is something magical about real ale on a quiet summers night, much as a glass of crisp white wine in a cafe in a provincial French town or ice cold beer in a mid western tavern on a sultry evening. When something just fits , it just fits and should be enjoyed. I enjoyed it hugely whilst Charlie enjoyed his swing and the Morning didnt seem so bad after all.
Tomorrow, I have to face the demon of the office work, Robert is cutting the excess grass in some grazing fields and Steve is building new fences, whats the betting thats not what happens.
Mat is relatively techy, compared with me, I still marvels at the alchemy that must make calculators work. Like most people I just use what I absolutely have to in any tech situation and never go further, time to change.
If you have read my bio, that Mat kindly put up you will have a general idea of who what where etc. You will probably have noticed that we live and work on a farm, and thats probably going to be the main "thrust" ( good word) of the pure hereford blog.
So whats been happening farm boy ? I hope you ask.
Its monday, and Bob Geldof, in a rare moment of performing talent said " i dont like Mondays`s at all", neither do I Bob, and today was a bit of a stinker.
It was mostly/ completely my fault, several jobs had to be done this morning includeing takeing cattle to market, and a meeting scheduled with a really nice chap called Bob Slater from FWAG www.fwag.org.uk , and cattle prepared for TB testing at 2 pm. I was on my way to Ludlow market with two very fine fat cattle when a chap rang to say he would be there at mid day to select Herefords for next week delivery, which was a suprise as I was about to call him. Got home, washed the trailer out from the Ludlow trip, when Bob Slater rang to say he would be an hour early if thats Ok, in the meantime 8 cattle had to be penned for the vet at 2 pm to do TB tests.
As usual it all got done, and the machine that blows straw into the cattle pens for bedding was temporarily fixed and 9 Herefords were selected for next week, Steve and Robert who help me on the farm got it sorted
Tonight has been one of those magical early summer evenings we so rarely get, and to make it even better we have one of those big beer boxes in the pantry made by www.hobsons-brewery.co.uk .Left over from Sues parents 50th wedding aniversary at the weekend, congratulations Bill and Jean, it was fantastic. There is something magical about real ale on a quiet summers night, much as a glass of crisp white wine in a cafe in a provincial French town or ice cold beer in a mid western tavern on a sultry evening. When something just fits , it just fits and should be enjoyed. I enjoyed it hugely whilst Charlie enjoyed his swing and the Morning didnt seem so bad after all.
Tomorrow, I have to face the demon of the office work, Robert is cutting the excess grass in some grazing fields and Steve is building new fences, whats the betting thats not what happens.
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