Who's Your Daddy?

Our crossbred herd ranges from the stately Queenie to the gormless but lovely No. 100.  Each have their own merits, from producing smashing calves, size and build, to a good nature, or occasionally they're just a cow to which we're very attached.  Whatever they may claim, every decent farm has one or two of these. We do not keep a bull on the farm (Thistle, a substantially built cow, is often mistaken for one from afar), but instead, browse the Genus Beef Directory to choose a sire for our calves.  When choosing a bull the most important factors for us are high calving ease, strong growth rates and calf quality.  We do this by looking at the Beef Sire Index which compares the individual bull to the breed average.  Smaller calves that grow fast are ideal in our system, although recently we've produced some monsters!

Currently, we use two bulls: the mighty Hereford, Solpoll 1 Ferrari, and the lively Aberdeen Angus, Nightingale Ploughman.  Ploughman has reached the 'legendary' status of 'Diamond Sire' with over 100,000 calves in his beef sires proof.  He's a busy bull.

I favour giant, dopey Herefords; Dad favours Angus' - you have to watch him when he's by the AI flask or else we'd have 100% Angus calves.  To celebrate our latest batch, and to see if you think Dad got his way, it's Game Time!  Put your observation skills to the test in our "simple" matching challenge:

Answers below.  And for those who need a helping hand: the mothers include two heifers, a giant, a "slow to regain her figure" cow, and a brown one who likes to kick.  No need to thank me.  A pat on the back if you scored 5-out-of 5 - or a kick in the case of Crispin (E).

Answers: 
Hereford: A (wingnut ears - dead giveaway!), B, E.  
Angus: C, D

Bale carting with Dad

This is a tractor.

This is a tractor.

But this isn't just any old tractor.  This is a tractor that will blow your mind.  For not only is this tractor parked outside the barn....this tractor drove itself out of the barn.  Hallelujah!

A fully operational tractor with a post-split variety of new bearings, pipes, brakes, working accelerators (both hand and foot of course), and even...wait for it...two doors!  The luxury!

Congratulations Dad, you're a pro now - the next one will be a breeze!

Happy Father's Day everyone!

The Calf with the Golden Navel

We only breed the best!  Our newborn Hereford calf has its navel sprayed by Farmer Humph (Note the sunhat - summer is here!)

Inside the hive

Visiting the farm

Sometimes (..often), visitors to the farm are drafted in to help out.  Usually, it's to help block a gap as we move the cows or similar.  But sometimes, it's a little more involved...

Last weekend, Paddy, Dad's godson, was literally kidnapped and taken off to help harvest a new green oak beam for the upcoming Timber Frame Course.

And a good job too, as it is safe to say it was not a one man job.  The perfectly shaped branch in question belonged to a huge fallen oak at the edge of the Marsh. Employing the basic laws of physics and engineering, plus a chain saw and a JCB, we extracted and lifted the section over the fence.

At one stage the words "Why don't we come back tomorrow and take the fence down?" were uttered.  But Farmer Humph was persuaded to persevere (I climbed on the tree trunk and stamped my foot) and has now shaped the beam, and it looks gorgeous.This curved beam will replace a piece of 4x2, and restore the original archway through to the old farm.  This particular beam made the cut as its shape roughly matches that of an existing arch, which will remain in situ.  It is fantastic to be able to use wood from the farm in the restoration of the Stable.  A lot of the timber in the original build is recycled from earlier buildings, but it makes you wonder how much "new" wood was harvested from trees on the farm...without a JCB...how grim.

Huge thanks to Paddy for explaining to Dad how his plan was a little kamikaze, and working out a safer alternative - model godchild behaviour.  Apparently, one of Paddy's early memories is attempting to climb the giant steps up to the combine; a sure sign he should return during harvest and have a go driving that very same Mercator!

Bee(f) farming*

* or apiculture (the culture of apes)

Dad and I took an outing yesterday to collect a swarm of bees.  What better way to undertake some father-daughter bonding when you only own one bee suit (which I rocked) meaning that when bees are present, the other person has to stay a sensible distance away from said bee-suited individual.  Clearly, we'll have to repurpose one of Farmer Humph's sun hats by glamorously draping a veil over it...

Watching bees settling into the weird, insect-dripping organism that is a resting swarm is fascinating.  This swarm was in the two castes pictured above.  We knocked the bees from their resting place into a box, swept up some of the remainders, and returned close to sunset to transport the box back to the farm.

The father-daughter bonding ended slightly at this point when my driving was classified as "too bumpy" for the bees...this from a man who swerves around potholes at the last-minute.  But, we all survived the journey and the bees are over-nighting in an idyllic spot overlooking the river, pasture and apple blossom.  Hopefully the pampered bees will decide to stay and long may the father-daughter bonding continue!

Great British Beef Week

This week, across the country, people have celebrated the quality, versatility and nutritional powerhouse that is British Beef!

And so, to celebrate, we bring you Farmer Humph's #beefie...

Great British Beef Week 2014

Not really!  But this is a screen print by the brilliant Paul Bommer (click here for more info), hanging on our kitchen wall...and the resemblance is uncanny!

Happy British Beef Week from the Lower Dairy Farm Herd!