By Judy Barnet, Ag Columnist
Riding out on the bike this morning to check the stragglers that haven’t lambed yet I decided to leave Dora at home. The sheep get nervous when they see her and if any had lambed, Dora is not yet well enough trained to stay on the bike when I tell her. I am glad I did leave her behind (despite her loud protests as I rode away) as when I came down the hill to the No. 3 water trough, I spied two deer having a drink. Of course, I had forgotten to bring the camera! The deer were not particularly disturbed upon seeing me, just alert and watchful. I rode slowly past within about 20 metres of them and they didn’t bolt as I had thought they would, just stood watching me. It is the first time we have seen any deer on our place for a few years.
A couple of days ago Dora and I did our usual afternoon Dam visit and it was just on dusk when we rode back towards home. It was the English Leicesters turning their heads and alerted me to something in the grass. I realised it was a feral cat, cried out “hang on Dora” and we off and after it. It stopped in some rocks and I knew I couldn’t get it on the bike. Dora is very respectful of our old house cat but she knew this was something different. Without taking my eye off the cat I unhooked Dora’s leash and she took off after the cat like a rocket. Dora is a fast dog but the cat was faster and when reaching the top of the hill shot through the old machinery and under the shipping containers. I reluctantly called off Dora and the cat lives on. We have tried to trap it several times with no success. Interestingly I got a good look at the cat this time. It is a Tabby/Tortishell colour and not particularly large. It was also quite long haired for a Feral cat. I suspect that a couple at least of the afore mentioned Straggler Ewes may have lambed at night and the cat has got their lambs before my morning patrol.
For the first time since we have opened the cottage last spring we have had some local guests. One gentleman from Warwick last week and a lovely couple from Stanthorpe this week. It is a pleasure and an honour to host people from our local community and I was thrilled! Speaking of guests, on Sunday we are hosting a 50th Birthday Celebration for some very special guests that stayed with us not so long ago. I am looking forward to decorating the cottage and baking a special cake, well, actually that is not quite true. I am doing the planning and the cake but CJ is doing all the work since the guests will be arriving on an in/out day when I will be at work.
I have neglected the vegie garden for the past couple of weeks but this morning I was up bright and early and set to beheading all the cabbages. White Moths have been arriving in hoards and I knew it was now or never. It looks like cabbage is on the menu for the next 2 weeks! I also got in and planted some carrot seed (I love eating the carrots but find planting them incredibly frustrating and painful due to the size of their seeds). I covered the seeds with old potato sacks and soaked these, which I will do daily until I peek under and see the carrot tops emerging. After they emerge I will remove the sacks. That is if nothing eats the seeds first! I also planted corn seed – that was a much more pleasant task!
Well, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I had decided to buy some more calves. I am undecided if the choice to buy this week was a good one or a bad one as unbeknowns to me at the time a draft of stud Poll Hereford Calves was being sold at this weeks sale. I met an old friend there who advised me he was attending to buy a couple of calves and had his eye on this draft of good quality calves – which ranged in age from about a month to three months old. We discussed the fact that the older ones would be old enough to wean onto grain and good pasture whereas the younger ones would need milk to continue growing unchecked. It could be quite hard to get these younger ones to drink off a feeder I advised him, unless he had a foster cow or a lot of time, patience and strength he would be best off with the older ones. We knew the price would be up there and I imagined around 600 for the bigger ones and three to four hundred for the youngest. I didn’t plan on buying any but had a good look at them as it is not often you get to see a draft of good quality Poll Herefords like these. In my opinion the best calves were the ones with a dark mahogany curly coat, white face with brown ring around the eyes and the thick unbroken white line along the neckline. There were both steers and heifers – the steers sold to $890 per head for a pen of four, the heifers to $800. And yes, I brought 2 of the youngest for $500 per head! I also purchased 2 Fresian Bull calves and together these cost less than half of the price of one heifer – I could have brought 5 for the price of 1! The bull calves will be turned into steer calves. If kept long enough Fresian Steers can grow to extraordinary heights and weights, a steer born in WA reached 1.9 metres and 1400 kg. I reared one a Clintonvale and named him “Big Boy” he had a beautiful nature but could be very stubborn. It was a sad day when we headed into a drought and I had to sell him before he reached his full potential.
I was hoping the Warwick Show and Rodeo Society would have a Hoof and Hook for Rodeo week as I have some ripper lambs I would have liked to enter. They decided due to COVID not to run this event though so I am looking towards the Stanthorpe Show if the lambs do not cut their two teeth by this time, but I suspect they will. I am a big supporter of Agricultural Shows so if I can get some time off work I think I will take a display of my stud sheep and also some Rare Breeds of Sheep to show people as well. Last year I entered a few chooks, eggs and some veggies from my garden. It is great for kids to grow, sew, make or bake something for the show – I think and win or lose it is great for mental health of both children and adults, you can’t help but have a great time at your local show!
Take care and have a great week everyone!
Judy
And PS the Hereford calves took to the powdered milk – one out of a bucket and one off the feeder – and are growing like mushrooms already!
