A new phase

Well, there are a lot of things we still want to do here at Westwell, but they're being held back by lack of MONEY.

We want to fence all the back half of the property into at least four paddocks as well establish a tree belt in the watercourse.
We want to install a set of cattle yards to help manage the cows with any future vet work and for loading cattle for sale.
We want to get more water storage sorted out for the shed by either repairing or replacing the tank connected to it.
I'd like some alternate power sources (solar or wind).
Linda would like to replace the kitchen since she lost her dream kitchen back in Sydney.
Basically there's lots we still want to do, but no finance.
The jobs we have currently allow us to be secure financially but no development is possible. And there is no way I'm going into any sort of debt.

So I've applied for and got a job programming again with http://www.qmtechnologies.com/ in Brisbane who do bulk mail printing for various companies.

I'll be able to send back as much as I currently earn at least and with me not spending $50-$70/week on fuel we should be able to get (someone else) things done.
And this amount coming back should increase over time.
I figure I only have a few years employable status as a programmer anyway and so should take the opportunity to earn as much while I can.
And besides the work should be more interesting than my current job.  ¶ 10:30 AM

  Welcome to Blackie

Well, if we want future lamb meat supplies we need lambs and as we already have the girls we just needed a ram.

'Blackie' is a black faced Suffolk ram. We bought him at the Armidale monthly livestock markets for $110. Born in October 2005, he's already frisky according to the seller, but she did warn us after a journey of over 10Km, you could expect him to be infertile for 3 weeks with all the heat and excitement of travel.

So we'll expect lambs in October rather than September since we're late in the season introducing him to the girls.

He has already chased them around the paddock once, but now they are all resting in the shade of the Pine tree in their paddock.



Here he is in the trailer on arrival at home.


Here he is with the sheep after the first lap of the paddock.  ¶ 2:10 PM

  Lady returns

Today Lady returned from our neighbours where she got acquainted with her bull.
Because it was so hard trying to separate her from the mob before, we walked the entire mob to our place and then they went on to another neighbours where they'll be agisting for a while.
The first time we separated Lady from the mob, she went into our own yard without a problem, but when she saw the others walking back up the hill she jumped a low point in the fence and ran after them.

So we matched them all back down to our place, separated her into our place again and this time guided her to a paddock where she could see our remaining cows. Then she ran to them so we left Steven behind to let her rejoin them and Linda and I went back to driving the mob to where they were agisting. We expect her calf in early November.


Now these photos show the kittens came to the shed to see what we were doing, prior to the mustering, and got inquisitive about the calves.


A shot with the mob on their way to agistment.


And here is Lady and our cows back together.  ¶ 1:30 PM

  News and stuff
We went and choose a new Alpaca yesterday. He's not with us yet as we'll wait until he's been 'nutted' before we collect him to make sure we don't get our hearts broken again. His name is "Bobby' as he has white socks on his forelegs. As a fleece producer he's not perfect but will still do a fine job as the sheep guardian.

We'll have to start looking for a new ram soon also to ensure a new batch of lambs in the spring.

We ate a leg of (March) lamb last night and it was a fine meal.

Linda has harvested the last of the tomatoes and boiled them to use later in spaghetti. For all the trouble you don't get that many feeds of them.

We've still some potatoes to harvest still and the beans are producing well. Linda collected three double handfuls on Friday so they've been blanched and put away for the future.

Ericsonn got out on Friday as well and trying to herd chickens is challenging. Certainly can't do it by yourself. A neighbor suggested waiting till dusk and when he'd perched he'd be easier to catch. Trouble was we couldn't find him then. So he spent the night out and we were glad to hear him crowing the next morning. When we herded him to the path to the chicken run he recognised where he was and ran back to the others :)

Lady will return this week. We tagged her with her NLIS tag on Wednesday and then tried to bring her home, but she didn't want to leave the other cows so this coming week she'll be put in a truck and brought home that way.

The kittens and T.K. are getting along O.K. which is a plus since they'll all want to be inside once it starts getting cooler.  ¶ 9:44 AM

  Can't see the trees for the cows

A reader asked the other day for a photo update on all the trees we planted in the spring of 2005.

It's not going to happen, because with my minimal fencing and usage of solar powered electric fencing, the cows decided it didn't hurt much or for long and so proceeded to eat or trample any trees that shared a paddock with them.

I have a vivid memory of Lady walking down the hill, and lifting off the milk cartons protecting the trees and tossing them aside.

There are surviving trees though. These are in the paddock containing the front dam (off limits to cows/sheep) and the trees planted on the ridge top (also off-limits).

Another neighbor asked about agisting their cattle in our back paddock but when we adjusted cattle before, the cows tended to sleep at the top of the hill and so I won't be placing the few remaining trees in jeopardy.

So, much more fencing needed.

And it appears the solar energizer doesn't have the same sort of kick as a mains powered one.

In other cow related news, Lady is off at a neighbors getting friendly with their bull and so the patter of tiny hooves should be heard before Christmas 2006.

FYI
Calf - up to one year old.
Heifer - Female before her first calf.
Cow - Mother of calves.
Steer - a boy missing the bits that would make him a....
Bull - a fully equipped male.  ¶ 1:13 PM