This week we have been feeding the last of the cows & sheep, that are still out in the fields.

 

It's a little treat for them and it makes it a lot easier for us to pop them in a trailer and bring them back to the farm, which needs to happen next week.

 

Firstly Raymond our Ryeland tup needs to see the ladies so we get some lovely Ryeland lambs next April. That's the easy part as he was living with the cows so when they came in to the barn so did Raymond. So he will be easy to pop into a trailer and go see his ladies. Once the lambs were born back in April we had to find another field for him go in to to keep him away from the new mums. The time has come now for the lambs to be weaned and the ewes to become pregnant. 

The lambs will be kept on one of our fields full of lovely green grass to mature ready for Easter 2024.

I have a little secret to tell you and only you!

We are off to hopefully buy more Ryeland sheep next week, I cant wait. I will keep you posted….

 

Second is the 6 wildling cows need to come home, it's time for their annual TB test, which we dread every year.

Every December  we are booked in with the vet to come and test all of our cows for TB (tuberculosis). We really do dread this test, it literally means life or death for the cows. If they have come in to contact with another animal or another animals toilet they can then contract the disease and if positive have to be culled. Even for cows that have an inconclusive result will end with the same fate. We worry every year. The test is done and then 3 days later the vet is back to read the results. 

 

Back to the story - Neither the cows or sheep are used to any feed, but a bit of bribery never hurt anyone.

Every day this week we will offer them a small amount of feed in the same place, to make them comfortable coming over to us. Now I am not worried about the sheep, Dan might say different, but generally the sheep are a lot easier to move than the cows, that is just because they are a hell of a lot more greedier…..

 

Once they have had a taste of the nice stuff, hopefully by next week we will have moved the sheep, and brought the last cows home, fingers crossed it all goes to plane...

 

This week I also wanted to put our Dexter Beef Boxes in the lime light.

We have 3 boxes of beef to choose from, depending on your family and freezer size.

All of our boxes can be pre ordered now and paid for on or around the 15th December, where they will be delivered to your door lovely and fresh.

We also have a seriously tasty beef boxes. The beef is from one of our older cows where the beef is so flavoursome and marbled. The Ribeye steaks are to die for.

Drop by our Grass Fed Beef Box section to find out more.