Chunky Monkey gang

[chunky monkey]

It’s crazy you’re still having to meet EU regs to sell within England, is it a health cert type thing?

It really is the most stupid bit of paper. The vet has to look and say that they cant see any notifiable diseases present in your livestock. They dont have to examine each invidual animal. They can just stand and observe as close as they can. If they believe there is anything then obvious they can insist on checking closely.
Obviously if the vet suspects you have a notifiable present they can close you down and your holding would be subject to further inspections. This piece of paper is needed incase any part of your animal ends up in the EU.
Obviously when we take our animals to the abbatoir we dont question what happens to the remains of the carcass. We have the prime joints back or they get sold to the supermarket etc. We dont question what happens to the remains that we dont use. ie the head, feet, internals, hides. They generally go for incineration but they might not. Some abbatoirs might export those parts, there a delicacy in other countries. And therefore if they end up in the EU they want to know that the farm has no notifiable disease.
Why is it so stupid you might ask ?? Well if the vet inspects today, the peice of paper lasts for a year. So suppose you send some animals to abbatoir at the end if the month or in June say. I could have brought in other animals or wild animals could have crossed my farm and they could be full of notifable disease which transfers to the rest of the animals. Its not needed for selling animals, only for exporting or exporting any part. I think it might also be needed if you sell milk to EU countries too.

 

[Jessey]

Why is it so stupid you might ask ?? Well if the vet inspects today, the peice of paper lasts for a year.

This is what makes it completely ridiculous!

 

[chunky monkey]

Yep but i must have this bit of paper. Its yet another cost for farms.
Im lucky ive only got a few sheep and cows and im going to have them right there in one location for the vet. But how can vets check some of these larger farms and hill flocks. There not going to see all the stock up close enough.

 

[chunky monkey]

One eager dog and sheep with horns can really leave you exposed.

 

[Jessey]

That made me chuckle, I hope you’re ok?

 

[chunky monkey]

Yep im fine. The sheep just rushed caught her horn on my backside and i just heard rip as she was hooked and spun me. Fortunately it was still semi dark at 7.45am so i only exposed myself to the animals. No neighbours or dog walkers saw me. I had to quickly whip home and change before the vet arrived.
All done and i got completely soaked through. It is raining very heavy just now.

 

[chunky monkey]

Passed our 2nd retest TB Test so now we are officially a tb free herd again. The only difficulty i now face is that i need to sell some animals as we are over stocked. We also need to to hire a bull to get the cows back in calf again.

It will be tough deciding what to sell. At least if they go down with TB i dont have to make the difficult decisions. Its taken out my hands by law.

 

[chunky monkey]

Tshirt weather. It wasnt this morning we had frost. So i made use of the frost and put out Mondays and Tuesdays hay ready for the cows. Frost went off about 10am. So i then decided to make use of the dry day, braved my poorly shoulder and have actually managed half the mucking out. I was down to my tshirt. In the sun it was lovely but when it went behind the clouds it felt cold. Im feeling more positive now. I was starting to stress about running out of weekends to get the mucking out done before lambing. I can already feel the weight lifting. My shoulder might feel it tomorrow but at least having put the hay out. I dont have to do any heavy lifting for 3 days.
I called it quits at half done and took the horses out for and inhand walk. It was a very long walk as well as we went right up across the top of the hill. We havent been up there for over a year. Chunky was doing well until as we were going across the top on the flat. I was leading them both but the track wasnt wide enough for 3 of us side by side, he had a big slip. Fighting to keep his front feet underneath him. He went down quite badly. When he got back up he was really holding his front leg up. We carried on just plodding and stopping. He actually managed the downhill stretch pretty well. Ive gave him an extra bute when we got home.

 

[Jessey]

Well done on getting that much mucking out done poor chunky slipping, hopefully he’s none the worse for wear tomorrow and it was just the shock of it all today

 

[chunky monkey]

Cant believe its a year today that i got Quin. Completely untrained at the time. Hes getting a bit bored not playing sheepies at the moment. Soon Quin, soon. Two more weeks till we start lambing then he can help with bringing them in at night.
Hes been getting over keen on moving the cattle though. He likes to get up and work them by himself. So ive been needing extra eyes in the back of my head. Trouble is when your 100m away you cant put him back where you told him to stay, if he gets up and moves.
So i know i have more work to do. It will be easier and safer once i can get back to practicing on the sheep.
It was also pointed out to me the other day by a friend who said it sounded like Quin was not doing as he was asked because he could clearly hear me giving him what for in the field.
So i need to take the emotion out of it when it goes tits up. Something ive always wanted to learn is to be a proper shepherd using a whistle. I remember trying to blow one years ago and couldnt even get a sound from it. So ive always just used voice commands, but thats why it goes wrong because as humans we use our voice and send the dog sour. So i decided i want to try and learn the whistle and then teach the dog. There are plenty of video tutorials now. So last week i finally invested in a proper shepherds whistle. It took me a good 10 minutes to even get a sound out of it. They also say practice well away from the dog by practicing in your car whilst driving to work. Whistling along to music. Well i can now get constant sounds but i still cant get the tonal changes. Ive downloaded the commands as well to play and repeat, but mine dont sound anything like the examples currently. I find i get achy cheeks practicing too which means im trying way to hard.
I wont introduce the dog to the whistle until im happy i have each command spot on myself. So thats this years challenge.

 

[Huggy]

Cant believe its a year today that i got Quin. Completely untrained at the time. Hes getting a bit bored not playing sheepies at the moment. Soon Quin, soon. Two more weeks till we start lambing then he can help with bringing them in at night.
Hes been getting over keen on moving the cattle though. He likes to get up and work them by himself. So ive been needing extra eyes in the back of my head. Trouble is when your 100m away you cant put him back where you told him to stay, if he gets up and moves.
So i know i have more work to do. It will be easier and safer once i can get back to practicing on the sheep.
It was also pointed out to me the other day by a friend who said it sounded like Quin was not doing as he was asked because he could clearly hear me giving him what for in the field.
So i need to take the emotion out of it when it goes tits up. Something ive always wanted to learn is to be a proper shepherd using a whistle. I remember trying to blow one years ago and couldnt even get a sound from it. So ive always just used voice commands, but thats why it goes wrong because as humans we use our voice and send the dog sour. So i decided i want to try and learn the whistle and then teach the dog. There are plenty of video tutorials now. So last week i finally invested in a proper shepherds whistle. It took me a good 10 minutes to even get a sound out of it. They also say practice well away from the dog by practicing in your car whilst driving to work. Whistling along to music. Well i can now get constant sounds but i still cant get the tonal changes. Ive downloaded the commands as well to play and repeat, but mine dont sound anything like the examples currently. I find i get achy cheeks practicing too which means im trying way to hard.
I wont introduce the dog to the whistle until im happy i have each command spot on myself. So thats this years challenge.

When it goes right, it must be very satisfying!

 

[chunky monkey]

Just written a huge list of final jobs that i need to do this weekend ready for lambing. There still in the neighbours field currently, brining them all over to mine tomorrow. If my dates are right the first are due to pop Monday. Slightly worried ive got my dates wronging given we had a leap year and two refused to come across the field for breakfast this morning. Went over to see them and both of them are ones i have down to lamb Monday. One was even talking with little bleats. Alarm bells are ringing, they are bang on cue. They can lamb a few days either side of the date anyway. So i might get home later to lambs.

 

[chunky monkey]

Well i had that right. We are off with the lambing. Had to take the taxi service out to collect mum and lambs.

Quin spotted mum in the shed and was glued. Both giving each other the stare.

 

[Jessey]

Glad all was well with them despite the date confusion, oh well they’re in now! Does that mean they’re all due a few days earlier than you originally thought?

 

[chunky monkey]

It means i just need to recheck my dates.

Its why i like making a note when the rams make there mark. You play less of the guess when im due game. I only bring each sheep in the day before there date. Unless they beat me to it!! or i think they look incredibly uncomfortable. Its also why i feed them everyday cos you can pick up if someone getting close if it doesnt eat the food.
The other one stood with her yesterday not coming for food didnt look as ready as she did. But she will probably be in the shed at 7pm tonight.

Ive got some help this morning so we are moving rams and ewes about, then my friend is helping me trim last years lambs feet. All being well 7 will be going tomorrow morning, as i final got round to advertising them.

 

[chunky monkey]

I got caught out again. Feed at 7.30 all there but the one who didnt eat yesterday only came over so far. I walked over to see her, thought, your bagged and puffy round back end, more than yesterday. My friend came at 10am, we went over to get everyone. Quick head count, realised she was missing. Took what we had and left her somewhere.
Foot trimming all done. Just need to decide before 9am tomorrow which one of last year lambs im going to keep.
Took the trailer over and found the missing mum complete with 2 lambs in the woods. Bit of ducking and diving branches to get to her. One lamb was shivering. I always hate to see that. There now all snug on fresh straw in the shed.

All new routine to adjust to now as of today for the next 6 weeks.

 

[chunky monkey]

4th lambing today. Its my ewe that my neighbour extracted out the fence last year after someone let there dog chase her. The one that had her ear sliced through. Triplet females. All look good and healthy.

 

[chunky monkey]

5th lambing today. 1st time lamber. Set of twins. Brought her in 2 nights ago. You really wouldnt have thought she was going to be a mother. She was darting round anytime i went near her. Got down yesterday morning to find she had been smashing the penning up. Bunged her out yesterday and brought her back in last night, put her in a different pen. Bit more content. She had popped the first lamb out by 7am this morning. She clean the lambs well, but at times looked lost stood in the pen. Motherhood instinct has kicked in during the day and shes much more happy sniffing and feeding them this evening.

Been a nice couple of days so the first 3 lambed all went out with there lambs. They come back in at night to keep them safe from Mr . Not sure they will go out for a few days as we are expecting lots more rain.

 

[chunky monkey]

Put the triplets out today for some sunshine and mum can get some grass in her. There doing ok but i think they may need a top up. Feeling a little light in there tums. Not sure mums got enough milk. But grass will help with that.

 

[chunky monkey]

7th lambing this morning. 200% lambing rate so far. No idea on male and female split. Ive lost track. Its all written down.
Put the triplets out yesterday for the first time. Then it poured for an hour at 5pm. Mum didnt bring them up so had to go out and get them. They came in looking a bit cold, standing tucked up. So i took a bottle of warm milk with me at 11pm to top them up. Look better this morning but ive left them in today.

Quins been such a good helper. Gets a little over keen sometimes. Hes come with me as back up several times to get ewes in and been able to steer ewes in the right directions up the field into the yard. Its been a good 3 years since i had proper help from a dog. Its amazing how much easier it makes it having him. Im so enjoying working him just now.