MOVING CATTLE

I arrived home on Thursday afternoon after a quick 8 day trip to the USA to see family.  Gorgeous weather to come home to. Then up at 5 am on Friday morning to load a bullock (the one who nicked me!) onto the trailer and deliver him to the abattoir. No time to deal with jet-lag! The carcass will be collected by my butcher in Dorchester, hung for a few weeks and I’ll see him again all neatly packaged up and ready to sell.


The weather has continued though the weekend and so much to catch-up on. 


Saturday and Sunday we moved the cattle around, had to take bullocks from one group and put with the bull. Shifted another group off the farthest field up by the Wessex Ridgeway. It is always careful planning trying to get them all together to walk/jog up or down the bridleway which runs through the middle of the farm. All went fairly well. The cows and calves were to end up on Crabbe hill, a good mile walk. The stopped about a third of the way and decided they liked the grassy field they walked to. We tried to move them back onto the bridleway, they walked a short distance, refused to go any further, turned around and walked back to the field.  These cows are usually pretty cooperative and calm. So I let them stay for the rest of the day and night. Then on Sunday we got Richard on board. I led the cattle out, following the Ranger UTV like they do, while Dan and Richard came up behind. And when they slowed down they got a little whack on the bum. 


Sheep needed attention, too. Some very dirty bums, meaning they problaby have worms. Cleaned them up, really quite mucky work, trimmed a few feet and all good.


Off to collect lamb sausages tomorrow.

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