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The Farm

OCTOBER 2011

We are nearly up together with field work, with all the planting and hedge cutting done.

Most of the animal are being feed with extra feed because the grass is losing it goodness.

In between feeding the animals. We are getting ready for the cows to come in for the winter. We are renewing some cubicles that where broken last year and just general maintenance around the farm to make the cold days a little easier.

Most days this time of year are taken up by the general routine of cleaning, feeding, and bedding down

SEPTEMBER 2011

Whilst we are busy trying to get all the hedge cutting done. We have to break all the jobs up. We hedge cut all the arable grounds first, So we can start working the land to get a seed bed ready for re-planting all are winter seeds. Wheat and barley. Also a mixed crop of turnips, rape and kale is planted in one field for a group of cattle to strip graze through the winter month.

Planting is going very well with all the planting up together, just behind the maize to do, The maize is the next job. We will get contractors in to cut the maize and haul it to the clamp for storage. Once cut the field will be planted with the next years crops.

This month we had the turkeys in for Christmas.

The rams went out with the females, so they will start lambing in February.

Lambs and pigs are still being supplied for the shop.

AUGUST 2011

August comes around quick , It felt like yesterday when we where sowing the seeds now its time to start the combine. And start harvesting . We start buy cutting are winter and spring barley it ripens a bit quicker than wheat. While the combine was away we where able to muck spread ,plough and drill grass seed back into one field. Now the combines back to start on are main growing crop. Wheat. Luckily this year went very smooth with a bumper crop being cut producing a high yield of grain and straw. With over eight hundred bales being made though all of are corn crops.

Now the combining is finished and bales all hauled in to keep dry we start by hedge cutting all the hedges on the farm.

JULY 2011

Well the suns shinning. We where able to make some hay. All the grass has been cut. So we can get back to the farm and do some routine work with the animals.

All of this years born calve need dehorning. And any cows that need there feet trim will be done too. We final get a little free time so the parents can have a short break away from the farm and enjoy a little bit of time of.

But before they go away we decide to take a day trip to Tenby Prombrokeshire to buy a boar for are two sows. He’s a pedigree welsh pig and his name is Ted after his bloodline.

JUNE 2011

Silaging is in full swing now with silage pit full and over seven hundred round bales made, It has taken a few days to load them all on to trailers and haul them back to the farm to be stacked in a tidy heap. ready for the winter feed.

The sheep have now "lost" their winter coats and are keeping cooler during these hot days. The lambs are big enough now to be sold to the shop.

There is a lot of pigs around with over fifty growing for the shop, the new piglets are out running round the front paddock with their mum.

Now all the silage bales have been picked up. We will mow more grass and try and make some hay for the sheep.

MAY 2011

Calves are coming in thick and fast now with over twenty a week coming on to the farm. We buy these calves to add further stock to the farm. Only calving eighty cows we have to buy in to get numbers up.

We will buy in about one hundred and sixty calves to feed buy hand. Feeding lots of calves by hand takes up long periods of time. There are feed twice a day, First thing in the morning and last thing at night.

The maize gets planted middle of the month, A splash of rain would be nice now

More arrives, One of our gilts has farrowed with a litter of six piglets. Its quit a sight to see six little piglets running around the yard sniffing and tasting most things, tormenting the dog.

Mowing of the grass has started with a lot of acres being cut. We fill one silage pit and then bale the rest. This year we have taken on more grass land at Almondsbury, it’s a long process hauling silage bales back.

APRIL 2011

Now all the fertilizing has been spread on the fields and the grass is growing nicely. We pay are attention to preparing the maize ground, Ready for planting.

First we spread the ground with manure to get key nutrients in to the seedbed, We then plough the fields to bury any stubble and weeds that where left there from when it was combined last august.

Once ploughed we work the ground with big rotavators called power harrows to breaks up the soil and make a fine seedbed, Which seeds will germinate.

This time of year when the cows are in full swing of calving we buy in young calves aged about six weeks old. These will be feed twice a day buy a bucket feeding system.

MARCH 2011

All the cows are now back out grazing the fields and enjoying the sunshine. Lambs are skipping around and playing like little ones do. Lambing has finished now with another good year, averaging just under two lambs per ewe.

The cows have just started to calve, Thiers an abundance of new lives around the farm.

Now that its a bit drier, We can get out on to the fields and work. There’s fertilizing to be done on the pastures, That will be mown in a couple of months,

Rolling of the fields to flatten and smooth the ground,

Chain harrowing to pull up and dead grass and encourage new growth.

FEBUARY 2011

Lambs, Lambs, Lambs. It has started, Theres about 90 ewes to lamb this year which will keep us awake at night, All of our sheep like to lamb in the early hours of the morning. Once the ewe has lambed they are put in a pen on their own with their lambs. This is bonding process and it make it easier for us to know whose lamb is whose. The lambs are checked 24/7 making sure they are feeding and getting stronger. Once strong enough the ewes and lambs are turned out in groups of 5 or 6 for a couple of days, Before they go back out in the field with the older ewes and lambs.

The pigs are doing really well with lots about at the moment. We have 2 gilts that have just gone to boar so 3 month 3 weeks 3 days and hopefully lot of little pigletswill be running around.

The farm is hoping the weather will dry up soon the feed is getting short after not making as much last year, Because of last years poor crops. And the straw we use for bedding is getting lean. A dry time means cattle can once again go out to the fields.

If you have any question about the farm. Please email martin.ball1@sky.com And i will try and answer your needs.

JANUARY 2011

Happy new year, We all had a lovely christmas and new year.

The work on the farm goes on,We are getting ready to start lambing at the end of the month, the lambing shed is now prepared, Pens made, Ewe to start having a little extra feed so they are strong when it come to feeding tneir young. Seeds and supplies to be orderd for the spring crops we have planned to plant.

Some of the cattle sheds have been cleaned out and the manure is being spread on the fields we planned to plant with spring barley.

DECEMBER 2010

More daily jobs, I think everyones finding it hard getting up in the morning with it being so cold and dark.but the cattle and sheep need feeding, cleaning out and bedding down, and the snow and ice although makes it hard to do the jobs especially getting water round everywhere, it is a beatiful sight, the country looks so clean and bright(well if you dont look where you been driving)

Middle of december busy time, Turkeys are being prepared and taken to the shop for the customers. Another great year for us on the turkeys some of the best we have ever reared.

Hope everyone has a lovely christmas and new year. Hopfully we might get a little break fingers crossed.

Two of the turkeys we reared for Christmas! - R.I.P

NOVEMBER 2010

Now all the animals are in for the winter. The calves have been weaned from their mothers so the cows can have a relaxed winter before they calve again in the spring. Its a little noisy at the moment, with them shouting at each other. We have endless daily jobs,cleaning, feeding, bedding down and general health checks on all the animals. The turkeys are getting nice and big ready for everyones christmas. Alot of general maintance is being carried out. and trying to keep warm.

OCTOBER 2010

The maize is harvested now and we've had quite a good crop. We did however get a bit of rain on top of it before the storage pit was covered but feel it will all be ok. We also appolygise for the mess made in the lane.

Simon and Kathryn have been busy buying livestock....

A trip to the British Pig Association's anual pedigree sale at Ross Market proved fruitful as they returned with three new top quality pedigree Saddleback pigs. One is due to farrow down (have piglets) at the end of November and the other two are maiden guilts and will be put the boar in the new year.

Cynthia the oxford and Sandy Black guilt is in pig and really fed up with her bloke still hanging around. Time for him (Borris) to return home, he's done his work!

A second day out took the couple to the pedigree Aberdeen Angus sale at the Bristol Sales Centre where they again came away with three cattle boxes full of animals to continue growing thier pedigree herd.

The first lot purchased was lot number 1, an in calf cow with this years heifer calf at foot. This calf should hopefully be travelling the show seen next year.

Then Simon and Kathryn went a little mad a baught the supreme champion cow and the reserve champion cow in the show. Both cows were in calf. The champion cow also had this years bull calf at foot. Then everything got a little out of hand when, encouraged by thier fathers they went on to buy a further two in calf cows and another five heifer calves.

All in all some succesfull buying and the foundations to a good quality Pedigree Angus herd, Pedigree Saddleback herd and also an Oxford and Sandy Black herd.

Good Luck!!

SEPTEMBER 2010

Simons Oxford Sandy Black pig finally finds a boyfriend. Could be a nice christmas present - lots of little pigs.

Martin has now turned his rams out. Duke, Trevor and his new one for this year, Rodney.

The maize has grown really well this year and, soon to be harvested.

and some pigs...

AUGUST 2010

After all this lovely rain, we could have done with a fornight of dry weather to start the years harvest.

The pigs are growing well and the sausages seem to be a great hit in the shop.

We managed to cut 20 acres of barley and 80 acres of wheat before the weather held us up. But, we managed to get the rest cut some 2 weeks later. Hedge cutting is in full flow.

And now, all the straw is stored away for the animals winter bedding. Muck spreading and cultivation work has started, preparing for the new crops to go in.

JULY 2010

Martins sheep finally get their coats off and seem alot happier, laid under the big trees in the shade.

Now Martins lambs are getting nice and plump and, the unwanted lambs have been sold fetching top prices. The rest of the lambs have been weaned from their mothers. The ewes need a rest before the ram goes out, in early september. And, he also sold 8 pedigree ewe lambs off the farm.

Still not much rain about so, trying to work in the shade alot.

Rain finally! - the rain dances worked.

JUNE 2010

After a lot of hot weather we decided the grass isn't going to grow anymore. so, we started silaging, filling the silage clamp with 60 acres of grass. And, baling the rest to be stored for the animals winter feed.

The shop had decided after a long while that, they were going to make all their own sausages. So, Martin decided he would supply the pork by buying 4 pigs to start and now, having about 30 pigs around the farm eating lot and lots!

End of June. Now been dry for weeks and many farmers like us are doing rain dances.

These are some of our home reared animals. The breed is Limousin.

and some fat little sheep!

APRIL 2010

FINALLY WE CAN SELL SOME OF THE 180 CATTLE OFF THE FARM!

If you live locally I'm sure you can smell that work has begun preparing the feilds for this years crops. We have now started ploughing and cultivating the ground to sow our maize and fodder beet.

With the dry spell of weather we have had, the cattle have had a health check which included ground worming. We've now been able to let the cattle out to pasture.

We've had our first new arrivals on the farm! So far, twelve of our cows have produced twelve healthy calves which can now be seen playing and skipping in the new spring grass.

Our first batches of store cattle have gone to Cirencester Market and have acheived good prices...dad was pleased!

Also, we purchased three quality maiden heffers, for the start of our new pedigree herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle.

MARCH

We have been busy catching up with essentail fencing maintenence in preparation for the cattle going out pasture this year. The grass is really starting to grow and all the flowers are arriving on the hedgerow.

Work has started on some derlict farm buildings, which we will be using to house some traditional rare breed pedigree pigs of which, we have been making enquiries about this month and hope to sell this pork via the shop. Our first maiden guilt to arrive in May will be of the Oxford & Sandy Black breed.

Spring has arrived and Martin's ewes have started to lamb. Martin has averaged 2.1 lambs per ewe, which is a great start! The breed that he farms originate from Demark and are a multi-purpose breed for milk, meat and wool production. They are called Zwartbles (pronounced swar-blies)and have, a dense black wool, white socks and a white stripe down their face.

MAY 2010

After being able to sell some cattle in March & April, the rest have been laid out to pasture, most cows with a calf at foot and, a few late comers that haven't calved yet. We finished maintenance work on the fences, just in time for them to be let out.