Hay all stored

David got the last of the hay into the barn yesterday, just in time as we finally got some rain last night, the first rain in several week and desperately needed after this very hot spell. The ground was beginning to burn off.

Hopefully the grass can start to grow again now and we will get a second cut.... 

Another new arrival

Unfortunately another in our run of bull calves! 

Shown here just 3 minutes old... As I type at 10 minutes old he is on his feet and looking for some milk!

4 more to calve imminently and then the last one in November..... Be nice for the rest to be heifers.....

 

Visitors from Australia !

We have spent an enjoyable morning showing Australian lowline breeders The Schiller family from Lik Lik Lowlines in Queensland, our stock. It was great to hear positive feedback on our cattle from a fellow breeder with Jacqui, Colin  and Christina commenting favourably on our animals.

The weather is doing its bit to make australian visitors feel at home with the scorching temperatures set to stay . It's been over 30 degrees pretty much daily here now, Not ideal for our grass crop and it puts a second cut in doubt if we don't get some rain soon.  It's one extreme or the other as always, last year it was so wet everyone struggled to get their crops in .this year the late spring put us a good month behind with  growth and now this prolonged unusually hot dry weather is causing difficulties.

 I for one would be happy for a return to the usual uk summer temperatures mid 20deg sounds great to me!

Hot day at Sussex - smallholders show

It's been an extremely hot day at the smallholders show and forecast for even hotter tomorrow! Lots of interest in the animals , enquiries about semen for crossing with guernsey cattle to produce a beefier useful calf - this is a very popular practice in Australia where many dairy herd and particularly jerseys like to use lowline bulls for the benefits they put into the offspring

Small holders show ardingly

After a long hot drive, somewhat delayed by a vehicle fire on the motorway we have finally arrived back at the smallholders show, the cattle are all brushed, watered and bedded up so we can leave them to settle and go and wash and water ourselves!