Got to Pick a Packet of Poo

A really busy couple of days and I'm going to get in the habit of taking the camera out in my pocket.

This years male cria were given their A,D and E and then separated from their mums. We took Junior away from Juno a few weeks earlier than we had planned but when Si body scored her and cut her nails the other day he decided that she was a little underweight. Although the boys didn't want to leave their mums once they were in their new paddock there were no cries from the mums or the boys. So different from last year when I joined in the crying and decided that this farming game was far too cruel. The girls were also put into a new paddock that had grass left in so they were far more interested in that and didn't notice that they had lost their cria. Si put the boys on their halters but they both refused to move and had to be carried. A photo opportunity lost.

Si gave the two males that were born last year a check today and their treatments; I had my head to the grindstone when I heard 'That'll ding, dang, do for me'. He called me over to see what he was going on about. We had a cria born last year,Cooper, the first sired by EP Cambridge Samson of Wellground fame. He was good when he was born but his second fleece is amazing. I thought he looked a bit out of proportion because his neck looked a bit thick, it turned out that it was a really dense fleece, the crimp and staple are really impressive, right up the neck and in his tail. It's a pity that we are not going to risk any halter shows this year but I can't wait for Rob and Les to see him. Don't suppose this is the first thing that people look for in a stud but he's really pretty too. See, I should have taken a photo while Si was leading him across to his new paddock. We then had a discussion about what I had read in Gina Bromage's book about the testicles in a potential stud usually being larger so Si told me to go and feel them. What was I supposed to compare them to? I think I need to do a judging course or something. I've told him we'll have to take a tape measure out to Cooper and then phone Head Office with the size and see what Rob thinks.

I have just been on paddock cleaning duties (why is it always my job?) to make sure they are spick and span. Now that they have all had Vecoxan, and the other week they were treated for Liver Fluke (we just decided to do it because we had read an article in a magazine that farmers who had never had it before had suddenly been losing animals to it) we want to take poo samples to the vets just for their regular check. They are now in much smaller groups so they are easier to handle at feed times and to check for any changes in behaviour.

It has been really windy here today but thankfully, we have had no rain. I think the land is draining slowly but yesterday when Ollie and I put a fence post in we hit the basher thing and water shot out of the ground 5ft high and hit me in the face. It wasn't a good day. Earlier I had been feeding the girls and usually I am in the way when Ms Humphreys enforces her perceived superiority at the feeding trough and get the full force of the smelly, slimey green stuff but I went in and bragged to the boys that I had heard her spit but she had missed me. I then took my jacket off and there it was right down the back, it was also in my hair. Just so grateful that we have water running through the taps again.

I got my new wellies this morning. Nothing fancy, just plain green ones. Sensible really for the farm but I can't help thinking that they could be improved with a few sequins or bugle beads.