What To Expect When Transferring Farm To A Company & Dealing With Mental Burnout

25th May 2016 by Lorna
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Cow_poo

I’m stressed – I’m usually a very matter of fact and relaxed person.We tend to put minor disasters behind us. As long as the four of us are healthy and happy, most stresses rolls off me like water off a duck’s back.

I’m mentally burnt out – I’ve just discovered that’s what it is called when you’re overworked and stressed to the extent that these symptoms are showing.  I’m sleeping more than usual, I went for a nap on Sunday instead [...]

My Farming Week: Neighbourhood Watch and Silver Linings

6th April 2016 by Lorna
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Cows purple evening

Neighbourhood watch in farming used to mean that when you got a phone call early in the morning or late at night you were told cattle or sheep were out on the road. Unfortunately, with the increase in rural crime, communities watches are being officially set up all over the place to try and prevent thefts. However, we benefitted from the old type a couple of weeks ago. We’d just let out the 67 yearling heifers and split them into [...]

Where Does Winter Milk Come From and Other Answers

18th March 2016 by Lorna
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Black and white calves

Where Does Milk Come From In Winter?

A friend recently asked me “Where does our milk come from in winter if most of the cows in the country are dry?” so I thought I’d use it as a starting point to explain a few things about dairy farming. Cows supply milk for ten months of the year, with their supply being greatest in the months after calving. The majority of dairy farmers have a ‘dry’ period where they don’t milk for [...]

What Makes Some Calves Special

23rd February 2016 by Lorna
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Gloria - a special calf

I suppose all calves are special but when you have 135 of them being born in a relatively short time, it’s not really possible to have a soft spot for all of them. There are some factors though that make a calf stand out. We tend to name a few partly because it’s handy to be able to say ‘check number 2305, he’s a bit off colour, he’s in Bruce’s pen’ rather than having to say ‘check 2305, he’s in [...]

My Farming Week: Cantankerous Cows, Birth and Death

5th February 2016 by Lorna
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Happiness is when a calf learns how to drink quickly

Cows aren’t natural ballerinas or gymnasts. You probably knew that already. They can run fairly quickly if they want to but aren’t that dexterous. That creates problems if a cow decides to go for a dance or inadvertently slips and falls. If they fall, they are usually fine, just like a child gets up and walks on, they do the same. However, the odd one will ‘do the splits’ and go down. If they go down and can’t get up [...]