Tag Archives: dairy farming in Ireland

Bull Beef Kill Out

It’s not often a farmer whoops with joy and pleasure. Farmers, although optimistic by nature (they’d have to be to survive in this occupation) never let on to others that they are pleased or happy, perhaps they know that one good day may be followed by a bad one and it’s never good to get too carried away.

bulls-coming-in

The cheque arrived yesterday for [...]

The Joys of Cross Compliance Inspections

Mention that you’ve just had a full cross compliance inspection to anyone and there’s a loud intake of breath, a hiss and a mouth falls open as they look at you in horror! Those words ‘full cross compliance inspection’ strike horror in the hearts of most farmers. ?Farmers are busy people and it’s been a tough year keeping on top of [...]

Calves Coming Backwards

Calves tend to suck everything, particularly after they have just had milk. They will suck at my waterproofs if they can, they will suck each other – each other’s ears, hair, navels, fetlocks – you name it, they will suck it!

It’s unusual for them to suck at each other’s mouths though and it happened with these two while I was [...]

Births & Deaths

Farming always has its ups and downs. ?Things are going along swimmingly and just as you think things are going to get a bit quieter for a few days so your husband can cut some trees up into logs for the fire or put up some wallpaper or plumb in the sink in the scullery that has been sitting there since January, something happens. We had 2 cows ‘abort’ in 24 hours, both giving similar symptoms of giving reduced milk [...]