Livestock/General Farming photo thread ***READ MOD NOTE IN POST #1***

Muckit, got an opportunity to take a couple of snaps this evening before checking the yet to lamb ewes.

A couple of typical drains (as they're called here, ye foreigners call them shores ).





Quite a long piece ran along this wall, which over the years decades had fallen into the drain and been grown over, much to my amusement as I used pick, bar, spade and drag to remove everything.



An aerial view of some drains

Eventually :rolleyes: when I buy a trailer for the borrowed quad I'll start shifting that drain spoil up the farm to the rough part, I've a notion to go planting hedges in it, might go with mostly holly trees or something - likely and adventure doomed to failure but......

I've a lot of walls to get back into shape but that job is well down the list. I'll dig another drain where that brown patch runs from the wall down into the drain on the left hand side. Three years ago much of the area pictured was thick with rushes :eek: Slow and steady wins the race.



As you can see my grass is doing OK on the hill I took the above photo from, which is one of the most exposed parts of my farm. But, there's good and bad with both moss and scutch grass in the photo as well (they're on the list too - yes, it is a long list ).

Juniorhurler wrote: »

Fair play to ya John. When we see pictures of land from the west we only realise how lucky we are on the eastern seaboard here and what commitment to farming really is.

Thanks JH I've seen plenty of fields in different parts I'd have loved to roll up and bring home with me A neighbour across the way from me commented that I was putting the rest of them to shame with what I'd done with the place. As I told him, "Wasn't for ye I was doing it"

sea12 wrote: »

Jeez John That is incredible commitment, fair play to you. It looks fantastic. How long does it take you to dig each of those drains.

I don't know how long it takes. When I go at it I try to do a minimum of 10 yards a day. That doesn't sound like much, and it isn't, but it's not a job I want to be stuck at all day, I'd get fed up in jig time. But, done consistently, I can get a lot done. If you think of an 8 square Cadburys chocolate bar, that's how I cut the drain, if the scraws are any bigger they're too much work to haul out considering they're full of water. I'll then pull out that length of drain and start again going another spit down. If there isn't much depth then I go as far as the rock/hard pan. Some sections are easier or harder than others to do depending if rushes have grown there or a little twiggy plant I must identify which is a right hoor to get out.

Next part of the job now is to gather some big pipe and make a few little bridges where the ewes and lambs cross over.

A digger of course would do all of this an awful lot faster. But, I can use that money for other things, grazon 90, mortone, feed, fert, vet stuff etc. The worrying bit is I enjoy it all

One thing I really need for the job is a decent radio !

just do it wrote: »

Gr8 work john. Is there a ewe at the end of that crook?:-)

I hope not :pac: They better appreciate it too the feckers

limo_100 wrote: »

...........And this is a Siam heifer calf from a blue cow very good quality aswell calved sunday

Keep an eye on this one. She might make a good replacement !!!

johnpawl wrote: »

They are pedigree PT. She is the plainer heifer of the two. They are really thriving since I left them out on grass. Never had PT here before, took the plunge last year and they are serious cattle. Born in late march last year, so won,t be seeing the bull for a bit yet.

dont wait with those heifers is my advice as they will only end up huge ,if you are worried that they will stop growing after the bull dont be,i should have bulled my heifers so that they calved down at 24 months,the part is one breed that from my limited experience will keep growing, and all the talking with breeders they have the same view.