The beef was in the freeze and Christmas was fast approaching. We had decided to give close family and friends, hampers for Christmas. So Tracey and I set about making Jam and chutney. I had the Sloe Gin & Vodka in the jars from last year's harvest, and after ordering some nice bottles; we transferred it and labelled it. I had also made some Clove & Ginger wine (a real winter warmer) which had been bottled and was sitting in the porch.

This would be the first year in a very long time that I had Christmas Day and Boxing Day off, and we were going to make the most of it.

We had a four rib in the freezer and this was going to be Christmas dinner.

Christmas Day came and we all woke up feeling ill, still we were going to make the most of it colds or not.

I went down the field and broke the ice on the water trough and after feed the Dexter's (and wishing them a merry Christmas) I left to return home. Dinner was on and by the time we sat down we had had a few glasses of wine and were feeling a little better. We didn't watch any telly but instead played games until it was time for bed.

The field was very wet and we had decided that to save what little grass we had and for the sake of the cows feet we would barn them over winter. I had already picked up 50 bales of hay & 15 bales of straw, with the help of Tim and his father-in-laws trailer. Mark came down and we fitted a water trough in the barn and fenced a small area off outside so the Dexter's could go out if they wanted to. All this done I set about building partitions in the barn so that we could separate the girls once they started calving.

On new years day I went over to Keith's place and arrived just after one of his Aberdeen Angus heifers had given birth to a lovely bull calf. The calf was trying to stand and after about twenty minutes with help from his mum he managed to stand and to start suckling. Fantastic!

I had gone to Keith's to enquire about ear tags and he gave me the number of the company he uses.

I contacted a DENIMAX. (Most suppliers deal in large quantities of tags or if they supply smaller amount they charge a premium. DENIMAX are very reasonable and I would recommend them for any smallholder.)

After giving them the CPH(County Parish Holding number) & Herd No they sent out the tags which I received the next working day.

After receiving these I also received passport applications from CTS (Cattle Tracking System), but as I do all my movements, births and deaths online I filed these just in case the computer go downs.

Mark and I had managed to get hold of some very sturdy pallets, some I put these in the barn to form dividing walls, to one of which I fitted a gate. There it was our first pen. Mark then came over and fitted a new stable type door and another internal gate, three pens in total, perfect!

I know what you are thinking, "this is all going far to well!"

Well yes, you're right, I don't know if it was the fact that they aren't used to Mark or they just didn't like his building skills, but the next day I went over to the field they had kicked seven bells out of the barn. They had knocked down the internal pallet wall, which had been standing for about 2 months and kicked all the gates of the hinges.

Laugh?

 No I didn't!

The next day I went back over the barn and rebuilt it all.

To be fair to the Dexter's, it was our bad design in the first place. The gates had opened into the pen area, which cut down there room. This time I attached the gates to the wall of the barn so when open the gates lay flush to the wall, giving them more room to manoeuvre and less chance to knock into the them.

On Sunday 1^st February 2009 Keith came over to have a look at the girls, I had spoken to him a couple of day before as I had noticed that Pancakes rear end was swelling, causing a little panic and kicking me into running the extension lead for the lights Mark and I had fitted about a month earlier.

Keith informed me that Pancake was nearly there and I should be looking around a week or so until she started, Isabella would probably take a little longer. He told me the signs to look out for, like the udders bagging up (filling with milk) and a slimy discharge from there rear end. (Sorry if you are having your dinner).

The 2^nd February 2009, saw the heaviest snow fall for over twenty years in the southeast, and although I could just about make it down the field I was unable to make it to work. Instead myself, Tim, Daryl and a couple of others decided to spend the day reliving our childhood, by sledging down the hill we live on a very small tea tray.

 As I right this, I am in agony and am feeling a little worse for the experience, although it was great fun at the time.

So with less than a week to go till calving, I am still reading the books and hoping all will go well. Keith again stated that if I have any problems or concerns, I should ring him, any time of day or night.

I think apart from the animal husbandry, this is thing I love about this way of life people are there for each other and genuinely care, and want to help.

Alan Beazley     2^nd February 2009 

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