We’re halfway through winter. Hard to believe really, as we’ve had a pretty kind run of it so far here with mild days and a few half-hearted frosts. We will need some rain before Spring hits but I’m certainly not complaining about the no-mud factor, and getting round in a singlet in July feels a bit dreamy. According to the neighbour we have had 367ml for the year which is well behind our usual. Autumn, as predicted with the El Nino, was dry and we probably had more growth in June than we did in April/May. Generally the grass growth here shuts up shop around the start of June so that was a bit of a bonus.
I swear I never used to talk about the weather so much. Must be a real farmer now!
We have a new pup. Her name is Fly, she looks 100% like a huntaway but the man who sold her promised me she is in fact a heading dog. I certainly don’t require another huntaway in my team, as Rizzo makes enough racket for three dogs, so here’s hoping he was telling the truth. She seems a natural wee thing, and is already heading the chooks.
The winter routine of break fencing is in full swing. We beetle our way around the farm, using temporary sheep netting to split the paddocks into breaks. Each day the ewes get a fresh break with the required feed for maintaining their condition and growing lambs through winter. They chew the grass down to low residuals, hopefully gobbling up any rougher tag so that the paddocks come away beautifully when the soil temperature rises in Spring. I’m convinced that the farms here on Upper Downs Road use more flexinet than the rest of the country combined. The orange grids of horror. The days whistle by in a blur of putting out and picking up fences.
Susie the Suzuki is back at the mechanics. I think she lasted a full two months since her last visit. One minute she was driving along smooth as you like, the next there was a most unpleasant rumbling sound emitting from under the driver’s wheel. Oh goody. My tactics of turning up the radio and hoping for the best sadly wouldn’t drown out the shuddering screech. I gave in and took the old girl to the garage where she has been diagnosed with a collapsed bearing. It was marginally reassuring (?) to see the neighbour’s tuk tuk truck parked up at the mechanics as well.
We scanned the ewes on Friday and were happy enough with the outcome; 170% for the main mob of mixed age ewes, 164% for the two tooths and 155% for the light mixed age girls. Hopefully we can improve on it each year.
Mitch has given the woolshed kitchen a complete overhaul. Such a treat to open a cupboard without being greeted by birds' nests and mouse droppings! With fresh plywood lining the walls and a stainless steel bench, it looks as plush as you like. As the underling, I kept well away and left the real builder to do the job. I'm pleased to report he managed well without my handy building suggestions.
Back to the weather chat. It’s predicted we’ll get rain this week as well as some snow from Tuesday, so it could be the arrival of winter. Most of our sheep haven’t been shorn yet so they should be fine as long as they’ve got a good full tum. We’ll shift mobs tomorrow onto breaks with a fresh pick of grass and southerly shelter.
Charlie Jock is a big one year old now and sporting his first tooth. He and I are on feeding out duty each morning in the tractor, currently accompanied by the sausage dog. I have wedged a friend’s carseat into the tractor buddy seat and expertly secured it with multiple bits of twine. Charlie hunkers down in the seat, squawking away and chucking toys overboard as we dole out the baleage. There's nothing quite like trying to check the bale feeder over your shoulder, listen in for the morning weather report, look ahead to make sure you haven’t run over any sheep, and dodge a flying monster truck whilst singing Old MacDonald Had a Farm, to give you that nice relaxing start to the day.
I tell myself I'm normal.