Sunday 13 June 2010

Hi to everyone on this lovely Sunday morning,
I have had the chance today to catch up reading the blogs I like to follow, and I am pleased to see so many healthy cria being born, good luck with all your birthing. We have been very lucky here at Chase End really only had a few difficult births but we always phone the vet and he has talked us through it. Not so many birthings this year as we have changed our mating programme completely. so next years cria will be due around May / June , when the Mums have plenty of grass to eat and hopefully plenty of sunshine. I am going to continue with my small haybarn today, back on the mini digger, what would I do without it. It was certainly one of the best buys we have made machinery wise. Just had Harry the local farmer around to check on the hay situation, nearly ready for cutting, so I better get out and get started, haybarn here I come.
Bye for now folks.
Joe

Sunday 6 June 2010

Back to Blogging

Hello to all of you on this lovely Sunday morning,
I have eventually found a little time, to start my blog again. I find it very interesting reading all of the blogs and you do find out what is happening around the country. Myself personally, there just have not been enough hours in each day. I suppose we all go through our hard times, but this last year has been a very hard work load for me. My good wife Ann took a tumble while going to feed the Alpacas, and broke her Fima badly, this happening put her under a lot of stress as she still cannot get out into the paddocks to do her normal jobs as she puts it. As we all know there is always something to do on the farm but as I keep telling her just keep jotting the jobs down Ann they will eventually all get done.
I do not know what it has been like in other areas, but here in Essex we have been pushed to the limit with our hay prices, four pound fifty a bale and they are still rising. Talking to our local supplier he reckons it is going to get worse, as he has been buying in from Wales, and they are now short of it. I realise that some of you have enough grazing, but for those of you who do not have that luxury, it may be time to start thinking about your winter feed. We have had our surplus Ten acres sprayed and fertilised and are in the middle of building a small hay barn to store enough for the whole winter. I just thought I would mention it because if we have adry summer hay could be short on the ground.
Well folks must be off will speak to you all later, bye for now.
All the best Joe