Archived News

2nd October 2011

We’ve had a beautiful start to the day with mist rolling along the valley and the sun breaking through as I fed and watered the pigs.  I’m waiting for Polly to farrow.  Her estimated due date is about now; her flanks have really filled out over the past week or so but there’s no sign of milk just yet.

Also due between now and December are 19 Belted Galloway calves; the two calving groups were served over approximately three months by a hire bull, Park Phoenix; before the arrival of our own bull from Scotland, Carsluith Ethelred.

Ethelred had a gentle introduction to the farm and then spent six weeks with four heifers before moving location to serve another four females.  35 days after the bull left the field, the first four heifers were pregnancy diagnosed (PD) by the vet.  This was done in the most atrocious weather but nevertheless confirmed that three will be calving next January – February.

Unfortunately despite running with two bulls this year, the fourth heifer remains barren and therefore has gone to market.

The Belted Galloways have been grazing the North Downs over the summer and earlier this month we walked the young stock from Blatchford Down, past New Barn and back to Hackhurst.  Years ago I worked for the National Trust along the Downs and subsequently for Barbara Blatchford, so I’ve always known this area as Blatchford Down; although current NT staff call this area the Plantation.

Alan Blatchford started the Tanners Marathon, a 30 mile ‘challenge walk’ with the Epsom & Ewell YHA group in 1960.  Although at the time it was thought to be a ‘one off’, Alan was still organising this unique local event twenty years later, when in 1980 he died aged 44. Donations were given to the National Trust enabling them to clear the land of trees and fence the downland for sheep grazing, naming the downland ‘Blatchford Down’ in memory of Alan.

Once the cattle reached Hackhurst barns, they were weighed and sorted into two groups.  The nine lighter cattle moved to Hammerfield in Abinger and eleven were transported further along the downs to the ‘Nose’ below Spectacles Wood where they’ve grazed for a few weeks.  On Friday we ran them westward along the drove road and now they’re grazing the field below Ranmore.