Archived News

24th December 2015

Three lorries of milling wheat have been loaded by Ed this morning at Raikes and approximately 57 tonnes are heading off to Tilbury.

It's Christmas Eve and the cattle are being bedded up and troughs filled for the next two days, similar to a Friday routine.

The Belties have all been moved off the North Downs, with the final fourteen walked from Steers Field, diagonally through Big Field and into the Park at Landbarn where they have grazed for the past week.  Having cattle that follow a bag of food does come in handy!

The cattle provide excellent grassland management for barn owls in the parkland creating a tussocky sward,  but not grazing it right down.

The early calves this year were given native plant names A-Z  and the latter group were along the lines of the season and weather related names until we reached the final two bull calves.

Pearl  had a lovely bull calf in December named  'Elf' but Pearl was unusually slim after calving so she's had her own section of barn to ensure access to her own food supply and has been gaining condition very well.

Sammy was the last heifer to calve and seeing as this was also a bull calf (and therefore the name doesn't matter too much) and following on after Elf,  he was named;  'and safety'

or Safety for short! ..... bear with us...it keeps us entertained!.....now we need to think of next year's theme in time for Febriuary.

In the past weeks we have moved the NIC cattle to East Lawn for the winter, weaned the last three calves who have now joined the other yearlings at Paddington and have three cull cows which will leave us in January.

Glad to be home for winter, these 'not in calf' cows moved to East lawn in beautiful sunshine.

And here is Flo, our nine year old Belgian Blue cross,  who has run with the Belted Galloway herd for about seven years and now believes she is also a Belted Galloway! 

We are glad it isn't cold this winter as she doesn't have the extra fleecy lining to her coat as the Belties do, but she still acts just like them and with a mind of her own.

We are proud to produce Red Tractor Assured quality  meat and crops and to support other British farmers working all year round to feed us all.

I am off to prepare some festive British veg ready to accompany a fabulous British turkey tomorrow.  

Wishing all our customers and neighbours a very Happy Christmas.

Back