Wednesday 30 May 2012

Daisy's night out

Do you recall last time I spoke, that Daisy would have to be AI'd when she next came into season. The  vet has examined Daisy and said she was not "cycling" ( hormone wise) and would give her a bit of a boost to get her started. I wondered if the dog incident has put her off. Anyway the boost consists of a progesterone tampon which I was to take out on Sunday 27th May.  It was expected that she may come into season 4 days later on 31st May but more likely 21 days after that on 21st June. And that's when I get the AI man in.

However, on Sunday morning I notice that the bit of string that should be dangling out isn't there. Call Gerald ( Pendeen Whitebred Shorhorns ) for advice ;- apparently the string does drop off sometimes so have a ferret around and pull it out. If I don't have any luck then he (Gerald) will roll his sleeve up on Monday morning.

Daisy strongly objected to my ferreting around, on Sunday afternoon, though I was very gentle, even though I say so myself. Over to Gerald. However at 3 O'clock on Monday morning Daisy starts mooing. By 4 O'clock Daisy is bellowing and climbing the hedge between the field and the garden, taking Buttercup with her, and she is off. I got dressed as quickly as I could and went to the spot were they were last seen - to no avail. Then it dawned on me, the string hadn't fallen off, the thing had come out altogether- she was BOOOOSTED!!!!!! A supercharged, four wheel drive, bovine nymphomaniac on a mission. I looked in every field , path and lane between Marazion cemetery and Trebarvah looking for clues ( cow pats). Nothing. Then at 6.30 I had a call from Matt Skewes at Chiverton Farm to ask if I was missing two cows? They had been with his herd of dairy cows since 5am and by the way one of them was"bulling " that strongly she had been ridden by every one of his herd!

By 8.30 I had both cows home, with Daisy locked in until the AI man arrived. She was not amused by his antics and wouldn't let me milk her. On Tuesday morning the AI man arrived again - just to make certain ( I hope). More disgusted in indignant looks. I had to milk Daisy in the crush. She let me have a pint to relieve the pressure, and then stopped. I took the clusters off and we had a talk. The  clusters went back on and with lots of soothing noises and stroking she reluctantly let me have the rest of the milk.. Both cows spent the rest of the day eating and sleeping. Buttercup glad to be home and Daisy with a "I haven't been quite my self" look.

Daisy and I are now on speaking terms. This afternoon Daisy volunteered to be milked so normal service has resumed. I will put Chiverton Farm on standby for 21st June, but I hope she is in calf.







Thursday 17 May 2012

Milk testing

All UK milk producers have unannounced milk testing where a raw milk sample is taken away and analysed to meet the Food Standards Agency criteria  .Mine happened a couple of weeks ago and I have just had the results back. They test for "colliforms" ( introduced bugs - may or may not be nice ones) and they have a "total viable count" ( all bugs, including colliforms, as milk isn't a sterile product).     My results were bril - colliforms = 1 and the highest tolerance level is 99
TVC = 99, or 98 + 1 from above and the highest tolerance level is 20,000
Apparently I am in the top 5% in the UK for clean milk.
If you exceed the above levels you get closed down and cant sell until you have improved.

On other things going on on "Karen's farm"- all the little piglets have gone to new farms and the two black sows Cilla and Betty will go to new homes this week.

Daisy- the milking cow hasn't come into season yet after calving in February- which is unusual. The vet has had a look at her and given her a progesterone boost so she may come into season at the end of the month. She will then be AI'd- I cant take her over to the bull at Pendeen for the real deal as there are no milking facilities there.  Sorry Daisy. ( I did wonder if the nasty business with the dogs had put her out of stride but the vet doesn't think so )

And at long last I have arranged  for someone to tackle the field where the bee hives are to make it fox proof. Then I can have the chickens back in there. The job, I have decided, is too big for me and I am not sure of the best way of going about it.