cattle are pedigrees - Gwen and her bull calf
Jacko (Charolais), seven month old bull calf
Eddie (Simmental) with Junior and J-Lo in
the commercial beef. Niece, Kiera Mason
from Bighton, an important member of the
show team, will be showing Jacko in the calf
handling classes, so hard work ahead,
Kiera, to retain those cups from last year.
Junior and Gwen were shown last year so
just a refresher training for them, Jacko and
J-Lo within two weeks are now walking on
the halter each day, quite relaxed. Eddie is
a slightly different matter: although he and
his mum have been with me since he was
four weeks old and I have been round him
every day, he is always a bit distant. The first
thing is to get him relaxed; they have certain
areas on their body when groomed, that
send them almost into a trance; once this is
achieved you are on the winning side. Within
a week I was able to walk up to Eddie, place
him on a halter and fuss him without any
worries on his part; now that’s the easy bit
done. The next stage is walking on the
halter, which can be a real challenge. This
morning for the first time I walked Eddie out
to the field with the others; well it could have
been worse, he did not get away but best I
remember my gloves tomorrow as the rope
does burn a bit. With eight weeks to go, we
should be ok!
Remember my Champion crossbreed steer,
“Showboy”? Well I am happy to say he is
very well, grazing opposite the yard,
enjoying his retirement; he will get his third
year outing to Alresford Show, not to be
shown but on the Alresford Young Farmers’
stand where you can have a chance to
guess his weight. I do not think he will have
such a good view of the cricket from the YFC
stand but pop along to say hello, he would
love to see you.
Unfortunately, I have to end on a slightly
disturbing note; the farm has been subject to
a theft, criminal damage and gates being
opened allowing cattle to escape. These are
all logged with the police who have
increased their surveillance of the area. I
would encourage you all to be vigilant for
anything / one that looks suspicious, making
a note of time and place, with vehicle
registration if able. We all want peace of
mind and to feel safe in our community.
Thank you.
Sarah Jackson
E-mail: [email protected]
New supply of beef and pork available with
sausages and burgers for those BBQ’s.
PS. Having attended the meeting to discuss
the future of Village Voice, I would like to say
how much I have enjoyed writing this Farm
Diary for the past couple of years. I hope it
has given a better insight into life on the farm.
Peter Evans
Plumbing
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Tel: 01420 89910
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