The publicity hots up

As we continue to prepare the premises, and keep up with all the routine farm work too, the national promotional campaign run by LEAF is well under way.

It is very exciting as LEAF have even listed us as one of their farming heroes.

As well as our radio slot next Sunday I have just had an email to inform us that Offley Hoo is also featured on Page 16 in the Sunday Telegraph Life supplement in an article promoting next weekend's Open Farm Sunday.

We will have 4 pigs with piglets of various ages on show. Some pigs are due for weaning next week, some are 6 weeks old.
However some piglets are very new and very cute: Ginger, who was named last year on Open Farm Sunday by a visitor, farrowed a few days ago and her sister Apricot is due to give birth in the next 36 hours. Pictures will follow later this week.

We will also have cows with calves, and sheep with lambs as well as a sheep shearing demo.

This photo is of our beef animals and some replacement heifers for the herd.

There are two Longhorn cross Simmental cattle in this picture, can you guess which 2?

On the radio - next Sunday 12th June

Yesterday Elinor Goodman and Emma, the producer, came to Offley Hoo. They interviewed Jon in his role as BBC Farmer of the Year and asked us both all about Open Farm Sunday.

A fifteen minute programme called 'On your farm' will be broadcast early 06.35 on Sunday 12th June, or use the 'listen again' button later on.

This photograph of some former arable land reverted back to grass was taken by Diane Armitage. Poppies are an arable weed and drought does not affect them. As soon as the fencing is complete sheep will be put on to eat it down to encourage the grass to grow.

MUSIC!

We are very grateful to Rock, Stock and Basil from Baldock for agreeing to play for us on Open Farm Sunday.
The play list looks great and will be guaranteed to get all the children dancing in the barn.

Update on the ewe which was attacked by an unknown dog in Kings Walden park. She is recovering well after a lot of careful nursing and modern veterinary medicine. The cost to the farm about £100.00, cost to the ewe terrible pain and suffering.

The blog will be updated almost daily now with the run up to Open Farm Sunday in 9 days time.

DOG ATTACK

Apologies for the brutal photograph of a sheep which has been the victim of a dog attack.

This ewe, with a lamb aged about 3 weeks old was attacked by a dog today in Kings Walden park. The ewe was found in a very distressed state in the field beside the Village Hall, called Church Meadow, where the footpath runs. She is now back at the home farm with her lamb and receiving veterinary care. It is too soon to say if she will survive, it depends if we can prevent infection. The wound is being flushed regularly with a strong veterinary antiseptic solution and the ewe is being injected with antibiotics for the infection and something else for pain relief.
The dog should be named and shamed, as should the owner. If the dog is found loose in the sheep again it will be shot.
This is particularly shocking as the owner of the dog has not had the decency to report the incident, or get help for this stricken sheep. The flies are bad at this time of the year and luckily the ewe was found fairly soon after the incident, however there was no sign of the marauding dog or the dog's irresponsible owner.
This photo has also been forwarded to the local Police and a formal report will be made tomorrow.

Sheep worrying is a serious offence and we regard the safe grazing of our animals as a very important priority. We would like dog walkers to understand their responsibilities if they walk on the footpaths where animals are grazing.

The National Farmers Union, the National Sheep Association, and the RSPCA all say:
"YOUR DOG CAN SCARE OR HARM FARM ANIMALS. PLEASE PUT IT ON A LEAD NEAR LIVESTOCK."
We agree with this and ask everyone to follow this code.

Back to reality

We are back from a lovely break in Cornwall and already the holiday seems long ago.

Jon injected a lame calf this morning for suspected joint ill and we have been planting out brassicas in the garden and weeding the carrots.

Tomorrow morning we host the first of three planned visits by Hertfordshire Women's Institute.

The weather is so dry with blustery drying winds and we have had several threatened showers today but received nothing more than a few drops. It is becoming worrying as everything desperately needs rain.

Must dash now as we've had a phone call about a broken gate in a field with livestock in.

More udder trouble

Jon fetched in Brookfield Ginnie again as the front left teat had swelled once more to enormous proportions with milk. The calf is so full he just wants to lie down and sleep.
The single unit milking machine was used to take a gallon off the cow, and hopefully the calf will manage to keep pace with production now.
Jon wonders if he is the only person in the country to use a milking machine on a Longhorn? Once upon a time the Longhorn was a triple purpose breed, milk, meat, and draught [pulling a plough].
Photo Copyright Jon Birchall 2011