Daddy Pounds Visit

At the end of March Anne's father Derek (AKA Daddy Pounds), came to visit us here at Allowdale he was certainly on a working holiday and had little time to relax.

Derek erected an amazing electric fence in a 15 acre field of rented land with the gardener, he helped me catch and tie bulls as well as the day to day feeding, power washing, picking stones

and herding cattle. He enjoyed a fabulous trip to Galway with friends and celebrated his birthday in style on the farm.

My daughter Phoebe really took to Derek and he even taught her about the aerodynamics of aircraft wings and how they fly. We had some funny moments and some stressful ones Derek's presence is certainly missed now he has returned to Canada.

I found Daddy Pounds not only great to work with but a pleasure to be around, I enjoyed his life stories and cant wait to have him visit again.

New Year Brings New Life to Allowdale

The new year at Allowdale has been fantastic I've been washing our newly halter broken bulls, (Cutler, Yaraman, Valour, Jack Demsey, and Best Trump) I was expecting them to behave pretty badly but they were complete gentlemen. The boss even gave me a chance to start clipping them which i actually turned out to be quite good at.

We had a Heifer calf born on New Years day Pashmina to Allowadale Pheadra by BHG she is beautiful.

The boss left for the Denver Stock Show on Tuesday and everything was relatively quiet until 0830hrs this morning when I noticed Trena looking sick to calve.........at 1045 baby number two of 2012 was born a handsome bull calf......

The boss is back Monday so I'm hoping Sparkle will calve before then just so I have more great news to welcome Anne and Liam home with..........

First bull washes

Ok it's been ages since my last blog and a lot has happened! Liam has been very patient in showing me how to wash the bulls and I had my first three done before Christmas. Allowdale Elvis and Allowdale Valiant are looking amazing (see pics), while the washing has seemed to come quite naturally to me the leading part was quite terrifying to begin with. These boys are on the heavier side of 650kg and their power and strength is unbelievable I am but a mere fly to them! Liam said I'm getting better now though, well his exact words were "least you didn't scream like a girl this time" I think there is still much more to learn!!

Haybarn modifications 1/2 done

Bottom of the haybarn is complete and the heifers are all in place.
Waiting for the final 3 locking barriers to arrive this week to finish the top of the haybarn in order to move the last 10 animals off the field in !
Rain rain and more rain this week -
time for the animals to be inside and not 'poaching' the land.
Roofing the section of the haybarn between the Bull house and the calving shed as the water is unmanageable and spoiling the straw beds as well as the feed (costly).

This week will be busy with gates, roofing and new vented sheeting on the way ....

Bull House and Haybarn mods

So having leveled the 'upper' ie roadside part of the haybarn and filled in with concrete ...
Now created a new problem where all the water is coming into the shed !

We are likely to have to roof between haybarn and main calving shed as well as fence off the area .

Mods to "lower" part of haybarn pretty well completed today.
Darak to power wash and clean for animals to be brought in tomorrow.

Rambo update

Rambo calf number 3 is on the way.......................more news to follow!!!

Rambo and Twister Calfs Born!!!!!!

It's been nine long months of waiting (not counting the run up to embryo implantation) for the embryo's brought from Grant Hirshe in Alberta, Canada to be born. Liam and Anne Philpott have been looking forward to their arrival with great excitement and on the 22nd October a handsome Bull calf called Allowdale Tornado by Adams Twister 416T out of Cooperobin 254R was born. Then 5 days later his full brother Allowdale Twister was also born.
After the two Twister calfs were happily running round their pens the anticipation began for the long awaited Rambo calfs and thanks be to god we didn't have to wait long a week later the first Rambo calf was born a Bull called Allowdale Rambo by GH Rambo 279R out of Performance Passion 126S and what a fabulous calf he is too.
On Monday Border Buttercup V81 started her super-ovulation programme and we are all super excited for her flushing on the 22nd November.
Today marked the birth of the second Rambo calf and at last we had a beautiful Heifer by GH Rambo 279R out of Cooperobin 254R aptly named "Miss Rambo".

We are now waiting for the last Rambo calf to be born and for Border Buttercup's flushing exciting times ahead to which i will endeavor to keep blogging about on a regular basis.........