2014 water water water

Ended the year with underground springs flooding and started the year having to create underground drainage for the yard. Lucky to have passed the board bia quality assurance the week before...

Winter 2013 - Fodder Crisis

For those that did not follow the Irish news - This past winter is still taking a bite out of 'profit' as the animals that are usually out on grass in February did not get out of the sheds until June. In the south of Ireland - you do not usually have such elongated winters. It just rained and rained therefore the grass growth fell 6 weeks behind and the land was saturated with water - Animals on saturated land produce muddy animals and destroy the land. We are very much looking forward to a more profitable 2014 as 2013 will be long remembered as the non-profitable year !

2012 What a year that was !

It's December 2012 already .... and there are 246 animals in the Irish Herd (excluding Canada and the US). What a year - fantastic new embryo calves from the Canadian Embryos purchased Very pleased with the embryo purchases - nothing on the ground from US yet

First Embryo Born in Canada!!!!!

We are delighted to report that this week saw the birth of the first embryo we exported to Canada.

Byron and Caroline Templeton of XTC Herefords in Alberta Canada e-mailed with the news of the Ballyaville Secunda - Bowmont Storm Calf had hit the ground with no problems born outside.

We hope to receive a picture of the bouncing baby boy very soon and will post it as soon as it arrives.

This is the first of six embryo's we exported to Canada last year 2011.

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!!