Showing Season

 

The first of the new season lambs have already left the farm for the butchery and Marks and Spencer. Using our autodrafter to select lambs when they reach the correct weight and gather masses of information about growth rates, the job of selecting from 4000 animals is made a little easier with technology. Each sheep has an electronic ear tag which is read buy the machine and weigh scales to record each animal as it passes through. The gates can be set to automatically draft off sheep into different pens depending on their final destination. It still requires the expertise of Ewan and Katie to make sure there are no anomalies, but the job is pretty smooth now.

As June heats up, we have to bring all ewes back to Lochty for shearing. Loosing about 3kg of wool the ewes head back to the field looking like they have a boost of energy and a summer trim.

 

Showing season is upon us, with the first being the Fife Show, where both the sheep and cattle won a selection of prizes and ribbons. Next up was the West Fife Show, where Cameron and Kieran returned home with more ribbons and a good deal of pride. All of this is training for the big event later this month with the Royal Highland Show, where the new Lincoln Red Class will be hotly contested. So between other jobs, there will be a lot of time spent washing, haltering, brushing and generally pampering a few of the show cattle.

As we head towards the longest days, preservation of winter feed takes priority. Catching silage at the right time when sugar are high and before the grass goes into its senescence (dry) phase, we have to cut and ensile it. Then comes hay, when the grass is a little more “woody” and the nerves are settled with a dry spell.

Open Farm Sunday this year coincides with our next Bowhouse weekend, where we will have live shearing demonstrations by Katie, tractor and trailer tours of the farm and cattle, sheep, pigs and machinery on show. So if you are in need of a fleece for mulching your garden, spinning your own yarn – or just a haircut – join the que.

Last month we were lucky to have the BBC Landward team filming at Bowhouse and the wider estate. Providing an opportunity to showcase some amazing produce and explain why we do what we do.