The English Paysanne

A moment from the week at La Singlarie The last calf ( a male) of 2016 was born this afternoon.

All the cows are now together in our top field. It was a lot easier walking cows up the road by foot than getting them in the trailer. With a b it of horn tussling to re establish the herd hierarchy peace now reigns as they munch down the last of the grass. With hay add lib it won't be long till they are coming in morning and evening for their hay.

The cows at La Contie came home this morning, not that they really wanted to. It took three attempts and a bit of running to get them in a position where they could be ushered into the metal field park which contains them ready to go into the trailer. This is where the seven decided they didn't want to be contained making a break for it. Second attempt was having a long line of rope to bring them down from the hill, I was in place to stop them going through an opening to another field, I failed at my task as the seven came running towards me on a break out mission - I was not going to argue with them and let them through as they flung their legs in the air kicking. Last attempt was an electric fence put up (but not on, which the cows didn't know) to lead them along with farmer J enticing them back again with a bucket of food - and yes before you say you should of done that in the first place we did with individual buckets but today they went all  ...

Christmas wishes from La Singlarie and Fizz & Sorrel

 The weather turned today, wet and cold with snow forecasted tonight (we won't get it as it misses our sheltered valley) but it it chilly tonight. So with Christmas nearly here and the Grinch still being Grinchy and not paying for a tree we made a secret trip in the land rover over to the pine woods below us where Sorrel and I have a daily walk (or run depending if deer and wild boar have passed by) where I have been eyeing up a suitable tree. The Christmas ones of past years all looked a bit bare of limbs and once a few baubles are added said limbs would be dropping to the floor and each year Freya complains of have thin trees. So this year I found a spiky one (that had been planted) so sorry Mr woodmen  but I made farmer J chop one of your trees down. Hopefully you won't miss it too much as you don't really look after them, which if you did would help my walking off track so much easier than fighting through the brambles in tow of a long line with a dog o...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie One steer packed and ready for Christmas.

Farmer J has just finished muck spreading the hay fields today. We have been so lucky with the dry weather this much needed job which has been waiting to be done is finally finished. Hopefully next year the grass will be extra tasty after benefiting from a good load of organic cow poo being spread over it.

Born last night this little girl has spent her first day in the fog, it has been a damp cold day but she is doing well. Farmer J managed to tag her ears tonight and take a few photos before all the cows  became interested in what he was doing. It is nearly time for them to come in for winter feeding, what grass there is has not got much goodness in it now. All the  cows here and at La Conite  are munching their way through bales of hay but while it is dry they are happier to be in the fields even if it is a bit chilly.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Looks like a trench Mr Stickler?

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Freya was back for a few days, helping before her friends spent the weekend in the gite. Memories of being locked out of the house in Hampshire on a Saturday afternoon collecting leaves with her brother flooded back. They use to be shut out for an hour to stop them from vegetating in front of the TV. I think it is called character building.