Our Organic Year «

Our Organic Year

Running an organic farm with cows, sheep and pigs is a busy job!
Here’s a summary of what we’re working on throughout the year. . .

Cattle are housed indoors to protect the wet meadows from hooves which can churn it to mud
Sheep remaining out in the fields, graze and forage on winter grass.
Cattle are kept dry and warm inside our large barns with the Bulls housed separately
Cattle fed on home grown organic silage and hay
Sows forage in the winter mud for grubs and are fed on organic concentrates
Calves now approaching 10 months old are weaned from their mothers
The sheep are brought in and scanned then sorted into groups which will lamb at the same time

Sheep in the fields are given home produced organic hay and silage for supplementary nutrition
Pigs outside are fed organic concentrate
Cattle inside are separated breed groups

The Farm prepares for the busy calving and lambing period.
The calving barns are cleaned, disinfected and prepared with fresh straw bedding. Calves are born in the barns and have ear tags fitted after 2 days. Their details recorded for DEFRA passports, the Soil Association and the Aberdeen Angus Pedigree Herd Records.
The lambing pens are cleaned, disinfected and prepared for the busy lambing period, pregnant ewes are brought in and housed in groups who will lamb at the same time.
After lambing and health checks the ewes and lambs are returned to the fields.
Our Large White Boar begins his breeding duties running with the sows to produce summer piglets
Cows with their young calves are turned out into fields in small groups if the ground is not too wet

Most of the cows have had their babies and are out in the fields with their calves, any remaining pregnant cows are kept close to the barns and allowed to calve outside
Drier meadows are used for grazing with wetter areas left to grow for silage
All the sheep have finished lambing and are out in the spring meadows. They’re given regular health checks for parasites and feet care.

All sheep are brought in for shearing, and lambs are given a health check
Cattle are given organic garlic blocks to lick which repell flies that can cause eye problems
Farm Barns are cleared out
The first piglets start to arrive at the end of the month

Lambs are weaned and separated into small groups then allowed to graze freely
Our pedigree Angus bulls are sent out into the meadows for breeding duty with the cows
Sheep are moved to fresh grazing pasture
The first silage crop is cut and wrapped for storage on the farm
Hay is cut from the dry meadows and baled then stored for winter feed
More piglets arrive

Our breeding rams are given a health check , ewes are flushed on rich grass to stimulate fertility
Bulls are removed from the cow meadows after 9 weeks
Winter housing is prepared for the cattle
Repair any damaged flooring or fencing in the farmyard and barns, check water systems are working
The second batch of silage is cut and wrapped then stored in the farm yard

Rams are allowed to run with the ewes for breeding duty
Cows and their calves are brought into the winter barns as the weather cools and rain becomes more frequent. Other cattle (fattening steers and dry cows) are kept out a little longer if the ground is dry.
Piglets are weaned off and separated

Cattle cared for under cover in the large barns, fed on our own organic silage and hay
The vet scans cows to confirm pregnancy
Ewes are brought in for health checks and vet scans for pregnancy