Rain, Rain go away.......

I wish the rain would go away, it has been a very mixed week weather wise. Our neighbour, Colin, finally cut 2 fields for silage and today he finally got the bales wrapped. He's obviously got a new type of tractor one that not only has flotation tyres fitted, but an aqualung and flippers too!!!!!
Despite the wet weather we managed to get some work done. Some pipes into the ditch in the gateway to the common land, it's nearly filled back in with earth, but the land is so wet we will have leave it for a few days.
As Saturday had been reasonable the grass in the woodland was dry on Sunday morning so Denise was able to get it cut before it completely takes over again. As we are cutting the grass regularly, it is starting to loose its coarseness and beginning to produce a fine grass, it will never be a bowling green, but at least the nettles and docks are slowly going and it makes a good play area for the nephews.
We got some electric fencing so that we could move Hector and his minders into the race that has the new hedge in it, so hopefully the electric fence will keep them from eating the new hedge. The amount of grass there is will keep them going for months. We also moved the ewes, into the paddock the boys had been in as they were making no impact on the grass and we will need a paddock that has short grass for when we wean the lambs, as the ewes need to go back on some poor grazing to "dry up" so that they don't get mastitis. We will also use a homeopathic spray to aid the process.
Reading the daily yahoo newsletter from the North Yorkshire Smallholders Society we belong to, of items for sale, one of our local smallholders, and friend, was selling some electric fencing and some of her sheep, one of which was a pedigree Shetland ewe. So after a rather nasty thunder and hailstone storm, we went to see her. Bought the electric fencing and her Shetland ewe, May, who should be delivered to us next week.
Not only is the newsletter useful for items/stock for sale, you can also put in a wanted add, which is what we did for a Pedigree Wiltshire Horn Ram. Result of which is we are going to view two rams next weekend. If we buy one of them, we will have to sort out quarantine arrangements for our new sheep.
All new sheep onto our holding go into quarantine for at least 2 weeks, they are heptovac'd (clostridial diseases) and Dectomax'd (worming & sheep scab). May seem over the top, but so far, we have not had any problems.
As this house is approx 150 years old, the paintwork leave a lot to be desired, especially on the doors upstairs. We decided to get one of the doors dipped to see what the result was. It came back an amazing colour, so much so that all the up stairs doors are to be dipped and then treated with oil. Even the chap who does the door stripping was impressed.
Tim is waging a one man war on the rabbits that seem to be taking over our empty paddocks, but every time he gets his gun, they have disappeared, or run in to the paddocks where the sheep are and sit amongst them!!!!!! Such is life - one day he will get them.
More next week......

Denise