13.5.15 Three lambs to slaughter this morning. 0ne to Paul pick up sat am. . Rat’s tail hacked out. More gravel in front of shed to stop flooding. Rain most of the afternoon – 16 mm
19.5.15 10 mm rain. Stud ewe lambs drenched and y/b 05 and 06 selected and put in stud ewe flock. Commercial flock- young ewes tagged – y/w 31 to 50(excluding 39) and y/b 01 to 04 – total 23- now all tagged. Stud ewe lambs now in lambing 1. Resting lone cypress paddock. taken two out and put in Stud flock y/b 05 and 06.
21.5.15. 3 mm rain.Dosed commercial lambs with 6 mls of drench. Several had dirty bottoms. Bulldozed three dead(drowned) black wattles and put on the burn pile down in revegetated area.
2.6.15 Returned from quick trip to Rockhampton. Tipped 14 mm out. Sold 21 ewes, which are hopefully in lamb. All commercial ewes given 5:1 vaccine.
3.6.15. Vaccinated stud flock with 5:1. Tagged animals y/b 08 to 12. 09 Ologhlin ewe. Y/w 03,04,06,10,11 and 12 original Golders(Horsham) and y/w05,r/y40,46,78,and 93 original Byralea( Wilsons).
7.6.15. 21 commercial ewes and 19 “stud” ewe lambs sold and moved to Ian George.
10.6.15 Tipped out 11.5 mm.
16.6.15 9 mm rain. Took hair samples for Mitovis
1. b/y06 Luxton
2. G13 Luxton
3. r/y93 SA
4. b/y05 L
5.y/w05 L
6.y36 Ologhlin
7. y/w04 Golder
8. r/y54 SA
9. w/y05 SA
10. y/w11 Golder
11. y/w 10 Golder
12. y/w 41 Black Luxton
13.y40 Ologhlin
14 Gun 5 last of Gunbower flock
14. R4 best ewe luxton.
G13, R4 and Gun 5 in little lambing rest of studs moved to Hazel padddock.
17.6.15 Tagged Blue/yellow 13,14,15,17,18,19 and 20 black ewes lambs 2014. Y/b 21 and 22 white commercial ewe lambs 2014 all now in Gibbs paddock. Big horn lambs to go into Jonty.
21.7.15 been away for 3 weeks on holiday to theUK and Spain. Had 25 mms of rain whilst away. since back had 2 frosts resulting in burst water pipe. Ewes all sorted and about 2 weeks to lambing. Last years lambs dosed with fish oil/cider vinegar/kelp and those with dirty bums anti helminth. New paddock looks great and commercial ewes are enjoying it. Fixing up electric fencing had 8kv yesterday now 0.8!
26.7.15 14mm rain. Males moved to Cato paddock. Ewes now in lambing paddocks. Voltage constant 7.5 kv. Seem to have solved the shorting problem. Now fencing completely surrounds lambing paddocks. Lots of “crown of thorns” thistles this year. Fox baiting programme run by Lee, no baits taken as yet.
Done last year.
A dangerous pastime!
27.7.15 16 mm rain.
28.7.15 8.5 mm rain.
30.7.15
This intrigues me.
Sample of poo from late pregnant ewes in two paddocks. Top photo newly sown. Bottom photo taken Hazel’s paddock. both samples similiar age.
3.8.15 16 mm rain.
First born. Y/W 10- ram S1. then y/b 09 twin rams.
4.8.15 Y/R 43 twin ewes.
5.8.15 10 mm rain, now getting run off.
6.8.15 16 mm rain.
7.8.15 5 mm rain. The commercials have started. Two sets of twins and singleton. Y/W25(b)-r c1, rc2.Y/B03(w)-c3e,Y/W47(b)-c4r,c5r both white!
One of commercial twins(c1), the other black.
6 fox baits taken over four days. None from inside Fort Luxton. Have we done it? Guinea fowl released into lambing paddocks.
16.8.15. The rural land holders meeting on Understanding hay went well. David and Eddie taught us about assessing hay and the value of nutrition. Afterwards went for a walk around the property with Michelle, Linda and Geoff along with Alaister and Susan.
17.8.15 Tipped out 17 mls rain. Yesterday beautiful and had 3 sets of twins. Steph(12) had twins ,then later I had to pull out an obstructed triplet. She is up and about today. The strength of these girls always amazes me. the two rejects (Greta and Gruntle) are doing well. Now onto 200 mls 4 X a day.
18.8.15 6 mls of rain. Lots of lambs. Biggest disappointment a fox has breached the fence.
R4 (my favourite) and her progeny, looking totally relaxed after early morning birth.
27.8.15 Nearly finished lambing. Commercial girls almost complete. over 80 lambs. 2 still births, 4 rejected deaths and 3 or fox deaths. The latter have gnawed through the chicken wire down at the new wet lands/ sugar gum area. 8 baits taken and electric fence seems to have stopped the climbing.
5.9.15
Lambing now over. Trying to solve the leak in the irrigation system. Alaistar came around and trenched the last area outside the old blue gums. In so doing we cut the 1.5 inch pipe. I am learning where the pipes are buried! I have Ventraked the new Swamp paddock, Lambing, and the Back paddocks. The ground is dry, I think El Ninio is starting.
6.9.15 Still no rain. Planted tomatoes, sweet corn and black passion fruit down by the raspberries. Set up a gravity feed watering system from the 20K tank. should install small electric pump. Visited by Marcussy and Mons.
8.9.15. 14 mls rain. Cold but leaked fixed! One guinea fowl gone? fox. Wedge tail was in lambing 1.
9.9.15 T and T day. 90 lambs done. Some of the Luxton blacks are very heavy. C13 kept as a ram. All the studs wethered.
10.9.15. Sprayed broad leaf on thistles and cape weed the latter in the Cato paddock.
14.9.15. Mowed some of Cato and much of Gibbs paddock. The house brick “soil” has grown beautiful clover, which I assume is due to the high lime content. . Will try and procure more. Also culled two wethers with John as Noelene wants half a beast.
15.9.15. Tipped out 26 mls of rain. Planted three more orange trees in the central oval. The aim is to graft on some of Robyn’s tree which produces exquisite fruit.
19.9.15 3.5ml of rain. Mowed one of back paddocks and wetlands and blue gums. Grass growth is amazing.
29.9.15 Mowed other back paddock. Swamp paddock again and clover in Gibbs paddock and new grass in Cato. More oranges planted. Grape vine from Lazzar in at the back of the verandah. 12 more lambs to slaughter. New Guinea fowl and Buff Orpingtons in the paddock joining the rooster. Argo, the new ram has settled in.
3.10.15 30c!
21.10.15 Unexpected lamb born today! Kim back for lambing. Peter finished the fencing so now have a laneway around both farms. Tipped out 2 mm rain. Getting very dry underfoot.
24.10.15 All the paddocks topped with the hay mower except Little lambing, Billabong and most of Lambing 3. The heaviest ones were Wetlands, Lambing 2 and Lambing 3 where i did 3 rounds to monitor pasture growth.
1.11.15 Yesterday 10 mls. Today topped lambing 3. Topping all the paddocks at just below stem height.
5.11.15. Just tipped out 20 mls at 11.30 am. All happened this morning.
3.12.15 Been off air do to technical problems.
7.5mm of rain since.The ground is now very dry. Topped lambing 2 and 3 after the girls moved into lambing 1. Yesterday they were put into Jonty.They have been joined by the two late black lambers. the ewe lambs have been tail ringed.Also arrived 7 black ewe lambs and 9 wethers from Jill. All dosed and the ewes in Jinty paddock. Jonty and Tory came down for a short week end. They helped move the stud wethers in with the commercials in Gibbs/Home paddock.
Kevin Hughes (agronomist) visited. Happy with the pastures. Suggested 250 gm CuSO4/ ha to combat Barley grass. Cato paddock has increased rye grass content. Will put on 1.5 tn/ha on new farm and 0.5tn on old with lime=6% sulphate of potash. The root structure is good. The Cato paddock has the lowest humus breakdown. Probably should aerate new farm more thoroughly than old as the top 4 ” is more compressed. I will apply Petrik in autumn.
6.12.15 Received Mephistopheles, nine black wethers, two white and nine black ewe lambs back from Jill- $1900. Sprayed thistles in the cut paddocks. why has Fog grass taken over? The clover has nearly seeded. Preparing for christmas. Mass tidying.
Cedric now lives a lonely life within the shadow of the house. He has survived 5 nights.
19.12.15 41c today, strong north winds. Yesterday a balmy 23c. Soaked the garden two nights ago in the hope of saving plants. The apple trees are covered for the same reason. Mephistopheles died with a horn caught in an internal wire. The rest of the black brigade are fine. The last paddocks to stay green are the back of Luxton. The new swamp paddock has a touch of green. About 100 thistles sprayed around the property.
26.12.15 21.5 mls of rain. After a Christmas day of 35c.
Weighed the wethers- 9 over 40kg and 10 over 35kg.
29.12.15 Hay mowed Coolart, wetlands, blue gums and lambing 2and 3. Ventraced Gibbs and Rand home paddocks. The first as everything has seeded and the others for fire management.
18.1.16 New year, dry and hot.
19.1.16 Bought two Wiltipoll ram lambs from Plumpton each $250. They have been living on Coles bread for months. They will becused to get some new genetics into the commercial flock.
25.1.16
31.1.16. 17 mls in the last three days. Gentle soil soaking water. Rand home paddock cleared, smoothed and aerated. More thistles removed.
21.2.17. 3 aggressive aerations of Cato and ram paddock. One passive aeration Gibbs paddock.
25.2.16 Keets arrived yesterday from Flinders, $15 each. A hawk was sitting on their run today. They will be caged for at least 4 weeks. Killed two lambs yesterday for the freezer.
The following ewes have gone to Cape Schank resort to mate with Big Ted(Wiltipoll)_0/Y2,Y/B18*,Y/W15*,Y/B13*,R/Y38,R/Y82 and R/Y56. * Luxton blacks with poor shedding. Started the ewes on oats 1/2 bag every other day. I will mix up with lupins.
26.2.16 Black and commercial ewes put with Bill and Ben. Ewe lambs separated. All dosed with Cider vinegar/fish oil and kelp(10mls).
27.2.16 All girls now with their partners. Ewe lambs have lost some condition in this long dry spell.
3.3.16. Picked up 2 ewes from Red Hill Cherry farm tagged W/P 9 and 10, on ewe lamb 49 y/b and 2 wethers. Wiltipoll ewes and younger one Wilti/Dorper crosses. In with Massimo. Pasture seed has arrived from Grahams- $1980 for Cato and Rand paddock (11 ac).
Launch of MPP brand this afternoon. Luxton sausages on the menu. MPP no 5!
10.3.16 3 mls of rain. Is this the vanguard of the autumn break? Started aerating. Started oats as supplement feeding every other day, about 200gms per animal.The ewes and rams are very keen. The young ones are slowly learning which means the crows and swamp hens are putting on weight. It certainly changes their demeanour, now skittish. It seems to be a “sugar” hit/addicitive.
18.3.16 25 mls of rain! All whist I was away in New Zealand. Back and fed the flocks.
25.3.16 Ert and Bernie moving on. Lime+5% potash(32t), pig compost(29.5t) and brown coal(24t) arrived for spreading. The citrus all given brown coal/pig compost coverings.
The two apricot trees from the first orchard pulled out and on the burning pile. Little lambing and Jonty paddocks have burning piles along with Ram paddock awaiting removal of fire restrictions. A great birthday present for Catriona.
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6.4.16 16 mls of rain over several hours so soaking in well. With warm soil I hope to see rapid growth. Hoping Jus will be here to spread in the next few days.
9.4.16 The Cato paddock has had a second power harrow. I think it is a good seed bed.
30.4.16 19 mls in the last week. Aerated and power harrowed Rand home paddock. Aerated Gibbs paddock. Real green drought at the moment. Spread the coal/lime/pig compost over 44. Awaiting chicken manure for 66. Come on Jus. Decided to sew oats in Cato, pasture /oats Rand home and pasture in Gibbs paddocks. Currently giving oats to Black, commercial and lambs every other day and the studs once a week. The latter allowed in old nature reserve.
1.5.16. 26mls in a big storm overnight.
16.5.16 back on line another 40 mls since 1.5 Sown Cato with oats (showing after a week), Home and Gibbs with pasture mix. Run over little lambing with Connor Shea and pasture mix. Saw the SoilKee demonstrated on 13.5 and we will renovate Windmill and Bore paddocks using oats/peas and pasture mix to compare with our resewing paddocks. All ewes given Johne’s vaccine and drenched with Codliver oil/cider vinegar/kelp mix.
15.9.16 Back on line after corruption. Been through lambing, flooding and cold wet winter.