Emails from Cathy, a sheep farmer in Devon

Cathy has been sending me wonderfuly heartening emails, full of hope and faith and details of her animals, and has kindly agreed for me to share them. Her email address is cathy.evans@dial.pipex.com

Back to Jo's Diary | pictures of Cathy's ponies.

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10th March

6th April

Hello there! Not many left to lamb here, only five left to go!!! The lambing has gone very quickly - had another twin this afternoon. The weak lamb I was telling you about is improving but still bit unsteady on his feet - shame!!! he's still having lamb therapy - there's no shame having the lamp on as it will help him to get stronger.

I was thinking this morning when doing the morning chores how lucky the sheep here are compare to other farms - it is not very nice outside as it is wet and muddy, hard walking in places, even the quad has problems in places in gripping the ground but compare to what some farms are going through from the pictures in the news makes ours looks as if they are living in sheer luxury. The news of one farmer being refused by MAFF to move his sheep and as results the poor sheep are struggling in mud, giving birth in mud, and lambs struggling in mud - it was appalling to see - no wonder the lambs were dying. What also disturbs me was they also showed bodies of cattle in a yard and a crow/rook feeding from the carcass - can't those people realise that those carrion birds can be carrier? Oh my! It beggars belief esp now there's so many carcass needing to be dispose of, which means a greater potential for spread by vermin as so many are left without any means of keeping vermin etc away. How stupid can you get. And they talk of it being under control - you got to be kidding.

The grass is starting to grow - in places you can see it being to green up which is welcome. I am hoping to be able to move the shearlings from one field to another in couple of weeks time if the grass has grown enough to hold them. I have noticed that there is a lot of moss growing in the fields esp on the north facing slopes. Not surprising if you consider that we have had a very wet winter -

Had a email from a friend from my church - they have been very good to me supporting me during this difficult time. She says that last night (they had a service) during prayer when my name was mentioned "the congregation got louder in banging the heavenlies for you" bless them! I certainly need their prayers and support.

Better luck once again for your confused triplet!! I have two ewes that are fostering - both are not keen on their foster lamb - one lamb I was going to take away, as the foster mother was adamant that "she is not having that brat" in her own words! But it keeps escaping and returning to its foster mother and refusing to drink from a bottle while waiting for a potential foster mother so I have left it with the foster mother and now she is slowly coming around and allows the foster lamb to feed while feeding her own lamb. The other foster I have to put the two lambs in separate pen next to the mother and pop the lambs over to the mother each feeding time - she is happy to feed both lambs but afterwards it's different story hence me removing the lambs - however I am now leaving the lambs with her longer and eventually I will put the two foster mothers and the lambs in one pen as sometimes being in another pen with another ewe and lambs makes the ewe thinks "hmmm, perhaps that lamb isn't so bad after all!" Its just having to stick your guns and see it though! I have one ewe still rearing triplets but am not going to try to foster one of the lambs as the lambs are getting too old to try and foster successfully - I will only do it if a ewe has lost all her lambs.

Now I must stop rambling and get back to work!

Be anxious for nothing, but in everthing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which supasses all understanding will guard your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus. Phil 4 v 6-7

with love and prayers,
Cathyxx

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7th April

Hello there! Been wondering if you had a very busy day today - been quiet here for a change!! only a twin late afternoon - I end up having to deliver her second lamb as she was taking far too long getting it out (well over a hour since the first was born) - there was no problem, just was too engrossed with her first lamb I except!! Mum and babies are bonding nicely.
Forgot to mentioned that yesterday I set my alarm clock for 3.00am. Well I got up, went over to the barn and checked etc and then went back to bed and reset the alarm clock only to discover that it was actually 1.20am!!! I must have only actually slept for a hour!!! how daft can one get!! I must have thought the alarm went off and just got up and went straight over to the barn!! Like a Zombie I except!!! Next time I will check the time before dragging myself off bed!! Actually I don't find getting up at 3.00 (or thereabouts depending if it looks quiet earlier) too bad - its the next time I get up that I find it hard going!!! Still won't be for much longer - it's not like looking after a baby as that's hard work - having to see to the baby at all sorts of hours etc, whereas lambing is only for a short while.
Beautiful moonlight last night and tonight, but a very different story this early morning as we had very heavy rain - it simply bucketed down and the river was at full spate. I actually had to wait for it to go down as there were two ewes with lambs (feb born) trapped on the wrong side before going out to feed them, as I didn't want the ewes to try and get across as there was danger of the lambs slipping and being washed down - the river was flowing very strong and fast. By 9.30 it had reduced enough for them to get across safely.
I had a laugh this evening with the ewes bellowing for their second helping of supper!! I have been bringing in four colts each night, and I usually feed them first before I feed the ewes. Well over the last few days it has been the other way round as I have been bringing the colts in later in the evening due to the daylight getting longer. Well the ewes know that the boys get feed before them so naturally when they saw the colts coming into the barn they thought "oh goody we've another second helping of supper!!" They did half make a racket demanding to be fed!! Greedy guts! When you think about it they are not that daft are they! after all it is logic to think well the boys are here, we will have another feed....... need I say more!
Now I am off to check on my girls!
Take care, love and prayers
Cathyx

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8th April

Hello there! Lovely moonlight last night, even at dawn the moon was very bright.
Saw your photo of the black Lleyn lamb - we have had two black Lleyn lambs in what must be over 22 years of breeding Lleyns. The first time it happened was a shock when we saw the second lamb, the first born was a normal Lleyn lamb. So we had one white and one black lamb! The mother didn't see anything unusual, it wasn't her first lambing I think. We did rack our brains to see if by any chance a Suffolk ram had a fling behind our back and realised there was no chance and beside it wasn't a typical Suffolk x Lleyn lamb. So we rang up some Lleyn Breeders (that was in very early years!) and was told its a throwback to Black Welsh Mountain. It very much depends on the genes! You got to remember that the Lleyns were once rare breed more than 25 years ago. The next time we had a black Lleyn must have been about ten years later after the first one so you can see it is very rare for it to happen but it does happen so your lamb is rather special!! I certainly would have kept it if it was me. Both lambs were rams so we kept them and used them as teasers and it worked very well as you can easily spot them out in the field!!. I recall with our last one, Sam, when we put him out with some Shearling ewes, they took one look at him and rush off horrified to other side of the field!! The poor chap went rushing over to them - you could almost see him saying "Hey, look at me, am I not wonderful, cool and sexy!!" The ewes had never seen a black sheep before so it was a shock to them!! Older ewes accept him without any fuss. Looking at the picture does reminds me of them! Was yours a single?
Our foal, Zenia, is poorly tonight, I went out to bring her and her mum, Possum in for the night - I have been bringing them in for the night ever since we had that rough night few days ago (3rd April). After they were stabled, I returned with food for the mother and was horrified to see discharge coming from his nose and mouth. His breathing then got ragged so we called the vet. He came, examined her and took her temp which was high. She has now been given antibodies. She has what one could say a very nasty head cold, it hasn't entered her lungs - I did wondered if she has pneumonia, but it is not quite that yet. Poor girl, she is feeling under weather so they will have to stay in the stable for few days while she recovers and have plenty of T.L.C, Possum is not going to be happy about that as she wants to return back with the mares, but that can't be helped.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. 1Cor10v13

Know that what ever happens, you have God with you, and greater is He who dwells within you than he who is of this world. ( 2 Cor 6v16 & 1 Cor 3 v16, 1 John 4 v 4)

with love and prayers, Cathyxxxx

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11th April

Hello there my friend!! What a lovely sunny day - makes such a nice change from all the rain we have been having don't you think!!

I just have been reading your dairy (10th April) and the bit about culling the sheep and sparing cattle etc - I have been unhappy with culling and sparing cattle - to me my sheep are every bit as important as cattle - Our flock is well over 22 years old and we are closed flock, buying in Rams only when necessary to prevent inbreeding - certainly no females introduced well over 20 years. We have had many tears and laughter with our sheep over the years and we can trace every sheep back to the formation of the flock. This year I have three generations of one family, this ewe had quads when she was a Shearling two years ago. This year she is now a proud mother and grandmother. I was thinking what mind blowing it is when you consider that the lambs born to her line are either sisters, brothers, cousin or even half brother/sister, or uncle/auntie as the mothers went to the same ram this year - whether I am making sense here I am not sure!!!!
We too only lamb our ewes when they are shearlings rather than lambing them as ewe lambs - true they are capable of lambing and rearing lambs, but we find that you need to look after the ewe lambs well if you are lambing them as you have to bear in mind that they are still growing. I even feel that if you lamb them as ewe lamb and she has twin, it is better for the ewe to rear single than twins as bringing up lambs can take toll.

To have our flock culled and then replacing them is never going to be the same as you have the loss of the gene pool that you have established over the years, plus there is time involved having to bring back to the same level as before. Commercial sheep don't have the same difficulty as pedigree breeders. And then you have to consider some places like Dartmoor, Exmoor and Lake District and up in the mountains where sheep are free to graze around without any need of fencing - why? simply because those sheep have been breed and their mothers have taught them their territory and where the best places to go for grazing and shelter. (the same applies to cattle in those places) To cull those sheep would be a disaster because you would be unable to reintroduce sheep in those places as they would wander off as they have not been born and bred in those parts. What would happen would be complete change of environment as plants like bracken would take over the moors etc. Even our ewes know their area, I recall one year when I was away from the farm with my mother (I think it was to the sales?) Anyway, when we return we discovered that the men had a small problem in our absence, the rams jumped over the cattle grid and went haring off down the lane. The men raced after them and discovered them waiting patiently at the bottom of the lane where we have a field. They didn't go any further - because they are used to walking down the lane and going into the field - it never occurred to them to explore further up the lane!! (Thankfully!!) The men I can say were relieved to see them - they had a mental picture of them disappearing for miles!!

Like you say there is a difference between commercial sheep farmer to a pedigree sheep breeder - for commercial, you can easily replace the sheep but not pedigree sheep. Lastly our sheep are well known to us - they have their own quirks and though we don't give them name apart from odd ones who stand out more than others, they have their own numbers which acts exactly same as names. It has been interesting that this year lambing, we used three rams and looking at the lambs you can work out who is the father as each rams have their hallmark and it shows up on the lambs!!

You have a valid point - why spare cattle and not sheep if those two have been together - it makes no sense at all. Like you suggest, if the sheep are hard to spot for F&M, why not put some bullocks in with them, you will then know for certain if the sheep have F&M or not.

I was reading WMN yesterday and the stories of the farmers struggling with MAFF incompetence, a phase came into my mind that they should be called Ministry of blunder! (my father said that was too kind a term to use!) Its so awful what you hear for instance yesterday spoke of one farmer who had dead cattle on his farm for over two weeks and when the ministry finally came to remove the corpse, he found they left behind some bodies. He rang to find what was happening (could not someone had a decency to go and tell him in the first place!!) and was informed "oh, we had no more room for them in the lorries!" They just left those bodies in the field without any covering or disinfecting. Sheer stupidity. Another story was of a pig farm who was closed to a confirmed outbreak and the farmer wants all his pigs slaughtered as he feared that there was a very strong risk of them having F&M and didn't want them to risk spreading the virus. Exeter Office was for slaughtering but London Office say no, not necessary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And they talk about blaming us farmers for spreading the disease (they have no proof to date). ..................!?!

Like you we have no welfare problems and I am thankful for that esp when you consider the stories and pictures you see, today WMN had picture of cattle wanding chest deep in mud which was appalling to see.

I have just returned from checking on my girls, two ewes lambed yesterday and one today so have only one left to lamb!! I went to bed early last night - sheer bliss!!! I didn't even get up at 3.00am though I did wake up automatically that time! Just been told that our vet, Paul, rang up to check how we were and how we were coping - is that nice of him to make that trouble. apparently they have been taking turns for two weeks to do farms checks mostly welfare and he has just finish his shift. He had to visit some places where they have been having serious welfare problems and say that in some case you just want to put the animals down because they were suffering.

Zena is fine - apparently I've spelt her name wrong it's Zena without "i"! No sign of other mares to foal yet. Put some ewes and lambs out today - they are enjoying the grass and the weather.

I've a pair of jackdaws trying to make a nest by the corner of my house, how they think they are going to make a nest using the drainpipe?! the floor is littered with twigs where they've been unsuccessful, for every what must be 30 twigs on the ground, they've been able to get one twig to stay. So far they've managed to get about four twigs to stay around the drainpipe! They are not my favourite birds because of the damage they can do to a sheep stuck on its back along with crows and rooks. I've one ewe who is blind in one eye and the other eye is damage - I think I have mentioned to you about her before. Another ewe, a year older than the blind ewe, has torn ear. It is horrifying to see the damage those birds can do to a sheep stuck on its back. I had to shot one lamb one year, it was found on its side minus a eye which was awful to see that you had to put the lamb out of his misery as quickly you can, it wasn't pleasant for me having to do it but it had to be done.

Now I have rambled on too long that I better shut up and leave you!! Had a email this evening from a farmer in America which was nice to received. It is nice to get messages that others are thinking and praying for you as it is an encouragement.

God is Good and He is Faithful. Shalom.
with love and prayers,
Cathyxx

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12th April

Hello Jo, Hope you had a good day with the lambing - how many have you got left? still have only one left (she's crossing her legs and hanging on!!)
I am not at all surprise that you had trouble finding how many farms had their stock slaughtered in the contiguous cull. obviously the MAFF don't want the information to be made public because of the sheer numbers involved - Agree with you about Western Morning News - they have been putting on excellent coverage of what is happening with the F&M and how it is affecting farming and other sectors - Tony Blair ought to have WMN delivered to him daily!!
Surprised that the other ewes are taking a strong objection to BaBa - poor mite!
Your photo of the piglet is cute - gorgeous!!
Must remember to nip over next door to my parents and send you photo of the foal. I don't have a link up with digital camera on my computer yet.
Put out more sheep and lambs today - the barn seems almost empty (still have few inside) without them!
Take care and hold on to the knowledge that God is with us and He is our strength during this difficult time.
With love and prayers
Cathyxx

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13th April

A quiet day - still one left to lamb - she is still crossing her legs!!

Had a lovely card from one couple who stayed in the cottages few times today. God is good.

We can celebrate over this weekend with the knowledge of the awesome and wonderful work that Jesus Christ did for us, the sacrifice he paid in taking away the shame of our sins - rejoicing to know that He is not dead - our Redeemer lives - He is not dead but is very much alive - He is Risen - Hallelujah - one phase of a song comes into my mind as I write this - "I know that My Redeemer lives" Praise God.

Sorry to be short tonight - am off to check on the ewes and hoping to have a early night.
God Bless
Love and prayers,
Cathyx

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14th April

Sorry Jo, but I had to laugh when I read your dairy!!! Still we all learn from mistakes and this year you will have to separate the boys and girls earlier!!! Any more surprise? She and her lamb looks as if they are doing fine. Good job she has a single it will be easier on her than having twins.
Are you still lambing? Our last ewe lambed last night (bang go my early night!! I was hoping to go to bed early!) a lovely big single ram. It was a big lamb with strong bones and the shearling (when I am talking about the shearling lambing, they were born in 1999 not last year lambs - so they're not shearlings now - the ewe lambs from last year will be shearlings now!!) didn't want to know about the lamb for a while. But when I penned her up and was about to go and get a jug to milk her and feed the lamb, she started to lick the lamb so I thought that's good , leave her alone and the lamb will do the rest. Sure enough when I checked them up they were cosy with each other and the lamb was well fed. Yippee, lambing over for me!! I have been very pleased how it had went.
I have brought one of the mares in tonight with other two to keep her company - she's not far off from foaling but not sure when, her udder isn't hard yet. She is bit quiet today - her foal is kicking a lot today - you can see the foal moving so no wonder she is feeling uncomfortable.
Oh my dad ask me to ask you if you use "dreamweaver" with your web?
I was disgusted at the news about that slaughterman taking pot-shot on the ewes and lambs - and saw the video last night - how on earth dare he do that - its barbaric - if I was nearby, I would have just walked straight into the field and grab the gun away from him (let along punch him!! - I am not that type of person but that was just too much.....) Nothing can justify that sort of killing, certainly I know there is no need ....oh......can you image how those poor sheep felt like and all that stress, surely that sort of behaviour can not be justified. I certainly hope that the man is prevent from doing any more slaughtering and be prosecuted for cruelty because that just what it was.
I am not going on anymore about the culling etc - just that the MAFF need a good shaking and a overhaul when this is over if not before. One get sick of hearing time and over again of mishandling etc...... like you, one wonders when is this going to end.

Hang on there and remember Him who died for us and rose again to glory.

with love and prayers
Cathyxx

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16th April

Happy Easter! Went to Church in the morning yesterday, it was great to be able to go and see everyone and join in worship and praise.
Another dry day which was nice - the ground is drying up. Put more sheep out this morning.
Krystal had her colt foal this evening - quite a drama being born. She was put in a small paddock next to my parent's house today with another mare and my mother came over to me to say that she on the ground rolling. So I quickly grab my wellie and run over to the paddock. She was foaling and the hooves and mouth was showing , so torn open the membrane and took hold of the legs and start pulling. Boy, it was a struggle in pulling the foal out. I was pulling and yelling for help! (Got a sore throat now!) and grunting/groaning trying to pull the foal out!!! It was a nightmare as the foal start to come out then got stuck half way the chest and wouldn't shift. Possum's foal was very easy birth! I even put one of my feet on her rump and pull, my mum turn up and tried to help which was very good of her as she got a permanent bad back so it is painful for her. My dad, bless him was changing his trousers!! (he had clean trouser on so was changing to work trousers) he turn up just as the foal came out!!! the three of us, Krystal, me and the foal just lay there in heap! exhausted for few minutes!! The cord hadn't torn and blood was still flowing and when I start to pick the foal to move to front of Krystal it torn slightly in half then blood spurt out, so I quickly clasp over it and held it. My mum went into the stable and found a cord so we tied it in two spots, then I went over to the barn and get tape and scissors before tying probably and cut it then moved the foal over to front of Krystal. I have no idea how long we tried to get the foal out but it did seem like entirety and at first I thought it was dead when I torn the membrane open and there was no response on the tongue and it was cold. To be honest its a wonder it's alive after all that drama of the birth etc!! I have no idea how long it took but it was much too long for us!!
Poor Krystal it was a very rough birth and you should have seen her belly - it went right down. She was very unsteady on her feet and I was worried about her. So I watched over the two for more than two hours while she cleansed and I had to show the foal where the teat was. That was not easy, the lambs are so much easier!! I was thinking while watching over them how different the horses are with their new-born compare to sheep - they don't lick them to dry and also they sometimes don't fuss over the foal until the afterbirth is out. Also I think Krystal felt that she had no need to worry about her foal while I was there.
I am now going to check up on them then have a bath, I need one as I am not very clean now, the foal has been over me trying to find milk on me while Krystal on the ground!! The clothes are certainly in need of a wash!!
Oh forgot to say that Krystal is a blue roan - the foal at the moment is black with what look like a hint of a white on the forehead - will have to see what it like when he's dry tomorrow.
Take care
Love and prayers,
Cathyxx

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18th April

Hello there! Hope you had a good day - its been lovely day - another dry day with sunny periods, very warm when sunny.

Been digging a very big grave for a yearling colt that had to be put down yesterday. I open my bedroom curtains early yesterday morning only to see a pony on the surface of the drive. I quickly put clothes on and dash out and discovered it was one of the colt and he was flat out on the ground having what I only can describe as a fit - I quickly went over next door and asked my mother to phone for the vet - I then went back and stayed with him. How he got out is a mystery - afterwards I discovered there was a large hole at the back of the Tractor shed which he might have got out. I wondered if he had colic from eating too much or something he ate that disagreed with him. I even wondered if he drunk some of the disinfect we had out for disinfecting boots etc.

The vet came and gave him pain killers etc - standard treatment for colic - he was baffled to what was wrong with him, especially as he didn't response to the injections. We eventually moved him in the trailer and took him over to the stable where we evicted Krystal and her new foal into the paddock and put him inside the stable. Durham (vet) decided to return back to the surgery to have a word with another vet, Stuart who is expert with horses and returned back with him. Both came back and Stuart after examining him wondered if he could be suffering from mineral deficiency like Calcium - but also wondered if he had brain trauma as his eyes wasn't responding well - He then treat him with calcium supplement but as there was no improvement after the supplement was injected into his blood it was clear there was nothing more that one can do but to put him to sleep as he would have not last long in that state and it was kinder to put him down.

Hence digging him a large grave - I thought great when it happened!! Zoey, a local young girl gave me a hand digging the grave - I told her that she can now put in her resume - "grave digger" or if she's been asked what sort of jobs she has done she could mention Grave digger!!. It took the two of us almost three hours - as the soil is loamy for few inches then became slatey so had to use pick axe. I am just grateful that the colt wasn't like a shire horse!! Normally we would have phone the kennels to collect the corpse but due to the F&M regulations they are prevent from collecting fallen stock. It is a mystery what was wrong with him and seems very strange that it happened to him when he broke out. We will never know.

It was a very pleasant spot where we dug the grave as it was next to the wood and there was all sort of activity going around - bees buzzing by, saw a humming bee, all sorts of flies, the smell of new growth coming up. I see the bluebell are just starting to flower. As I said to Zoey, what a lovely spot to be buried in.

Will have a go sending you photo of the foals tomorrow if I can - I have to nip over next door to my mother's computer to send you the photos. Loved the photo's of the piglets. I noticed that you got one smaller than the other - was it a younger one or a runt? have you got any runt or they're all the same? Sounds as if they are very curious and active. Do they make much noise like when playing etc? It must be lovely watching them and learning about them as they grow.

That news about the farmer in Scotland fighting against his stock being culled after visiting his brother and not even visiting his farm was terrible - makes a mockery of encouraging the visitors to the countryside. It beggars belief. What of those farms with B&B or self catering like us??????

Time I was in bed so am off for now!!

Take care - love and prayers, Cathyx

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21st April

Hello there, sounds as if you had a major trouble with your computer!! Did you have training on using the computer etc? Just wondering.

Another lovely day - glorious weather though it was colder esp this afternoon. Did some tidying up in the barn and then this afternoon pricking off bedding plants - seem to have more time doing them this year than last year - I think one reason is that lambing finished earlier this year and also no preparing for the shows.

I had to bring in a ewe yesterday evening as she had swollen udder - her problem was that her teats were sore (from her lamb's teeth) and understandably she wasn't letting her lamb suckle so was heading for mastitis - So had to walk her back to the barn and then get the lamb feed and separate for few hours then pop the lamb back in for another feed and separate over night. Then back for a feed first thing this morning. I was pleased to find her udder was nice and soft this morning and I left her lamb with her at midday. This evening, her udder is still soft and she is allowing her lamb to suckle. Looks as if I caught it early to prevent mastitis taking hold. I am keeping her in for few days as her teats did have nasty sores.

Also yesterday evening I found one of the young lamb was on the wrong side of the fence. It took ages to catch it and pop it back on the right side of the fence - I had a good look along the fence to see where it got through but there was no visible holes!!! It better not do it again!

Did you hear about the MAFF blander in culling sheep in one Cumbria farm - apparently they has the wrong grid ref (map) - I don't know how they were able to cull the sheep or how the couple allowed them on their land in the first place. What a mess.

Am now off to bed - take care and have a good sleep tonight -
love and prayers, Cathyx

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23rd April

Hello there! Much nicer weather today compare to yesterday which wasn't very nice - we had a lot of rain - we will have to blame the rain onto my Dad!! as on Saturday he was saying that he would like to have some rain! I said No we don't and what ever for? appartley he sow some peas and beans hence the rain. However yesterday morning when he came back from his daily walk, he was complaining about the rain so both of us (myself and my mother) said it was his fault as he asked for rain!!!!!

I know what you mean - it would be nice to wake up and discover that F&M is totally over and we all can relax etc etc. Now one get numb with the news, and bone weary about it all. One wonder how long is this going to drag on and how much more is the MAFF going to mess up with handling the F&M. I am sick and weary of it all and doubtless you two feel the same.



We are fortunate we have no worry about deer unlike you - true we have woods nearby - there is a large wood next to our land - but I have never seen any (and evidence) of any deer - I have heard of some on the outskirts of Plymouth (near the airport) It will be much harder for you seeing you have deer nearby - which makes it hard for you to know whether you can put stock out or not. I was just saying to my mother this afternoon when we were looking at the ewes and lambs that we were very fortunate that we have had no real welfare problems unlike some farms. True we did have lot of rain which meant surface water and mud but even that is nothing compare to some where they have very serious problem with mud etc. Even I managed to have some straw left over - I had to rationed the straw while the ewes were being housed before they started lambing - I always felt that you should ensure that their pens are strawed well in other word no dirty pens - but this second batch I had to stretch out the straw and even used the old straw we used for the bottom layer for hay and straw which worked well. I was on the point of ordering straw when the news broke out about the F&M and decided to delay the order for few weeks - well that never happened as the crisis went on!!!

I love the photos you took of the pigs - they have grown - they may be time waster but what a wonderful experience watching then growing and playing and learning about their behaviour as they grown etc. Do take more photos of them and put them on your diary, please!

Please to hear about BaBa - strange how your Vera has taken such a dislike to the lamb and the others are not brothered at all. Oh well there is always the one!!!

Saw the first swallow yesterday - haven't seen any today. The bluebells are starting to come out - not long before they are fully out. We too have some wild violets out, they are lovely are they. Have you tried eating the flowers? You can also eat the primrose flowers too.

Went out this late afternoon to get my hair a most needed haircut!! It has been looking like a birdnest!! (only joking! - but it now feels better for having a trim and I can now run my hand through my hair!!)

I have brought one mare in tonight - Pasty, with her daughter (last year foal) for company as she is very near to foaling from the feel of her udder. I was hoping for a early night but it looks as if I will have broken night tonight checking up on her. Oh well ...... that's life!

Now I am off to check up on Pasty!

Take care - love and prayers - hang on there.
Cathyx

I had a look through a hymn book and came across this old hymn which you may like to read/sing:-

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labours increase
To added affliction he addeth His mercy
To multiplied trials, he multiplied peace

His love has no limit, his grace has no measure
His powers has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
Annie Johnson Flint

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24th April

Hi, I'm shattered and in need of a much wanted sleep!! Will be able to have a early night tonight - Pasty had her filly foal just before 4.00am this morning. I had been checking her several times in the evening and the night and went to bed after 12.00am, got up again at 2.00am and set my alarm clock for 4.00am. I woke up before 4.00am and got up and went over to the barn and wasn't surprised to find that she had her foal and delivered her foal safely. The foal is silvery grey - her mum is piebald and so is her daughter born last year. It will be interesting to see what colour it will eventually become as the foal's change colour as they grow - Possum's foal - Zena is already looking different colour compared to when she was born. we are going to name the new filly, Zara.

Zara looks as if she could be smaller than her mother and Xosa. We name our foals with the same year letter the sheep have - hence this year letter is "Z" - last year it was "X". That way we know what year when the foals were born!! I must say that this year letter is easier to produce than the "X"!!! One of the last year colt's name was X-Ray!!

Sorry to be short and sweet tonight!!
Take care - love and prayers
Cathyx

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26th April

Just been outside and the stars are wonderful outside tonight.

Heard that they are not going to kill the calf "Phoenix" - Wonderful news - How on earth did they miss the calf in the first place - and how did the calf managed to survive for five days. Makes one wonder if they've slip up elsewhere - they should have check afterwards to ensure that the stock is dead full stop. What the calf must have went though that five days nightmare, oh no..... - How many more blunders are we going to hear????!

There was a article in the Western Morning News which you would have read by now about the America offering the testing kit and was turn down, simply because the MAFF were too busy to look into it!! - sheer stupidity. Saw your letter in the letter page!

Not much to report about today, Paul the vet came this morning to geld one of the colts (three year old) - The colt, Winston is going to a new home (Southampton) to a lady. Have put Pasty and Zara out in the small paddock behind the cottages - I had a job to get the foal out of the pen - she was nervous about coming out but she has now settled down, taking in her surroundings around her new world.

Was thinking if it wasn't for the F&M I would asked you if I could pop over and see your piglets with Gilly (She's crazy over pigs!!)

Love and prayers,
Cathyx

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27th April

Hi there, hope you had a good evening out. Been to Church this evening.

I was watching the late night news when the chap who is being tested came on (being interview) and he is still waiting for results of tests. From what he was saying, it is a nightmare for him as he has no idea of what will happen to him if the tests are positive and he has got F&M because his way of life is going to change as he would be unable to work in farms etc. What a shame and it must be horrifying to be in that situation - all that uncertainty and what would he do if he has got F&M. The first man who had F&M back in 67' had flares up so he would be a carrier, what a mess. One thing struck me was that he said that he had no ruling in protective clothing etc, and he thought the face masks was to reduce the smell. All he used was yellow rubber gloves and I thought surely with the dead bodies you should be careful with handling that you don't catch anything - I am not talking about F&M but other organisms like E Coli (spelling!) etc. I must say my sympathy go towards him and his family.

I was shocked to learn today that Phoenix was found buried under the bodies - I hadn't realised that - oh no - that poor calf. How on earth did that happen.

Weather quite a mixture today!!

Take care - love and prayers, Cathyx

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28th April

Hello Jo - some photo for you to look at - the first is Pasty with her filly foal - Next is Krystal with Zac. Lastly is a lovely photo of Tess which I took this late afternoon.

Had a busy morning - made a early start by moving the ponies around and putting the stallions with them - the stallions do make a lot of noise, squealing and snorting and the mares trying to keep away from them! Later in the morning I went over to Plymouth airport to say bye to a friend from my church who is going to the Philippine for two years. Trudi will be working with the street children in connection with a church in the Philippine island of Mindinao. She has been raising funds to set up a Orphanage. She is a lovely young woman and it was a wonderful send off. There was about 35-40 of us at the airport - what the staff must have thought of seeing us in such large number!!! I have no idea. It was a cheerful and yet tearful parting. Afterwards went back to the farm.

It is now late and I am off to bed!!

Take care - love Cathyx

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30th April

Hi there! Sounds as if you has a busy day moving the sheep out. Yes they often do that - the ewes forgetting that they have a second lamb when being put out - Our lambs take longer to settle down. They get very upset and worried when the mums are having their feed and it usually take few days before they can relax and start to play while their mothers are having a feed.

The ponies are miniature Shetlands - in one field I have some boys - colts, geldings and a stallion and when I put them in that particular field last sat, I was rather amused to noticed that some were mush smaller than the two older rams! We have far too many!! - 3 stallions (one is up for sale as we purchased him while the colt was growing and awaiting to be passed as stallion - he has now passed and we are using him) 3 geldings - (one has been sold - he just had his operation last week as I mentioned before) 2 colts. We have three fillies, 9 mares and three foals. I have 4 mares in foal. So .... in total 23, hence me saying we have too many !!!
The stallions are let out with the mares usually on 1st May (this year they went in earlier as the mares are moulting and the field we had them in was in danger of losing the fencing at one end as they were using it as a scratching post!) and stay with them until autumn. This is one reason why we have difficulty knowing when they are due to foal. It is very interesting watching them and learning about their behaviour. Each stallion behave different with the mares and the noise they make is amazing!! The mares with foals at foot are very protective of their foals esp when very young and will not let the stallion come near their foals and the other mares who can be either in foal or barren etc - they also rally around and see him off. The stallion has no say in the stud, it is in fact one mare who is the boss and simply her word is law!! If she feels that one of the other mare need to be taught a lesson she will send that mare out of the circle into converty and will only let her come back into the fold if she feels that the pony has learnt her lesson! You may find when you come into the field to check up on the ponies that there is one on her own away from the others and you know it been sent to converty! Later as the foals grown, the stallion sometimes get into trouble with the mothers as the foals start coming up to the stallion to play etc but the mothers don't like the foals coming near. Eventually it get easier and the foals are allowed to approach the stallion, but there are still times when one of the mothers get uptight and come racing over to see the stallions off. Like chickens, they have a pecking order.
Some of the mares do get worried about you when you come into the failed and approach the stallion, for instance this afternoon, I was making fuss of Unity, a little 3yr old chestnut filly who is due to have her first foal this year then I went over to Stranduff, a very handsome blue and white stallion and was making fuss of him when Unity came up looking very worried that I was next to Stranduff, that I had to speak to her and make fuss of her and reassure her that all was well - at the same time I had to make sure that I wasn't going to get caught up in the firing line as the mares do kick at the stallion to drive him away (it's their way of telling him that he can forget what he's after!). Stranduff is a young stallion and it is his second year running with the mares so he is still learning how to behave with the mares etc - he doesn't mind you coming into the field and approaching his mares. Baron (who is our senior black stallion) on the other hand display what I call a "snake" approach, esp in the first few days - basely as you come into the paddock, he puts his head down and tries to round you up or put himself between you and the mares. It's a show off - saying that the girls are his, full stop! With Baron, it is sometimes difficult to go up to him as when the mares see you, they rush over and drive Baron away!
Like I said earlier it is very interesting watching how they behave etc.

Speaking of behaviour - do piglets feed either Gussie or Gertie depending who is the closest? that is I am assuming that they are allowed to mingle? I was amused seeing your photo of the piglets feeding as there two on Gertie's back trying to get the milk! They remind me of puppies fighting to find the teats. They have grown fast.

Another lovely day today - remember when you were here at the AGM, that we were working on the border at the along the end of the house? Well it is still being worked one and we have cleared some of the over grown shrubs, today was spent on spreading the manure and forking it over the soil and then planting few plants.

I know what you mean about the crows/rocks. We have three rockerys nearby (three valleys away) and there had been a group hanging around one field and I have look at them wondering where they have been - not nice - but what can one do but to pray.

It has been very quiet on the media with the F&M - one wonder if they are trying to keep the lid in - I am sure there must be plenty of non farming people who think things are better now etc - well I am sorry it is by no means over yet. We still have to be careful.

By the way do you find when you put the lambs out, the lambs tend to eat the dirt? as soon you get them out of the pen, they get very interested in the ground and start nibbling at the surface!! We don't have concrete surface inside the barn - just soil, so as soon they step out of the pen, they start eating the soil!! I think it is just a typical young behaviour - rather like babes when they reach a stage where they examine things and put things in their mouth to discover more what the object is no matter where it has been. For the lambs they are simply trying to see what the soil taste like etc.

It is now late and I should be in bed back long time ago!!! So will see TA Ra for now!!
Lots of love and prayers
Cathyx
PS apolgies for any spelling/grammer errors - put it down to my need for sleep!!

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2nd May

Hello Jo,
Just read your dairy and saw that you're having some sheep blood test - How did it go today? I pray that those blood tests will be negative which surely they must be as your cattle have been with the sheep for a while.
I know what you mean about the news - I was amazed when I read about Blair saying about "4 weeks' normal food production" For certain those people are so far removed from what is actually happening in the front lines - I just despair of the whole thing and all that slaughter. Heard that Somerset had a outbreak, I must admit I shed few tears watching the news about it. There's little mention about F&M in the TV now - it's just yesterday news, sadly there are people thinking that it is over when it is not by any means - like you said we cannot afford to relax our guard. When will it be over I wonder?
Funnily enough, I've also lost a ewe - (yesterday!) I found her dead out in the field - she had a prolapse which wasn't massive but I can only assume that she has been trying to push the lot out and the gas eventually build up in her that she died. She was still warm and rigor motis hasn't set in yet. It meant I had two lambs to rear - I was enjoying not having to rear any orphans!! oh well those things happen, but mind you my reaction was when I discovered her body was "oh great, now I've to dig a grave for her!!" I didn't have any problems catching her lambs. They are naturally very upset at the moment and one is only suckling the other is being suborn and refuse the bottle. Spent few hours digging the grave today - it was in a nice spot, I was thankful that the weather was nice and dry as it was forecast to rain so Praise God for the weather today. There were bluebells flowering, red campion and buttercups too, insects were buzzing and birds singing - lovely spot. How did you get on digging yours?
Yesterday evening I found one of the mares had foaled - a filly foal, dark grey with a white star on the forehead. I put the couple in the barn for the night and went back to check another chestnut and found that she was very near so brought her in for the night and spent the night checking her. At midnight when walking back to my house (there was a lovely moonlight, very bright for half moon - no need for a touch) I asked God to wake me up if she need help before I checked her next, and set my alarm for two. I woke up before two and went over to the barn and found she had started , in fact the foal was being born when I arrived, and I had to tear open the sac over the head - it would have suffocated if I turn up mins later. So praise God for waking me up!. I also had to tie and cut the cord after few mins - strange that's two I have had to tie this year, never did in the previous year!!! so why this year??!! Anyway it's a lovely filly foal and it was Unity's first foal so she was very taken in with her foal and made a lot of fuss of her foal and licked her foal a lot more than ponies normally do, awwww! I told her what a clever girl she was and stayed to check all went well for a hour then went back to bed. Only three left to foal and not for a while.
I am going to have a bath tonight and a early night after this!
Good night! Love CathyX

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5 v 6-11

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4th May

Lovely dry day today - especially in the evening. I was watching the two older foals in the orchard this evening - they have been getting more interdependent and going further away from their mothers. I was walking by and saw that the foals wasn't with their mothers who were grazing happily, and then spot the two racing from one end of the orchard to the other! It was a delight watching them playing. Sounds as if you are ahead with your apples blossoming as our apple trees here haven't come out yet - there are couple of trees starting to open the flowers bud.
.......
We are having far too many rabbits - they are breeding as fast as what rabbits do what comes naturally!! Everywhere you look there's rabbits! all shape and size, even when I open my curtains you can see them in the drive and in the garden. They are a menace - I can't recall but I think it is something like five rabbits eat what one sheep eat. Have you got any rabbit problems? - I was wondering as you have a fair number of cats - speaking of cats, how many do you have?
How is James?
Take care - love and prayers, cathyx

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6th May

Hi! Just read your dairy, Blair and Brown seem to be waffling on without really knowing their facts!!! As for 2% I can't believe that! As I've said before, MAFF certainly have a lot to answer for their actions.....

Looks as if today could be a nice day though it is colder thanks to the wind. Yesterday evening I checked the ewes and lambs and found a ewe on her back and she had been attacked by the birds (rooks/crows) and her face was a mess. There was a lot of blood, it was a horrifying sight, so I brought her in and gently cleaned her head up best I could. Both eyes are very swollen and she can't see out of them. What damage her eyes have taken is hard to say, it is now a matter of allowing the swelling to go down and by then we will know the extend of the damage. I was looking at her this morning while feeding the orphans and had a picture of the rook's beak, ohhhh, it must have been a nightmare situation for her, poor old girl. I caught her lambs after cleaning their mother up and they are now with their mother which will help her. She's not too bad today - still can't see, I have to speak to her gently when I go in the pen and put food in front of her. It makes you mad seeing the damage those birds can cause, you just want to go out and shoot them!! Why can't they wait until they die before moving in. Oh well, I will let you know how she goes, she will be in the barn for a while with a lot of T.L.C.

Now I better get change and get ready to go to church.

Take care, lot of love and prayers,
Cathyx

Ps will they let you know the results of the blood test? and how soon?

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7th May

That was a lovely message from Rev G, it's amazing how God works!
How's the sick ewe of yours? My blind ewe is still blind - her eyes are still very swollen - the poor girl, it does looks nasty, and one wonders what damage the eyeballs have taken. She is coping very well meanwhile, you just have sympathy for her.
Had very good services yesterday - I went to church in the morning and in the evening, we had guest speaker, David Waters - he is a pastor at a Church in Okehampton. It was a delight to hear him preaching, just to look at him, you can see how much he delight in speaking of Jesus, just glows!! His wife came with him and they are lovely couple. I spoke to them afterwards as I knew they have some farmers in their church and I was wondering how they fared. One sadly was victim of F&M contiguous cull, but the rest are still clear. They too have had difficult time and been holed up in their farms.
Just been told that our shearer has rang and spoke of the possibility of coming down to shear our sheep at end of this week - I must admit I feel bit uneasy having him to shear our sheep (esp when you consider Somerset outbreak) but what can one do - the sheep needs to be shorn, we usually do them on 1st May - and in view of having had one ewe on her back and attacked by birds, there is a need for them to be shorn. They are very heavy with wool and few have been puffing when it has been warm. If I could, I would do them myself, but my back wouldn't be able to stand up shearing my lot!! and we haven't got the machine only hand shears. We've got the licence to move the two rams stuck across the road, it is only five yards across the road from gate to gate!!! which is a good thing as they are mature rams and I was dreading having to shear them myself using hand shears!! I will be having to pray hard on the day which is all I can do. There is going to a lot of sheep needing to be shorn over the coming weeks/months all over the country. What about you - do you shear them yourselves?
Am off now to feed the orphans - only one will take the bottle - the other has been refusing point blank, and you can see which one is on the bottle.
Take care you two,
Love and prayers Cathyx.

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16th May

Hello there! Sorry that I have been quite for a while.

Had a phone call last Wednesday evening to say that the shearer was coming on Friday (early) We checked with him about what he does with disinfect etc and he is taking every predications - he brings a small holding pen and the pen is soaked in disinfect for 12 hours (powered disinfect as can't use the liquid for obvious reason) The team (he has two New Zealanders shearing with him) come with freshly washed clothes and after each shearing the clothes are washed before going to next farm. All equipment are disinfect thoroughly - he is taking no chances - it is a risk for him as he has cattle and sheep on his farm. He is avoiding any infected area - he told us on the day that he has two doggy farm on his list and he's leaving them at the end. Apparently there is some scheme being set up for shearers to go around in each area etc but that hasn't been finalised yet which seems crazy that it hasn't been organised before as it is shearing season now and what with the warm weather we're having!!! (Well what do you expect with the MAFF!! - I am so sick of them and they way they have handled things I could easily go on but I won't as I know you feel the same with them!! and that you would have heard the news etc!) There's a mention about the shearers in today WMN which you would have read.

Anyway back to the shearing - Had a busy day on Thursday setting up the pens in the barn and brining in the sheep - Tess my dog is out of action. I noticed that she was limping and holding one of her front paws up so didn't used her. Thankfully the shearlings and the Rams responds to bribery (rustle of feed sack makes them think - 'FOOD' - yippee!!) so I just called them to follow me and brought them in the barn. I took Tess to the vet in the afternoon and he thinks it's her shoulder and gave some painkillers for a week and she is to have a complete two weeks rest and see how she goes on - if no improvement then XRay. I thought great, what a wonderful timing!! I need her to bring in the ewes and lambs. Anyway I brought the ewes and lambs up late afternoon when it was cooler as it was a warm day - it was forecast for rain hence me bringing in the shearlings and rams in the morning and leaving the ewes and lambs in last.

Friday arrived, and got up early and started to separate the lambs. Shearer arrived and we started work. The shearer asked if I had any help coming and his face was a picture when I said no!!! only me!! So you can image I was kept busy in moving the sheep and rolling the wools etc. (I'm sure I must have shed few pounds that morning!!!) I did work out which ones to do first and where the shorn sheep can go etc and hold them so that I didn't have to walk them to their field until afterwards. (Which was just as well esp with no dog!) I had one problem - the wool board hadn't delivered the wool sacks. I did however have six sacks from last year so used them, but had to cram in much wool as I could (the chap who is going to collect them won't be very happy as they will be heavy - but that's tough). However when on the last two sacks my left wrist (just below the wrist) started to ache from forcing the wools into the sack. By end of shearing it was aching a lot and at end of the day I had a swelling and it was painful! It hasn't happened before. Anyway after the shearers left I walked the sheep back to their allocated fields, the shearlings were no problem but the Feb group was another matter - I got most into their field but there was about four ewes and some lambs. My mother was helping as best as she could but with her back she couldn't do much - I left her to stand by the gate while I tried to get the rest back - got them all except for the two ewes who were very suborn - aaaahhhh!! Anyway they got in the field in end but I was very hot!! The April group were no problem as it was straight into the field next to the barn so that was ok. Kept the rams in over night to get them used each other and reduced the space for them to stop them bashing each other up seriously.

The sheep are looking a lot more comfortable with their coats off esp now we've been having very warm weather - I no longer have to worry about them getting stuck on their backs. It was interesting that the shearling ewes didn't have very much wool length esp compared to the rams - obviously the wet weather we had slowed the wool growth up - (the rams had been fed steadily throughout the winter.) The shearling ewes are smaller but I was pleased to see they were in fairly good condition and now with the wool off they can start to put on more weight and grow more. I see from the today's WMN that there is shortage of shearers so we are fortunate to have ours shorn. What are you doing about yours - do you shorn them yourself or do you usually have someone in to do them for you?

I had to rest my wrist and be firm with myself the last few days (rather annoying as there's work screaming for attention everywhere!) - it was swollen and painful on sat but the swelling is now going down, it is not too bad typing this today but I am using my good hand more - Tess is improving she's no longer holding her paw up but she is cheesed off not being allowed to come with me when I go out to do the rounds etc - it has been hard for her as she loves being able to come with me and work etc - well you know what the border collies are like - they live to work!! I have had to be firm with her.

I have writtem long enough as it is so will stop for now - Oh before I do - I was amazed and livid watching the news the day before yesterday of the bungled cull attempt of the group of cattle at a infected farm nr S. Molton. Surely after all that time they would have some sense to know that you don't try to cull cattle like that - no wonder those cattle panicked, bad enough seeing those strange men in white suit and upon hearing the gunshot (there was no silencer) they just took off and who can blame them. Sheer stupidity, and more so hearing yesterday at noon that they still have not found some bullocks (4) I gather they found them in the afternoon. How do you think those adjoining farms are going to feel about those bullocks on their land. It makes me mad! I see Anthony Gibson was furious too "MAFF bundled into the herd of Limousine bullocks with men in white suits. Anyone who knows about farming will know that the Limousines are flighty at best of times, and surprise, surprise the animals bolted in all directions and they then pursued them with rifles. The whole thing is completely utterly mismanaged from start to finish..."

I see from today's WMN there's a growing support over the cull rebellion - good. There was a mention about one flock of sheep on contiguous cull list and yet the infected neighbouring farm was over seven weeks ago and the farms were separated by road - the whole thing is crazy, MAFF is refusing to blood test - why? other farms around have had theirs blood tested - the farmer is willing to have their sheep blood test and even pay for it but no MAFF don't want to hear it. Ohhhhhhhhhh!

I'm signing off as my wrist is starting to ache a bit.
Take care,
love and prayers Cathyx

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Pictures of Cathy's ponies.