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Summer 2001 at Beer Mill Farm |
Five acres of buttercups. Enough to make a commercial farmer get out his spraying kit but an absolutely fantastic sight and we don't need the grass! June 2001 Since lambing, a number of people have asked how things have been going. Well, the sun is shining (well it's not raining anyway), the grass is growing and the lambs are doing well. The spring
flowers were spectacular this year. All along the hedge We are now classed as a Private Nature Reserve. An expert from the Somerset Wildlife Trust has just completed a study here and found 155 different species of plant. The grazing this year is split into two distinct areas. One for the ewes and lambs and one for the rams and later the ram lambs, when they are weaned. The two areas are subdivided into a number of paddocks and the sheep are moved around usually on a weekly basis so that each paddock is only grazed about once every four weeks or so. This gives us a good measure of worm control. The grass got going really early this year and has now to be cut at regular intervals, usually about three days before the sheep go into each section. One seven
acre field is being kept for hay. We used this particular
field for hay for the first time last It has been a very interesting year so far for birds and animals at Beer Mill Farm. Little Owls have raised a brood in the eaves of the house, Collared Doves have nested successfully in the barns and a pair of Buzzards are raising youngsters in an oak tree near the house. Kingfishers are nesting in the river bank and we nearly always see them when we walk along the edge. Badgers have suddenly taken to wandering about the fields in broad daylight as if they own the place, which is quite fascinating. From being incredibly shy creatures which we only saw two or three times at dusk over several years they have become quite a common sight in the middle of the day. The other day one of the dogs was rushing round a bend in the track when he stopped dead. When we arrived he was nose to nose with a Badger! After a few moments both parties executed a dignified retreat! A Heron has also taken to fishing in the river. At this time of year the river runs about six or seven feet below the top of the bank and on quite a number occasions we have been walking the river field when it has suddenly flown out almost under our feet. It is quite surprising how large they are close up. Exciting news! The local RSPCA Wildlife Officer tells us that otters regularly travel along our river. We have never seen one but apperently they are there. Because the river is so low in the summer the otters hunt along it at fairly long intervals looking in the deeper pools. We have never seen one but we will kep an eye out now.
The lambs are growing by the day and we are starting to decide which (if any) are looking like potential champions. It is a complicated process. Are the legs straight? Is the mouth going to be okay? Is the colour right? Is the fleece right? Will the horns be the right shape? Is it too big/too small? Above all has it got that 'Look at me' stance about it? You start off with what seems many candidates but before long the list rapidly becomes shorter and shorter and then when you think 'This is the one' it picks up some obscure disease or knocks a horn off in the fence wire! Oh well, back to the drawing board. But then, if it was easy it would not be fun. Shearing
Like all horned sheep, Portlands are not easy to shear. However you hold them, the horns are constantly bruising your ribs and legs. After a lifetime shearing, Derek has a calm authority that sheep (usually) seem to recognise and the flock behaved itself pretty well with only a few protests. Only natural when you are suddenly grabbed and your coat is cut off.
The next yearly event will be hay making. We normally do not cut until early July to give all the flowers and grasses a chance to seed. May/early June was exceptionaly dry for us, nearly five weeks unbroken dry hot weather. Very nice but it slowed the grass growth down. Hopefully we will get the right amount of rain to bring things along. In early June disaster struck. Foot and Mouth Disease suddenly came much nearer. An outbreak about nine miles away suddenly meant that we were included in an Infected Area. We were right on the edge of the area but it meant that we were unable to move stock or fleeces. Luckily on 16th July the restrictions were lifted. A real relief. Into the third week in July we were all ready to cut the hay but the rain which had arrived at the beginning of the month, refused to go away. We need at least five days dry weather and hopefully it will arrive soon. Its only seven acres but it would be a shame to waste it. July 28th Some really
hot weather this week was perfect for hay making. The
field was cut on Tuesday and unbroken sushine meant it
dried perfectly and we could bale it on the Saturday.
Some of the best hay we Hilary contemplating the field being cleared of hay We finished late into the evening!
August 10th Two days ago we had a call from DEFRA saying that all our sheep had to be blood tested for Foot and Mouth disease. Hilary said that she would not have Ministry vets on to the farm because she felt that as they had been going from farm to Farm testing sheep, the risk of spreading the disease was unacceptable and asked that our own vet carried out the testing. DEFRA refused the request and said that it was not possible for our own vet to do this. However we knew friends who had used their own vet and insisted. Suddenly DEFRA changed their minds and said that they had just found some legislation that allowed it! The blood tests were carried out today (Friday) and we await results. August 15th Still no test results. Today 3 young Little Owls arrived. The RSPCA asked us if we would take on 3 Little Owl fledglings and release them on the farm. A stable has been converted to house them and we have to feed them day old chicks (dead) which arrived in a large frozen box to keep in the freezer! 3 chicks per bird per day. After about three weeks the birds will be released and hopefully will stay in the area. August 20th Still no news of blood tests so Hilary rang up DEFRA. 'Oh yes you are in the clear'. Well don't you let people know? 'Not always'. Can I have the test results in writing? 'No'. After much muttering DEFRA agreed to send the results in the post which took about two weeks. Were we being punished for making a fuss about using our own vet? Surely not! August 29th One Little Owl escaped after a couple of days but the others must have thought it was better to stay were food was regularly available. They seemed to be doing okay so as planned they were released today. After perching on the barns for a couple of hours they disapeared without trace. Fingers crossed they should be okay. Sadly we lost one of our dogs, Henry, two days before we were due to go on holiday. For all the many people who knew him over the 13 years, he never changed. A canine criminal till the end. Still running away until the day before he died. He had a stroke on his morning walk down the track. Absolutely no warning but at least we will always remember him as a fit dog, Henry never got old. A real character, he never obeyed any command without thinking about it first. If it didn't suit him and he thought he could get away with it he would just ignore you. Many's the time he has sat just out of reach calculating whether he could make a break for freedom or give in gracefully. A very intelligent dog, for all his faults we will really miss him. We found him a shady spot near the track he loved to escape down. September 1st Off on our hols to France. A cottage in Brittany. Our first holiday for nearly 20 years!! A lady who looks after the place when we go to shows etc. came to take charge while we were away. She is experienced with sheep and armed with an extensive list of help numbers of friends in the village and clear instructions to call the vet at the first sign of problems. We hoped all would be well. September 13th Back from France and relaxing and enjoyable holiday. The flock looks in fantastic condition despite our worries. Have they all put on weight or is it our imagination? Probably the former as the grass is growing at an amazing rate. The ram lambs and ram shearlings in particular seemed to have bulked up. A little owl fledgling has taken up residence in the log shed!! Great news. He/she is taking chicks left out for it. Lets hope it moves house before we need the logs for the woodburner. October 15th Well into Autumn now but summer temperatures, fields still dry and the river way below its normal level. What a beautiful end to an outstanding summer. Somerset declared free of Foot and Mouth at last. Sadly we had to say goodbye to some older ewes this week. A very difficult day as some were from our foundation flock. But it had to be done they were not going to lamb again and they would have struggled through the winter. Our first sheep off the farm to another home this week. Bramble Victor went off to Hindhead in Surrey. At the end of the month the ewes go to the ram and what we regard as the start of the sheepherds year is upon us. A new section of the website Winter at Beer Mill Farm will continue the story through to next year's lambing. END
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bottoms
the cowslips and primroses seemed much more numerous,
particularly where we had cleared back and laid some of
the overgrown hedges. 
year and it was the best have ever had. It
has a wide variety of grasses and flowers with almost no
docks and nettles. At over 100 bales per acre with no
fertiliser we have decided to stick with a winning
formula and this will be our hay field in future.
left: Bramble Orville, an 11 week
old ram lamb who we have some hopes for. To the right is
the same lamb 7 weeks earlier. Note how the wool changes
colour very quickly.
We sheared in early June this year. Derek,
our shearer has shorn the sheep since we moved here and
we are really grateful that he continues to do so. A
shepherd for many years, he still works in the
agricultural industry but not with the sheep anymore
although he has his own very successful show flock. 
Shearing went very well. Perfect weather,
dry but cool and the sheep were clean and dry when they
came in. Brian marshalled the sheep and fed them to Derek
while Hilary rolled the fleeces.
have ever made.
