Setter Farm Trip

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A friend of mine, who is here in Shetland for Wool Week, won a Facebook Like-And-Share “raffle” for a tour of Setter Farm.  She asked if anyone would like to accompany her (this was a few months’ back) and I thought that it sounded very interesting and said yes, please (pick me, pick me!)

There are only two dairy farms in Shetland and Setter Farm is situated in Tingwall (about 5 minutes out of Lerwick). It is the UK’s most northerly dairy farm – dairying has been done at Setter for over 100 years.  As well as cows and calves, they also keep sheep.

So first up, we saw the sheep – these were the Cheviots who, I think, will be going to the sheep sales later this year.

I was fascinated by their expressions and social interactions.

The “hill” Shetlands were in another pen and very mad, alternating between huddling and scattering if they saw anyone.

There was definitely a look of Edna is some of them.  *** sniff ***  Pretty little sheeps.  I wanted to take them all home.

Then we went to look at “the plant”.  Yes please to everything. The folk at Setter Farm also work as agricultural contractors around the islands.

And then we stood to the side of the track and watched the dairy cows come home, which was lovely.

The calves were kept in calf stalls where they had regular buckets of milk and are then weaned onto water and hay.

The cows were munching silage before going back out again for a little while before the evening milking.

I watched them for a long while.  I am very fond of dairy cows. I remember them from my childhood as my step-mother had a dairy farm and my job was to get the stragglers and strays to keep up when we were moving the herd to a different field. Obviously, I was always on horseback and, possibly stupidly, fearless!

I enjoyed my afternoon. Something completely different for me while being totally recognisable and full of childhood memories.

Moved Them (again)

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After writing my blog, I sent Kolka’s vet the photos of her scar. She told me to stop the painkillers now and I realised that there was no reason to keep this herd in the winter field, eating all my emergency grass for when it snows.

So I went to move them all, but some were having a mid-morning nap.  I hate disturbing them when they are sleeping but they needed to go.

Eventually, with a little encouragement, they shifted because one of them noticed the gate was wide open and an open gate can only mean one thing…… I told them it didn’t and they were to get themselves down to their next fiel.

Fivla took a bit more encouraging.  She had settled in for the day, I think.

I had shut the gates around the track so there would be no unwanted small Shetland pony appearances and the ancients meandered their way in an unhurried fashion down to their old field, which is much nicer and has far more shelter.

They all know this field well, and I am praying Kolka just stays sane and out of trouble.

And she also has Vitamin and Fivla with her, so they will keep her right.

I hope they were listening. So we will see how they go.

A Windy Weekend

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It’s been a very windy weekend and everyone is feeling a bit blown about.

(though, it hasn’t stopped anyone eating).

Today was much nicer than yesterday which was interspersed by occasional violent rain showers, taking everyone by surprise – 3 pairs of trousers hanging up to dry due to far too much optimism.

The older chaps are still in their “safety” field where Kolka can easily see everyone and hopefully calm down a bit.

Their routine is the same and, although I hadn’t planned for anyone to eat this field down just yet, I tell myself it is good for this lot to “take the top off” so the Shetland ponies can go in later, or it will make a good field if it snows – close to the containers but has some grass in it.

I am still giving Kolka a large dose of painkillers to deter her from being annoyed with her healing wound.  I really don’t want her scratching and opening it up and I am pleased with how it is looking.

  

Kolka’s vet is being kept fully up-to-date too.

I am due to go south in a few weeks so I am desperate for Kolka and everyone else to behave and for Kolka to go back to her normal again with no more accidents, please.  Pretty please even.

 

I have told Kolka this.  Hmmmm!  I do hope she was listening.

The Many Faces of Want

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Everyone always wants something.  Everywhere I go.  Want, want, want.

Monster ⬇️ – he wanted my last night’s pre-supper snack (mini cheesey biccies) accompanying my zero alcohol lager while I waited for supper to finish cooking.

Plan B. The Attack – basically endless amounts of indignant shouting alternating between promising to be my friend.

Apparently my BFF ⬇️.  This is “cupboard love” at it’s very worst.

Pepper just did sulking resentfully.  Those eyes make it impossible not to feel guilty.

And then there is Lambie’s helpful, yet silly, face.  I had scattered Animal Crackers on the ground and the sheep had just about finished them.

“You have more biscuits, you say?”

Bert’s has a gorgeous begging face.  Again, it is hard to resist.  I would give (feed) him the world if he wanted.

Lambie’s tactic is to get out his best Winning Smile, Longing Look and wave a front foot at me.  The front foot waving means Lambie really, really, wants whatever I have of calorific nature and then I dig into my pocketses and give him a secret biccie, if I have one.  I didn’t.  There is probably a special place in Hell waiting for me now. I have to live with myself.

The Vegetables

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A short blog because I am exhausted.

Again, my Saturday was my Friday and I went to Turriefield to weigh, pack and label vegetables for distribution.

I find it a bit discombobulating when I swap days and so I spent the rest of my time thinking it doesn’t feel like a Saturday but am I wrong?  Still, there were enough of us volunteers and everything was packed and ready to go out by lunchtime and I left clutching this week’s vegetables plus some odd carrots for the ponies.

After a nice lunch with friends at the local church café I went home and made my usual daily sheep for selling later.  The stock is building back up, albeit very slowly.

And suddenly I feel exhausted.  I don’t feel I have done much but I could easily not cook supper, have a bath and go to bed.

But I don’t have that luxury.

I still have to transcribe two weeks of the Diaries (1956 now) every evening before I can give up completely.  Meanwhile, I dreaming of my bed and being asleep.  Maybe it’s just a blood sugar dip and I need a medicinal Tunnocks tea cake!