Mr Echidna....just visiting!

Springtime, shearing time and lots of suntime.

Shearing has started on the farm so there is lots of action for the holidays.

I can hear sheep bleating in the sheepyards, shearing machines humming, and the woolpress screaching as it fills the bales with wool.

Not to mention the loud music playing. 

The wool is coming off every minute, sheep are off down the shute and back to the paddock.

As we were leaving the house yard today we came across a funny looking creature!

He was busy in my garlic patch. 

Quite a funny looking animal.... Mr Echidna!

I wonder if he likes wearing all those spikes?

Holidays are great. I get to help with jobs all over the farm.

 Plenty to do in the sheep yards and shearing shed.

I love to explore and these holidays I am looking for gold!

I'll let you know if I find any!

Incredible Hulk!

Amazing what a drop of rain can do....on Tuesday we had a good fall of rain.

And the grass in the paddocks has started to grow, like crazy!

The farm has started to turn from a winter brown to a happy green!

Mother nature plays a very important part on our farm.

We need the rain and the sun to make the grasses grow.

 The animals eat the grass and turn it into meat and wool.

Then we harvest the meat and wool and feed and clothe people everywhere!

Today five of our steers have left the farm, they are entered in a competition. 
Incredible Hulk is the heaviest steer in the team, he weighs 460kg!

Do you remember the boy on the left....this is HULK...hasn't he grown up BIG!

They will travel to a big feedlot with lots of other cattle.

They will be fed special food everyday for 110 days and they will grow bigger and bigger.
I hope they are happy there.
Maybe I can go and visit them sometime.

Mootoyoutoo!

Round them up and run them in! 

Calf marking, a week of cattle work. 

Most of the cows have calved now and it is time to start marking the calves before they get TOO big!

The cows and calves are taken to the cattle yards.

This year some cows have had twins, that is not a very common thing in cows.

We have 4 sets of twins!

And for just a very short time they are separated from each other.

Just like all the baby lambs the calves have to have a couple of operations done to them.

First a needle to protect them from disease, an earmark so we know what farm they belong to.

The girl calves are done then,..... BUT the boys have one more operation that makes them very cranky!

It is noisy work every cow is mooing so loud. Calling for their baby.

When the job is finished and they are all back together it is peaceful again. 

Thank goodness...they were giving me a headache!

A busy couple of weeks ahead, it is springtime on the farm and it is action stations!

All the lambs are due to get their second dose of medicine.

And this week we need to prepare the shearing shed because next week shearing starts.

I am really lucky this year because we will be shearing in the school holidays....

that means I get to help!

Worst of the Best!

A beautiful sun shiny day and what better way to spend it then outside!

Time to sort the good from the bad. 

The 1/1/2 year old sheep are in the yards today and Mum and Dad inspect each and every one. 

We are looking for lots of good sheep. We want good wool. Long, white and crimpy!

We want them big too.

And they need to stand up tall and strong. There are lots of things to look for.

Mum and Dad are very fussy, they don't like black spots, bad feet or little sheep!

"Watch out......you have to be good!"

Blue Nose = BAD sheep

The bad sheep will be sold, maybe to another farmer. 

They might not think they are so bad.

While they are in the yards the sheep get some medicine. 

Some of them are a bit dopey and pooey, that medicine will fix them.

And there is always time for a bit of fun in the sun!

And a snack!

I don't think you have met by baby sister....I would like to introduce Baby Erin!

 Before we pack up and head home. 

What a load...."with Bear king of the castle!"

Sweet as Honey, Cold as Ice!

It would seem that we have not seen the last of winter! 

After some lovely sunny days it has turned grey and cold AGAIN!

Because it is so cold the grass in the paddocks has not really started to grow. 

Mum and Dad are moving mobs of sheep from paddock to paddock. 

Paddocks need to be empty for a little while for the grass to grow.

Normally in September the grass would be starting to grow, but our winter has been alot colder than normal and things are running late.

All the meat lambs are on the crop. 

In about 2 weeks the lambs will have to be taken off the crop, so the crop can grow for grain.

The steer weaners are also on the crop and they love it.

Dad has to make a few repairs to the fence, those cheeky meat lambs were getting out!

Remember those buzzy bees we robbed.....

there are buckets and buckets of honey....what alot of honey I have! 

5/1/2 kilograms of honey!

Our very own honey....and enough to last a long time!