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January
 Cows and all stock inside. Cows calve all year round to keep a level milk supply
Maintenance of machinery
Slurry spreading
Fencing
February
Slurry spreading, mucking out if weather dry.
Vaccinate all stock for Blue tongue
March
Prepare for turnout
Fertilizer to apply for crop growth and demands
Calves to vaccinate for Husk (lung worm) 1st grazing season only then they develop immunity
Dairy cows may start to go out for a few hours a day if conditions favourable. It can take the bacteria in cow’s stomachs up to 2 weeks to get used to new food, and be able to digest it.
April
TB (tuberculosis) testing all cattle (we need to do this because we sell unpasteurised milk)
Cows stay out longer as weather improves and may be outside 24 hrs a day by end of month
Cows will still have access to silage (buffer feeding)
Pedigree jersey cattle sale and show in Carlisle
Mucking out and cleaning all sheds/silage pit at Wheelbirks
Spring crops planted when ground conditions ok
May
All mature cattle outside, youngstock will stay in until mid may
Young stock to be vaccinated for Husk
First, cut silage to be made mid to late May
Slurry tanks to be emptied and cleaned
Mucking out and cleaning out sheds
Sowing of wild bird seed headland crops
June
Round bale silage will be made at Southfield for our other stock
Generally tidying up for the summer
Round bale silage made at Wheelbirks
Cattle to have fly repellent applied every 3 weeks until mid end September. To reduce biting flies and protect stock.
Shows and events most weekends for ice cream until end of summer
July
Hay to make if weather fine and settled
Barley harvest may start at end of month if dry
Second cut of silage and whole crop wheat (wheat to be cut as silage but with grain soft) excellent for promoting butterfat in the winter.
Cows will start to receive additional feed (buffer feeding) as grass quality starts to reduce
We rely on slurry and muck to grow grass from now onwards
August
Barley harvest, baling straw round and square bales for winter bedding and feed
Clearing fields of all bales so weeds can be spot sprayed, some hedges may need cutting
Overhanging and encroaching trees to be cut back
Pedigree sale of Jersey cattle at Carlisle
September
Ploughing and sowing of next years crops, newly sown fields to be rolled to prevent slug damage and to pick stones to prevent damage to machinery
Tree surgery and fencing starts to pick up
Cows will come inside from mid month as too dark and cold at nights for them and it is hard for us to see them in the fields in the morning
October
Ploughing, sowing and rolling continue until all finished
Cows will stay out as long as weather is fine and not too wet during the day
Mid to end of month cows will probably be in 24hrs a day, cattle have been out in the past until December
All young cattle will be wormed to get rid of worm burdens built up over summer
Tree surgery starts in earnest as leaves fall and trees can be seen better
Spraying crops for pests, weeds and diseases will be carried out under the supervision of our agronomist as and when necessary during the growing season
November
All cattle now inside
Slurry spreading
Fencing
Woodland work, felling, planting and clearing of fallen trees
December
Vet visits the farm every 3 weeks for routine stock tasks and to pregnancy diagnose all cattle and heifers
This is meant to be a general guide to our year, if you are planning to come to the farm this is what you might expected to see.
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