Little Red

We recently purchased an antique of sorts. Nicknamed "Little Red" a 1940-60's (we guess) Massey Ferguson Tractor.

The reason for purchasing her was to put on a back blade to make some V drains in the paddock to help with drainage during winter.  Then after purchasing a mower, to top paddocks when required and to carry the firewood up the hill.

After a little research online, I had read they are very reliable, and pretty simple mechanically, so for $2000 including delivery we thought she was a bargain, although she has her charms.

We've replaced the battery, and I've fixed a little fuel leak and a tightened a couple of loose pipes.  She doesn't blow any smoke so pretty clean I thought.

She was starting first pop after installing the new battery, but on our first excursion out in the paddock she wouldn't re-start again. We had to bring the car down to jump start her... so I'm not sure what is up with her now, the battery locked fine, so I'm guessing a the leads to the battery need replacing as the battery is brand new? Anyway that will be my first thing to check.

The other thing I'm struggling with is the brakes... they don't seem to work... so any tips or advice on that is appreciated... currently I'm keeping away from any hills.

But we're very happy with Little Red, she will be very handy if we can get her running better.

Lambs 2017

Lambs are so adorable... I was expecting the lambs July/August, but they have arrived early this year. Fortunately as we live in the winterless north, we have only had 3 very light frosts so far, so the lambs are doing very well. No issues with any of the births, the Mum's and the first time Mum's are doing very well. We have 6 lambs so far.

The closest a lamb has come up to me... so cute!

Breakfast Time!

"Mum why does he keep taking photos of us?"

Nanny Day Care!

I'll add more photos of this year's lambs when I can, the Mum's a very protective, and march them away from my whenever I get to close.

Rained Out... So Got Professional...

It's been very wet lately and another weekend was nearly lost to wet weather... so I decided to stay indoors and build a website. It was much easier than what I thought, have a look and let me know if there are any errors or typos.

https://www.downwattlelane.co.nz/

It's Twins

We woke to a beautiful Saturday morning, so I was eager to get up and get outside.  Now that winter has arrived the days are short and you have to make the most of a sunny day.  My chores start with feeding the animals but little did I know today things were going to be a bit different. I first feed the chickens and then I feed the sheep. For the sheep I lay out some hay and sprinkle sheep pellets on top, by this time my little friend leads the flock and it takes only a couple of minutes before they are running towards me at as if they were running in the 100m sprints.  If only it was that easy to get them in their pen. As they chow down on their breakfast I do a quick count up to make sure all 15 sheep are there... but today I could only see 14 sheep. Once, twice and a third time, I still only count 14 sheep, I was becoming a tad annoyed blamming the sheep for not standing still as I counted. I quickly glanced around the paddock and over on the far side of the paddock I could see the missing sheep number 15, and then number 16 & 17! We have twins!  I wasn't expecting lambs until July, so June babies are quiet a surprise.

It was interesting to see how the other sheep reacted when the mother and her babies reunited with the flock. There was a lot of staring at the new born lambs and even a few backwards steps when the lambs walked towards an individual sheep. There was a weird atmosphere in the paddock that morning. As for myself, I was super excited, the first newborns we've had on location, down wattle lane. Awesome! 2 healthy little lambs.

I think there are another 5 ewes pregnant... so watch this space.

Breakfast Time

I think I do treat my sheep very well... 

The Daddy, boy ram, he gets a little bolshy and head butts the other sheep away from where he is eating. He doesn't like to share his food, a bit like me actually!

"Trees Are Love, Trees Are Life"... It breaks ones heart to fell them.

After much nagging from the neighbours we have felled some of the poplars that were stretching over their drive. I truly regret the decision in having to fell any tree unnecessarily, but hopefully it keeps the neighbours happy.

My view is that the trees add to the rural view, they provide shelter from the wind, shelter from the hot summer sun, they also help absorb all the water from the paddocks in winter and not to forget the positive effects they have on the environment. But within a couple of hours, twenty 30 year old trees are no more... that's about 600 years of growth lost.

If you are worried about your car, or whatever, I suggest you don't park under the trees on a windy day... that is my opinion on the matter. 

We've left the stumps about 1m high so they can regrow... so all is not lost.

But there is a hell of a mess to clean up.

Beneath the tree there is a guy felling the tree, you can't see him he is lost amongst the toi toi and the digger is controlling the tree as it falls to the ground, so no fences were destroyed in the process. Some rather impressive precision work from the guys, I was impressed.

About 18 trees cut down from the above area, the trees leaning away from the boundary line will remain, I saved what I could.

Health & Safety at it's best, but this wasn't on my property, but excellent work trimming back some of the overhanging branches. I need to get one of those pole saws, fantastic tool to have. But what an expert digger operator.. he was super steady with the bucket. They guy in the bucket has bulls of steel I reckon, when he came down he said he doesn't like heights, what a perfect industry for him to be in!

The mess below to clean up:

Sad to see the trees go, but grateful for the guys and their workmanship.

Friendly Faces Down Wattle Lane

From visitors to an expanding family, this post is a quick pictorial of the many friendly faces we welcome Down Wattle Lane...

White Faced Heron

My Friend

Hedgie!

Common Girls... Get A Room!

We Measure By Cat Lengths!

Note To Self... Plant More Swan Plants!

Max The Brave!

Duckies Bath Time!

White Faced Heron... We've had 3 visit us this year.

They surely don't have the nicest "squawk" but beautiful birds.

Below we have the Piwakawaka... Fantail.

You Know You're In Paradise When Paradise Ducks Come To Stay!

Making Hay The Hard Way

So far, it's been a very dry summer this year, we're very low on water already and what rain we have received barely dampens the soil around our plants... but on the upside of things, it's perfect weather to make hay.

Myself being a DIY kinda guy, someone who will give anything a go once, I decided it will be easy enough to make my own hay.  Putting a side the fact that I suffer from really bad hay fever allergies... but if the early settlers to NZ could do it with hand tools, so can I! So here I go:

Ingredients To Make Hay:

> 1 Paddock Full Grown Grass,

> 1 Kind Neighbour With Tractor To Cut Grass,

> 1 Worker With Rake & Barrow & Homemade Contraption To Bale Grass

> Sunshine & Dry Weather

After the grass was cut, I left it to dry by hand turning it with the rake, and then raking into rows. After two days out in the sun I raked it into piles and collected it and made it into bales. 

Initially I was just going to leave the hay in a big pile in the corner of the garage, but I really needed to compact it down due to the quantity of hay and space it takes up when it is all loose.

In the above picture, I made a wooden box, but the top and bottom are open ended, and by using some planks of wood and trailer tie downs, I was able to sandwich the hay into compressed manageable bales which I then tied with twine. 

The bales ended up being about the same size as a standard hay bale, but just not as nicely trimmed and cut as a professional bale... but it worked as in the below picture. 

It took a little bit of figuring out what I was doing, but once I got into the swing of things and had a system, I had 11 hay bales. 

I could have made plenty more, as there was so much more cut grass, but my allergies to the grass was making it unbearable, with running eyes and nose, I couldn't stop sneezing, and I had the rash on my legs, arms and chest... so I had to call it quits. 

Note to self, next  year, I must cover up, wear a mask and take more/better antihistamines.

The Hard Yard.... Docking and Castration Time

The time has come to dock the lambs tails and castrate the boys bits.

The most difficult part was getting the sheep into the pen. There were 3 of us... and 15 sheep/lambs.  It took us at least an hour or so to round them up, running around the paddock... we need a bigger pen, a smaller paddock and a trained farm dog would be nice too. I'm not sure if it is the same with all sheep breeds, but these Arapawa Sheep, are very skittish. One jumped out of the pen below, right over the top.

 Finally In The Pen.

I'm all for docking the lambs tails as the sheep we've purchased, some have their tails, and some don't, but the one's with no tails are much cleaner at their rare end, compared to the sheep with their tails still attached. Surely a cleaner butt is a good thing for the sheep.

 So Cuddly...Both Of Us!

However I was unsure whether we should castrate the boy lambs or not, especially when within a year they will end up on the dinner plate.  After chatting to a few people everyone said castrate them, so I did... poor little boys, the girls just got on with it after putting the ring on their tails, but you could see the boys were not comfortable. I could feel their pain... so that will be the last time I do that. The boys in the future can keep their bits. I'd read the boys with their bits still attached, will grow quicker too.  So I don't see there is any point in putting them through any unnecessary stress and pain... well that is until the time comes a calling for Lamb Shanks or Roast Lamb!

Lambing Around...

Our new arrivals are starting to settle into their new home.  

During the first couple of days they've been very skittish, running away whenever they see me, I don't think they trust me after being manhandled onto the trailer and the stresses of being relocated.

The Ram (The Daddy to the Lambs) he is the sheep with the entire black face, and he just continually stares at me, whenever he see's me. I have a feeling there is some trust issues that we need to work on going forward.

But if the lambs are anything to go by... life is good in the eyes of our new Arapawa baby lambs...