Charlie Armstrong looks forward to New Year

Within a week of our RPA sheep inspection, the paperwork was returned with no problems being found; however their computer then raised a cattle inspection. Fortunately this went without any problems – but what next?

While leading compost we had a tractor overturn on the main road. Fortunately the driver was OK and no-one else was involved, but the sooner this year is over the better.

After nearly giving up growing forage crops for lambs I gave it one more go. The forage rape is over six feet tall and it contains nearly every pheasant in a two-mile radius but is impregnable to man and beast. We have, however, put in the first store lambs but I honestly do not know how we will gather them up.

We have also put some lambs of different weights on to pellets, and these will be weighed weekly to see if it’s profitable to feed them organic pellets at vast expense. Some have been put inside with pellets and silage, and another batch is outside with grass silage and pellets. Getting them started to eat without blowing themselves up is never easy but we are nearly one week in and still no dead ones.