Introducing Helios

Flora has given us a little bull calf. Named Helios and known as Hilly Horse (see his long legs), he is half jersey and half lowline. His father is Tironui Om Joskin, a New Zealand jersey AI sire.

He is much longer in the legs and slighter in the body than Erg and Macey, pure lowlines. He also started off a soft dark grey colour instead of the lowline chocolate. He is browning up now though, so he may end up standard issue lowline black. He will also be polled even though his father had horns, because the poll gene from his mother is dominant.

This is his dad :

Making Hay While The Sun Shines

For the first time ever in my farming career ... we are making hay on our own land ! Here is the recipe.

First you leave a paddock ungrazed for a couple of months. Here you might do perhaps a September to December lockup.

Then you find a good hay guy. Ours was Scott Auton from Auton Agricultural

They come and mow it ...

And then fluff it ...

And rake it ...

And bale it !

And then you find some willing helpers to load, cart and stack ...

What turned out to be 500 small square bales and 14 small rounds !