E for EUROP

5th December 2021.Reading time 7 minutes.

We’re jumping all the way to the end of the life-cycle here and talking carcase classification and what the letters and numbers, like R4L, actually mean. EUROP Grid – The method of carcase classification used in the UK, with ‘E’ being the best shaped. The level of fat covering on the carcase is then assessed […]

D for… Dropped in the Slacks

4th December 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

So, it’s day 4 and next on the list is ‘Dropped in the Slacks’… If this just sounds like gibberish to you, you’re not alone! I remember wondering where on earth the ‘slacks’ were on a cow and how they can be dropped. So, let’s decode it a bit. Dropped in the Slacks – Relaxation […]

C is for… Colostrum

3rd December 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

Day 3 of the Farm Dictionary Advent Calendar- we’re on a roll! Today’s deep dive is on colostrum (something I find really fascinating, so I hope you do too!). Colostrum – The first milk produced by mammals, full of antibodies (immunoglobulins) to help build the immune system of the newborn and protect it from bacteria […]

B is for Bolus

2nd December 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

It’s day 2 of this Farm Dictionary themed Advent Calendar, and I thought since it’s coming up to the time where we need to mineral bolus the cattle here, that would be a good topic for the letter B. Bolus – Object deposited down the throat of a cow or sheep which remains in its stomach […]

A is for A.I.

1st December 2021.Reading time 11 minutes.

Happy December folks, and welcome to the first instalment of Blogmas 2021! Yes, it may not have been my best idea in the world to commit to this after being a pretty rubbish blogger this year, but hey, we’ll give it a go. I’ve set myself a bit of a challenge this year to try […]

Severe M.E. – The Hidden Monster

8th August 2021.Reading time 19 minutes.

M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) is something very few who haven’t lived within its reach truly understand. Like many other chronic illnesses, nobody on the outside can really see its true effects, the worst is mostly played out behind closed doors and in dark rooms. Before I carry on, I just want to note that, like many […]

On Grief and Growing

30th April 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

Pink cherry blossom with 5 petals and bronze leaves.

This year, my 25th one, was the year I always told myself I’d have ‘caught up’ by… whatever that means. It’s like I thought life was a game of monopoly, with houses to gather with each year. The dating one, the driving one, the job one, moved out one, home-owner one, car, relationship, child… And […]

Wheelchairs Are Like Glasses

31st March 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

Holly, a white woman with shoulder length brown hair, sitting in a powered wheelchair in a field with a bay pony leaning her head into her lap, smiling. Holly is wearing a black coat, black leggings, a black baseball cap and green tinted glasses.

Have you ever heard of the term Ambulatory Wheelchair User? I’m going to hazard a guess that unless you’re a part of the disabled community, or close to it, it’s unlikely you have…

Cull Cows

13th February 2021.Reading time 10 minutes.

A black cow standing with her mouth half open in a grass field that's a bit muddy

Culling breeding livestock seems like a bit of a taboo subject to talk about, so of course, I’m diving straight in…

2020 On The Farm

27th January 2021.Reading time 24 minutes.

I’ve been part way through this post for a few weeks now, trying to work out how to wave goodbye to another year on the farm when that year was 2020…