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APRIL 2013 Out and About on the Farm
April has been a busy Month for me, the start of the month saw me at the Highfields Pioneer Village for their Easter Vintage Festival - an event I have attended for the past 10 years. I take along a menagerie of animals and some friends and neighbours children. Together we work hard to provide a good display on animals for people to meet and interact with. I also take cows and goats for milking by hand and machine in the villages working dairy. It was a great Easter. I met some wonderful people and made some new friends. The following week found me at the Royal Heritage Toowoomba Show with my Ayrshire Cow "Poppy". Poppy done me proud winning first prize in her dry cow class and receiving the Honourable Mention Ribbon in the Champion Cow Class.
I have also started milking for a local dairyfarmer part time, milking 360 + Illawarra Cows.
I have started dressing my late October/early November Pigs, the first one to go dressed 33 kg with 19ml of fat, I am very happy with this.
Just after Easter was our local (Warwick) show and whilst my pen of 3 lambs did not win a prize, they achieved a price of $124 each which was the top price (excluding champions).
Next week will see me do a milking demonstration at the Allora Heritage Day, the following week on May 5 you can find me at Mick Bradfords Heavy Horse Day at Yangan.
On the farm, the oats are growing well, we have good rain and another 3 weeks or so should see it ready to feed off to the pigs and cows.
A lovely litter of 10 piglets (8 live) was born to young Gypsy yesterday (April 12) so orders are welcomed, as are orders for dressed pigs to pick up from your local butcher in Warwick.
Bye for now
Judy
Welcome to the Website of the BEST OF BRITISH Farm
Black Beauty Large Black Pig Stud and Moonshine Ayrshires is located on the Cunningham Highway at Clintonvale, 17km North East of Warwick on the Darling Downs in Queensland.
It is a true “Old MacDonalds” Farm with Ayrshire and Jersey Dairy Cattle, Southdown & Dorset Down Sheep, Large Black Pigs, an assortment of Poultry including Chooks, Aylesbury Ducks & Pigeons, 2 dogs and 2 cats. A small Hatchery (est 1989) is also operated with Egg Hatching Available to the public.
The farm is situated on only 25 acres but the rich, fertile black soil of the downs enables us to grow good fodder crops when it rains. We have bred our own Pigs, Sheep and Cattle since 1995.
Our aim is to preserve rare breeds of animals that have fallen out of favour for one reason or another over the years. Our cows, pigs and sheep are all hardy thrifty animals with excellent temperaments. The meat of the Large Black Pigs, Southdown and Dorset Down sheep is second to none in flavour.
I welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have.
Our Farm
Latest News - November/December 2012
Xmas Ham 2012 Cold Smoked - Not cooked
November has been a dry month here on the farm, due to lack of rain we have decided not to plant any summer crops but will wait until February and put in some early oats. I have had to dry off the cows except Old Beth the 10 year old Ayrshire I am milking once a day. Storms have been all around us but haven't quite made it here!
4 Litters of Pigs are running all around the farm stealing eggs , chook food and whatever they can find. They turn up at the dairy at 5 am for a feed of Pig Pellets, there are over 30 of them. They start going to their new homes next week but there are still some available for sale.
4 New Calves have turned up from various places, A Limousin Heifer, a Brangus/Angus Heifer, a Angus Heifer and a Hereford Heifer. These calves mothers had either died or had no milk. They will be looking for new homes soon.
The incubator is going flat out hatching ducklings, guinea fowl and wynadotte chickens galore.
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year