September Farming Activities at Airds of Balcary Farm
A farmer’s work is never done, with the changing seasons there is always another important task to embrace. It is no different here at Airds of Balcary Farm and September brings no respite in the busy schedule of farming activities during the autumn time.
Autumn on the hills at Airds of Balcary Farm
Its ‘Tupping’ Time
It is mating time for the sheep. The tups (rams) meet the girls (ewes) to mate aiming for an early lambing time around the end of January and early February. Gestation period is approximately 4.5 to 5 months.
Rams often carry colour marking devices during in rutting season. The coloured sheep are the ewes that have been serviced by that particular coloured ram. If there are more than one ram running with the flock, each ram will be carrying a different colour. This helps distinguish which ewes are in lamb to each ram.
Collecting the Silage Liquid Waste
Silaging & Harvesting the Spring Barley
The spring barley has been harvested and then the leftover straw is baled for the winter bedding for the cattle and sheep. We use colourless wrap for our silage and hay which is the most environmentally friendly and great for recycling too.
The silage (preserved, pickled and fermented grass) is finished and ready for winter feed for the cattle. The minimal liquid waste from this process (run off from farmyard, silage effluent) is not wasted but collected by a tanker. This is then spread back onto the stubble fields in the sunshine using a ‘dribble bar’. This organically helps feed the earth to promote healthy growth of crops.
We are also busy spreading muck and manure of the old deep littered straw bedding from last winter to ‘prep’ the fields. This is to naturally fertilise them ready for healthy grass growing during the springtime for the cattle and sheep to feed on.
Cattle grazing at Airds of Balcary Farm
Cattle Husbandry & Weaning
We sold some of our bull calves recently that were born here at Balcary earlier this spring at the Carlisle Market, Borderway Mart to new homes. This allows the buyers of the young bulls plenty of time to grow them on. This also give their mothers time to have a rest after looking after them all summer. The other calves will be weaned (transitioned from milk to solid feed) later in the month. The cows will also all be scanned for pregnancy to help ensure successful calving for next spring.
As we head to towards the winter the cattle will all be housed indoors and they will make use of the winter straw bedding and silage feed. The sheep will have grown back their wool, after being shawn back in the summer. This will help keep them warm on the cold and windy wintry days on the coastal hills.
2nd Cut Grass for Silage at Airds of Balcary Farm
Biodiversity & Sustainable Farming at Airds of Balcary
Here at Airds of Balcary farm, we strive to enable sustainable farming. This all keeps the local area biodiverse as we can and helps benefit the farm animals, wildlife, the environment, landscape and local nature blossom. Making our headland beautiful for all to enjoy including the wildlife.
There will always be some activity on the farm activities during your visit to Destination Balcary. This will depend on the time of year and the weather of course!
Come and stay at Destination Balcary, experience our working farm, enjoy our farm animals, see nature at its finest and admire the wonderful views.
Baling the Straw at Airds of Balcary Farm
Useful Information & Additional Information:
- Biodiversity at Airds of Balcary Farm
- Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere
- Environmentally Friendly & Green Tourism
- Airds of Balcary Farm – A Working Farm
- Spring Time on the Farm at Destination Balcary
Fertilising the fields at Airds of Balcary Farm
