Cattle for Soil Health

Spring on the Rock Farm: A Seasonal Transformation

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After a long, bitter winter of feeding out cattle daily, the growing season is finally upon us. Spared the ferocious storms that battered regions further north, we’ve been blessed with regular light showers and glorious sunny days. These have transformed the Rock Farm into a lush green paradise. The paddocks are thriving, and the cattle are loving it.

Our calves are growing quickly—ten in total this year. With their attentive mothers looking on, marking and vaccinating was swiftly attended to. We had an even split: five bull calves (now steers) and five heifers.

General maintenance on the Rock Farm has slipped a little this year. Our weekends are focused on renovating the house and catching up with the kids, friends, and each other. I still move the cattle frequently to fresh paddocks, which is usually a simple morning task. Occasionally, urgent jobs crop up—like when a tree falls on a fence and I’m out early to make it stock-proof again.

We have a saying on the Rock Farm: “There are jobs that have to be done now, and there are jobs that can wait.”

The house renovation continues, albeit slower than the project manager would prefer. I gratefully accept help from the lads when their play money runs low. Progress comes in fits and spurts. Thanks to their efforts, we now have a sub-floor in most of the house. The bathrooms just need the villa-board set and cornice installed before tiling can commence—hopefully before Christmas.

But it’s the moments in between that make the Rock Farm truly special. We had a ball hosting my city cousin Kath and her family. Dave was a great sport—he managed to get his car stuck on one of the tracks, which caused great mirth among the kids. It reminded me how precious family time is, and how important it is to share farm experiences with children. Not just for the fresh air, but for the smells, sounds, and rhythm of country life.

Through winter and into spring, I was working regular weekday hours—a big change for us. The routine was handy when we were feeding every morning. As the season shifted, so did our mornings—Jo and I now take peaceful sunrise walks around the farm. I’ll miss these early starts when I return to shift work in late October… though probably not as much as Sapphire, who relishes the chance for an early morning run!

Spring also means it’s time to lease a bull again. This handsome fellow came down from Crookwell and wasted no time getting to know his new herd. He’s settled in quickly and seems quiet—which, as far as I’m concerned, is the most important trait for any animal weighing over 600kg!

It’s a wonderful time to wander around the farm. The cows are content, with grass reaching to their bellies. The changing of the seasons brings constant delight—and makes me so happy to call this place home.

Green Shoots and New Calves on the Rock Farm

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August – usually cold, wet, and miserable – was just cold this year. While the eastern seaboard has been drenched with record-breaking rain, we’ve stayed stubbornly dry. That is, until yesterday, when we were blessed with 20mm of much-needed rain. The paddocks have turned green almost overnight and are poised to really respond once the weather warms up.

Feeding the cattle each morning has become one of our favourite routines – especially for Sapphire. It’s also given us the chance to welcome our new calves to the Rock Farm. More than once, we’ve found ourselves running late for work because we didn’t want to drag ourselves away.

Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Checking the herd twice a day still leaves long stretches where things can go wrong. Sadly, for Dozer (Daughter of Zoe), we came home from work on Friday afternoon to find her exhausted and struggling with her first calf. After catching her in the paddock with a makeshift lasso and laying her down, I was able to clear the calf’s legs and head. What should have been a simple heave to deliver the rest of the calf turned into a drawn-out struggle. Despite our best efforts, and some desperate attempts at CPR, the calf passed away shortly after birth. Dozer, Jo and I were all left exhausted.

Thankfully, Dozer was up and about the following morning and has since made a full recovery. The rest of the calves have arrived safely, without drama. They’re now a mob of cheeky little boys and girls, and to them, Sapphire is just another big calf. Watching them play is an absolute delight.

Jo and I have also settled into our Monday-to-Friday rhythm. After feeding the cows, we often carpool to work – still a novelty for us. I do feel a little more disconnected from the community while we’re both working full-time, but I know it’s only temporary.

Our weekends are dedicated to the slow but steady renovation project. A special shout-out goes to John and Bradley from J&B Building Supplies, who deliver everything we need straight to the house. Their service is a lifesaver when you live out of town. Not only that, but they’ve also helped me find the best way forward on a few tricky issues. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

As we head into spring, our focus will shift to keeping pastures healthy, managing the growing calves, and making steady progress on the renovations. The recent rain has given us a good start, and with a bit of sunshine, the paddocks should really come to life. There’s plenty of work ahead, but it’s the kind of work that keeps us grounded and grateful to be here on the Rock Farm.

A Cold Winter Settles In On The Rock Farm

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Life on the Rock Farm has well and truly settled into winter. With no meaningful pasture growth during autumn, we knew it was going to be a long season of feeding our cows. Sporadic rainfall hasn’t done much to improve the soil moisture profile around the district—and with a run of spectacularly beautiful, but bitterly cold frosts, whatever warmth remained in the soil has now disappeared. The grass may have turned green, but it’s yet to start growing.

Pastures in our district remain in the bottom 10th percentile for growth this year. (See: https://www.farmingforecaster.com.au/southeast).

We quickly used up the last of our pasture hay and had to buy a truckload from irrigated country north of here. With our tractor still out of action at the time, our challenges mounted when the carrier also experienced mechanical breakdowns. On the very last day before we completely ran out, the new lucerne finally arrived—and our wonderful neighbours came to the rescue. A massive thank you to Jeff, who brought his tractor and saved the day!

Jeff helped load a few of the large square bales onto the back of our BRT Myrtle, making it much easier to feed out. It didn’t take long for the cows to associate Myrtle with breakfast! I now have a new appreciation for how an ice-cream van driver must feel pulling up to a beach on a hot summer day—the cows come running, kicking their heels in the air at the sound of the truck.

We’re now feeding daily, which has become a very early morning ritual, as I’m currently working regular Monday to Friday hours. It’s actually one of my favourite parts of the day—and the dog agrees, especially enjoying the early starts.

The Rock Farm has become part of the backdrop to a busy schedule. I’m reminded that some jobs must be done immediately, while others can wait. Leaks in the water trough system need urgent attention, as do trees fallen across tracks. Other tasks have taken a back seat—waiting either for warmer weather or for me to return to shift work.

We’re thrilled to have our tractor back after a full engine rebuild. Dan from Direct Diesel Truck and Tractor Repair sourced a rebuild kit—including new pistons and liners—after the head gasket failure. It’s amazing how indispensable an old tractor can be. I hadn’t realised just how much I missed having it available until it was gone. Dan’s work was absolutely top-notch, and I couldn’t be happier.

Meanwhile, our house renovation continues to inch forward. The support from local plumbing and electrical services has kept the momentum going. Huge shout-out to Sam from Prime Plumbing Yass and Andrew from APL Electrical, who’ve helped keep the build ticking along while I’ve been tied up with work.

As winter rolls on, we’re reminded that life on the land is full of challenges, but also full of community, resilience, and moments of quiet joy. Whether it’s the early morning feed runs, the clatter of hooves chasing Myrtle, or the steady progress on the house, there’s always something to be grateful for. With spring on the horizon, we’re looking forward to warmer days, greener paddocks, and whatever the next chapter brings for the Rock Farm.

Oh and calves… hopefully lots of calves!

Thanks for following along with our journey — stay warm, and take care until next time.

Things dry out on the Rock Farm

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In my last post, I was grateful that some summer storms had helped the pastures along. The Rock Farm was looking surprisingly green for Christmas—an exception rather than the norm in this part of the world. By the end of January, however, it was clear that things were drying out. So, like all good husbands, I packed up and went to sea for a couple of weeks, leaving the farm and livestock in Jo’s capable hands. Before I left I pre-positioned a couple of hay bales in the paddocks to ensure the cattle had feed ahead of them—but I wasn’t prepared for what I found when I got home.

It was a huge amount of fun to return to my old ship and sail north from Hobart back to Sydney. During the voyage we experienced all weathers, including a lively crossing of the infamous Bass Strait in 55-knot winds. As we battled large seas and rolls exceeding 50 degrees (past the limits of the inclinometer, known onboard as the “ooh-aah meter”), I was reminded of the oft-quoted words of John A. Shedd: “A ship is safest in the harbour, but that is not what it was built for.”

What struck me most on this voyage was the advancement in weather forecasting since my first voyages onboard. The ability to track conditions and predict wind changes down to the hour allowed for well-informed decisions, especially regarding the sail plan.

Back home, I returned to happy, well-cared-for stock, (thanks Jo), but even I was surprised by how much the landscape had changed. Paddocks that had been full of feed just weeks earlier were now eaten out. The absence of rain was becoming more apparent, with no fresh growth, and the cattle had begun reaching for anything green to chew.

Then came the most telling sign of all. Last week, our creek—flowing continuously at our causeway since the drought broke in February 2020—slowed to a trickle and then finally stopped entirely. It’s a small but significant marker for us.

Looking back at photos from before that drought broke, the farm was in far worse condition than it is now. But the contrast is still striking. (See here: What a Difference a Day Can Make).

With the season deteriorating and Tropical Cyclone Alfred teasing us with the promise of rain that never arrived, we decided to bring forward the weaning of our heifers. These delightful young calves quickly settled into their new routine—though a couple managed to cheat the system and sneak the occasional drink from their mothers. After a few days, we moved the cows to the other end of the farm and let the calves graze in the “weaning paddock” near the yards.

The dry conditions also presented some opportunities. A small silted-up dam had been on my radar for a while, dried out. Our neighbour and friendly earthworks operator, Lou, made short work of cleaning it out. Thanks, Lou!

Unfortunately, the news about the tractor isn’t as good. In my last post, I mentioned it was out of action. It had been running extremely rough, with no compression on at least two cylinders. While I was away, Dan—my fantastic mechanic who replaced the clutch in November 2023—pulled the head off and confirmed the head gasket had failed. Further inspection revealed scoring on cylinders #1 and #2, prompting him to remove the crankshaft as well. Full rebuild kits are available, so we’ve ordered new pistons, liners, and everything needed to get the tractor operational again soon.

And, of course, because we clearly don’t have enough going on, we decided to make the most of being empty nesters by starting renovations on our home. After seven years of waiting, we’re finally bringing the house into the modern age—and we’ve well and truly dived in.

The demolition phase is going well. Fortunately, we can stay in the small flat attached to the house while we work. Pulling up rotten carpets and ripping off gyprock gives the impression of great progress, though we know things will slow down as we move into the reconstruction phase. Still, it’s exciting to see the potential of our home coming to life.

As summer rolls on, the Rock Farm is once again adapting to the changing conditions—just as we are. While the return to dry weather brings its challenges, it also presents opportunities and is a regular feature of this area. We are enjoying the full spectrum of activities, from weaning the heifers tackling long-awaited renovations. With the tractor rebuild underway and the house taking shape, there’s plenty to keep us busy as we look ahead to whatever the next season brings.

Summer on and off the Rock Farm

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One of the things I love most about the Rock Farm is how much the landscape changes from week to week. This summer has been particularly dynamic—starting with dry, poor conditions but transforming into a green-tinted vista after a few refreshing summer storms. Sadly the green is fast turning back to brown as we have missed follow up rains.

Our cows and their calves are all in excellent condition. As January comes to a close, we’re fortunate to still have plenty of ground cover and grass in the paddocks. Many of our neighbours, both to the north and south, have had to destock due to a lack of feed. I’m relieved we made the decision 12 months ago to significantly reduce our herd size (see here: Comings and Goings in an Unusual Season). That choice has eased the strain on our pastures and made this season much more manageable for both us and the cattle.

One unexpected benefit of downsizing the herd was the chance to take a short Christmas break. With an extra bale of hay in the paddock and a full dam of water (thanks to Lou’s help: Dry Times Present a New Opportunity), we headed north to spend Christmas with family. The road trip was great fun, made bittersweet as the boys start forging their own paths as young adults. The boys flew home early from the Gold Coast, leaving Jo and me a few days to ourselves. We camped by a swimming hole east of Armidale which were lucky enough to share with a pair of platypus. We had three relaxing nights in our swag before slowly making our way back home.

Meanwhile, our vegetable garden has adapted to the season’s changes. The raspberry season was short but delicious. Luckily, our peas, beans, tomatoes, red cabbage, and cauliflowers survived our holiday, and we’re now enjoying the fresh bounty in our kitchen.

The weather has brought its challenges. While the Bureau of Meteorology hasn’t officially declared a La Niña, the conditions feel markedly different since Christmas. Summer storms have delivered patchy rain and strong winds. Our nearby village lost several trees, but we escaped the worst and we’ve only had some minor clean-up tasks. Myrtle, our big red truck, continues to prove her worth, helping me spread green waste in old gullies. It’s rewarding to see the soil stabilizing and vegetation returning to once-bare patches.

Managing weeds remains a constant challenge on the farm—a timeless battle for farmers. I have a great chipper that is my primary tool for dealing with isolated thistles. A few hours of work (who needs a gym?) allows me to stay on top of most areas.

Slashing has been my go-to method for controlling large areas of thistles. Unfortunately, my tractor is currently out of action. (A whole other story). This means I am falling behind on my thistle control.

Walking the paddocks with a chipper offers more than just weed control; it’s an opportunity to inspect the pastures closely, clear my mind, and get some exercise. I’ve been especially pleased to see dung beetles at work, rapidly breaking down manure. Their activity is a promising sign of healthy soil—and healthy soil means healthy cattle.

I prefer mechanical methods for weed management over chemical solutions, though my approach often depends on the time I have available. Large areas of thistles. are easily managed by slashing, but more persistent weeds like Serrated Tussock and African Lovegrass need to be chipped out by hand. Unfortunately, I also have to contend with St John’s Wort and Sweet Briar—neither of which respond well to slashing, pulling, or chipping, despite my best efforts and experiments.

The real challenge lies in staying on top of these weeds to avoid using poisons altogether. While herbicides might be effective against the weeds, I can’t help but worry about their potential effects on my health and the health of the soil biota around the sprayed plants. For me, maintaining a balance between effective management and preserving the integrity of the land is an ongoing—and deeply personal—commitment.

As each season brings its challenges and rewards, life on the Rock Farm continues to teach me resilience, adaptability, and gratitude. From managing livestock and nurturing the soil to tackling weeds and adapting to shifting weather patterns, every task reinforces our connection to the land and my responsibility to care for it. The journey isn’t always easy, but the satisfaction of seeing healthy pastures, thriving cattle, and the fruits of our labor makes it deeply fulfilling. With each passing week, the landscape reminds us of its power to change and renew. I love it.

Spring Calving Challenges on the Rock Farm

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Calving is one of my favourite times on the Rock Farm. We started a little earlier than normal this year – driven by our desire to have a holiday late last year. Thankfully with the unseasonably warm August, we are getting through it ok. After losing a maiden heifer to bloat a couple of months ago, we are down to 11 cows, but we suspect two are dry.

Calving hasn’t all been smooth sailing. It never is. One of our cows had twins. Relatively unusual in cattle, survival of the second calf is extremely rare. And we learnt why. It’s because cows can’t count!

Twins were born to cow Grey Girl. I swear she didn’t realise she had two calves to look after. She seemed surprised to find her calf in front of her, and then, by the time she turned around it appeared behind her again. What started comically almost ended in tragedy. The first morning following their birth, we could only find one calf – pushed through a hinge-joint the fence into the neighbour’s. After quickly reuniting this calf with mum grazing nearby, so commenced a desperate search for the other – with no success. We feared the calf had either frozen overnight, or had been taken by wild pigs.

With downcast hearts, we eventually returned towards the house, only to find at the opposite end of the paddock, tucked into a sunny spot the other twin.

We separated Grey Girl and her twins from the herd and put them in a small paddock for the next couple of days. This allowed the calves to gain strength enough to follow mum around and fight for their own supper. The strategy worked, and a week later Grey Girl and her twins returned to the herd where they continue to prosper.

Whilst it is easy to waste so much time just hanging out with the cows, Spring is also a busy time on the Rock Farm. Sadly in some areas the serrated tussock has got established. Whilst I have been madly chipping out isolated little patches of it, in some areas it was far more effective to use chemical spray. This is my least desired strategy, but it is effective. I had a couple of tight areas, where I knew I wouldn’t be able to reverse a trailer, so I lashed the spray trailer to the ute bed, and got onto the task.

Little (and not so little) projects abound on the Rock Farm. One that had been sitting on my to-do list for a while was to replace the leaky unreliable bathtub water trough in the yards with a new concrete tank. It took a bit of fiddling to get the levels right (after nearly getting tractor well and truly wedged in the yards), but I was happy with the result.

Most projects aren’t wrapped up so quickly and are best described as continuing. We pulled down our existing patio in January. Pulled down is really an euphemism for pulling out a couple of nails and watching it fall down! A new steel carport is slowly taking shape to provide shelter over the BBQ. I was lucky to get the help of a couple of key assistants coinciding with a reduction in wind to get the roof sheeting on. And with any new roof area comes an opportunity to store more water. A new tank arrived, but the delivery driver baulked at taking his shiny new truck to the prepared site. Thankfully Myrtle (sporting a refurbished starter motor – nothing is ever simple) had no problem in taking to the task at hand.

The next challenge is to hook up the down pipes and be ready for the rain if it should ever fall again. We are now almost two months since our last rainfall and things are rapidly changing from being unseasonably warm and growing to stunted growth and grass bolting to seed. The next couple of weeks will be critical in determining what season we will have and we will keep our fingers crossed.

In the meantime it is important to celebrate little milestones like birthdays and wedding anniversaries with the people who matter. After a morning planting bare rooted fruit trees into the orchard, we took a few moments to enjoy lunch on Bee Hill. Sometimes the simple life isn’t that simple, but I sure am lucky to be sharing the adventure with this lovely lady 🙂

Of course I am not the only one with projects! It is great to see the boy’s really getting into their own interests now, but of course, that is a story for another time.

The Coldest Week of the Year and Some New Arrivals :)

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In this part of the world, the second week in July is historically the coldest week of the year for air temperature. The soil temperature continues to cool until the first week in August before it starts to warm, encouraging pasture growth. There is some variance, of course, but overall, it is a good time of year to bunker down in front of the fire and plan out the next few months. Sapphire agrees, especially when the wind and sleet are coming in sideways.

The paddocks are looking typical for winter. Short green grass and some standing dry matter makes for slim pickings for the cattle. Despite reducing our numbers heavily, we have chosen to supplement the cattle’s feed with the odd bale of hay.

The older cows remember the sound of the tractor well and were very happy to see me, despite them all being in good condition. They will need every ounce of condition once they calve and start producing milk.

We have spent a fair amount of time inside this winter planning, dreaming, measuring, and pacing out a long-overdue renovation of the house. The Rock Farm homestead was built in the 1970s and is in almost original condition. We have done a few things to the house to make it warmer since we moved in (insulation in the roof, a new fireplace, and some new windows), but the majority of the house is very much as it was when it was completed (we think – our local council has a distinct absence of records relating to our home). We are enjoying planning what it might become.

Despite the impending renovation, those who know us well know we have a long list of projects already on the go. The latest one is the construction of a new patio above our BBQ area, to be followed (one day) by a homemade pizza oven and new BBQ. It has been a whole family affair, with a fantastic day’s work from my brother, which saw us get the rafters up, and Jo and the still-at-home helper lending a hand getting the purlins and fascia ready for the new sheets.

But everything stops on that special day when the first calf arrives! Two calves arrived on their due date, and another one arrived the next afternoon. I can now see us finding many more excuses to go and sit with these beautiful animals.

With lots of things happening on the Rock Farm, it is great to take a moment every now and then to reflect on what we have accomplished. Sometimes Nature creates those moments for you.

When the wind stops and the sun comes out, there is nothing like watching the sun sink below the horizon and seeing the stars appear in the night sky. The cold, clear air allows us to witness the magnificent glory of the stars, reminding me of how fortunate we are to be here.

A busy lead up to winter

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It’s easy to lose sight of our progress when we focus on what we still want to achieve. However, looking back, we’ve made significant strides on a couple of little projects here on the Rock Farm.

We have been progressing Jo’s orchard in the repurposed foaling paddock. After ripping lines along the contours for fruit trees, we used a leftover length of poly pipe and some new tap fittings to set up irrigation for most of the new lines. This will ensure our new trees receive the water they need. With a pile of mulch from a recent visit by the electricity line tree pruners, our fruit trees are now settling nicely into their new homes.

We recently sold all but three of our weaners through the local livestock exchange. The steers and most of the heifers averaged 290kg, while two smaller heifers averaged 255kg. Although prices have recovered from the Christmas lows, they are still significantly lower than the peaks of last year. Nonetheless, we were pleased to secure around 285 cents per weaner, which will help cover hay costs this winter.

After the one rainfall event in April, and scattered rain in May, I really needed to ensure every drop of rain falling on the place makes its way to the soil. It had been about five years since I last ripped our west-facing slope, so I took the opportunity to re-rip the paddock along the contour before the forecasted wet start to June hit the Rock Farm. The tractor struggled a bit, but I was content to chug along in second gear low range, spending a few hours turning diesel into noise and opening up the soil.

One of the great joys of raising cattle is simply spending time with them in the paddock. They are naturally curious, and we find that spending time with them makes them very calm and easy to move. One way we win their confidence is through old apples, which most of the cows love. However, there’s a risk of feeding whole apples, as one might get stuck in their gullet. Unfortunately, we lost a cow recently in this way, after feeding her an apple.

She showed classic signs of bloat, with a distended abdomen on her top left side, and in obvious distress. We moved the herd to the yards and called the weekend on-call vet. Lachie, the vet, arrived and treated her, working in the dark and freezing cold. The first priority was to make her more comfortable and ease her pain. Despite relieving the pressure in her rumen and administering antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and oil, she sadly passed away the following night. Although we didn’t conduct a post-mortem, her symptoms suggested gas bloat caused by a blockage, likely the apple.

Losing an animal is always sad, but it’s an unfortunate part of raising livestock. In the future, we’ll make sure all apples for the cows are cut in half.

Despite this setback, the Rock Farm remains glorious at this time of year. When the fog lifts in the morning and the frost melts, we’re left with the most wondrous days. There’s nothing better than taking a stroll around the paddocks and savouring these moments.

Why does it rain all at once?

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On the law of averages, we have had a good April, with around 100mm of rain falling in the month. Unfortunately it came all at once. The heavy rain caused our creek to flood, blocked our access for a day or so, and caused minor damage to our temporary fence along the creek line. The Red Drawbridge was pressed into service to bring the family safely home – but this kind of work is hard on the machine, and I will need to devote some time maintaining the slave cylinders (part of the brake system) soon.

The rain brought some of our hard working little creatures to the surface. A stroll around the paddock after the rain stopped revealed our dung beetles coming up for air from their little burrows beneath the cow pats. These creatures are so important in breaking down manure and turning it into fertilizer – and it was so good to see them working away. Jo is pretty sure these beetles are Onthophasgus Binodis an introduced dung beetle (more info here: https://www.dungbeetles.com.au/species/onthophagus-binodis). Native beetles much prefer the native dung of kangaroos and wombats (of which we have plenty of as well!).

The rain also softened the ground, allowing me to rip contour lines for Jo’s new orchard. We have chosen to re-purpose one of the small foaling paddocks near the house for the orchard. The main reason for this site is that it is close to the house, close to an existing water pipe, and will probably be the easiest place on the farm to net in order to keep birds off the fruit. Of course it is not just simply ‘rip lines and the job is done’. The first thing I had to do was service the tractor. This was complicated by the fact I needed to fit a new fuel cock first to allow me to change the fuel filters first. Then I slashed the paddock, before ripping along the contours. I also needed to fell three nearby pine trees that had died. I removed most of the branches, but I had to wait for appropriate weather window to burn the stumps.

Two months later we are almost ready to plant the trees. I am still to install a new water pipe and watering system with drippers on each line. Whilst a simple tap and hose will be easier to install, we want to make it easy to water the trees in the future. Watch this space for updates as we build the orchard.

In the meantime our beautiful weaners have continued to grow. Sadly, the irregular rain, and not much grass growth this autumn means we will be unable to feed them over winter. They will be heading to the sale yards later this week. We have decided to keep three heifers, which we will return to the herd of 12 cows. Part of the requirements to sell cattle, is that they must be able to be traced back to the farm of origin. To do this, we fit them with an electronic ear tag with a RFID chip linked to the Rock Farm. They soon all sported the latest fashion accessory, a lovely white ear tag.

The grass situation is a little worrying. We haven’t had much autumn growth, and what little we have had is seeing massive pressure from kangaroos. Our neighbours alarmingly have had feral pigs digging on their property. It is all part of it I guess, but a little frustrating when we try our best to rest paddocks. We have plenty of hay in the shed, which I am happy to feed the cattle (it is after all my method of providing new nutrients onto the farm), but we are delaying feeding as long as possible.

The good news is it hasn’t all been hard work. We did manage a quick night down the coast to make the most of the last warm days of autumn, and have made use of our new wind break around our fire pit, using garden prunings to cook our dinner. We love our little walks around the Rock Farm. Sometimes I can’t see the view for the jobs in front of me, but it doesn’t take much to lift my gaze and pinch myself to realise how lucky I am.

Perhaps our most exciting news relates to our local community. Last weekend we hosted our local Regenerative Land Managers group at the Rock Farm. We have a new direction to take this collection of land managers, and much of our discussion centred on the best structure to move our group to another level. More on that perhaps at my next update.

Comings and goings in an unusual season

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Last October you may recall we were making decisions that would affect our production for the next couple of years (see here:https://rockfarming.com/2023/10/19/a-strategy-emerges/). We had tried to arm ourselves with the best information available about the cattle market, soil moisture and predicted dry weather patterns, with the aim of protecting our soil health and welfare of our stock. The end result was a decision that we would not join 10 of our cows, with the aim of reducing our herd size leading into forecast drought conditions.

All through November and into December, I felt that we had made a sound decision. The weather dried out, and we used it to our advantage to de-silt an old dam. Towards the end of December we went away for a fortnight and came back to an entirely different property. The forecast dry summer had turned into something else entirely, and frequent summer rains continued through to February.

We considered our options, which included bringing the bull back for a late summer calving – but ultimately decided to let our decision to cull the cows stand. Come weaning, we would split our herd and cull 10 dry cows, keeping the remainder 10 cows and 2 maiden heifers (hopefully all in calf) on the Rock Farm.

Two weeks ago we weaned.

Weaning is always an interesting time. I allow the cows access to the lane leading down to the yards. For the first couple of days, there is lots of bellowing in an evening as the calves call for their supper, and the cows seek relief from full udders. But it doesn’t take long, and the cows are happy to wander off to greener pastures, and the calves settle down and learn that the tractor now brings them supper. Once they are happily independent, I move the cows to the other side of the farm, and let the calves into the paddocks behind the yards, to graze.

I handle the calves frequently during this time. Sapphy and I make it our morning routine to bring the calves into the yards, and as soon as they are there, we take the pressure off and leave them to return to the paddock. Two weeks into weaning, we brought the cows back to the yards, and split them into the two groups, those staying and those going.

We used some simple rules to determine which cows we would cull from the herd.

  • Any cow that had ever tossed or shaken her head at me or anyone else,
  • Any cows who had ever had any difficulty calving, and
  • Any cows with horns.

At the sale yards, our Agent split the cows into five lots. They made between $1.78 and $1.96 per kilogram live weight and weighed between 495kg and 675kg. Transport, agent’s fees and selling fees will take a fair chunk out of the cheque which is part of the cost of doing business, especially as a small producer.

Most importantly though we have removed ten hungry mouths from the Rock Farm, which will allow our wearers more opportunity to put on weight and value here for a few more weeks. With less mouths and more grass (with the possibility of rain in the next few days), we will assess our winter feed and possibly defer selling the wearers until next Spring.

Until then, we will continue to enjoy the cooler evenings and make the most of living (and camping) at our beautiful farm.