This Farming Life - December on Castlefarm

Jenny Young

The farm is in muck. It is cold, wet and dreary so I am glad we will finish milking in mid December. At present we are milking 60 cows once a day. The other cows have been dried off. Calves born earlier this spring have been housed for the winter and heifers (first time calvers) have been brought back to the home farm.

I am spending very little time out on the farm at the moment. Then again there is not too much for me to do. The man who works full time for us is tackling a list of things that need to be done in preparation for 2016.

Our point of lay pullets, have started to lay at last. It will be good to have more eggs again for the Christmas market. At this time of year with the lack of sunlight and a shortage of grass for the hens to scratch about in, egg production on our farm drops dramatically. Our younger ducks are starting to lay at last. The Strawberry Tree in Brooklodge will be delighted with the extra eggs over the holidays.

Ahead of Christmas the farm shop is busying up. Although we don’t produce organic turkeys on the farm, I sell them for Crowes of Tipperary. Hamper orders are also coming in at a steady pace and the shop is well stocked with festive goodies.

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Castlefarm Shop, Narraghmore, Athy, Co Kildare, Email jenny@castlefarmshop.ie, log onto www.castlefarmshop.ie or telephone 087 678 5269 Follow us on facebook or on twitter @castlefarmjenny