snap snap... zap zap

Ah the atmosphere in the the dairy is positively electric - the electricians have started installing all the electrical cables and lights and power points and what-nots....

(see the lovely big lights swinging from the high ceiling)....

the machines are MEANT to be installed the week also - but you know how these things go sometimes..... mighty mighty S*L*O*W*L*Y

grrr - frustrating! all the metal work is coming along swimmingly though.... and the stand-in vat is supposed to arrive today/tomorrow (we have to use an outside, stand-in vat until our big vat is manufactured - about 12 weeks wait.....)


All the regulars on the site are used to the sight of me totting my BIGGO camera and pointing it at their handiwork.... so I think its only fitting that I post a rare something of myself.....

there's a glimpse of the ronster in the newly installed window .... as the electrical folk depart for now... they'll be back when the machines come.

it all can't be done soon enough - look.....

 .... its the first babies!

Yep 2 nights ago 3 calves were born - as we have no operating dairy yet, we have arranged for the young mums and bubs to go to a friendly neighbour's place until we are operational.... I got a report this morning from Denny (the neighbourly dairyman) - all are doing mighty fine - and have taken to this 'milking business' without any drama whatsoever..... yay girls!

If only everything else was as fuss free!


....

on the home straight?

We're still building, building building.....

well it is a big project

with lots and lots of concrete....

 (EJ watched 'Strawb' forming the wash room drain today)

and lots and lots of steel...

yes it's a resource-hungry build - I tell myself that we will ensure that this building and its infrastructure will be viable and utilisable for many many decades to come - so over the long term we will justify the expense and the environmental impact ...

EJ and Sass take it all in their stride (they don't get to see the size of the loan!) - right now EJ seems to think that all that steel is a giant gym set....  its impossible to keep her from swinging on the steel bits!
 

(spot the naughty monkey girlie!)

 
Believe it or not the end IS in sight....

FP seems to think that another 4-5 weeks and it will be operational. And in the next little bit all the things that will make this unmistakeably a DAIRY will start to be installed (we already have the 1000L off-peak hot water sitting in the vat room waiting to be hooked up and I think the milking machine components have all arrived as well)...

the last of the main 'floors' was poured last week for the mill room....

(mill room - sans walls right now)

the last main short wall was poured today.... we've just got yards and walkways to concrete now (we were counting up last night how many trucks-worth of concrete we've had brought to the site - so far we are at 10... It FEELS like a lot more)

at the end of this week the last of our beefy boys and girls will leave the place....

and we are getting ready for our new girls to arrive....

bring it on!


...

getting there....

It's a bit damp underfoot - that means working conditions (and especially access) are not ideal for building... but last week the vat room and wash rooms were basically complete - here's the sams creek crew peeking out from the wash room....

over head that day I spied 3 wedge tail eagles (I take it as a good sign.... I love all raptors)

today - despite rain the first half of the dairy floor was poured.... it's a great step forward....

('strawb' is laying the diamond pattern - that creates greater traction for the cows - this part is open to the elements - and links the inside to the yards outside - so it needs to provide a good 'rough' surface so we don't have slippery sliding girls!)

I just love some of john's tools! - here's his long-handled broom, to make just the right rough finish on the concrete...

but goodness - all this RAIN!


the boys had to cover the tiny bit of concrete that isn't under the roof...

I can't complain - the grass is growing, the building is going ahead, we have nothing of the floods of queensland

and it is far to my faraway north that my thoughts are turning today..... all those towns, all those farms, all those animals, all those poor people trying to make it through the devastation of flood waters. I can't imagine how dreadful it all must be right now - my thoughts are with them all in this dark time....

I'm sure that when the waters clear and the extent of the damage is understood, many farmers will be forced to undertake massive rebuilding - and in THAT sense at least I can now empathise.

I wish I could be of more help than that.....



......

new girls....

On the day before christmas the big truck brought to us.....

...... fifty-three lovely young heifers......

 this is the first of the new girls stepping off after a VERY long journey (more than 12 hrs on the 'double' truck...)

and after that loooooong trip a young girl's thoughts turn to FOOOD! (oh and water)

these are the first of our new dairy herd - they are heifers (for those not familiar with the term - a heifer generally means a female bovine that is hasn't had a calf yet). They are a mixture of Friesians (black and white) and Jerseys (blonde/brown) and Friesan/Jersey cross (smaller animals, usually brownish/ black possibly with white....)

 

All the girls arrived safe and sound - which is just as well - as they are all in a family way..... the first are due to give birth sometime after February.... 


Already I can see certain animals that have distinct personalities.....

like this girlie...

Previously known as '4133' - she shall now be called 'Bossy Bex' - she's short, blonde and as 'attitude' - I LIKE HER! (I also suspect, that like other short, blonde, bossy girls, she will prove to be quite a headache in the future!) 

and this girlie.....

I'm calling her 'Buttons' - she's bright and sassy - and was quick to make her acquaintance - she's no aloof princess this one!

Sass just liked getting inside the big truck! (I think he was hoping this was an early gift from santa!)

well this is just the start of the dairy herd - we really need to find a nice herd of COWS (not silly young heifers!) so with any luck this truck will be returning with quite a few loads of nice big milking girls in the not too distant future.... 

....

taking charge

the new building is still moving ahead .....

Sass and EJ- inspect the works most days.... 

Here's how the main section is shaping up -

The pit is in (that's the 'trench' looking bit in the middle just in case you didn't know what a 'pit' is! this is where the humans stand and work - yep down below the cows) - the steel structures for the milking bays are going up - one side of the floor is going to be poured shortly.....

Today the floor is being poured in the vat room and the wash room (that's the wash room below)

The concreting is the most labour intensive (and energy and money intensive) part of the project - it would be lovely to get all the main floors in before Christmas, but I can't really see it happening.... fingers crossed - there's so many things to organise and manage right now - it's mind boggling! lucky it's all on FP and not me to manage!

 Although I think I spot a likely successor for FP.....

 Sass is always ready to explain to the builders how it should work......

ooooo I'll be pleased when this is all finished - it's worse than building a new house!

....

looking backwards looking forwards....

today the bulk of FP's commercial beef herd is being sold at auction in bega (these ones are the few remaining - they will leave the place at the end of january).... the trucks started rolling in yesterday morning - and the last loads (the young calves and their mums.... and one of our lovely limousin bulls) left this morning.....


it's hard not to feel a little sad....

progress...

 Things are moving along over at 'alanbar' farm..... the main structure of the new dairy is up - the roof is on.....

 the lower section of the walls are being formed ......

 decisions are being finalised....

on the weekend FP started organising his beef herd for sale..... all the cows have to be correctly paired to their calves then have their matching ear tages attached (NOT a fun and easy task....) 

today the milking pit was formed....

maybe as early as next week the main interior slab will start to be prepared.... 




.....