All Blogs
Thieves love farm bikes
Four-wheeler ATVs are top of thieves shopping lists this spring, and it seems that the market cannot be satisfied. I
Tree felling is dangerous
Chopping down trees for firewood on small farms is always good fun, but it can also be a very dangerous
Personal hygiene at lambing time – get the basics right for the whole family
Personal hygiene is especially important at lambing time for both humans and sheep. Public health officers report that New Zealand
Sheep Farm Husbandry – How to Condition Score Sheep
Sheep, body condition, condition scoring, description of method. By Dr Clive Dalton In assessing a sheep’s state of health, it’s
It’s for you – hoo! Hill walk to the Kielder stane
By Donald Clegg Image: the source of the North Tyne river, on the Scottish border by Clive Dalton, c1961 Phillip,
New milking machine – let’s start with Betsy
By Eric Wilson Invariably the farmer would suggest starting with “Betsy”. “Anybody can milk Betsy, she’s as quiet as a
Selling milking machines
Farm Machinery in the North Pennine Dales By Eric Wilson But of course, all through the hectic activity of haymaking,
Shepherd’s Crook. How to make a horn-headed crook
Making a horn headed shepherd’s crook By Dr Clive Dalton The bigger and more solid the horn, the more material
Fitting milking machines and cheeky kids
Farming in the North Pennine Dales By Eric Wilson The next job was pretty well straight forward, or at least
Northumberland. Test your Northumbrian “burr”
By Clive Dalton If you were brought up speaking with the Northumbrian “burr”, the chances are that it has faded
Dick the Cadger – a Northumbrian Character
By Don Clegg One traveller who regularly visited the Kielder-Falstone area during the 1920s was know as “Dick the Cadger”.
Thomas Bates – Northumbrian Farming Innovator and Shorthorn Breeding Pioneer
By Dr Malcolm Tait, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada How on earth could there be connections between the village of Chudleigh
Daft Laddie tales from North Tyne & Rede: ‘Startin larnin farmin’
Northumberland, farming, daft laddies, history, humour, dialect, history, 1950s By Donald Clegg Startin larnin Young lads who had ambitions to
Milking machine fitting – double byre job
By Eric Wilson Now back over the river Tees and up to the fringes of the Durham pit district, another
Cattle farm husbandry – body condition scoring
Cattle, farming, husbandry, body condition scoring, easy method to learn & use, implication of scoring errors, replacing body condition By
Daft Laddie tales from North Tyne & Rede: ‘Aam not maede o’ money’
Northumberland, farming, daft laddies, humour, history, dialect , 1950s By Donald Clegg & Clive Dalton Farming for profit or for
Animal behaviour and welfare: Goats Part 4
GOAT BEHAVIOUR BASICS: NUMBER 4 Handling: Welfare issues Dr Clive Dalton Goats are different to sheep Milking goats Goats have
Daft Laddie tales from North Tyne & Rede: True Daft Laddies
Northumberland, farming, Daft Laddies, humour, learning By Donald Clegg True Daft Laddies But the true “Daft Laddies” on farms were
Daft Laddie tales from North Tyne & Rede: Steep larnin curve
Northumberland, farming, Daft Laddies, humour, dialect, learning , history, 1950s By Donald Clegg A steep larnin curve In the first
Daft Laddie tales from North Tyne & Rede: Rocks & plough socks
Northumberland, farming, history, dialect, humour, machinery, ploughing, plough sock(shares), 1950s By Donald Clegg Rocks Not all a Daft Laddie’s knowledge
Daft Laddie tales from North Tyne & Rede: A load ‘o Hareshaw coal
Northumberland, farming, humour, dialect, Fergie tractor, Daft Laddies, history, 1950s By Donald Clegg Hareshaw Head Farm, farmed in the 1950s
No 12. Sheep Performance Recording in New Zealand. History – Big concerns
–> By Dr Clive Dalton Two big concerns Thinking about the past – and especially the future, I still have
Daft Laddie tales from North Tyne & Rede: Bracken crushin
Northumberland, farming, history, dialect, daft laddies, farm machinery, bracken cutting, 1950s By Donald Clegg Dead bracken, smothering the pasture by
Kielder Forest – from axe & crosscut saw to computer
Northumberland, Forestry, Kielder, mechanisation, tree harvesting By Clive Dalton & Donald Clegg The first harvest When the first trees planted
Northumberland verse by Donald Clegg
Strange but true By Donald Clegg 2012 Aa was workin’ in the garden, Aa remember varry plain ‘Cos it was
Northumbrian verse. Pills for All Ills
By Donald Clegg Don entered this verse in the Morpeth competition for dialect poetry – and won the cup for
Animal behaviour and welfare: Cats Part 1
CAT BEHAVIOUR BASICS: PART 1 Origins: Domestication: Social structure: Territory By Dr Clive Dalton Origins Modern cats Social structure Cats
Farm working Dogs in New Zealand. 8. Housing and Welfare
Your dog deserves the best! It’s a sad fact, that there are many working dogs that don’t have adequate housing.
Dog Glossary
Approach: Action of a dog when it comes up to stock. Backing: Action of a dog when it jumps up
Dog Behaviour and Welfare
People and dogs got together 15,000 years ago for very sensible reasons – hunting, guarding, rubbish disposal and warmth. Since
Animal behaviour and welfare: Dogs Part 4
DOG BEHAVIOUR BASICS: PART 4 Man-dog problems By Dr Clive Dalton Dogs want to be dogs! There are no such
Sheep Farm Husbandry – Wool types and Handling
Sheep, husbandry, wool, marketing, preparation, hand spinning wools, when to shear By Dr Clive Dalton In the old days, depending
Sheep Farm Husbandry – Preparation for Shearing
Shearing preparation, sheep, facilities, yards, woolshed and plant, pressing, branding, documentation By Dr Clive Dalton How to keep shearers and
Communicating with farmers: Using effective displays & exhibits
By Clive Dalton & Geoffrey Moss Getting a farmer’s attention – what stops crowds nowadays? Models, challenges, puzzles, pictures and
Facial Eczema (FE). Farmer Information. Part 18. (Sheep). Mangement. Minimising losses after outbreaks.
Agriculture, animal husbandry, animal health, disease, Facial Eczema, Sheep, management, minimising losses after outbreak. By Dr Clive Dalton Original 1991
Foot & Mouth disease in New Zealand – complacency over risks
By Dr Clive Dalton Up to the 1980s, MAF had an army of Livestock Officers working from every town office
New Zealand agricultural history. No 8. Importing exotic sheep breeds
Scrapie suspected at Mana Island quarantine station Confirmation by international expert Dr J.T. Stamp Burning of carcases at Mana By
New Zealand agricultural history. No 6. Importing exotic sheep breeds
Finding sheep in UK and IrelandPurebred ewes on Somes By Dr Clive Dalton Finding sheep in UK and Ireland Without
New Zealand agricultural history. No 4. Importing exotic sheep breeds
First MAF importation Selecting sheep for importation Organising the sheep before transport to New Zealand Summary of events By Dr
Agricultural history in New Zealand. No 1. Importing exotic sheep breeds
Introduction to Blog series Early sheep imports to New Zealand Renewed interest in ‘exotic’ sheep breeds Disease concerns Recent imports
Cattle farm husbandry – breeding, basic genetics
Cattle, farming, husbandry, breeding, genetics, principles, normal distribution, genetics & environment, heritability, selection differential, generation interval, genetic gain By Dr
Agricultural history in New Zealand. Herd testers. Roger Dean
By Dr Clive Dalton Interest in travel Roger Dean grew up in Gillingham in Dorset surrounded by farms, and was
New Zealand agricultural history. No 23. Importing exotic sheep breeds
East Friesian sheep importation from Sweden, 1992Transport problems from Sweden to New ZealandQuarantine on Somes IslandEast Friesian importation 1992 Information
Agricultural history in New Zealand. Herd testers. Introduction
By Dr Clive Dalton Find the best cows The early dairy farmers in New Zealand soon wanted to find out
April 23, 2014
New Zealand agricultural history. No 30. Importing exotic sheep breeds Comments on composite breedsHeterosis and hybrid vigourFacts versus advertising hype
Drench resistant worms in sheep- immunity
Sheep, farming, husbandry, disease, animal health, worms, internal parasites, immunity, what helps & depresses immunity By Dr Clive Dalton What
Agriculture communication. Part 2. Using moving images. Video and DVD
Using moving images. Video or DVD D.C Dalton and G.R. Moss How long can we concentrate for?Research some years ago
No 1. Sheep Performance Recording in New Zealand. History – First developments
By Dr Clive Dalton In New Zealand, sheep performance recording was started with the single objective of advancing genetic improvement
New Zealand agricultural history. No 7. Importing exotic sheep breeds
Quarantine on Somes Island Sheep moved from Somes Island to Mana Island Sheep moved from Mana Island to Crater Block
Daft Laddies – The trip to the blacksmith
Daft Laddies. Farming Tales of North Tyne and Rede 50 years on. By Clive Dalton and Donald Clegg An extract
New Zealand Farm working Dogs. Training a pup on a stool.
By Dr Clive Dalton This puppy training technique was developed by the late Alan Lourie who in his latter years