I was recently sent an email asking, “Do you know what a “pointed stick for driving cattle”is called?” Derek.
Hi Derek,
I have found out that a pointed stick for driving cattle is called a goad.
I found this definition from the dictionary reference site which is interesting:
“1. a stick with a pointed or electrically charged end, for driving cattle, oxen, etc.; prod.
2. anything that pricks or wounds like such a stick.
3. something that encourages, urges, or drives; a stimulus.
–verb (used with object)
4. to prick or drive with, or as if with, a goad; prod; incite.”
Dictionary.com
I find this interesting because this is where the term to goad someone into doing something must come from.
If there is a farming term that you want to know then contact me and I will try to find out the answer for you.
At this time of year the suckler cows and calves are put out to grass in a field with an electric fence so that the cattle do not escape from the field. The calves were born in the fold yard and are not used to the electric fence so we placed an electric fence in the fold yard for a few days to train the calves not to touch the electric fence when they are placed in the field.
We also bought two cows and their calves last week. They were placed in the field and not in the fold yard so that the cattle did not fight with the new cows. When the cattle are placed in the field they usually don’t fight as there is enough space for them to mix well together.
Watch the video clip of the suckler cows and calves.
I hope that you enjoyed watching the farming life video diary of our suckler cows and calves.
Marian has sent a picture of a Peacock which she has entitled “Sheer Beauty” for the Farming Friends Foto of the Month Competition, so thanks Marian.
Marian said in her email, “It is the males that are famous for their strikingly beautiful tail coverts. The long feathers are usually green and gold. Markings of blue colour resembling eyes, giving them a special beauty all of there own. The problem is, getting them to display when you have the camera ready! Fortunately, this was very happy to pose for me.”
Wow - what a fantastic photograph - if you think that you have a photograph that can rival Marian’s then send me your photograph entry.
The photographs need to have a farming theme and can include the farming landscape, farm animals, farm machinery, farming life or nature and wildlife on and around a farm. Send your photographs by email (request email address via the contact form if you don’t know email address and I will send it to you) keeping the photograph attachment to a size of about 600 x 400 pixels.
Please supply some details about the photograph - the name of the person who took the photograph, when and where it was taken and what is happening in the photograph. The winning ‘Foto’ will be posted at the beginning of the following month, so you have up to the end of the month to enter.
Fresh flowers from the garden are a lovely addition to your home as they bring a little bit of the outdoors inside. I have been inspired by Fiona from The Cottage Smallholder to have fresh flowers from the garden in my house, so thanks Fiona.
This little vase of fresh flowers has fragrant hyacinths, petite white daffodils and an unknown delicate white flower. I placed this little posy of flowers in the vase on my kitchen table and the hyacinths produced a wonderful fragrance that filled the room.
The pretty vase of flowers, the lovely fragrance and the knowledge that these beautiful flowers were a free gift from our garden has inspired me to continue to look for flowers that I can cut for the house.
I dedicate this post and the pretty posy of flowers to Fiona @ The Cottage Smallholder who gave me the inspiration to cut fresh flowers from my garden.
If you have a farming, smallholder or countryside related company, website, product or service then you can now advertise on the Farming Friends website. For £24 a year you can have a static link in the Link Directory on the sidebar or for only £12 a year you can advertise on the adverts page.
Click here for how to advertise on Farming Friends. Or click here for the adverts page.
All the articles, educational resources and growing cards are available for free on this site. If you have found the information useful and wish to help to pay for the maintenance and continual addition of information, then you are welcome to make a donation.
Many thanks, and I hope the information has been useful.
If you cannot find the farming information or growing card that you are looking for then just ask and I'll try and offer some advice.
Sara @ Farming Friends
