- Neil offers Josh 30%
- Phoebe likes living with Brenda
- Ed and Jazzer attack the Brookfield sheep
- One, lonely cow at Bridge Farm
Neil offers Josh 30%
Neil’s impressed once again by Josh. He (and Phoebe) are working the hens early on a bank holiday.
[Phoebe] “The hens don’t have bank holidays”.
Neil tells Josh he and Hayley have discussed whether Josh can be a partner in the hen business. They’ve decided he can – a 30% partner. Josh is over the moon!
[Neil] “Don’t you want to know how money that would mean you’d have to put in? …We think the whole business is worth £4000, so you’d need to find £1200.”
[Josh, deflated] “Oh. Right.”
When Neil leaves, Josh tells Phoebe he only has £700 in his savings.
[Phoebe] “Only? That’s amazing.”
[Josh] “Saving it hasn’t been much use if it’s got to be £500.”
Phoebe offers to speak to her mum.
[Josh] “If that’s what the business is worth, that’s what it’s worth …I want them to take me seriously as a business partner … if I have to ask a friend to ask her mum for a discount … “
Bless … Phoebe then offers to put her own money in, which Josh politely declines.
(those two … so cute! Do we foresee a long and happy life together?)
So, where’s Josh going to get the extra £500?
Mum and dad, methinks … (which there’s nothing wrong with, at his age. I’m just as impressed as Phoebe that he’s saved a whopping £700. The lad is a good ‘un).
Phoebe likes living with Brenda
Even though she has to share with Abby.
She doesn’t mind.
What a nicer girl Phoebe is when her ‘mother’ Kate isn’t around. Remember how awful she was when in South Africa?
Ed and Jazzer attack the Brookfield sheep
With their shears.
Ed arrives early to get cracking, It’ll be their first proper shearing job, and he’s a tad nervous.
[David] “I’m not expecting you to be as fast as the new Zealanders.”
Ed’s glad to hear it …
Seems, since the course, Jazzer’s now listening to advice about the best equipment to use. Including breeks. Seems one should wear jeans; one should wear proper shearing trousers.
[David] “Otherwise the grease from the sheep soaks through, and your trousers stitches start to rub …”
(I’m glad David stopped before he explained exactly what it would rub)
David is also leaving Josh in charge of helping Ed and Jazzer.
[David] “Between you and me, Ed and Jazzer won’t be that fast, so you’ll have time to roll the fleece before sending the next one through.”
Josh relishes his role:
[Josh] “I love that bit at the end when it all comes off whole.”
[Ed] “It’s a relief when it does!”
[Josh] “Like magic.”
According to Josh, Ed is really quite good at his shearing. He manages to keep his sheep fairly quiet while he’s shearing them. Though Jazzer has his own style:
[Ed] “Yeah, well, Jazzer’s got his own technique for that. he sings to them. They’re too terrified.”
[David] “You’re doing fine. That’s a very respectable pile of fleeces.”
One, lonely cow at Bridge Farm
Despite it being a bank holiday, Alistair was at Bridge Farm checking the dairy herd for reactors to the TB tests.
All was going well, until he found one possible. Though it was far from a definite reaction.
Either way, it could a disaster for their plan to sell the herd:
[Tom] “It seems a bit heavy handed, that the whole herd have to be put on movement restrictions.”
Alistair has to report his findings to the AHVLA, who will then decide what happens next. Could be slaughter, could be the cows have to stay put for longer until a second round of testing. Either way, the cows can’t be moved until that decision has been made.
[Tony, Mr positive these days] “Let’s hope it’s just a slight delay to our plans.”
Worst case scenario is that they would have to wait another 60 days for re-testing. Which would take them into the middle of harvest. Which would be a bad time to try and sell. So, they’d have to wait until Autumn to sell.
The AHVLA could also decide that if this one (poor wee) cow is properly quarantined, they could go ahead with the sale sooner rather than later.
[Tony] “It’s a bit of a facer.”
[Tom] “You can say that again.”
Yup, it’s a shame. Especially considering Bridge farm has been clear of TB for years.
But, bet the cows are glad …
No comments:
Post a Comment