By Judy Barnet, Ag Columnist
Last weekend, I was in Warwick attending the Australian Pig Breeders Association meeting where we discussed how to achieve bigger member input and attract new members. Like many committees, it is hard to get new blood. The Queensland Branch does have the most member growth and financial stability of all the states in Australia but the size of our state makes it hard to hold events. Although no longer a stud breeder myself, I remained the association’s secretary and treasurer because there was no one to take my place. I remain committed and passionate to the industry and will continue to support them, but we sure as hell have to come up with ideas and marketing to keep our association going.
A purebred and commercial pig sale is coming up in Toowoomba on Saturday 11 June, with 65 pigs, 20 boars, and 45 mated and unmated gilts. Unfortunately, not many of these pigs, if any, will go on to be registered as the sale will mostly attract commercial pig breeders looking to add good genetics to their herds. But if you are looking for some quality pigs, I believe the listing includes Berkshire, Hampshire, Large White and Landrace pigs.
Driving to work earlier this week, I stopped to drag a deceased wallaby off the road and found an injured joey in it’s pouch. This little fellow was a swamp wallaby around five months old. After arriving at work I rang the wildlife carer in Stanthorpe whose phone number I keep in my phone. She rang another carer in Tenterfield who was heading to Stanthorpe, so Deb met me at Mingoola to pick up the wallaby. Given that Mingoola is an hour from Tenterfield and not on the way to Stanthorpe, it shows the dedication of these wildlife carers. Deb rang me within a couple of minutes of my original phone call and jumped straight in her car to meet me. It must cost these carers a fair bit of money for fuel not to mention their time in collecting animals and caring for them. I am not sure how these wildlife carers obtain funding but it has made me aware of the incredible and generous service they provide. Previously when I have picked up joeys, I have always been able to drop them off at the vet so this was the first time I had needed to contact a Wildlife Carer. So if you are ever travelling and come across a dead ’roo or wallaby, it is a reminder to check their pouch and, wherever you are, I am sure there will be help available.
Driving out the gate to work last Thursday I spotted that naughty cow, Varina, in the Dear Richie’s tree paddock. Dear Richie has been planting that paddock with trees for three years now, with pecans and wilga trees where the pecans have not survived. The pecans haven’t done so well despite all Richie’s love and attention, most are still knee-high to a grasshopper. The wilgas have flourished though, not to mention the grass and weeds. None of these trees are big enough though to survive the cows using them as a scratching post. Varina was running around like a mad thing, bawling her head off. Eventually the other cows must have decided to investigate what she was on about, but being too heavy to jump very well it looks as though they have just flattened the fence. The bit of fence they flattened was, in fact, a bit of fence I was trying to preserve. It was the last of the original K wire fence that must have been around the old school. It is beyond salvation now. Two days later I spotted Varina in the lambing paddock, which is a four foot chicken wire fence with a plain wire on top and a plain wire outrigger offset from the bottom of the fence.
Unfortunately, it is not hooked up to power at the moment. I know that Varina can jump but I was baffled to find the other cows plus two Hereford heifers all in that paddock this morning. An investigation is required so stay tuned next week to see how the mystery is solved!
I am a big fan of printed media. I love books and you won’t catch me reading an e-book or an e-magazine! As such, I am the one pushing for the Rare Breeds Trust to produce their newsletter as a high quality booklet. The problem is that most of our members are now email subscribers and the cost of producing the printed booklet is not cheap. I think a sponsor for the newsletter could be a solution. Our print option members pay an extra $20 per year for the privilege, needed to cover printing and postage. Our membership fees are extremely low at $35 per year for individuals and $20 for pensioners. We do get a little bit of paid advertising so perhaps we need more of this. I am not sure what the answer is. Do I need to move forward into the 21st century?
When I go to an auction or clearing sale, if I see a box of old livestock books or magazines my eyes glaze over and I will either stand guard over the treasure until the auctioneers reach it or, if I am called to bid on some other treasures, I will guarantee I won’t lose sight of that box lest I miss it! After all, who is going to sit at the computer and find archives of livestock magazines and drool over the pictures? Books and magazines are definitely treasures to be kept for life!
We had our first frost this morning. It was very light frost, mind you, but it did trigger a reminder in my head to start rolling up the hoses and to take the timers off the taps, and also to fill up Dora’s water bowls at night rather than in the morning. Poor Dora. Our friends that had been camping with Dickie the German Pinscher for a few months headed off this week. They used to take Dora for long walks every day. Dora and Dickie were the best of friends.
Our cottage guests asked me about a brown and white fat tail sheep which I identified as Louie. He said Louie came up to where he had placed his drink bottle on the grass and tipped it over and started sucking on it. They are not silly those Damara sheep!
This weekend I am off on a trip to the Sunny Coast to deliver two lambs I sold to Keith and Glynda who, you may remember, have the farting Tesla. It will be a long trip in the old shake, rattle and roll Land Cruiser ute. But she has been 1.6 million kilometres, so what’s another 800 kilometres between friends?
Well, that’s about it from me this week. I have to get up early to load the crate and the sheep so I look forward to catching up with you next week.
