Paula Hynes: The cycle of new life on the farm

Becky headed off on New Year's Eve to Australia to prep some animals for a show there

While we are preparing for a busy February, we have been eased gently into calving with the arrival of two beautiful babies already and thankfully all is well with them and their mothers

It is hard to believe we are in the second week of the New Year, and even though the first few days were horrendous weather-wise, there does seem to be a bit of a break from the rain with the colder weather coming in and a bit of sunshine during the day.

I always prefer this type of weather, it's nice and fresh and a much-needed break from all the rain. The ground is saturated all over the farm, even the “good” ground we have on the top farm. It's depressing walking through the different paddocks, we will need a fair bit of dry weather for them to be put back into action. 

I have been slowly, and I add very slowly, getting organized for the start of calving. I'm finding it very hard to get into the headspace for it if I'm being extremely honest. 

The shortage of good quality straw is playing on my mind. Anyone who knows me knows I'm allergic to dirty beds and I spend all day every day during the calving ensuring beds are spotless and dry. With a major shortage of straw this year, again down to the weather, it's going to be a tough one with limited straw. I know it might sound daft to some but that really is going to be a huge stumbling block for me, I'm hoping for a miracle and that we will source some more straw somewhere. 

While we are preparing for a busy February, we have been eased gently into calving with the arrival of two beautiful babies already and thankfully all is well with them and their mothers. They are both Becky's girls that calved. Adi is the dam of Rathard Legend Maker Adina who was part of the show team this year, she is also the girl that nearly broke her neck last March when she fell down an embankment on the lower half of the farm, so It's amazing to see her back to full health and having a healthy calf. 

Adina was the second girl to calve, now on her second lactation, she won the heifer in milk section at the CHFC awards in 2023 and is also the dam of Rathard Unix Adina, the heifer that Georgie had so much fun with for the 2023 show season. They have a fierce bond and had great success all year. 

Adi and Adina were bought in 2020 for Becky as a Christmas present. They hailed from the Eedy herd in Clonakilty, and they have been inseparable since. They are great buddies and you would rarely see one without the other, they are really great characters and like all the Eedy animals have superb temperaments, so it's only fitting that they would calve within two days of each other again.

Becky's trip Down Under

Becky missed the birth by a day as she headed off on New Year's Eve to Australia. It was a very different New Year for us travelling to Dublin to drop her off at the airport, but exciting at the same time. I will admit I was a nervous wreck at the thought of her travelling on her own to the other side of the world, but her calmness grounded me, and she wasn't a bit phased. 

It was a nice chance to go for a spin to be honest as New Year's is something we don't celebrate really.  My grandmother died on New Year's Eve 33 years ago, and it was always too difficult for my father to celebrate so we just sat and would have the chats and all be in bed before 12. 

Becky arrived safe and sound and she enjoyed the flights. She had no issue with her connecting flight in Dubai and took it all in her stride arriving in Melbourne safely. Australian immigration were a little surprised to see a 16-year-old arrive alone from Ireland, all her visas were in order and once they were happy that she had her parents' consent and Rachael was there waiting in arrivals, they welcomed her to Australia and wished her well for the show. 

She makes me jealous every day by sending me pictures of the amazing sunshine, temperatures hitting 30c daily. What would I do to feel some sunshine on my bones. She hit the ground running and was straight to work prepping the animals for dairy week. 

Georgie Hynes feeding colostrum to a calf born on the Hynes farm this week

I was only asked by one person, was I mad leaving my 16-year-old take off to the other side of the world on her own, and my answer to her was that I probably was, but life is short, and you have to grab every opportunity that comes your way. 

Everyone else I had mentioned it to agreed that it was some opportunity, and they would love it for themselves. My parents always encouraged me to do things outside my comfort zone and it wasn't until I was nearly 40 that I had the balls to do it. We are extremely proud that she had the courage to go and follow her dreams and passion while also keeping up with her studies, it will be a busy year for her as she will be in the UK from early March for another show.

Served heifers

Our vet was out scanning the autumn-served heifers this week, Pat is very sharp scanning as some of the heifers were just barely 30 days served, sexed semen was used on everything first service and repeats were served with sexed semen except for one heifer which was served to Angus AI. Thankfully all bar one scanned in calf, she has been a problem heifer to get in calf anyway and she has marked her card now so she will probably be fattened on for slaughter now as it's not fair to sell her on as a heifer when we couldn’t get her pregnant. 

The main heifers all did their job so we should see some nice calves from Sidekick, Bullseye, Crushabull and Bowlers in the autumn, all going well if some of them calve down with nice udders, they will be out in the show ring as milkers, time will tell.