Philippus Farm

I don't know about you but it doesn't feel like spring to me. With the incessant rain, bridge closures and flooding, it feels like January. Not helped by memories popping up on the phone of sunnier past years 😩

Really does come round quickly!!

All of us here at Philippus Farm wishes you all a relaxed, restful Christmas.

We had a very late lambing here (Valais Blacknose sheep can lamb all year round) with  two perfect lambs (sire: Highland Icarus from Raymond Irvine & Jenni McCallister' show stopping flock.) Introducing our new ram has really shown the quality that comes through to the lambs and highlights the importance of having great genetics. Wool, markings and long woolly legs already evident. Luckily for us, we will be adding them into our flock to live here at the farm. Missing lambing already, we look forward to 2024 lambing.

Calving 2023 is done!

A conservation project we have been working on for several years, introducing Dexter Cattle to help manage a traditional orchard on a hilly terrain. Our experience so far:

Here at Philippus Farm we are really looking forward to be attending The Hanbury Countryside Show on the 1st July. A one day event, showcasing the very best of farming with shows and entertainment. We are sponsoring the very first Valais Blacknose show and would like anyone thinking of showing to be brave, turn up and meet other owners. It's a fun day with (hopefully) sunny but not too sunny aday. We have been asked to bring along Taro our full blood Wagyu bull and it would be lovely to meet all of you. Hope to see you there!

Here she is! Kiko is our first full blood Wagyu to be born on the farm. She is an absolute beauty. one minute she wasn't in the field and the next she was. 5 days early and caught us slightly off guard. If it wasn't for Mum separating herself away from the herd we wouldn't have been able to tell. Like nothing has happened to her and completely well. 

True (ish). While the old folk law of allowing your Wagyu to drink ale to aid good results might be an old wives tale? We have introduced brewers grain to supplement their diet.

With the sun finally appearing, wild garlic and narcissi has exploded on the farm. Running the length of the field, carpeting the ground in a sea of purple and green amongst still leafless trees. The hope of sunny, hazy summer days to come. Looking forward to summer sunsets, dahlia season, newborn calves and braais.

TB test results clear for another six months. The farmer a few miles away from us had a different outcome to us this morning. We are acutely aware of the importance of TB testing and how it can effect people’s livelihoods. We have active sets on all the farms we manage and can only hope, they and our herd keep equal distance between each other. All the while, the animals are finally enjoying some sunshine without a care in the world.

My favourite time of the year is when we have lambs. Lambs arrive  spring and autumn depending on which ewe comes in season . Our next lambs will be in the autumn. Here is our newest addition at just one day old. Look at that smile. Still small enough for me to pick up but it won't last long.