Country diary: A troubling time for this upland farm | Andrea Meanwell

Tebay, Cumbria: We have 13 new cows to keep indoors, and no running water. It is, at least, a distraction from the budget, which was the last straw for many farmersI have to keep shaking my hands to stop my fingers from freezing as I fill more buckets with water. I have nine of them in the back of my Gator four-wheel-drive vehicle, filled from the one outside tap that is working, which I then drive across the yard to put into the water troughs. This is the second day without running water in the farm buildings, and it is hard work.I recently bought 13 young heifers and bullocks from the Galloway Cattle Society sale at Carlisle, and from two local farmers who are breeders. As these cows are new to the farm, they are kept indoors for the first couple of weeks for biosecurity. Unfortunately, this has coincided with a very cold snap, and no running water. It is amazing how much water 13 cows can drink in a day. The fact that they are eating hay indoors and not grass outside will also make them thirsty. Continue reading...