JUST as we were getting used to the cooler, frosty weather there was a reminder of how quickly it can change. Mid-week, over a 24-hour period, an inch of rain fell on Manor Farm, but after the dry conditions experienced over the last few months, it barely wet the ground.

All our cattle are now under cover except for the bull and two heifers. The two heifers are not due to calve for a while and will be company for the bull who will not be used until Christmas.

During the week the last few Friesian/Holstein bull calves were taken to Stowell Farm, to be reared on for bull beef.

Meanwhile routine work continues, with regular checking of calving cows. Now that all the cattle are housed more time will be needed for feeding, mucking out and bedding up cubicle barns, loose bedded barns and isolation pens.

Isolation pens are used for any cows that may be unwell, lame or animals that have just given birth.

The 15-month heifers have been brought in and put into a loose-bedded barn to get them settled into their new surroundings before we begin artificially inseminating them in a few weeks' time. We have also had a routine vet inspection to do postnatal examinations on earlier calved cows, which showed most to be in good health.

Last weekend nieces Charlotte and Natalie, aided by Richard, removed the horn buds from our heifer calves born since late September.

Charlotte is now a qualified vet, working in the Henley on Thames area and Natalie a student, in her third year, studying agriculture at Reading University.

We borrowed Kevin's small crush, which was used to restrain the calves while the horn buds were being removed. Charlotte administered a local anaesthetic to the site of each horn bud, after which Natalie was able to remove the buds using a special tool.

The operation is similar to having an easy tooth extraction. Some breeds of cattle are naturally polled, meaning they never grow horns, but most bovines do and it is much simpler to remove the buds before the horns develop further. Dis-budding is done to prevent cattle injuring each other or their handlers, also it prevents them getting caught up in feeders and fences.

The few white frosts during the week alerted Richard to the possibility of frozen water pipes , so he has travelled around the farm turning off the water supply to out-lying water troughs and packing straw around the pipework of those in use.

On Stowell Farm the maize grown by a neighbouring farmer on about 40 acres has all been harvested and crimped. Grain crimping is an agriculture technology to preserve feed grain into livestock fodder by fermentation. The moist grains are combined then run through a crimping machine to break and flatten the grains before storing them in silos as silage. Additives, such as certain preservatives or molasses, can be added to protect the nutrients. Since the harvesting of the maize Kevin has managed to plough all the the stubble ground.

The highlight of my week was watching granddaughters Natasha and Annabel racing their Shetland ponies along the last two and a half furlongs of Cheltenham Racecourse. Melissa's Shetland pony display team ran the Bonnie Stakes in memory of a little girl who sadly lost her life earlier this year.

The Shetlands are all registered with the Shetland Pony Society and are used for many different equestrian disciplines, including hacking, showing and jumping. The day was memorable with Bonnie's much-loved Shetland pony taking part in the race with her cousin on board, under a blue sky with warm sunshine.