School: Ballyhaise

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1. The Care of Our Farm Animals (continued)

   

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   good luck on the stock. The passer-by where a person is milking says "God bless the work". When milking the "fore-milk" or first part of milk is given to calves and the "strippings" or last part of milk is saved for butter and the tea. When finished milking the thumb is dipped in the foam and a cross is mad eon the cow's back and "God bless you" is said.
   A box is boarded off at the end of the byre and it is called the stable. A manger is boarded up to hold the hay. Hay and wheaten straw is the fodder usually given to the horse. He is taken to the forge to be shod about every three months and is clipped once a year before the Spring work begins. There are no stories or traditions told about famous local horses.
   The call for calves is "suck, suck, suck" for pigs is "deoch, deoch, deoch", for hens "chuckie, chuckie, chuckie," for ducks "tweet, tweet, tweet" for chickens "birdie, birdie, birdie" for turkeys "peep, peep, peep," When setting eggs they are first marked with ink or soot and then Holy Water is shaken over them in order to have good luck. Then the nest is prepared and it is usually made with hay, straw or moss. In dry

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. animal husbandry (~2,587)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Rosaleen Johnston

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   15

   Address

   Drumliff, Co. Cavan

   Informant

   Edward Callaghan

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   81