....the self absorbed moaning over over the recent hard work of the daily smallholder trudge in winter was completely short lived and I refute all claims of lack of motivation for it! Great news - the new ducks have started laying! At last, some reward from them! What's more, Pongo appears to be getting the hang of being a drake and though he's still an unknown quantity for his stud potency, he is at least behaving in a more 'manly' fashion. Presently we are getting 2 eggs a day, so 2 more are to start. Even more exciting (I could have done the whole egg-citing thing there but just couldn't lower myself) is that their behaviour suggests they might go broody at some time which means when we do arrive in spring my DD will get her wish to let them try to hatch some chicks. I've a feeling this will be a harsh lesson from Mother Nature for her so I plan to get a small incubator at some point. Why they are laying is of course a natural mystery but there is something a little bit unnerving that clearly they assume the slight extensions of light and incredibly mild winter to be signs for spring. Indeed, things are growing a plenty in the garden and the rose is developing buds! The vixens have cubs galore (not so great for the ducks) and there's a distinct rise of decibel from the rafters as the dawn chorus breaks each new day.
Just wanted to update you on that. All else progresses fine though tagging the pigs ears proved more difficult than expected! Squeals and protests galore. Also why is it incredibly difficult to do anything in this 'industry?' My gripe and groan for today is, once again, the lack of plain talking instructions surrounding tag requirements and instructions on how to use the applicators etc. We are not unique here, trying our hand to smallholding and animal care way outside of our comfort and knowledge zones. I'm not doing any training businesses down but for a small smallholder you shouldn't have to fork out for courses on pig keeping and such like. Part of the fun is building a network locally of people able to assist and of learning on the job. But the serious stuff needs a real look at - communication to the newly countrified needs drastic improvements. You live and learn and share the knowledge so remember, as soon as you get piglets/weaners tag them as it's a whole lot easier than doing it at 5 months!
More soon from wet Sussex!
Mx
Weather: pretty wintry today. Grey, wet and only 3 degrees.
Scouse in the South
Tuesday 24 January 2012
Tuesday 10 January 2012
Attack of the wool...
...well a pathetic, belated Happy New Year to you all. It's been a long time since I've last updated and I have no excuses other than the festive season presenting extra claims on my time choosing outfits, getting hair done, attending various parties and events and that was just DD's social life of which I am, of course, just the chauffeur extrordinaire and lady's maid.
Anyway, on matters land, the past 4 weeks or so have been somewhat a struggle. Though thankful for the no show of frost and snow prior to Xmas it has been pretty wet and we seem to have had over a month of rain appearing sometime each day. The effect this has had on the land is that I have never seen mud like that my pigs are in. I have mentioned this before but it has deteriorated since then! What I have learned though is not to keep weaners over the winter outside. It's seriously messy. My poor Hunters have been turned more fawn than lilac and my white gloves certainly don't like hoiking up disgusting feed bowls that have sunk into the mud. There have been many comedy moments of late, all at my expense (although DH did get literally stuck in the mud which raised a giggle) and I wonder what those people on the number 29 really do think of this crazy lady, fighting to stay glam, entirely inappropriately dressed (and behaved) for sedate Sussex? Especially when I do things (why oh why do I act/speak and think later?) like chuck an old tyre into the mud for 'something to raise the food bowl off the mud on.' What happens? Splat! is what happens and splat! is what goes over my face, hair, coat, hands, trousers....even dripping down the trendy 'v' I had left with the unzipped bit of the top of my coat. I looked like I had been scousebrowed by somebody colour blind.
They are underweight (pigs, not I sadly) as they've been exerting so much energy wading around mud all day so it's highly annoying as it'll mean an extra 4-6 weeks or so before apple sauce day arrives.
Denzil has gone and hopefully left the double D's expecting. April time it'll be. Just keeping them quiet in their own field for now as first 8 weeks the most crucial for developing. The other mob of 5 however are anything but quiet. As if life on the land isn't hard enough at the mo I now have to fight off 5 muggers every day. DH decided to move them into the field where the barn is despite my protestations. Sure enough every time I am walking with food to the pigs or ducks or DD's they are there, right behind me, jumping into the bucket trying to knock me down before callously attacking. Hmm...if ever that happened the number 29 people would get a sight to behold! It's not just the raiding it's also the general pain they present at finding every which way to break into the barn. Last week we found Hiltz and Rosemary in the feeding area of the barn defying gates and fences and somehow getting in but not out. The mess and smell were vile, blinking sheep poo everywhere, buckets and equipment knocked into the mud...grrrr!
So it's all a little frustrating, much work for not much reward right now. the storms of late has left some tidying work and repair work urgently needed, the sheep have given us new mess and the need to jeyes fluid the barn. The ducks are high maintenance for zero eggs currently and the pigs look like enforcing a stay for a bit longer... Roll on spring time and especially the end of animal rounds before dawn and after dusk every single day all of the above in torchlight! At least on Denzils return I persuaded the nice farmer man to trim the feet of them all. One less thing to do...
Personally I think I've earned my hair appointment, facial and nail appointments looming it's just a shame I won't get that sausage barm with brown sauce as a precursor to setting off to Cheltenham festival come March...
Mx
Weather: Mild for January, long may it continue, just a bit drier please! 12 degrees today.
Anyway, on matters land, the past 4 weeks or so have been somewhat a struggle. Though thankful for the no show of frost and snow prior to Xmas it has been pretty wet and we seem to have had over a month of rain appearing sometime each day. The effect this has had on the land is that I have never seen mud like that my pigs are in. I have mentioned this before but it has deteriorated since then! What I have learned though is not to keep weaners over the winter outside. It's seriously messy. My poor Hunters have been turned more fawn than lilac and my white gloves certainly don't like hoiking up disgusting feed bowls that have sunk into the mud. There have been many comedy moments of late, all at my expense (although DH did get literally stuck in the mud which raised a giggle) and I wonder what those people on the number 29 really do think of this crazy lady, fighting to stay glam, entirely inappropriately dressed (and behaved) for sedate Sussex? Especially when I do things (why oh why do I act/speak and think later?) like chuck an old tyre into the mud for 'something to raise the food bowl off the mud on.' What happens? Splat! is what happens and splat! is what goes over my face, hair, coat, hands, trousers....even dripping down the trendy 'v' I had left with the unzipped bit of the top of my coat. I looked like I had been scousebrowed by somebody colour blind.
They are underweight (pigs, not I sadly) as they've been exerting so much energy wading around mud all day so it's highly annoying as it'll mean an extra 4-6 weeks or so before apple sauce day arrives.
Denzil has gone and hopefully left the double D's expecting. April time it'll be. Just keeping them quiet in their own field for now as first 8 weeks the most crucial for developing. The other mob of 5 however are anything but quiet. As if life on the land isn't hard enough at the mo I now have to fight off 5 muggers every day. DH decided to move them into the field where the barn is despite my protestations. Sure enough every time I am walking with food to the pigs or ducks or DD's they are there, right behind me, jumping into the bucket trying to knock me down before callously attacking. Hmm...if ever that happened the number 29 people would get a sight to behold! It's not just the raiding it's also the general pain they present at finding every which way to break into the barn. Last week we found Hiltz and Rosemary in the feeding area of the barn defying gates and fences and somehow getting in but not out. The mess and smell were vile, blinking sheep poo everywhere, buckets and equipment knocked into the mud...grrrr!
So it's all a little frustrating, much work for not much reward right now. the storms of late has left some tidying work and repair work urgently needed, the sheep have given us new mess and the need to jeyes fluid the barn. The ducks are high maintenance for zero eggs currently and the pigs look like enforcing a stay for a bit longer... Roll on spring time and especially the end of animal rounds before dawn and after dusk every single day all of the above in torchlight! At least on Denzils return I persuaded the nice farmer man to trim the feet of them all. One less thing to do...
Personally I think I've earned my hair appointment, facial and nail appointments looming it's just a shame I won't get that sausage barm with brown sauce as a precursor to setting off to Cheltenham festival come March...
Mx
Weather: Mild for January, long may it continue, just a bit drier please! 12 degrees today.
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