...6 of them to be precise.
We returned home from an idyllic break in the Italian Lake District to find Floss successfully hatched 6 out 7 eggs! Hers and ours first experience! See pic on blog site. So far she is proving to be a great Mum, enthusiastically encouraging her youths to dig the lawn to shreds in the eternal hunt for ants and suchlike. DH has done a sterling job converting the old duck house into a brooding house now so Floss has been upgraded from hanging basket in a bakers tray to 2 roomed mansion with ramp and therefore 'garden view.' They are terribly cute and real time wasters but I'm acutely aware I have a 50-60% chance of cockerel in each one. Time will tell - I'm no expert so reading up on Wiki about vent sexing and suchlike was lost on me and quite frankly left me a little squeamish at the thought of getting up close and personal with a chickens anus - really, it's not what Mother Nature intended is it?
In all other matters smallholding it's pretty low key at the minute. We've had some deluges which I hope will help the fields turn the corner - need it to be the case as it'll be hay storing time very soon, a depressing thought as it means tans, Tiffanys and F-types fade away in my minds and paleness, jumpers and 'why didn't we get a woodburner fitted?' thoughts return, yet again. Still, it does at least mean these mites will do one for a bit. We took a bank holiday walk over to the pub in Barcombe and it was noticable how our farmer friends fields have survived a summer of camping, cows and sheep much better than ours have. Ok, so his fields literally are the Barcombe flood plains for most of winter BUT, he has luxurious green - yes green, grass. It leaves me with an uneasy mind about it all especially with our currently unpredictable seasons but we'll see.
The sheep are suffering the flies and I'm in 2 minds whether to fly strike prevent again or take a chance...it's pretty expensive to do as a smallholder but greater expense to be caught. I guess prevention is always better than cure so that might have to be my weekend job. As will prove, this will mean it will rain at the weekend as I need dry weather to do it! The flying ants had their annual display last week too - just on the day I'd hired the 'Rug Doctor' to clean the carpets. 3 hours busting a gut and chipping a nail cleaning them, 5 hours of dealing with 2 sulking labs who were banished to the garden then 6 hours of having wet carpets as despite the heat and humidity of the day, around a million flying ants descended on the patio. Grrrr! Maybe I need a pet aardvark?
If anyone hasn't done so I'd recommend you have a crack at www.bigbutterflycount.org Wherever you live, it's easy to do and absolutely invaluable to the future. In the 5/6 years I've lived here the change in butterfly populations has fluctuated and been dramatic from the invasion of Painted Ladys 2 years ago to the dirth of all creatures fluttery last summer. This year has been fairly average with the noticable absences and rare sightings of the once common Marbled White, the Comma and few Admirals and Peacocks. No Painted Lady's this year spotted here.
Ok, heading off now - investing in a weatherproof feeder for the Chickens and a chick feeder too - wow, such heady spontaneous purchases eh?! Still, playing out in the City tomorrow night seeing a show so last swansong of the tan perhaps. Better get the peeptoe Choos out then hadn't I?
Mx
Weather: Sunny, 23 degrees, very nice indeed. Downs beautiful as always - missing the snow capped Alps however!
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