5 days on...

...and we still have four and goodness have they grown ! They may be difficult to start to feed but once they have learnt how they don't seem to stop, maybe occasionally for a quick nap. I have introduced them to a new bigger feeder and drinker, both of which appear very scary to them.Changes are going to have to be very gradual, next step covers on both to stop them standing in their food and water.




Typically I think I have a pair of the commercial whites and two of the same sex of the bronze, it was the bronze I was hoping to keep as a breeding pair.With the males the wing feathers stick out similar to an ostrich' wing feathers. With the bronze, only on one side do their wings stick out, so I guess it will be 7 weeks before I know for certain....if they survive that is !

Hot and happy pigs edited to add naughty !!

The recent hot weather has meant the pigs have enjoyed their wallow and appreciated being sprayed with water even more than usual. I just wish they wouldn't play 'dead' !

They are growing well and in a couple of weeks will be 4 months old so we will soon need to separate the boars.

With this in mind we have started working on the growers pens, one of which will be used for the boars until they are ready to go. The area we are using was Jack's allotment until a year ago. Since then it has just been left, being used occasionally for rough grazing. This weekend we started the fencing. Each area will be approximately 80 sq m, not huge but it should be large enough to run a few growers on.

Edited because the smallest Tamworth ( the one sitting up in the top photo, with trouble written all over her ) has lived up to the breeds reputation and figured out how to dig a hollow deep enough to allow her to escape under the electric fence ! We left her after feeding them around 5.30, at 6.30 we had a phone call from the eldest son questioning whether there was a reason why a pig was running around the paddock, having the time of it's life!

Luckily she went back in fairly easily but not at all happy to be back. We will now have to go up later this evening to check all is well.

Maybe...

The youngest turkey poult has just died. First thing this morning I found it on it's back struggling to right itself. Apparently 'they do that' I had read about it in several turkey books. Following advice from the books I removed it from the others, warmed it up and fed and watered it. They thing it might be lack of nutrition and regular feeds help it to regain it's strength, but this one died.

Maybe... it wasn't lack of nutrition as it was only a day old and should have been able to survive on the absorbed yolk.

Maybe ... it was weak from the start as it took so long to hatch.

Maybe ... I removed it from the incubator too soon to join the others.

Maybe ... it died of stress from being handled so much this morning.

Maybe ... as many people say turkeys just die.

Maybe ... no probably, I will never know.

I just hope the other four continue to thrive.

I take it all back

After writing the last post, on how laid back the poults were, I went to check on them, one had found the last piece of hard boiled egg and a definite Benny Hill moment followed. It's the first time I have used the video on the camera so the quality's poor but you can get the general idea.

Not just turkey talk

The final turkey hatched early this morning, it had pipped the shell on Wednesday. I do wonder now how many potentially viable eggs I have called a day on in previous settings. It is now in the brooder with the others and has started to find it's legs. Turkey poults are very different to chicks, far more laid back and quieter ( although they do make up for it later on as turkey hens never stop wittering.). Young chicks are like busy bees, scratching around and running from place to place, cheeping the whole time. Turkey poults are more - OK let's sleep, food 'go on then ', let's sleep, a little potter around ' if you insist', let's sleep.

The older chicks are now ten weeks old and their voices are changing, they have lost the high pitched peeping and are sounding more like the adults. The cockerel's voice is croaky, almost as if though his voice is breaking. I just hope he doesn't start to crow too soon !

Fred the lamb isn't too good. He has been scouring ever since I stopped his bottle. At first we thought it may be dietary but at the weekend he was looking sorry for himself, so we started him on a 3 day antibiotic course, plus kaolin. Neither have had any effect so today we wormed them all and tomorrow will put them onto clean land. The only drawback being, clean ground also means plenty of fresh grass. I think I may have to consider stabling him and feed hay only as he really has lost condition.

The pigs are fantastic, very friendly, loads of fun and growing well.

The garden is doing OK. Unfortunately the rain forecast for last night and today never materialised so it looks like we will be back to watering again tonight. As long as it doesn't rain during the daytime over the weekend as we have so much planned - night time would be good.

Photo: Magpie moth, an over night visitor spending today in the kitchen.

Photo: 1 Plant damage. 2 The culprit, a mullein moth caterpillar funnily enough on the mullein ( verbascum) plant.

First hurdle

Well they survived the night and have over come the first major hurdle, finding their food and water. Apparently turkey poults can be a little slow on the uptake. It's not too important that they eat straight away as they still have the absorbed egg yolk, to see them through the first day or two, but obviously the sooner they learn to eat and drink the better. For now they are on chick crumbs and chopped hard boiled egg. They aren't supposed to have chick crumbs as the protein level is too low and also some contain coccidats, but it is only until tomorrow when I can buy the turkey starter crumb. In the meantime the egg will give them extra protein and they are eating too little to make a difference at this stage.

Photo: The last of the four to hatch not yet 24 hours old.

Photo: The first to hatch 27 hours old


The fifth egg still hasn't hatched but as today is the due date I haven't lost all hope...yet.

25 long hours...

To go from this ..... first pip in shell at 10 am 23 June 09

11 hours later at 9 pm a small hole

At 11.30, we thought it was close to hatching but it hadn't progressed any further at 6 am this morning 24 Jun 09


In the next 5 hours it progressed very slowly...






Until it was finally out at 11.15 am 24 June 09

A double breasted bronze. In the meantime in only 24 hours ! this had hatched. I thought the egg was a bronze but it looks like a commercial white.

One more pipping and one wobbling.

Update: 4.30pm
One more hatched at 2.30pm another at 4.15pm. One more still pipping - the other, on candling was rotten.

Update:9.00pm
Although a little too soon for the last to hatch all four ( 2 yellow 2 brown) are now in the brooder, they are resting under the lamp but have already found the food and water. Fingers crossed for the next few weeks.

Pipping peeping and rolling !

Photo 1 : 5 pm 23 Jun 09

Photo 2 : 9 pm

Not sure if it shows in the photo but two of the turkey eggs have just started to break the shell, another is rocking and rolling and there is a definite peep from one of them. I have got all fingers crossed that they progress further !!

I decided not to wait any longer, so have put the younger chicks outside. They really do seem to appreciate the fresh air. They look so small and scrawny compared to the older ones.

The youngest are four weeks the older ones nine weeks.



The broody hen:

Garden catch up

The garden is progressing along nicely, with broad beans, potatoes, beetroot, lettuce, parsley, radish and turnips being harvested. Some of the leeks have been transplanted with more to go in when there is space. As soon as the runner beans have reached the top of the poles we will sow the rest - maybe this weekend.

In the greenhouse the melon and aubergine plants have survived, so far and the tomatoes are setting as are the peppers.

In the garden the globe artichokes are forming. I usually leave these to flower but thought, this year I may pick some.




The soft fruit section of the front garden, against the south facing wall, is now ready for planting. We just need to make a final decision on plants and order them. Next, for the front is the pond.

Day 25

Today is day 25 for the turkey eggs, time to stop turning, up the humidity and LEAVE WELL ALONE. Thankfully I have been distracted today after getting an email re: Family tree research so I haven't been tempted to interfere since candling them this morning and adding the water.

Of the original 13 I only have 5 maybe 6 left. I was really disappointed but talking to the 'poultryman' on Saturday apparently it is really good, especially as they had come through the postal system. I guess I just expect 100% all the time.They still have to hatch and survive the first few weeks..turkeys being turkeys that's no mean feat. Quite exciting though. I haven't bought any turkey starter crumbs yet, didn't want to tempt fate. As long as I don't just get one, that would cause a few problems.

The broody is sitting tight.We are lifting her once a day to feed etc. I couldn't believe my stupidity on Sunday! I went to lift her from the eggs, the same as I had been doing during the time she was sitting on china eggs but this time she had two of the eggs tuck up under her and as I lifted her they dropped, thankfully only one broke....so now down to 12. I had forgotten they did that .

Both hatches of chicks are still growing at an amazing rate. The 9 week olds look like miniature chickens now.The one obvious cockerel is beginning to throw his weight around. I think there maybe another Welsummer cockerel, the rest all hens !!

The younger chicks are 4 weeks old and almost fully feathered. They are off heat but still indoors. I will probably put them out this week as it is so warm. I could just do daytime bringing them in at night but they are a little scatty so I would prefer to leave it for a few extra days and once out leave them out.

The old hens are still laying reasonably well. One of the Light Sussex is moulting so there are feathers everywhere ! Sadly their days are numbered as they will be replaced with some of the female chicks from the two hatches when they are older.

In the meantime I shall be running up and down to the garage checking, but not fiddling with, the turkey eggs.

One of those days

Nothing terrible or really bad - just one of those frustrating days when things don't quite go as you had expected.

First thing this morning we went to collect the eggs I had ordered over the phone. When we arrived it seems the tray of eggs that had been saved for us had been given to someone else. So we took a trip around the poultry farm ( an experience in itself ! ) and collected a clutch of eggs (13) from various dark and dirty corners of tumble down barns, with no idea of breed at all or indeed how long they had been laid. I should of walked away, instead I now have a clutch of unknown eggs under a very contented broody hen....I wonder what (if anything) I have got !.

When we went to the Royal Cornwall Show a couple of weeks ago, we bought a print by our favourite artist.We love her work, think she is brilliant.

http://www.jenniferbrereton.co.uk/


We took it to the local art shop to be framed .... it should have been ready today.However when the framer went to put it together this morning he realised he had made the frame too small , now it won't be ready for another couple of weeks. Not important, just I was looking forward to having it back.

Fred the bottle lamb started to scour on Friday, I thought most likely diet related as I had stopped his bottle feeds on Tuesday. However he didn't look too bright today so I call the vet . She recommended a course of antibiotics ( I'm not too sure ), some kaolin to bind him then in a couple of days a wormer. She promised to drop them in to me as she had to pass my way 20 minutes after I phoned. Nearly 5 hours later she arrived.

We have, however managed to make further head way on the fruit garden (whilst waiting for the vet), Sylvia the hen is happy (breed isn't important to her) hopefully Fred is on the mend and in a couple of weeks time I'll have a new picture on the wall.

So not too bad a day, after all

Planning

Not as in planning permission for building, we will have all the joys of that in the next few weeks - which breed of livestock we will have and when, sort of planning. We spend ages discussing the different breeds to have and why, research the pros and cons on the internet and in various books and then everything changes and we justify to ourselves why the latest plans are the best !

For months now we have been planning how to set up our breeding group of poultry for meat, breed type, if to buy in adults or hatch our own, where to put them etc. I don't think any of the present ideas are the original ones.


The bee hives are now where the breeding house was going to be and we still haven't decided on a new location. The geese were supposed to be gone or at least reduced to a single flock before we started with hens at the yard - we still have them all. We discussed buying in good quality stock as the starter group i.e Indian game cockerel, a few heavy breed hens.We are now considering using the hens we have and hopefully will hatch and I have now ordered different breeds of hatching eggs than we had decided on last night !

It does all work out right in the end, I just wonder why we plan when we know we will just go with the flow at the time.

Take the Tamworths, a breed neither of us would have considered, but there happened to be some available at the time we wanted weaners....best pigs we've had. Hopefully we will be saying the same about the hens soon....Ixworth isn't a breed of hens on the top of my *ideal* list or Croad Langshan come to that. On Saturday I am picking up a clutch of 13 mixed heavy breed hatching eggs..goodness knows what I'll get but I may be pleasantly surprised.

Broody hen

In a previous post, I briefly mentioned we had a broody hen. Fingers crossed I think/hope we still have. One of the Dorkings has been wandering around clucking for a couple of weeks now but at the weekend took it a step further and took herself off to the nest box, where she remained, screeching at any of the other hens who attempted to get too close. We left her for a few days, as she is young, to see if she was really committed and she does seem to be, just leaving the nest once a day to eat, drink etc.

So Monday evening we put together an emergency broody coop, not ideal but it will do the job this time and next time we will be more prepared.
The trouble is at present we seem to be running to keep one step ahead of the livestock as far as fencing and housing is concerned.Hopefully this time next year everything will be in place and life will be a little easier.

So today Sylvia, as she has now been named, was removed from the henhouse, dusted with mite powder and placed in her new coop with two ceramic eggs. If she is still broody tomorrow I shall phone around for a clutch of hatching eggs.
We have decided to try to obtain some heavy breed eggs i.e Cornish Game, Sussex, Dorking as a start to our breeding programme.

I do hope she will have a little more success than I seem to have with the incubator.

Last bottle

This morning Fred, the bottle fed lamb, had his last bottle ( not that he knows it yet ! ). He is now nearly 9 weeks old and as bottle fed lambs can be weaned at 6 weeks he hasn't done too bad. We fed him longer than the six weeks for a couple of reasons, the main reason being we had bought a large sack of powdered milk so fed him until we had finished it. Also he hasn't been fed creep feed so will now have to survive on grass alone, but we have plenty and are in no hurry to finish him early.
He has settled in quite well with the other sheep, hopefully he will do so more now he isn't being fed.

Alfie, Annie's lamb is two weeks older and huge. He is still getting the very occasional feed from Annie. I am hoping she will wean him naturally so we won't have to send her away. We don't have enough space to wean her from him, without stressing them both so if she doesn't we will send her to a friend's small holding, keeping Alfie here until he's ready for slaughter.


At the weekend I was a little concerned about Annie as it looked as if Alfie was feeding from one side of her udder only. However she seems fine, the udder's not hot or hard and when I stripped some milk onto my hand there was no white strands, a tell tale sign of mastitis - thankfully. It would be very unusual for her to get mastitis at this stage, unless she had knocked her udder. It is more common at the start of lactation or at weaning. I will keep an eye on her as a quick shot of antibiotics would sort it. Far better than her suffering or the possibility of one side going blind, you never know next year she may have twins again.

Scallops & Mackerel

Following on from 'home grown' - what we aren't able to grow ourselves we can often barter for. This evening a friend dropped by, after diving, with a basket full of scallops. We normally swap them for meat but as the freezer is looking rather sparse and the pigs in the paddock are still growing he was happy to go away with a dozen eggs and an I.O.U.
With scallops, locally, selling at 50p each I have just 'sold' a dozen eggs for £24 !! the most expensive eggs I'm ever likely to sell.

The youngest son has been out fishing all evening, so along with scallops in the freezer we may have some more mackerel, the last catch is disappearing fast. ( he's just arrived home with 4 nice size fish )

Home grown

Tonight we will be having our first fully home grown meal of the year. Hopefully the first of many.

Lamb shoulder steaks from last year's lamb, freshly dug new potatoes with mint, turnips, carrots and possibly a few broad beans, all from the garden. We may even have a bottle of eldest son's homemade wine.

If I made an effort I could use some of last year's plums to make a pudding but as we are all busy tonight I may save those for another day.

We have had several meals where most of the ingredients are our own, e.g eggs, bacon, sausages. In fact apart from the beef all the meat is ours. We haven't raised chickens yet but do have a complete and jointed turkey in the freezer, along with a fast dwindling supply of pork and lamb.

It's just the vegetables we have been lacking in - until now.

Busy weekend

It feels as if though it's been a busy weekend with no time to stop. Our time as been divided between caring for the livestock, gardening at home and sorting out the house. Not our house unfortunately, although there is still an awful lot to be done, it will have to wait. For now we just seem to be adding to the chaos with boxes that need sorting.

The sheep have been treated with Blowfly repel, an organic spray to deter flies.They have recently been shorn and are very clean, so it is more a case of stopping the flies bothering them than anything else. The Orchard geese have been moved lock, stock and barrel ( well house, feeders and pond ) to the paddock with the sheep. All are getting along fine. Their house has been scrubbed and the grass topped. It will now be rested for a few weeks.

At home the front has been rotavated again and more buckets of stones picked up, plans for the pond and fruit bushes/trees discussed. The veg garden has been tended to with more plants added, others staked etc. I never did get around to strimming the grass and rain is forecast for tomorrow.

The chicks and chickens have been moved around, cleaned out etc. One of the Dorkings has finally gone broody, so decisions have been made about her.The turkey eggs candled, as there was a distinct smell of rotting eggs in the garage and the offending egg removed...eggs not looking too promising, possibly only 6 good ones remaining and still only half way !!

The house has been sorted, furniture freecycled etc. both bathrooms and the kitchen removed and tipped. The stair door and panelling taken out, hopefully now the bedroom furniture will come down the stairs.

Written down it doesn't look that much but we are both feeling dirty and tired. Still a few things to do then bath and bed.

Miserable day

It's been a miserable day today, driving rain this morning now thick, wet fog. I can't even see as far as the bottom of the field.
This morning I pottered for a while in the greenhouse, planting up, tying up, pinching out and sowing. It was nice to feel as if though I was outdoors but still dry. I can really see the attraction of a poly tunnel, I could garden everyday despite the weather. Never likely to happen though too many other things on my wish list and absolutely no space for one.

We have started on the clearing and renovating of my late mother in laws house. I was going to keep this blog purely on the livestock and garden but as the house is going to take up an awful lot of our time and also has implications on how and where I keep my livestock I will more than likely be mentioning it in future entries.

It's so difficult sorting and clearing a house. You feel as if though it's your duty to dispose of everything in the right manner. At Christmas we cleared the obvious items, i.e anything that was of use or of sentimental value to ourselves we kept, other items we sent to charity, a few things to the tip or for recycling. We are now left with the furniture and items that we just don't know what to do with. Unfortunately there isn't an auction house that close to us, we did think about holding a house sale but it looks as if though ebay and freecycle are the way to go. We are still left, though, with items such as wedding cards and good luck charms, anniversary and birthday cards. It seems a shame to throw them out after they have been kept so carefully for over 50 years. So they will more than likely be boxed up and left in the attic (with instruction to throw out if not wanted !) for our children to sort out when the time comes. Talk about passing the buck !

Chick update

I don't seem to be keeping such a good photographic record of the second hatch of chicks. They seem a little more nervous than the Welsummer chicks and being in the shed harder to photograph.

I have been trying to compare photos of the two hatches at the same age, as I feel these are feathering up much slower, although I did notice last time the Speckled Sussex were much slower than the Welsummer - so maybe it's a breed thing....3 of the latest hatch are Light Sussex, the fourth unknown.

Photo 1: Speckled Sussex chick 7 May 09 approx 3 weeks
Photo 2: Light Sussex chick 11 June 09 approx 3 weeks

Photo below: Welsummer chicks 7 May 09 approx 3 weeks.




The fourth chick from this hatch is supposedly either a Goldline or Blackrock...neither I think !! goodness knows what cross it is. It has similar markings to the Light Sussex, maybe a little more black on the wings, with feathers on it's legs and feet. It is also feathering up quicker.

Photo below: Unknown chick from second hatch approx 3 weeks.



The first hatch are really doing well and are ready to move on whenever we are.

Photo below: Speckled Sussex from 1st hatch 11 June 09 approx 8 weeks

Say hello to.....

.....Freda !!

The new ewe has finally been named. All sheep from where we bought her are named with F as the first letter.

We tried out several names but kept coming back to Freda (after all we have a Fred ) It was finally clinched when the shearer with no knowledge of any of the names of the ewes, caught the new ewe and said ''come along now Freda''

So Freda it is !

Thanks Dad !

Most Father's day I try to find a few packets of unusual seeds to give to my father. I must admit I never remember what I have given, so he probably gets duplicates each year...but either he forgets as well or is too kind to say. Today in the post I received a parcel containing four very healthy looking African Egg plants complete with growing instructions, a result of last year's present. Thanks Dad !

For now they are 'resting' in the utility room, as soon as I have a growbag or compost (hopefully tonight, I have just phoned my husband in the hope he picks the message up in time) I'll plant them in the greenhouse. I'll need to do a bit of jiggling about but they'll fit somewhere. It's a plant I've never grown before so should be interesting.


Dad ....what would you like this year ? Box of chocolates?

Feeding the birds

There does seem to be two schools of thought in regards to feeding the birds during the nesting season. The general consensus these days favours feeding them and we are of the same mind. It is believed that the parent birds will only feed from the feeders when natural food is hard to come by, for whatever reason. If this is true or not I don't know but I have noticed increased activity on the feeder during the wet weather this week.

Today seems particularly busy between the showers. So far we have had a family of newly fledged greenfinches, a family of blue tits and great tits, a pair of chaffinches, the most gorgeous male bullfinch, a pair of goldfinches as well as the usual sparrows, pigeons, dunnocks, blackbirds and wrens on the ground below. Not forgetting the robin and thrush.

We are lucky and do get a huge variety of birds throughout the year. Winter being the busiest and bringing the occasional unusual visitor.

This is the first year for several years now that we don't have a webcam in one of the nest boxes. It broke and we left it too late to replace before the box was in use again. Which is a shame because I think this year it was used by great tits rather than blue tits.

It does seem to have been a really good year for nesting birds, with many on their second brood. Hopefully the present wet weather hasn't had too dramatic affect on them.

First harvest - First losses

The veg garden is growing well. We have been harvesting radishes, lettuce and turnips for quite a few weeks now. In the next few days the first of the potatoes will be ready, shortly followed by the first picking of broad beans and carrots (possibly next weekend). We have however also started to experience our first losses, the first to go was the late rhubarb - well to be honest it never really got going ! Then with the high winds over the last week several of the broad beans were broken down. They are sheltered from the winds by the hedge but unusually these were easterly winds.One of the first earlies had been eaten just below ground level, so we lost that plant.We did however manage to retrieve half a dozen small potatoes.Three sprout plants have been attacked, most likely by cabbage root fly, due to us being too late putting the collars around and several parsnips failed to appear or disappeared shortly after sprouting, due most probably to the mole and the cats. We have sown a second row - a little late.

The greenhouse - touchwood - is also doing OK so far. The first of the tomatoes are forming, Shirley.

The peppers are looking sturdy.

We have been harvesting radishes, spring onions, salad leaves, parsley and rocket.

Photo: Left hand side of greenhouse - peppers above: melons below: Ildi tomatoes at the end.

Photo: Right hand side of greenhouse - Big boy tomatoes nearest the door: Shirley tomatoes further in and at the back: A few spring onions on the floor in container.

All change

The problem with not having as much space as we would like and having the livestock we do, we are forever moving things around and adapting what we have to suit the most pressing requirement. Today it was adapting living quarters for the oldest chicks.They are now 7 weeks old and have outgrown their first outdoor run. The original plan was to move them from their first run to the growers pen at the yard.The problem is we haven't even started on converting Jack's garden to the two pens we had planned for the area, also that plan has been slightly changed now as half the area will be needed for the boar weaners when they are 4-5 months old as they will need separating from the gilts. Anyway getting back to the chicks - we have spent the morning adapting the run that was originally built for the main hen house to accommodate the chicks, a new end panel has been screwed on that fits the metal broody coop ( which until recently Fred the lamb was using as a daytime shelter ! )
The run had never been used as part of the house but I did use it to put the hen's feeder in, to keep dry, as it's partly covered. The hen's food is now in the covered part of the chick's first run, that is until we need it for the second batch of chicks, but that won't be for another six weeks and by then the first chicks should be at the yard and so the hens can have their original run back. It does all work out, in a very round about sort of way.

Time out

Yesterday and today we took sometime away from our usual daily and weekend routine.It was both enjoyable and thought provoking.

Yesterday we went to The Royal Cornwall show. It was lovely to have a rare day out, but to do so takes a little organising and being reliant on others. Before we left in the morning we had to do the usual daily livestock chores - letting out, cleaning out, fresh food and water, checking is all is OK etc. We then left instructions for youngest son to check all the livestock had plenty of clean water, before he left for work midday. Especially the young chicks as they tend to fill their drinker with their bedding. After work our eldest son fed and water the lamb and pigs. In the evening the young chicks needed shutting away, before they chilled. The dog we took to a friends for the day. Thankfully the incubator has an atuomatic turner so needed no attention. When we returned home the veg patch and greenhouse needed watering and livestock checking and shutting away for the night. We did have a lovely day though !


Today we took the fleeces to a friend's ( well I hope friend - someone we 'met' through blogging.) It was lovely to meet them but left us wondering what we do with our time.They do so much and work so hard it's quite inspiring if not daunting. It also made us realise how much more we could do with what we have and in a way how wasteful we are.When we slaughter the pigs we don't use the head or make our own sausages and bacon, but get the butcher to do so instead. When we slaughter the sheep we don't use their skins or the fleeces of the sheared sheep.We certainly don't save enough rain water. I am determined to do more, starting with buying a mincer ( I have been advised an old kenwood is the best) and making our own sausages with the next batch of pork.

Although I said the incubator needed no attention when I checked it today the temperature was frighteningly high and I have no idea how long for. I candled the eggs, Day 8 today - 1 was clear, 1 has the blood ring so an early death, I must admit I didn't remove it (just in case I'm wrong ) and 2 look as if though they have ruptured air sacs, so don't hold out too much hope for them. What affect the high temperature has had on the others I'll know next time I candle.

Early morning visitor

Not very clear as it was taken early morning through a rather dirty window.. but you can just about make out our squirrel visitor. 'He' used to be a regular visitor but we haven't seen him for quite a while. For the last few weeks as I was seeing to the chicks in the garage he would often scamper past but we never saw him on the feeders ...until this morning.
We couldn't make out why he appeared frozen to the post, until we looked down........

Forever hopeful ! Even though at 14 years of age, young rabbits are no match for her I think maybe this visitor is a little beyond her hunting skills.

Flowers and feathers

Summer really has arrived... the dog rose and honeysuckle are just beginning to open, soon the hedges bordering the garden will be full of blossom, the air will be full of the sound of buzzing bees and the scent will be heavenly, especially late in the evening when we are watering the garden.

The geese are moulting. This morning the orchard was covered in feathers and Henry the old gander was sulking in his house. If I didn't know better I would have thought the fox had visited. All five geese are now looking very dishevelled and sorry for themselves. Thankfully the moult is reasonably quick and they will soon be showing off their new white feathers. In the meantime the grass is covered in enough feathers to stuff several duvets. It's funny watching the sparrows and swallows collecting them to line their nests.They are always attracted to ones slightly larger than they are able to fly with and take off is a struggle. There will be a few comfy nests this year, lets just hope if this weather continues the chicks aren't too warm!!

It's too hot !!

I know, I know ... it wasn't that long ago I was moaning about frozen water pipes but it is too hot, for me anyway ! I don't really like the heat, spring and autumn are my favourite seasons, nothing too extreme.
The mornings are fine. I'm still getting up around 5.30 am even though I no longer have the lamb to feed and the start of the day is beautiful, there is often a heavy dew on the grass and a mist rolling along the stream at the bottom of the field.The birds are singing, even heard a cuckoo yesterday, nobody else is about and it really is lovely. I get most of my essential jobs done then. The evenings are OK too, as long as the nights aren't too muggy, but midday.... I wilt. I'm good for nothing and whine like a spoilt child.....I'm too hot, it's too hot .

The heat does have some advantages, I suppose. It has meant the very young chicks haven't needed a heat lamp during the day...I'm sure there are others ! It has to be better than the rain - but then the garden needs watering. People are happier when it's sunny - but then you get loads of grockles. Are the livestock happier? not too sure, not when it's this hot I don't think so. I eat less - now that has to be good. Think I'll leave it on a positive note !

Bees

Photo: Above inspecting the frames.
Below: Bees emerging from their cells

It has been several weeks now since my eldest son got his first bees - a 5 frame nucleus with an over wintered queen. Since then events have escalated.
Sometime last week when he opened the hive he noticed a couple of queen cells, at first he thought it was a possibility that the bees were superseding the queen but when we ( yes we I had my first look inside the hive on Saturday) looked there were approximately 6 queen cells, some of which were capped, a sure sign that they could swarm. We were unable to find the queen bee on Saturday and as it was quite windy left it until Sunday to look again. (I don't think my son was too impressed with my 'help' the day before as he preferred to sort them out himself on Sunday) His aim was to create an artificial swarm by finding the queen bee and placing her in a new hive with a foundation frame and a store frame, also with the super.The new hive was then placed in the position of the existing hive, in the theory that any flying bees returned to the new hive and built up it's strength.
The old hive, now queen less was placed a certain distance from it's original position. It is hoped a new queen will emerge in three weeks time to make her mating flight, so creating a new hive.

( I think that's right - I'm sure I will need to edit this once he has read it ! ...edited once so far !)

At the week end he will collect his second nucleus with a queen from this year in, so we appear to have gone from no bee hives to three in a very short space of time.!

Photo: Moving the hive.

Mission accomplished. Father and son. One who said he would never get involved with the bees !