Livestock and gardening

Yet another Saturday was spent moving poultry, doing the usual weekend livestock chores and gardening. Having decided to let the Indian game broody sit we had to do some unexpected poultry reorganisation. Hopefully now all are where they will remain, for a few weeks at least. On top of the usual weekend clean up for the livestock we also dagged Freda, as the forecast is for warmer weather and even the promise of a little rain. Ideal fly strike conditions, although maybe still a little cold. Freda is a Shropshire Jacob cross and compared to Annie- a Zwartbles, is quite woolly. Zwartbles really are my favourite sheep, they lack wool in the most sensible of places ! Their tails are almost free of wool, as are the legs and under belly, especially around the udder.

Once all the usual chores were done we spent the afternoon gardening. All the fruit trees were given a thorough soaking and the pond was topped up with water from the butt. I was quite surprised how much the water level had dropped in the pond since we last had rain. Removing a little more of the blanket weed from the pond I noticed at least 4 newts and the frogbit I thought I had lost appears to have survived the winter.
The back flower border I weeded last weekend was watered and then topped with a good layer of compost, which should see it through until the autumn.

All that is left to do tonight is to check that the Leghorn chick has gone to roost in the house and hope that the rain forecast for tonight materialises.