First death on the smallholding

My First death was my 5 year old female duck - the original lady of the ducks. She was my first duck. She was fine an hour ago and then suddenly just flopped and then died in my arms. Feels sad her being my first duck. Francis the drake was looking a little sad this evening. Rip Duck you gave me loads of lovely baby ducks.

I checked on Francis after sorting female duck to find a chicken has made a nest in the duck house. The Chicken has taken half the duck house up and the ducks bless them are squashed in the other half. Francis and crew havent tried moving her from their house. Dare they.......................

Makes me start thinking - do I have a broody hen amongst the ducks???

Nettle Experiement

Nettles are starting to run riot in the field. Can I turn these pests into a cash crop? We will soon find out a bag full picked - time to experiment making nettle tea leaves.

The lambs are now in a pen in the big field and seem fine. Better space to run around in and be lambs. Will have to come into the shed at night so mr fox doesn't try his luck.

The ducks and chickens had a big spring clean. They are all happy today as ground is so dry they made themselves mud dust baths!

Hoping for a good fine day tomorrow to get some gardening done. Must get the seeds in the ground for the home grown vegetables i plan to grow to eat this year.

the lamb shed at feeding time

update on the smallholding

Lambs are growing and now nibbling on lamb pellets and doing rather well. Ducks and chickens are doing their thing not sure re the egg laying its hit and miss. Ducks bless them are laying constantly - chickens need to get going proper.

Eggs in the incubator - must remember to turn them.

Stardust is still loving the great outdoors - however she did get chased by flying geese or so she thought - bless.

Set up hopefully now for summer markets - get those sales in to pay the bills.

Smallholding - ground coming on for more planting the food. Too windy to put poly tunnel roof on yet. nights getting lighter yipee - can start enjoying the great outdoors myself for longer.

Wind - go away

Today started off so well. It was market day at Hatherleigh. I had left the stock in the back of car and a few bits on the table as weather looked a bit dodgy.

Got a good couple of sales in and then it rained. Started by trying to cover up with a plastic sheet but it absolutely poured down, Only thing to do close the car boot get in the car and wait for it to pass.

Rain passed pretty quick so everything back out again. Then the wind got up - boy did it. blew my samples and stock all over the market. Thanks to the very kind market traders around me the only loss was a little bag of saffron. Someone will be on to a good find when they find it.

Enough was enough left an hour early and came home to repair all the damage for tomorrows market. All sorted now.

Came home and chopped some blackberries down to give the trees a chance and allow me to use the outdoor sheds for animals houses when the time comes.  Nothing like a bit of chopping and found 3 buckets and a tug bucket in the undergrowth. Now they will be very useful.

sounds like a smallholding

Well sounds like a smallholding - lambs in their pen bahing and cockerels cock-a-doo-dolooing sounds. Latest enterprise of knitted chickens on cadbury creme eggs - stardust wanted to help but instead stole a creme egg. Found it 24 hours later under the sofa. Cant sell that one so had to eat it. This eating what i cant sell is hard work you know. All that delicious pork and chocolate and puddings!!

Lambs growing by the day yipee but coming running towards me in the field when i arrive with or withour bottles.

Tonight well already adapting to no aga all weekend - plumber arriving tomorrow power cut too. luckily didnt last. might have to sup beer instead of tea though if no electric!!

All foggy down on the smallholding

It was a bit foggy on the smallholding today 

The lambs got a pen now outside, They are still a bit reluctant to go out. Tails ringed and lad castrated should be nothing stopping them now. Mind you a shock on the electric fence made them a little reluctant. A plastic garden chair in their shed was a good move. I can sit down whilst feeding them.    

the ewe

 

the ram

I think i need to turn my efforts to collect eggs for the incubator as no signs of any broody poultry.

Well oil order complete for North Coast Wines - so my oils and sauce will be available next week in bude town centre. 

the start of the season

Ten of ten photos I take 10 photos as part of a group - here are this months photos - been shown on fb but wanted to mark the beginning of this season on my diary blog

the sun has got his hat on............................ and been out to play

What an excellent day! market am with a strange yellow object in the sky, if i remember rightly think it was the sun. pm rescuing gooseberry bushes from the dreaded blackberries on the small holding and sowing seeds for this years harvest.

Lambs now used to bottle feeding and now wag their little tails when feeding with enjoyment. with weaning day set for 14th april. I have a field to prepare for them. Looks like going to be a lovely week so better write me job list.

Bottle feeding

Success - lamby lamb lambs have now successfully moved from breast to bottle. After they lost there mum yesterday and not feeding to well yesterday - I guess milk not as nice and teat different - Last three feeds lambs have drank what they should 

Orphaned Lambs

Today didnt go as planned when David from the sheep farm in the hamlet knocked on the door at 8am. One of his ewes has died with two 4 day old lambs. Quick move round of straw in the straw shed and laid a bed and a quick rive up the road in the fog later to get lamb milk powder and feeding bottles. Then Went to collect them so I now have 2 lambs to bottle feed to add to the small holding. I am feeling more like a smallholder again after the pigs left. More pigs in a couple of months ish. First Vegetables going in to the ground today - spuds so all looking good for the summer.

The Ducks and the chickens have just about dried out after the horrible storms of winter 2014. The Cockerel is performing now how he should and makes a lovely crow noise when your in the field. Cant hear him from the house though. 

Resident woodpecker has found that if he taps the bt pole at the top it works as an ampilifier to throw his sound first thing in the morning. Lovely to wake up to Lamb and bird noises.

next step

I saw were my next Pigs will be born and start their life today. Aww the piglets looked so sweet  - Ford Mill Farm a lovely place for hem to start their lives. Again the aim is to know where my food comes from give the pigs the happiest life from birth to the end stages that I can. I will ensure the pigs will be respected from birth to plate and looked after.

Chickens and Ducks - I have been far to soft and ducks and chickens that i have are now pets. They do lay eggs which is great and an income and want that to carry on. Its time to start breeding chickens and ducks for meat consumption to save buying chicken.

Vegetables for this months sowing - decided what and where sowing.

Poly tunnel - still needs lid still needs levelling.

Social life - Managed all markets, Smallholding and 3 social evenings this week

Cockerel has trousers

Mr Cockerel was practising his trouser department routine this morning and he even crowed. Cant wait for some eggs for hatching.

The oils seem to be going down well at market which is great stuff

Bacon is selling out better remember to save myself some!! Dont want to have to buy some in :)

Weather looks like it is picking up cant wait to get vegetable patch started

Signs of Spring

Its lovely when your alarm clock is a real wood pecker pecking away and baby lambs in the near by fields.

Success with the Pork Baps, oils and sauces. It brings a real smile to my face to see people enjoying my food.

We have had Lady Stardust playing the Hokey Cokey - Whole self in Whole self out.........In out in out, In out and shake it all about.

Chickens and Ducks a bit drier. Still only heard the Cockerel Crow once.

Part of the veg patch dug over and new fencing put in. Just have the Electric fence to finish and we will be ready for more animals this spring.

This year I am going to collect wood from the fallen trees from the storm damage for the wood burner and dry it out  Save myself fuel costs next winter.

First project is going to be to collect some gorse flower for gorse flower wine.

Hope we dont get snow before then