Thursday 22 January 2015

sheep - bye bye

Today is the day my first sheep go to slaughter. Thankyou sheep and thanks to Stuart for taking the sheep for me. It's been amusing and a learning curve. Will I do it again this year. Oh yes. Don't want lambs to be orphaned as they should be with their mothers. I will be here to look after the unfortunate orphan again this year. I have two lambs that I have kept due to them not being quite big enough.

It feels really strang just having cats and two sheep to look after. The bees obviously still hibernating. Can't wait for spring till the smallholding is bustling with animals again.

Thursday 15 January 2015

Sad loss

It was heart pullng this am. I went to feed the ducks and the chickens who had been safely put to bed in their hen house behind an electriv fence that was on. You would have thought safe. No some animal has actually broken through the hen house. used the air vent to break the wood and then killed all my ducks and all my chickens!!!

Very sad day that the last of francis the drakes bloodline is now lost. Not to mention my lovely hens. need to re think the hen and chicken coup before getting anymore.  Whatever killed them hasnt even taken them so not even done it to feed their selves. gutted

Tuesday 13 January 2015

You can tell its winter

When the morning animal checks start to include checking wind damage the fire gets lit and the spare duvet finds its way on the settee you know its winter. 

Stardust goes out less!! Not mention the other two who started to go out less in autumn!! 
So far touch wood no wind damage despite the strong winds. 

Better weather - Planning and a plotting for next season. 
Plans are going ahead for me to build a pizza oven come smoker. Thanks to Paul at Cottage farm for the oil barrel and Steffi for the pictures of how I can achieve it. Plan for mine will be portable-ish so can be moved. Can wait for better weather to start to build it.

Crafting work is going ahead and a revision of how I make money to keep the smallholding going is in the pipeline. My willow baskets are improving. They are very sturdy but to look at still only hanging basket quality a little rustic I think they call it.

So all though its winter plenty to do. plenty to plan and although cold jumper weather