egg famine is over!!

My new ladies have started laying - pullet eggs which will be delicious.

The little 16 chicks are all coming along great and 4 out of the 6 duck eggs in the incubator appear after candling the eggs appear to have ducklings in!!

That makes up for this awful wind that has taken down the polytunnel again thanks for the zip breaking!!! Going to make a proper door and anchor kit me thinks. It has ripped along a seam which I think after closer inspection could be fixed however consideration in to new polythene with enough to make a bigger trench. Seeds now rescued and inside well most of them and the other under a cover. The wind also took my bee hive which I thought was strapped down so will have to call the bee swarm man for a swarm.

The last of the poorly lambs didnt survive. It was a tough call but it had no muscle to hold its self up and had a weakness down one side of its body. The question had to be euthanasia or not. The kindest but the hardest decision!!

So one tough week!!

Walking the lovely willow (next doors dog) on some lovely beaches has allowed me to explode. Watching the interaction of willow and the Lady Stardust has been amusing. Stardust the cat insists on eating her food on the floor with willow watching!! Willow will not even try to steal the food! Lovely natured dog she wanted to wash the poorly lamb.

So tonight getting home to eggs was a pleasant surprise!!

The rise of the animals at the smallholding.

I went to the poultry auction today. I could have spent a fortune but stuck to my small budget. I couldnt afford to replace all my hens killed by the fox. So instead of buying loads of adult birds I came away with 16 light sussex/silkie cross chicks, some Aylesbury duck eggs and another light sussex point of lay. At bargain prices.

So incubator is on egg turning duties begin. Broader is on pictures later after the chicks have settled in to their new home and light sussex in the pen with the rest of the chickens. I did go for point of lay ducks today um maybe next time!!

Glorious sunshine again today lets hope it remains tomorrow when I will be on the veg plot checking on the seed progress.

on a day of an eclipse

Spring defiantly here. Well bees - very odd. Decided to give second feed. THe broken hive took lid off and it just collapsed with no bees inside. I kinda of expected that, The main hive i took lid off and all i saw was dead bees. I expected a few as bees die in winter by nature. I decided better do a better inspection. there was a few bees couldnt find queen. I decided to add feed and leave alone. checked later that day and early next morning - no bees in the hive at all thought i lost them all. 2pm i went to feed lambs and  the hive was full of bees buzzing around and a queen!! next three days bees a buzzing and a lot of bees on willow so thinking we are ok on bee front.

Lambs - doing ok they have gone backwards yesterday and dont seem to want to stand. Today a little better but not as good as they where doing.

Chickens - well lets hope i get easter eggs and not chocolate ones as they are not laying yet.

At the poultry auction tomorrow - hoping to pick up some hatching eggs and ducks.

Stardust is making the perfect farm cat. She loves farm animals and tolerates dogs. She does mousing  and I think she feels she does animal management as does a daily animal check.

Today was an eciplse - sky went a bit dark but nothing to write home about other then i could see the moon in the day

all ils well down on the smallholding

The lambs are doing well today they were out in their pen without me persuading them and seem to be enjoying their patch of grass.

Seeds planted in the new poly tunnel - a bit of digging done on the veg patch ready for the potastoes that are chitting away.

birds singing happily in the trees. The new chickens are settling in. Going to auction for new ducks on sat cant wait and perhaps I will get some hatching eggs so that I can hatch some chicks this spring.

A promise of some goose eggs to hatch too that could be a challenge as they are hard to hatch apparantly.

A few paid summer gardening jobs that will keep me on the smallholding longer so great stuff.

And Kt's Kitchen - new sauce bottles and the fresh ingredients all sorted so family size stir fry  sauces available after tomorrow.

I keep looking at that lovely yellow flower of the gorse I need to fit in picking it as i want to try and make wine!! I am determined to make the most of all the free bounty from the hedgerow this year!!

From lull to all going on

Two lambs are happily feeding. Unfortunately the others didnt make it which isnt a surprise really as it was their last hope. Nature at its worse at least they were comfortable and pain free in the short life they had. The two that are left seem happy and feeding well now and fingers crossed. I have decided feeding lambs whilst taking photos isnt easy!!

The Chickens appear to be settling in. I keep asking for eggs but have not had any yet!! Must be nearly time. Reminds me of when I was a kid mum are we nearly there yet!

The veg patch - I have made a palette fence to separate the veg plot from little lambs dont want them wondering in and eating the veg like last years lot!! Not a very high fence but will do the job I want it to do.  I cleared all the dead blackberries from the veg plot. Reminded myself what a good job the pigs had done at rooting roots up. Just have to dig the plot over now!! Garden folk get ready for action!!

Time to prepare for the growing season to come

Poly tunnel back up with the help of a very kind friend. luckily not too much damage. Tomorrow I have the whole day on the smallholding preparing the veg plot for this seasons growing. So much to do but weather looking good should get loads done really looking forward to it.

Posting from lamb hospital HQ

Lambs joints not as hot and lambs back to being their bleating selves so heres hoping it was just a blip today. All taken all their late night feed well and mobilizing a little better. Left them all cuddled up together bless

Days like these.....................

Its days like this that it reminds me how amazing and happy my life is. After rigging up a pen for the new lambs so that they can get out in this glorious sun shine.
Ive been stood at the gate to my field watching the last two sheep of last years brood in the field with chickens running round and my honey bees flying over head and new lambs in the shed

Must stop leaving phone around lamb shed though as these lambs have started taking selfies!!
The little lambs seemed to be responding to antibiotics but today dont seem to be very interested in walking. hopefully its just an off day. Fingers crossed.  Who said I had given up nursing!! Injecting lambs is harder then humans as lambs wriggle more and have tougher skin!