Miserable rainy day on the smallholding but still moving forward.

One of my neighbours spotted a bargain - a pop up greenhouse half price an a bargain to be had. I need planning permission to get a permanent polytunnel or greenhouse but a pop up one is fine. So bought a bargain greenhouse yesterday and have started some seeds off. Cool lets just pray it doesnt blow away! Its been a miserable day today weather wise i have at last sorted my seeds out in to some sort of order, paper work and stuff like that. I was a little disappointed that the food safety man didnt turn up from the council. However he was taken seriously ill so its understandable. His colleague has stood into the breech at short notice and thankfully is coming next tuesday. All important in food processing to ensure not only my animals are happy but my customers will be kept healthy and happy. So hopefully then the smallholding business will be ready to trade!

Mischief

Well there is a lot of mischief around the small holding which is all so funny to watch. Its never a dull day here. The older ducklings after two nights of me chasing them round the field to get them to bed for the night i the duck house, last night they finally worked out how to get themselves in the duck house to bed. Yippee Francis the drake has taken a fancy to one of the ducklings. He isn't a romantic he just does a full on chase around the field. he-he he just isn't fast enough to catch her! Try flirting Francis but not till shes older!! Um does that make the other duckling a boy?? we will wait and see! The young duckling and chicks seem happy. The chicks have taken to flying and bombing the ducklings by flying into them that's when they are not using their new flight talent of escaping from their pen. The pigs they just want a sun roof option on their pad!! All fun and games on the small holding.

sleepy pigs after breakfast.

The youngsters

Chicken and Duck pad

Chicken and Ducks

Well The two young ducklings have take residency in the chicken/duck pen and duck house outside. Its draft proof and they are just about fully feathered and weather warm enough. They were too warm inside. I cleared the chicken and duck pen of newly formed brambles today and cleared some from the trees picking more brambles as I went. Two chickens followed me round and collected insects. I have 7 pound of blackberries so far. I am collecting for jam, wine and a crumble.

There was a bit of ducklings trying it on this am. Francis soon sorted it out. However trying to get the ducklings to bed this evening! um a lot of diving on the floor and running round the pen!! Them ducklings are very quick!! caught them eventually and they where fine int he duck house. I dont think they have worked it out that they need to go to bed in a warm duck house yet! Took chickens a night to catch on lets hope ducklings get it as quick!

I also set up my composing system today for compost next year. Animal waste and green waste from field should do well.

I have been asked to make a crumble and home made ice cream for a neighbours wood carving unveiling party. An opportunity to get into catering for parties as the guests are local and Rosie has kindly allowed me to give out business cards/flyers out at the party. This party is for 30. Its been costed and ingredients bought. I am going for 4 crumbles one with mixed nuts, one gluten free, one nut free (basic crumble) and one with muesli topping. There is so many blackberries that it will be blackberry and apple. Ice cream vanilla which my friends of accrington wild swimmers have tested in the past and felt it was yummy!

homemade wine

Started some homemade wine have to say came from a kit to revise the old wine making skills before making some blackberry wine from scratch. lesson one don't fill the vessel you are using to the top as the yeast is usually on the top and when it all gets lively and overflows all over your floor you loose all the yeast and have 5 gallon of cough medicine!! Thanks to Dave guidance on making a yeast starter in an old vinegar bottle looks like its fermenting. The floor is fine now too!

The older ducklings are getting closer to the new flock. They have moved into a shed in the field. Need a few more feathers and they can go into the nursery coop outside so that Francis the drake can get to know his new girls before putting them straight in his pen. (assuming they are girls that is.) Sir Francis here he is the handsome fellow.

The baby chicks and ducklings have moved into their new pad lots more space. Will stop them flying out of the box a new game they have discovered.............flying.

Shenanigans

Had a lovely day at the beech yesterday for a bank holiday in Bude this beech was a find! Bit of a swim in a shower of rain. Might as well get wet in the sea when it starts to rain!

All quite on the outdoor animal front. Pigs wondering if they want to be blog and facebook stars!

on the moggie front however what can I say. I have a moggy that thinks she is a chicken and needs a perch! As you can see she needs to hang on for dear life. Until ......................................

She fell off!! 

More shenanigans with the stardust she escaped out the bedroom window and trying to get back in or ..............was she!! Nah nothing so dramatic she was actually after the camera strap!

Stardust there is fresh water next to your food you know!

Its really windy outside this am. Walk to the pigs, chickens and ducks was lovely and fresh and it was good to see everything fixed securely and present and correct and nothing blowing about the place. Pigs obviously dont want the sunroof option today!!

My first visitor

As Dave (step Dad) was arriving i discovered a bat in my bedroom.  I thought I may have to call the local bat group out to catch the bat!! The cats thought this great and tried to catch it. Welcome to the country Dave! did you think it would be quite!! Left the window open and finally found it and it must have flew off on its own accord thankfully as its nowhere to be seen this am.

Livestock all doing well. pigs still eating my wellies bathing in their water tough and generally mischievous, young ducklings and chicks all mucking in together in their pen and the ducks and chickens enjoyng life to their full. So all is well in smallholding land.

Blackberrying the easy way!!

Ever had a problem getting to the best blackberries that are always at the top of the bush that you cant reach? I am all overgrown with blackberries and needed to rescue some other fruit bushes in the secret garden! So I hacked them down and collected the blackberries!! Nice work. Found what I think is a medlar and also an unidentified tree with fruit if you know what it is do let me know!

There was fun and games in the animal enclosures today I had a chicken who found an egg shell. She wasnt allowed to eat it in piece and there where ducks and chickens chasing her all round the chicken coop. Reminded me of  a cross between playing british bulldog and rugby. I discovered that a duck might not be able to out run a chicken but it can out smart it and stole the egg shell off the chicken. 

Pig pen - well the pigs are just as funny - their game is to eat my wellies and make me as dirty as possible.  All god healthy fun down on the smallholding. 

Ducklings and chicks are all together and  getting on well i think they are too young to be naughty yet. 

Stardust discovered a toad! oh no poisonous to moggies. Luckily she hadnt a clue what to do with it and just hit it and walked off. 

Project sheep/goats fence is well under way cleared more fence - 8 dead trees later. The fence posts are all in tact and appear strong so it will just be attaching the new fencing rather then hammering in new fence posts.