Summer is here

Been a busy July down on the small holding. I will start with the orphan Chick! Well hatched under her mum at the very last stage got stuck in her shell so mum abandoned her. I helped her out of her shell and tried to introduce mum to chick mum rejected her. So I kept her in the shed with another chick a bit older that unfortunately died. She just was not happy in the shed on her own. So in a big bird cage she came in the house where she got background noise. Tried a few times to get her with the others who tried to beat her up. Today She has her own pen in the chicken enclosure so they can get used to her without beating her up. Mum and the other chicks are out with the other chickens. Mum has seen off all the other chickens from going anywhere near the chicks!!

A few pics of the orphan and her growing up!!

And finally where she belongs with other chickens. Barrier will be removed once the others get used to her.

 and then the other hens!

Below mum and her three babies

Talking about babies then there was the kittens!!

Ninja what a hunter he is becoming - It started with Mice then moved up to birds (grr) then moles and the latest was a rabbit!!

Moving on to the rest of the flock

Pigs are growing bacon or breeding now that is the question. Run out of home grown bacon and visitors for xmas might save breeding till next year!!

The bees are doing well and

Last but not least the sheep

Kts Kitchen - Homemade Tasty food is going well. The latest is Lemon Ketchup. I made a homemade salmon egg fried rice and added a couple of tablespoons all I can say is wow!

 Into the 4th year of this smallholding aim to know where food comes from and as self sufficient as possible - Still loving the life xx

War against slugs

All this wet weather and mild winter creating more and more slugs. Polytunnel and veg bed desimated by slugs!! 

The war is on first battle 

collect all slugs I can find in polytunnel all 200 of them!! 

Second have just had great delight feeding all 200 to the ducks and chickens!! 

Spread waste from making real coffee on veg patch! 

Slug pellets not effective! Next move bring on the nemotoads!! 

I will win this war against slugs!!! 

Sheep shearing

 The sheep have been sheared. Looking good happy again. Learning experience heading sheep. 

How much fleece do I have! 

Looking forward to some time to spin pick, and dye! 

Project Dyeing

The mordant kit has arrived plan is in place for sheep shearing. Plan to pick plants, petals, flowers, leaves and even onion skins and dye fleece for needle felting, wet felting and spinning wool. Have a plan to knit some items too. 

Might take some planning. 

Step one - research I.e how much to pick  and learning the dyeing process. 

Step two - hope for lovely weather and do some foraging. Will make a change usually forage for food now foraging for colour!! 

Step three- shear sheep and keep fleece step four - spin some wool 

Step five- dye fleece and wool - enjoyable bit experiment with colour! 

Step six - create needle felting kits to sell

Step seven - get knitting

Animal update

Truffle caught her first mouse! 

Ninja caught his first bird

Chickens and ducks all doing well. Mother hen doing a good job looking out for her three chicks. Orphan chicks doing well best of mates. 

Pigs growing well enjoying theirselves. Sheep and lambs all doing well. 

Bees doing really well looking forward to loads of honey. Looking forward to creating honey related sauces. 

How Cute..................................

Mother hen is doing well with three chicks.

I was trying to get a picture of the chick running round the duck house with potato peeling in its mouth. Instead I got this shot but I really like it.

Mum hen well she has rejected a chick. It has got stuck in its shell so I had to help. after I helped mum didn't want to know. She has also kicked the duck egg out of the nest. I think she had had enough of sitting on eggs. Duck egg in incubator so we will see. The rejected chick is with chicken that came out of the incubator completely different ages but seem happy cell mates. The older chicken enjoying the heat lamp again!

The chicks with mum kept escaping to mums dismay the noise she makes shouting them back. I found the escape route so they are safely with mum.

This week has been great Nephews have been feeding and watering the animals. The grass has been strimmed and the house all Hoovered been a great help. Loved the day trips out shame we didn't catch any mackerel fishing yesterday.

When relatives come to stay...........

Lol - funny moments that will amuse me for a while. Might be had to be there moments!! 

From sheep chasing nephews..... The boys shouted the sheep to fuss sheep. The sheep ran up to them for the fuss. Boys run as scared of sheep. The sheep gave chase up the field.

Nettles under the hammock. Nephew says dad sit on hammock. brother falls off hammock! Ouch lol!!

Lad - Let's catch a duck to fuss it - so chases duck to catch it - Cockerel chases Lad! 

Ninja and Truffle too noisy to be worried. Chasing laser pointer up walls!! Bringing their mice kills home!

Never a dull moment. Fishing tomorrow! 

Another hatched............................

2 down - 10 to go including a duck egg!! Yes she is sitting on a duck egg. I wonder if the duckling will have a identity crisis when born with chicks! 

And the protective Dad!!