Tuesday 24 March 2015

More Animal Updates

Hello Bloggy Friends.
It is not often that I blog almost daily, but I don't think I will have much time after today and I will probably forget what has happened by next week.
A quick update of the Gas Meter Gang... Lazarus joined his brothers and sisters and was accepted straight away. The egg in the incubator eventually had to be assisted from its shell. David and our eldest granddaughter carefully peeled it out, (hence its name... Peeler!) and we left it in the incubator for a day to get it's strength up. Tonight I have slipped it under mum and fingers crossed she will not notice another.. final count .. 10.. not bad eh?
We have been discouraging the other hens from going broody as we have enough birds for our needs. One other hen however, has manged to escape my egg stealing tactics and should be due to have her hatching this Friday. She pushed 3 eggs from her nest today and I think she has five left. It is difficult to tell.
 On other poultry matters. Today we put all the hens in the orchard today for the rest of the summer. We usually do this at the end of April when the major planting starts in the garden, however this lunchtime one of the hens jumped in with the pigs and was attacked by them. Fortunately a friend had just gone into the barn, witnessed this and the bird was rescued. The pigs may well have killed the bird if we hadn't have been there. Obviously we don't want to risk a repeat of this so into the orchard the hens have had to go (there is plenty of room from them)
 We received two new born ewe lambs on monday evening, bringing our cade lamb total to five, which is just right for our paddock when they are bigger. The new lambs Bubba and Betty are very small, but seem tough little things. Betty has one eye closed, so I am bathing it as I believe it might just be stuck with a bit of weepy-eye stuff (technical eh?) I am being careful and taking my time with clean cloths and warm boiled water and should know by tomorrow if she will get her vision back.
 They are all electronically tagged as is the law from this year for ALL sheep and lambs. I have always kept my movements in a movement book. Yesterday I took the plunge and went online, which I must admit has made the movements so much easier,  it wasn't too clear really at first and I wondered how some farmers, who are not too comfortable with computers are managing. I realise that sounds patronising, but it is not meant to be.
 MY daughters and granddaughters will be here tomorrow teatime. We are having a sewing evening. Material has been bought to go with the cheap patterns we bought on the internet and we hope to make a good start on our summer dresses.
I have two meetings for the Civic Society this week, which I could well do without as we are off en-famile to Harry Potter World on Saturday and sundry people will be looking after the smallholding. I am trying to make it as easy as possible and it feels like I am planning a battle campaign. Usually our eldest daughter or granddaughter take over, but they will be with us, so I will need to write copious notes to help our sitters.
 I managed to do a little seeding in the greenhouse today, but still have much to do. I'll get there I am sure.
All for now, must wash off the smell of sundry animals as I am off to fetch David from the pub. He is at his Quiz night.
This has been a very "animally" week for me hasn't it?
Keep warm everyone, It's chilly out there tonight
A warm welcome to Edith, Susan and Melanie Leavy on Blog lovin
Gillx


18 comments:

  1. Crikey you have been busy! and I like the sound of a sewing evening :)

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    1. Managed to get some cutting out started and even more gossiping and organising future "dos" it is taking a little longer than normal to cut out as we are using a tracing wheel to copy patterns onto paper, thus leaving the patterns intact for another day with another size.

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  2. A sewing evening with your daughters and granddaughters sounds wonderful! This smallholding lifestyle seems to keep you very busy!!

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    1. We are lucky here, we get together quite often, but it is nice to produce something too.
      Re. smallholding, my girls were never silly enough to say "I'm bored"!. no such thing here, plenty to do!

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  3. Hi Gill. I have high hopes of that lamb and its sight. I rescued a blind lamb from a mother with two lambs a couple of years ago. I brought it into the calf house and put it in a pen and fed it really well - it totally recovered. I think sometimes when a sheep has more than one lamb, the weaker one gets a bit of a raw deal - so it has probably landed well and truly on its feet with you.

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    1. I'm beginning to wonder if it has that problem where the eyelid turns inward and the lash grows in too. Hope not, but will keep trying. this little one , called Betty, is very small as was a triplet that was getting no attention.

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  4. I have especially enjoyed your last few posts about the animals, Gill, you paint a very vivid picture of your day to day life, one that I would love but cannot hope to have in reality. A veggie like me with farm animals is a bit of a mis-match!! Good luck with the new lambs, please let us know how the little one is doing , Angie x

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    1. Glad you are enjoying the animal posts. I know they are not to everybody's taste ( no pun intended)
      There are animals that can be kept, not for meat, so not always a mis-match, but I do believe animal waste of some sort or another is vital to a well balanced system.

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  5. I've wondered if pigs would bother hens. It seems to me that the hens ought to follow the pigs and assist in the pig plowing chore, but we have yet to put them together, although both pigs had chickens around when they were little. Wish we had a proper orchard for our chickens. Sounds ideal.

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    1. When we bought them David said that we needed to be careful that they stayed away from the pigs as they could eat them. Since then I have heard several tales of pigs doing just that!
      Our orchard isn't very large, just a few fruit trees, but we have fenced it with fox proof fencing which is ideal for keeping chickens in and foxes and badgers out

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  6. Hi, I have just found your lovely blog. Such cute chicks and lambs :-) I look forward to reading more of the things you get up to.

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    1. Thank you and welcome.
      Popping over to you to read your blog now
      Gill

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  7. Gill, is your soil good for growing carrots? I ask because Gayle who I blog with and who lives in the US has sent me some varied coloured carrot seed. Our soil is heavy clay and we cannot grow carrots at all. If your soil grows them let me know and I will send them to you. Please let me have your address so that I can do so - I did have it once but have changed my computer since then.

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  8. Brilliant ! How exciting. Yes I have a couple of patches which are good for carrots.
    I have emailed you my address.
    Many thanks for thinking of me.
    Gillx

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  9. I just love your animal posts:) You are caring so tenderly and lovingly for them, as well as the general environment by keeping mixed groups of stock, and eating them if they have had a good life and a calm and merciful death, is the best possible world for all of us. As far as i am concerned, with your social and family interactions as well, you are the personification of how to live life, if that does not sound just too grovelling!!!
    I am past keeping so many animals now myself, and in fact my days of caring full time for both any animals or children which came my way have gone, so I live again vicariously through your blog. Thank you so much:)

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  10. many thanks for your comment.
    Some days I think I am past it too! and then something happens to give me a boost and off I go again! i shall make the most of it while I can as I am the big 70 next year and you never know what is around the corner !.
    I am also SO lucky to have my family close, which is a tremendous help.
    have a great Easter break
    Gillx

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