Martha or Maud?

This is either Martha or Maud.......at the moment they are pretty interchangeable. They have not shown, (to me anyway) a definite difference in their characters. Both have come out of their shell considerably since 'big sister' Betty arrived and showed them that virtually everything is edible and troughs can be upturned and moved around the pen.

Feeding time now consists of finding said trough, and putting it the right way round whilst resisting the bulk of a huge Berkshire pig desperate to tip the contents of the feed bucket all over the ground.

My little trick to foil this is to sprinkle a handful of pig nuts just by the water trough to occupy them while I dash in and do the righting and filling of the feed trough, luckily Betty is a well trained pig and although knocking over the bucket is a game she is careful not to push us too hard. Her reward for her gentle manners is a tickle behind the ears and a good scratch along her back, something she loves.

Pigs have opened a whole new world up for us, they are SO clean and SO intelligent, a pleasure to have and a joy to watch. As I was warned by lots of readers of this blog I spend far too long watching (and scratching) my pigs, they truly are fascinating.

Sue xx

Posh New Residence

Well here we have it, our newly assembled hen house.

The Brown girls (Welsummers) moved in last night to give them a head start on the White girls (White Star Hybrids). Usually they are bossed about mercilessly by the White girls so I thought if they got their feet under the table first they might move slightly up the pecking order

....we shall see!

It went together like a dream and is lovely and sturdy, a good deterrent against Mr Fox and protection against the cold winter nights to come. It has the slot shown above to pull out a moveable floor, so cleaning is a bit easier, just above that is a little ventilation window with wire mesh behind a closable door, and round the side to the right is a person sized door so you can climb in if necessary.

The front of the house is being modelled by Rosy, my beautiful assistant, showing the raised lid of the nesting boxes and the delightful little heart shaped glazed window so my girls know when daylight is approaching.

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It was fun and easy to assemble, although we did do it in the rain on Sunday afternoon, I'll let you know how the continuing 'moving in' schedule goes (although one of the White girls did lay an egg in the nesting boxes yesterday, so it can't be too bad!!

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For information this is the Maggies 24 Henhouse from http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/ a brilliant company that we use for all our chicken supplies (including egg boxes). No, I am not being paid to advertise, I just think that good design and excellent service deserves recognition in this day and age.

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Sue xx

A Touch of Xmas at the Farmers Market

A much needed coffee before the doors open.

This Sundays Farmers Market had a slight festive fair, some stall holders braved a bit of tinsel, others had order books at the ready for Christmas cakes, puddings, turkeys and hampers. Me, I showcased (and sold) quite a few of my Christmas gift ideas and lovely cinnamon scented sachets that I had over from my shop in Cumbria last year. Assuring people that there would be much more 'Christmas' at the next Market in November.

It was a pretty buzzy fast moving morning, with most people in a good mood, outside the weather was fine until the last half hour and then the heavens opened.

Luckily for us stall holders this made some people hang on inside the cosy village hall, taking the time to enjoy a freshly cooked bacon butty or turkey roll and an extra cup of steaming coffee. Then suitably refreshed they shopped again, seeing different things on their second trip around the hall and making extra purchases.

And then in dribs and drabs the hall slowly emptied and it was time to pack away, load the van and go home for a spot of chicken house building.

Hope your Sunday was good too.

Sue xx

New Pig on the Block

A big Jointers welcome to Betty Berkshire who took up residence with Maud and Martha Middlewhite this afternoon. After an uneventful journey from Salisbury she is getting her breath back in the orchard. After having had a drink of water and a meal of pig nuts and acorns she is quickly settling in.

She put the little pigs firmly in their place (and yes pigs can fly!) and then hoovered up every trace of food they had left from their breakfasts.

She seems a lovely pig, well used to being handled and nice and friendly, quite a contrast to the Middlewhites who don't seem to have had much human contact since they were born and have taken all week to get used to us and still hate to be touched.

We're looking forward to a fun and profitable time ahead, hopefully her first babies will be born early February (little Valentine piggies perhaps).

Have lovely weekend.

Sue xx

The Best Dressed Man Award

The winner of the Best Dressed Man Award (or what to wear when you're putting chickens to bed) is.........

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Lovely Hubby.

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Gotcha ( I love you lots.)

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Sue xx

Piggies on the Farm

A big welcome to Maud and Martha Middlewhite, our latest little additions to the family.

We picked them up earlier this morning and they are now firmly ensconced in their great big pig ark with some bales of straw placed all around to make them feel a little more safe and secure.

If they have not leapt over the bales we will remove them in a couple of days when the girls are more at home and let them explore the rest of their enclosure.

It was a windy journey along the motorway for them from Offley Hoo, but they cuddled in together all cosy in their little straw filled section of the trailer. And on arrival one let herself be carried to the pig ark with the minimum of fuss but lots of squealing, and the other made a bid for freedom, after a bit of persuading she joined her sister in their new home.

At the moment they are quite stressed after their adventure so I will take some more pictures tomorrow when they have had a chance to get their breath back.

Have a lovely weekend. Sue xx

October

It's official it's Autumn. It feels like autumn and it looks like autumn, it crept up on us unawares and settled itself in quietly, pushing the long days of Summer away. We have the warmth of the summer days briefly but then the chill creeps in and the evenings are suddenly short with a bite in the air.

The mornings are misty and eerily quiet, the leaves are fluttering down and carpeting the ground with a quietly rustling soft surface to walk on. The cats (and dogs on occasion) chase the errant leaf that skims along the path, and the best part....the glorious sunsets we have been having. Although earlier and earlier they light the sky with reds, oranges and on occasion a wonderful heavy blue light that is there one minute and gone the next.

The camera can never do them justice, so I don't dash in to grab it, I sit or stand perfectly still and drink in the sight storing it in my mind as protection from the dark dismal evenings of winter ahead.

We grab our jackets or cardigans and walk the dogs in the fading light, admiring the changing landscape all around us, drawing closer together for a warmth that is needed in the rapidly chilling evening. Then it's home to tuck the chickens up for the night, they nestle on their perches and huddle together in their familiar formation, a pecking order has been re-established since the demise of Mother and now all is organised and harmonious again.

I am slowly making the house cosy and ready for the colder nights of the winter to come. More and more we find ourselves cocooned in the living room, Lovely Hubby working at the computer, me scouring recipe books and magazines for inspirational warming foods for winter, and ideas for makes for my upcoming craft fairs.

All four pets gravitate to the living room over the course of the evening, so we work to the gentle hum of 2 cats and 2 dogs snoring and twitching in their sleep reliving their lively day here on the farm.

Every now and then one of us will look up and make the offer of "another coffee or something stronger", but sometimes the thought of leaving your warm cosy seat is too much to bear so it's a "no I'm fine" and we continue on our peaceful evening, engrossed in our separate tasks but happy in the knowledge we are together and sometimes the world is a good peaceful place.

Sue xx