Job done...

The day had arrived. We were up early to load Bangers, Chops and Bacon into the trailer ready for their final journey.  I had visions of chasing around after three squealing pigs deep in the mud, perhaps slipping over and flailing around while they made a dash for freedom and the wide open spaces........

....... the reality was somewhat more tame (thankfully) though there was an awkward moment when the two pigs that had gone into the trailer finished their food and came out again before the third one could be persuaded up the ramp.  With a bit of perseverance Ian got them all loaded, and with the help of some handy rubber matting managed to get the car and trailer out of the bog that is our field.

Is that a look of reproach do you think?  "I'm disappointed in you, I thought you liked us" etc etc.  But I refuse to feel guilty.  Actually that's the first time they've really looked at me - normally it's heads down, where's the food.

 Tumbleweed...

 At the abattoir in Creech it was all very friendly.   They must deal with hundreds of animals every day but our three little pigs were ushered into their pen with all the care and paperwork of booking into a B&B.  The existing residents were a little curious....

Bangers, Chops and Bacon were the first into a clean pen, and had a calm and happy sniff around for any bits of food that might have been left behind.

 Most of the other pigs were asleep - with nothing better to do I suppose - but this little one was no doubt called 'Babe' and would have been speaking in a very melancholy voice if anyone cared to listen.  You can read all sorts of human emotions in the eyes of an animal destined for the pot...

 Even Barney had a wistful moment on the way home

Boohoo

I am feeling sad today.  Both our little chicks died last night :(   boo hoo.   They were so tiny, cute and fluffy and held such promise for the future - small though they were.  One of them, the one that hatched second, was always a bit weak and didn't seem to know how to eat or drink, but the first one was healthy and noisy and had learnt to peck chick-crumb.  We've got no idea why he died - they had the warmth, water, food, everything they needed at that age.  Maybe he just keeled over in sympathy with the other one.  


Perhaps I'll blame ebay - sending eggs through the post - whatever next!  I'm glad to say our next batch were laid on a smallholding in Cornwall and handed gently over to us with kid gloves.  They are happily incubating away in the utility room for the next 18 or so days.  


Very sad.  RIP ben and jerry or whatever you would have been called :(

Latest arrivals - less than 1 day old....

Only two of the six bantam eggs hatched successfully.  We don't know what breed they are yet - possibly silkies...

on guard!

The next six for hatching..... unusual breed chickens, due on 31st July, given to us on Sunday by some friends.  We're getting into this now!   Hopefully our success rate will be better next time round.

Day 18

Three days to go.... 

Down on the farm....

Everything's getting bigger...

 
mmmm - look at those pork chops!!

Jube the gosling is living full time outside now, eating grass like Juicy and Lucy, and looking like a real goose.  He/she seems to grow an inch every day.  Even the soft yellow down is starting to turn white on his/her backside though there's no sign of feathers yet...

Training in the ways of goose v dog.  Barney is pretty nervous of them as he gets pecked even through the wire netting...

But there's a sad end to the tale of two young green woodpeckers that decided to leave their nest in the poplar tree.  They flapped around on the ground all day yesterday squawking and trying to attract their parents attention, but today there is no sign of them.  One (at least) is still left in the tree and is being fed, but I can't help feeling sad about the likely outcome of the other two.  They were so cute and defenceless.  Nature seems so cruel sometimes  :(

Meadow update....

The meadow is at last coming into bloom.  It's been slow this year with the cool weather and the flowers having kept their buds closed.  Here's what I found today - plus a surprising number of bugs, bees and butterflies (most take off too quickly for a photo)....

Bugle, buttercup, trefoils, ribwort, yarrow, self-heal, wild caraway, cow parsley, sorrel, knapweed, red and white clover....

  

il

......and lots and lots of grasses.

A few butterflies turn up when the sun comes out..... 

Meadow brown

Five spot burnet moth 

Large skipper

Small tortoiseshell

I'm learning!!

More chicks....

We got a lot of fun out of hatching Jube the gosling so have decided to have a go at rearing some bantam chicks.  I bought fertilised eggs on ebay for about £5 which were sent through the post like this..... 

I then put them in the pre-warmed incubator (borrowed from our lovely neighbour Jane) with the required water, and bars to hold the eggs in place....

The incubator is placed on a 'rocker' which slowly tilts the eggs continuously from side to side - I suppose to mimic the way a hen would turn the eggs while she is sitting on them to 'cook' them evenly all over....  They will hatch in 21 days - the 9th July.  Can't wait!

 And while on the subject of chicks of all kinds, this beautiful woodpecker has been feeding her three chicks from the bird feeder in the garden.  

She pecks the peanuts herself then feeds them directly into the mouth of the young birds....she knows exactly what to do.  

It's great to notice all the tiny fragile things in life - and amazing to see the fingerprints of God in all that he has made.