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| << November 2020 | December 2020 | January 2021 >> |
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1st: All together A rare picture of all six dogs together as they wait to be allowed through to the next field. Over the last couple of years, our dog walking has become an activity we do totally on our own land. It began because we had in-season bitches (Roxy and Stonefly) and it was just easier, then we got shouted at a couple of times on our regular dog walk because we had five setters (now six) who liked to 'say hello' to people who didn't always want to be said hello to, then covid hit and not going out felt safer.... At first we felt guilty and still do a bit, but actually, it is magical to walk our dogs round our own ten acres of land, checking and watching the stock as we go, admiring the views, spotting the birds, observing the changing seasons in our hedgerows and trees, chatting to our farming neighbours on the occasional times we see them. We also have fun with the dogs, enjoying recall games, chaotic 'fetch' and teaching them to wait at gates. We have recently bought some agility equipment and when the land dries a bit, plan to start teaching them that too. The first walk of the day is after the morning rounds and our breakfast and it has become one of the most relaxing parts of our day: knowing that all the animals are fed, watered and clean and that our walk is simply about a chilled stroll seeing everything peacefully grazing, pecking and chewing the cud... it's a chance to do the odd extra job or two as well sometimes or see what needs doing and adding to the to-do list. It's also fabulous that the dogs and stock are, on the whole, so used to each other. So all in all, we feel very lucky and very relaxed.  |
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2nd: Loving their lettuce We have decided to carry on feeding lettuce to the rhea and so now of course this means feeding all the adults. It's been a while since we fed them regularly as of course they are out 24/7 and have access to grass and other plants all the time but the adults adore lettuce as much as the chicks and it is a lovely way to keep them tame. Rescue Rhea is doing well now she (we hope she is a she) is out full time with the others although she is on the outside of the group a bit still and does tend to get chassed at times by one of the grey females, the white males and Beta. We hope she will become more accepted as time goes on.  |
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3rd: Wool evening Another fab wool evening with David spinning alpaca fibre and Jack wool picking Mrs Brown's fleece. The subsequent carding was sooo much easier. It was a lovely end to what was otherwise a very damp squid of day: both literally (heavy rain) and also emotionally as today DEFRA announced a full poultry lockdown from 14th due to Avain Flu. This means, (as per three years ago) that all our chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys need to kept inside and/or under covered runs. There is no end date but the last one lasted three months!!!!   |
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4th: The wonderful Oak Field Today we let Patch back with the ewes and now all 14 sheep and 7 alpacas are altogether in Oak field. Usually we have had to start resting Oak field by now as it is too wet and poached by the cows. Of course, with no cows on it this year, its use as a winter field is now able to be much longer. In fact Oak field is possibly our driest field and we are really hopeing the sheep and alpacas can stay on it well into the New Year....  |
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5th: Moody Skies Moody skies tonight as we took the dogs round for a final run of the day. The weather has been cold this week and last, dry at times but much damper this week although we have also had a few frosts. The wind has been northerly and so gloves and scarves have been out in force. Some parts of the country have had snow but we are doutful we will see any. Climate change experts are now predicting that Southern England may not see any snow at all in about 20 years as winters getting wetter and warmer and summers drier and hotter!!!  |
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6th: Fabulous frost A stunning start to the day: a thick frost and a gentle mist and a determined sun that then went on to provide the most fabulous light for much of the rest of the day. This is what winters should be!!!  |
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7th: Poultry Lockdown In a weird and rather sad turn of events, our Poultry Lockdown has begun early thanks to a visit from Mr (or Mrs) Fox!! Yesterday, just before dusk, we heard a commotion and on racing down to the poultry paddock, discovered a load of feathers and THREE missing birds. The feathers belonged to one of the Light Sussex, but of the other two missing birds, our Red Leghorn and a Maran, we could find no sign!! As ever, losing birds is heart wrenching. The really, really annoying thing in this case though, is that yesterday we had the hunt in our area. Last time this happened, we lost a goose due to what we strongly suspected was down to a displaced fox, chased out of its area by the hounds and into ours. It seems a huge coincidence that we have lost birds again, a day after the hunt came through. Our resident fox control farmer, sadly, tends to agree with us. The official DEFRA poultry lockdown begins in a week - we are starting now!!!! The chick and ducks have been shut in their usual stable, the turkeys have the luxery of the old cow barn and the geese, already sleeping in the barn, aer simply not being let out. Over the coming week we will start to add all sorts of enrichment activities and objcts to keep them entertained and to prevent bullying!!  |
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8th: Fresh Straw As the weather outside continues to deteriorate, inside the goats were more than happy as we gave their main stall a full clean - there literally is nothing like seeing your stock in a freshy strawed our barn, cosy and safe from the elements outside. Shame they have to poo and wee all over it.....  |
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9th: Scary Lettuce The turkeys giving the newly hung lettuce a bit of a wide birth - it is a bit scary after all. A little later one of them thinks she may be prepared to investigate a little closer... Thankfully in the chicken and duck stable, they weren't quite as backwards at coming forwards!!   |
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10th: Where have all the eggs gone Ubsurprisingly, egg numbers have plummented this week, not only did we lose two fab layers to the fox, but being inside has obviously unsettled them. We have gone from 7-9 a day to 2-3!!!!  |
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11th: Yep, it's wet!!! No more to be said!!!   |
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12th: Heartbroken We are utterly heartbroken. Rescue Rhea has been taken by the fox. We found her remains in Oak field where the fox has obviously dragged her under the gate. Was this our dispaced fox again? It is a huge shock because she wasn't much smaller than our females so now of course we are massively worried about them. We moved all the rhea to Goat field: being nearer the house makes us feel they are safer - they aren't really but it makes us feel better. What a horrid end to our Rescue Rhea story- we really are gutted - and ofcourse filled with guilt as we are when any animal is lost on our watch!!!  |
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13th: Non-fussy eaters The good news is we still have seven rhea this morning!! Big relief. We wonder whether the fact that Rescue Rhea was not a totally accepted part of the flock was a contributary factor to her being taken. That and the fact she was so used to our dogs and unafraid of them that she may not have seen the fox as a threat - 'environmentally unaware' is the phrase we believe. It's so very very sad!! In other news, the vile wet weather and changing wind direction meant that some of the rhea feed got wet, they tend to be quite fussy and leave it when it gets damp. Not so our chickens thankfully - they were very happy to tuck in. Phew - we don't like waste!!  |
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14th: A respite from the wet Heavy overnight rain left the land saturated but the sky a bit clearer. We have been putting our cut reeds infront of the shelter in Oak field to try to soak up some of the mud and wet and so save the alpaca and sheep feet. It's a bit of a lost cause to be honest but is better than nothing. We are loving seeing the alpaca coats grow back and are very excited about using their fleeces this year. With white, fawn, brown and black, we are going to be able to produce some fabulous rugs!!! (fingers crossed)  |
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15th: A view never to tire of Massively wet night - again - but a beautiful day. Don't believe it though, the land really isn't as dry as it looks. BUT we will never, ever tire of this view.  |
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16th: A bit of a dabble The official Poultry Lockdown began two days ago, but on welfare grounds we let the geese out for a bit of a feed (their main diet is after all, grass) and a dabble. This 'temporary' pond is just outside their barn and is too good an opportunity to miss for them. They absolutely love it!!  |
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17th: Without poultry Two effects of a poultry paddock without poultry: we have muddy puddles but we still have grass and we have a compost heap that is no longer being levelled and turned and raked through by forty odd pairs of feet. The land will be better off, the compost won't be!!   |
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18th: A proper Flock It's lovely having all our sheep together. Patch has recovered well from his castration and the lambs and ewes are enjoying being reunited in their family groups. It is fascinating to watch the relationships. Mrs White's ewe lamb is unvariably with her whilst Muckle is invariably NOT with her twins. Her ram-lamb is espacually tame and often comes up for chuckles. We do keep wondering though if we will need to bring them inside the barn for a bit, in order to give the wet land a rest....  |
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19th: Sun and Shadows It was a vile night but a beautiful morning. Walking the dogs round the land was a joy - even if it takes as long to clean and dry them when we get back as it does to walk them round (well, not quite..). This is Sparrow - a small dog in a big field - and a great place to parctice her recall!!  |
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20th: Boredom Busting A day of providing enrichment and relieving boredom amongst the housed stock (or in the case of the goats, those too 'delicate' to go outside - ha ha). So the chickens and ducks got hanging lettuces and cabbages, a compost heap added to the corner of their stable and yet more bales of straw; the turkets got old grow bags to peck at and dust bathe in; and the goats got masses of brambles, curtesy once again of Andrew, after a couple of hours tidying the garden. We hope we are doing our best by them.   |
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21st: The start of our first rug! Super, super proud: this is our alpaca fleece, picked, spun and now being woven into our first ever home-grown rug!! Apparently, Jack is going hungry tonight as David is too busy weaving to cook   |
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22nd: We're wet It's safe to say, we are wet, very very wet!!! Not that the rhea care!!!   |
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23rd: EVERYTHING inside Today was just so wet and windy so we have bitten the bullet and everything is inside, even the rhea. Not sure how long this will last but to have a few days with nothing on the land must surely help, a bit!!!    |
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24th: Beautiful After yesterday, this really was sight for sore eyes this lunchtime... we made the most of it - as did the dogs.  |
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25th: Christmas Day: dull but dry and our usual lovely walk round         |
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26th: Getting their greens More lettuce to keep the poultry entertained - definitley the most popular  |
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27th: Hope After another wild day yesterday, today was calmer and we were treated to a rainbow. And in other news, the rhea are back outside, this time in Swallow Field which is our driest - they really didn't like being inside at all - we had some minor bullying and lots of bored standing around.  |
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28th: Alpacas out We let the alpacas out for a few hours today, like the rhea they don't do well inside 24/7 so 3-4 hours out seemed a good call. Their feet are fairly gentle on the land and they don't mind the bad weather. Mind you, they came back in plenty of time for afternnon feed!!!  |
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29th: Compost heap Our compost heap is definitely suffering from a lack of poultry activity. It is now huge and seriously missing scores of feet and beaks, pecking, scraping and scratching away, leveling it out and helping it to decompose. When the birds are finally realsed from their poultry lockdown, they are going to have such fun with it.  |
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30th: Bonkers Yes I am quite comfortable in my box, thank you for asking!  |
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31st: Happiness is... It's safe to say, the sheep rather enjoyed being let out for a few hours this afternoon... as Patch here is so beautifully demonstrating.  |