2nd: Our slowly-becoming-beautiful Harvey Speckled turkey (hatched from eggs from Tracie and Tony Martin) laid her first egg yesterday. We spied her snuggled down at the base of a tree in a hedge and so later went back to collect her offering. It was just as beautiful as all other other turkey eggs, a little whiter and a little smaller but perfectly formed.
We now have 13 eggs so tomorrow we will pop them in the incubator to test fertility. Napoleon, our Bourbon Red stag, has been very active so we are nervously hopeful.
We are so excited about our hatching this year (well, we're excited every year..) but this year we have such a mixture of girls, that the resulting crosses are going to be eagerly anticipated. We have 5 female BBs too so also excited about producing pure-bred poults as well.
 
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3rd: Another irresistible sunset, after a slightly warmer day
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4th: The pig plot fencing is now all but finished - just a gate latch to go... our new growing area is starting to take shape!!
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5th: Our two goslings are doing well with their chicken mum and it looks as though we have over thirty fertile eggs in the incubator!!!
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6th: STOP PRESS!! Our first rhea egg!! And just look at the size of it!!!
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7th: So sweet - Tarragon and Garlic really are best buddies!!!
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8th: Beta male most definitley on a nest - just love the flat pancake position - with any luck he will now encourage the females to lay directly into it!!
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9th: Track-mastering the pig plot
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10th: We now have 5 rhea eggs, 2 nests and lots of posturing, flirting and general movement... things are definitely hotting up.
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11th: Onion, who has been the size of a house for few weeks now, gave us quads today! Sadly, the only girl of the four was born first and dead but after that, three boys appeared, in fine heallth and raring to go. As ever, Onion is being a stunning mum, she has plenty of milk and all three kids drank their quota with ease.
Nothing so cute as goat kids!!
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13th: Muckle produced twins this morning - we found them mid morning up and dry. They are so tiny, especially the ewe lamb, but knowing Shetlands as we do , they will thrive, put on weight and become chunky bunnies in a mere few weeks. Muckle is, as ever, being an attentive but relaxed mum.
 
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14th: We now have 9 rhea eggs, not all have been laid in the nests so today, as White Toe seems the most committed dad (and less hassled by the white males), we gave them all to him. As the photo shows, he happily acccepted them, rolling them carefully into the nest before then settling back down - fingers crossed...
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15th: More beautiful weather and Onion's kids came outside for the first time to enjoy it. Meanwhile we have more nesting going on as the geese really up their egg laying - not quite so sure about the nest sharing bit though!!!
 
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17th: Miss Muckle: too cute.
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18th: Hatching goose eggs - we ended up with 2M and 1F - more on their way hopefully
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20th: Rhea egg numbers are now up to 16!
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21st: Ness gave us a pair of stonking lambs today - one of each - and dear Whalsay (who is empty this year), then tried very hard to steal them, to the point where this evening, we actually had to separate her from the rest of the flock. We hope by morning, she will have given up!!
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22nd: And today was Bressay's turn and she too has given us twins, one boy, one girl and peas in a pod! The nice things is that Whalsay (back with the flock) has now latched onto her instead of Ness but Bressay is not allowing her to steal them, but instead is allowing her to be the indulgent aunt!!
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23rd: One of Onion's triplets, all three have been thoroughly enjoying the sunshine today!!
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24th: The goslings, now in the aviary, enoying some grass- we dig up sods for them and pop them in - it is good to get them eating grass as soon as possible once hatched - it is, after all, their main diet!!
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25th: Victoria having the most amazing dusttbath - hard to think this was all mud just a month ago!!
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26th: The pig allotment is coming togther - today we planted 12 raspberry bushes 4 blackberries, 1 loganbury and a rhubarb crown in what will become the fruit cahe area!! Fongers crossed we find the time to look after it!!
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