Well, technically we still have another week to go but babies are everywhere here at the moment. Luke bonded pretty well to Chloe our little goat kid, but it isn't the same as having a sheepy friend. I knew another local Wiltshire breeder and asked her to keep me any poddy lambs that became available. Low behold she had a little ewe-lamb that she was ready to get rid of. She has been christened Princess Leia (god knows how that is spelt all you star wars fans) by Emily with pretty heavy persuasion by Felix. We have the pair now...Luke and Leia - Luke is very pleased with her, they sleep cuddled up and quickly became inseparable. Meanwhile Dora was looking bigger and bigger and I was convinced she was carrying triplets, however she very calmly delivered the above enormous twins yesterday and is her usual lovely self. It is nice to have a calm and friendly mum who is happy for me and the (human) kids to come and stroke the babies and she hasn't forgotten the milking routine as she is so full of milk
I have had to take some off her so the babies can actually latch on. They are both boys which means that theoretically they will end up in the freezer... Maggie is starting to sway and waddle and I am crossing my fingers for a girl from her. Leanne our teenage pig mum (disgraceful behaviour has been going on in the weaner paddock) after all our worry over her had 11 piglets that are very small but seem to be doing okay, and much to our surprise one of the other young Berkshires who was in with Dennis has also farrowed with 3 piglets. Not surprisingly Dennis has been very disgruntled as he hasn't had a chance to show us what he can do yet - I am pretty sure that the piglets are the work of Dale the ginger handraised piglet - his act of revenge for us sending him off for bacon.
I have had to take some off her so the babies can actually latch on. They are both boys which means that theoretically they will end up in the freezer... Maggie is starting to sway and waddle and I am crossing my fingers for a girl from her. Leanne our teenage pig mum (disgraceful behaviour has been going on in the weaner paddock) after all our worry over her had 11 piglets that are very small but seem to be doing okay, and much to our surprise one of the other young Berkshires who was in with Dennis has also farrowed with 3 piglets. Not surprisingly Dennis has been very disgruntled as he hasn't had a chance to show us what he can do yet - I am pretty sure that the piglets are the work of Dale the ginger handraised piglet - his act of revenge for us sending him off for bacon.
Angelina has started laying her lovely blue eggs and Brad is quite taken with her (following their namesakes). They strut around the yard together (again, like their namesakes) and Brad still takes any opportunity to jump on the big hens when they least expect it. Sonny (son of Brad) is indeed a rooster, as he showed me today by attempting his first strangled crow. Despite being soft hearted and keeping everything I can I think he is going to have to go. I will leave it to James to carry out the deed, however I think all he will do is provide a meal for Jessie.
We are in the middle of a market break, with this weekend being a 5 week month (markets only on the first 4) and we are moving things around a little which gives us 2 weeks off. Fencing is underway as is the redoing of the stockyards with concrete runs after James attempted vaccinating the sows the other week and they lifted up the entire metal run and just threw it aside and calmly walked out of them with a glint in their eye.