Walnuts!

A drizzly morning gave way to a glorious afternoon today. Libby the pup and I surveyed the plot and I had to stop for a minute and take it all in. In the poultry enclosure, the layers were dust bathing in the earth underneath their nesting boxes (which stays dry in the rain) and the ducks were pottering about by the pond. The lambs were nibbling the leaves from the lower branches of the walnut tree, the pigs could just be seen having an afternoon nap in the pig ark and the 'meat' hens were free-ranging on the pasture (and in the neighbour's herb garden. Oops!).This is how it should be - small scale, free range and organic.

Anyway, enough of the sentimental back-patting

Our lovely farmer friend came over to have a look at the sheep, to see whether they were 'ready'. I would like to say that I felt a pang of emotion as he firmly felt their hind quarters - but in truth, I didn't. Despite being castrated rams they are getting a bit boisterous and pushy - sometimes jumping up and jabbing you in the chest with their sharp little hooves. I am sure this is perfectly innocent and more out of curiosity than malice, but it is a bit disconcerting.

However, they have been granted a reprieve - they are not large enough to go yet and he prescribed four more weeks on some fresh pasture. So they are in the orchard next door - where they will act as lawnmowers, since coincidentally the sit on mower has broken down and the grass is lush and long. Note the walnut tree in the immediate foreground.

We have lived here for two summers now, and I can't believe that last year I didn't even notice that we had a walnut tree! Apparently the squirrels usually scoff the lot the minute they ripen - but they must have been confused by the early autumn this year because I found loads! I will keep some for the Christmas cheese board and others will be used in vegetarian recipes in lieu of meat.

Some were still in their bright green pods - a bit like conkers.

And finally...a totally gratuitous picture of the free-range pup, sniffing her first (and last) thistle:

We Have Lambs!

At 9.00 on Tuesday morning, it was looking like a normal working day.

By 4pm a local farmer had called and told us that he had three orphan lambs in the back of his landrover and could we come and collect them that evening?

I woud not usually advocate last minute livestock purchases, but in this case it was too good an opportunity to miss. We frantically drove home and cleared out 1/3 of the garage, laid down some hay and fenced off the rest of it. Next doors' dog cage was cleaned down and off we went!



An action photo - they don't stay still for long.



They are each one of  a set of triplets whose mothers couldn't cope with feeding three. They need to be bottle fed  at least four times a day - starting with thick yellow colostrum (the milk ewes produce in the first 24 hours which contains antibodies and lots of other lovely stuff) and later with ewe milk replacement formula.

Cherry Coke - just for the taste of it.

Getting them to use a bottle was difficult at first but they soon got the hang of it with a little massaging of their throats and a squirt of milk in the corner of the mouth. Rather like a human baby the milk needs to be at body temperature.

I learned two new things about feeding lambs today - never feed them in anything other than a standing position (or you risk milk getting on their lungs and causing pneumonia) and never put colostrum in the microwave - this kills off the good stuff within it.

They are fed four times daily at 12 and 6 o'clock, so late nights and early mornings - not ideal when combined with a full time job, but thankfully I have a very obliging mother who is happy to do the lunchtime feed and a very understanding boss who lets me have a day off with 10 minutes notice to go lambing.

Vegetarianism has never looked so appealing!