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28 December 2016

Cattle, Sheep, hens... update 2016.


 In January Amber aborted twin calves 6 weeks early. The calves were too young to survive, the vet said their lungs would not have been sufficiently developed. Amber's milk came in though and with no calf to share her milk we found ourselves back with more milk than expected earlier than expected.

Heather and new born calf Daisy, April 14th.
 Then Heather calved in April, Heather had plenty of milk for her calf and for us and with Amber's milk too we had lots for a while.

This photo August 31st, lambs and cattle in five acres.
Out in the field, in about June, Heather stood on one of her teats taking all the skin off the end centimetre! A horrible injury, especially coming into fly season, so Angus hand milked twice a day for most of the year. No one is in calf yet so there should be a lull in activity for a while!

Shemie, Zoe's special pet sheep, spent time everyday this spring being walked about the garden, and through the polytunnels! Then having a supervised graze while Zoe had a supervising laze.
March 14th.

Tivon's Turkey, March 15th.
Nettle and her new born ewe lamb Firn, April 16th.

Nettle and her new born twins, April 16th.

Nettle and her new born ewe lamb Firn, April 16th.
Zoe enticing Nettle to come into the barn for the night so the newborn lambs would be safe from the fox. They only spent the first night in the barn.
Thistle also had twins.

 March 26th.
The hens free-ranged the garden until the beginning of June when they went into the fox-proof orchard area for a month or two.

Free range hens have original nests, Alfie and Tivon have egg-hunts all year round!

Daub stalking the pigeons.

He has never caught a pigeon from the roof like this, however the sparrowhawk has caught them in the air and Daub has caught a couple form the ground.

Daub stalking the pigeons, January 12th.