chicks, big and small

Last weekend saw our second blue marans hatch – this time twelve. Little disappointed as we set twenty four eggs – never had such a low rate – but we were breeding from a particular breeding group and eggs were limited, and we did set some eggs that were on the old side… maybe that was the reason?  The fertility was high, but they didn’t pip.  We also invested in a turning cradle, as turning the eggs five times a day is a bit of a commitment and makes going out for the day difficult.. so maybe it was that?  Dunno yet.. but twelve is still a good crowd.

Thankfully, we had a broody hen (well three  - like buses they call come at the same time), and we slipped the twelve chicks under our tried and tested broody who accepted them as her own – once again she sat on a plastic egg for a week and hatched 12 offspring and is sure she is very clever!

I do like seeing chicks being raised by a hen, she is so careful with them, taking them inside when it rains, and scratching the ground for worms, with a well practised routine she steps forward, the chicks rush away, she scratches the ground, finds some worms, they all rush in an scoff… and repeat.  These chicks are on a high protein diet thanks to her.

Meanwhile the first hatch are looking good and like mini chickens at at seven weeks, and very happy in their large grassy run.  In this hatch we have two gold tops, which we are naming Enid and Edna as this year is E and we plan to keep them.  The reason we have these is for broody hen futures, my old broodies are knocking on and I am told a Goldtop – which is a gold silkie x light sussex is a good bet for a broody – The silkies are notorious for their brooding, but crossed with a larger hen, are a more sensible size with more sensible feathers etc…

I’ve never seen the attraction of silkies – I like ‘proper looking chickens’ – but actually these goldtops are great looking, and very friendly, so I might be a convert.

With so much more going on for us this year, we decided on just one hatch, so obviously the second hatch is a figment of our imaginations. As is the third in the incubator, the duckling situation, and the meat bird chicks on order. Obviously….

Read Full Post »

first hatch of 2013

Over the weekend we had our first hatch of chicks; 18 in total.
This hatch is mostly blue marans, but we also bought in some gold top hatching eggs, as I am told that these, a light sussex silkie cross, will make good broodies
Gold tops are also sex linked I.e.

Read Full Post »

hen jokes

Ha, ha.  Yes, very funny.  Now concentrate on what you are doing, girls.

Read Full Post »

sheep rights

The sheep know their rights:  if the grass is covered with snow, the staff should provide other food. They were pretty vocal on this point

they seem pretty smug

Read Full Post »

trees and sheep

We’ve been planting trees again. Not the best of conditions as the ground is so wet, and snow and freezing temperatures forecast, but they were ordered back along, and now they are here – in they go.

We planted am almond, a mirabelle, a Dittisham plum and a bramley to replace the one that Betty (the sheep of  little brain) ate.

Sheep and fruit trees are not a good combination, but with  little individual fences round each one, it works, and the land can be used for both – and it seems some breeds are more tree eaters than others – we had no problem when we only had the Devon Closewools, but now we have the others, we are having tree nibbling issues.

It seems the minute we got the Shetland ewes – natural browsers and bark eaters, Betty decided she must be one of them and took to eating trees too.  I suspect it is to do with her overbite.

Yes I realise it sounds as though it is the Shetlands munching bark and Betty getting the blame – but we have seen her: she even got stuck between two fences several times, and she climbs the fence – throws her front legs over the top, squashes the fence down and eats everything she can reach – then sometimes climbs in too.

And several of the fruit trees got nibbled – which is far from good for them. Disease can get in, and the tree suffers – if bark is taken off in a complete ring, the tree will die.  The problem is she is so big – hip high before she starts climbing… and in the general umming and arring over which sheep to keep – this does not bode well for Betty.

At the moment we are trialling wool – Betty’s and the Shetlands, as that will be part of the decision. And anyway, we have freezer crisis – we need to empty freezers not fill them, so in the meantime we are fencing taller, wider and hoping Betty is held back long enough.

 

Read Full Post »

hedging and browsing sheep

We have started this year’s hedging.  A little early as there are still leaves on the trees, but the hedging  window is so small down here in sunny Devon, and the buds appear on the trees as early as January.  But the leaves are dying back (how to spot Ash die back when there is every tree die back going on?)

So we coppiced some willow, and put them through our leave removal system. Also known as: the sheep.

We are two sheep down this week, well we still have them, but  as mutton in the freezer…, and this leaves us with our old girl Sharona, Betty of little brain, and the three Shetland ewes.  It could get difficult next year as we now have the five sheep we really want to keep – views on this might change as there will be less grass and  they get hungry through the winter – this always brings out the worst behaviour.  If the Shetlands, with their browsing tendencies break out and eat the woodland, or Betty of the little brain continues to climb over the fences to eat the hedges and getting stuck, well opinions might differ. Sharona is a known entity, she is stiff and aged and grumpy. Mostly grumpy.

So, we dragged the trees over in a pile for the sheep to scoff, and cut lots of bramble and piled it high on the bonfire heap and opened the gate and let the sheep, now salivating on the other side of the gate – well Sharona and Betty of the little brain know the sound of sawing means tree food – the Shetlands thought the other two knew something.  In rushed the sheep.  Sharona and Betty OTLB scoffed leaves, and the Shetlands climbed the bonfire heap and ate brambles.  I swear they are goats in disguise.

But saying that, a sheep that browses more than grazes could be a good thing – I watched one munching nettles today, so maybe the hungry winter will prove them to be keepers after all.

Read Full Post »

Bath chaps

We believe in the ‘everything but the oink’ theory of raising and eating your own meat – out of respect to the animal really, but also because being thrifty is a massive part of being a small holder or just simply trying to grow and raise your own food.

So whenever we sent a pig to slaughter we always ask for the head back.  This is the bit I am the most squeamish about.. but chant under your breath ‘everything but the oink’ and proceed.

In previous years we have made brawn but this time I wanted to try something different, and decided to give Bath chaps a go.

Bath chaps are a west country tradition, made popular in Bath as the name suggests, and is basically the cheeks of the pig that have been given the ham treatment.

So I did a bit of reading, watched some videos, found a fair bit of difference, and took the bits I liked.  You can still buy Bath chaps from independent butchers, and I guess they will each have their own version too.  Here is mine.

And we love it – it tastes like ham, is a bit fatty, but that tastes great too – and you can cut some off as I did (I’m not convinced it is respectful to the animal to clog up ones arteries.. however the cat had other views and nothing was wasted).

A hit with the family,  we ate some, froze the rest and is a real treat.

Read Full Post »

pigs gone

Another intense week of pork processing.  The last two pigs went off on Monday and came back as pork on Tuesday. We spent the day butchering – I know a ‘proper’ butcher would take less time but it takes us about an hour per half to butcher it to our needs - then we spent the rest of the day processing even further – the shoulders were boned out and minced into lean mince and sausagemeat.  Some of that sausagemeat and offal were made into faggots and two big pork liver patés.  We had liver for dinner – and still had some leftover – two pigs livers is a lot of liver and you are only supposed to eat it once a week – so we have frozen some and that will probably make more paté or meatloaf in the future.

The cheeks and ears are in the brine tub in the fridge.

All the joints, fillets, mince, sausagemeat, faggots, patés, trotters and bones are tucked away in the freezers – and it all, just, fitted.

quite a good feeling really

Read Full Post »