LOCATION!

We are located 4 miles north of Cirencester, between the villages of North Cerney, and Woodmancote. From A435 you take the turning towards Bagendon, go up past the Church to the T junction. Turn right towards Woodmancote and Scrubditch Farm is approximately 100 yards on the right. The Care Farm is situated down the drive, up the track on the left.
From A417, turn off at Perrotts Brook/Daglingworth, and proceed towards Perrotts Brook. Just before the A435, turn left towards Woodmancote. Go for approximately 1 1/2 miles and Scrubditch Farm is on the right, just past the Bagendon/North Cerney Cross Roads.

Thursday 26 April 2012

week 2

We have had terrible weather this week...although we do desperately need the rain, it would have been good to have some warm sun too!  Monday we had to move the electric fence in the pouring rain, as the three ewes have eaten off the rather meagre grass behind the porta cabins.  We completely re-fenced the area, as the ducks were completely ignoring the electric tape, and going straight through it, heading for the water trough put out specially for the lambs - suffice to say it wasn't a very pretty sight afterwards - and certainly not what the lambs should be drinking....!   Completely sodden it was a good job done by William Alan and I.  Meanwhile Helen & Hilary cleaned out the poultry houses!   We spent the afternoon in the poly tunnel - rewinding electric tape onto spools - a very pleasing job, as it's SO maddening finding it all tangled up when we next need it!.

Wednesday was torrential again, and unfortunately the children that we  were expecting from a school in Cheltenham had to cry off, due to flooding.  We had a great day with Danny, first up at the Owl Barn (where .... great excitement, the students may have sold two pieces of their artwork!!)  Then we went on to Coln House school in Fairford, to look at all their seedlings, and poultry.  We came back armed with trays and trays of seedlings to plant on / out.

Today was dismal again, and no students turned up this morning, and just one this afternoon - all fairweather i suppose!  Never mind, we spent most of the afternoon in the poly tunnel - repotting lots of the seedlings.

We now have a twitter account - set up by Gerry - so those of you that like to 'tweet' have a look...!

Sunday 22 April 2012

First Week Back!

March with one of her lambs!
Well everyone was glad to be back!  Helen was SO excited about March having lambed, and she kept saying how happy she was all day!  (she had already thought up names for the ewe lambs)  We spent a very happy morning mucking out hens and ducks again, and then the afternoon bringing the ewes and lambs into the covered yard - Rain being forecast all week...!  It was faintly hysterical trying to get the ewes to come in, Alan and Helen and i were carrying a lamb, and William and Karen (who's just had a knee op!) were trying to persuade them to come in!!

Wednesday, we went up to the Owl Barn, to show Danny the exhibition, and did some preliminary sketches for the student's references; to help when painting the porta cabins.  They were all excited to see their masterpieces up; right by the entrance to the exhibition - someone had even asked if they were for sale!!
There is a lot of preperation going on in the poly tunnel and the raised beds outside; making ready for planting.  We've been discussing which veg we are going to put where, and general planning.

Thursday morning - MARY JANE starting 'showing'!  I've been getting up at 6am every day for two weeks so i was quite pleased as she is the last of the four to lamb!   By the time the students arrived, Alan and i had decided to give her a hand, as she was definately struggling - i lambed her twins successfully, and she has 'a pigeon pair'!  We are keeping them in till Monday, as the weather is so unsettled.   We also went up to look at the pig units on the White Way - researching electric fencing, as we are going to have to move No. 1 & 2 weaners....they need more to do each day, otherwise they will be breaking loose soon!  We are going to fence in some of the woodland up the track (it could do with clearing) and it will provide plenty of shade and keep them occupied!

Monday 16 April 2012

EASTER NEWS!

Typically, whilst the students are off on their Easter break - the lambing started- on Easter Sunday!
June with her two ram lambs!
Just as we sat down for lunch, Lucy rang and said that one of our ewes was 'on for lambing' (they were taking the donkey for a walk!) March was first - she had two really sturdy ewe lambs in the afternoon / evening.  We decided to get them all in that evening as it was pretty cold, and Lamby looked as if she was starting too - they were born later that evening - 2 ram lambs!  Next was June - hers arrived out in the field Saturday early in the morning - when i went out at 5.30am she had already lambed - but quite a difficult time i think, as she /they looked very tired and rather forlorn - we managed to get her in with them, and very glad we did as it was a horrid morning.

The horrid morning was the start of our Spring Car Boot Sale - unfortunately, as it put a lot of punters off - still we had a fun morning, ably assisted by Tina's fabulous bacon, sausage & duck egg baps - she sold out!  We managed to raise £200 which was a feat as there were only about 6 'Car Boots'!!

The quail eggs we put in the incubator didn't hatch - i reckon they were not fresh enough - still we have the 5 other chicks - they have moved out to the field in a lovely old ark that we were given.  They have a great time running up and down the ladder from their 'sleeping quarters' - it's very cosy up there at night. 
Add caption
Ella with her 'Fiver'!

Our 3 new ducks have settled in well and have made friends with Deidre, and Fiver is feeling right at home again!  One of the bantam hens disappeared recently - we thought she must be broody and sitting somewhere, and have finally discovered her hidden between two of the dumpy bags full of stones in the field next to the other hens!  She's sitting on at least a dozen eggs - and should be hatching any day!!