Farrowing.....due to start this week!

The students are all back and raring to go...we have a new student on Thursdays, and he is settling in very quickly.

Sandy settling in to her new home!

We moved Sandy into her own 'farrowing nursery' last Thursday - great fun running down the track with some food; being followed very swiftly, considering her size now, by Sandy!  We were a bit worried the first couple of days, as she didn't sleep in the ark.   We have added some straw to the shavings and she has now settled in there.  We put up a heat lamp yesterday, ready for the impending piglets (fingers crossed!) so that she gets used to that too.

our newTractor - in need of some tlc...but
 all in working order!

The students have been planting out madly - beans, cauliflower, cabbages, sweet peas
and in the poly tunnel we have salads, tomatoes, and other veg waiting for some warm weather

Sandy meeting the sheep!

We found this tractor advertised in wiltshire, and i sent off Mike (husband) with Dan friend, and tractor man to have a look at ....and they thought it was a good buy, so Dave (another friend!) and i went and collected it last weekend, and took it straight round to Tim down the road, to look at and service - he's coming up with a list of things that need doing!
It will be a real help to have a small tractor to do topping, mucking out yards, collecting up stuff, and generally maintaining the site.
Apparently it's very easy to drive, 4wd, so we may even be able to teach some students to drive it in the future...
The quails are going mad, we have collected 10 eggs in the last three days, and there are only 3 laying hens...?  Not sure what's going on there, but we are not complaining!
We have eggs under a broody 'Bluebell' hen, and some in the incubator so will have some special chicks hopefully in two weeks time.