We started feeding the Ewes this week - they need 'hard' food as well as grass and hay, to make sure they get all the right nutrients for the best lambing results. We have bought a new trough for feeding time, as we are due to have 5 more Ewes arriving at the end of the week....all shiny and new! Helen helped Alan put up a fence to reduce the field size till after lambing - resting part of the field, which will hopefully give us a bit more grass for the Ewes once they've lambed. We have leaky gutters on the covered yard, so are trying to get them fixed before we bring the Ewes in....
Thursday we had decided to all go hedge trimming down on our bank field but.....the weather was terrible,so in the morning we made butter with the students! Lucy (sister) had been lent a butter 'churner' - beautiful glass container with a paddle - we put double and single cream into it with water, and set to.....it took nearly an hour to 'churn', with all the students having a turn at winding the handle! We ended up with a good size 'pat' and the students all took a little bit of butter home with them! We spent the afternoon in the poly tunnel, planting lots of seeds! Only trouble is now there's been such cold weather that they may not 'take'...!
Mothering Sunday - i should have been lying in bed, having a day off, but we got the call to go and collect our 5 new 'in lamb' Ewes - bought with funding from the Rotary Club! I had to choose 5 Ewes out of a flock of about 20- fingers crossed i've done ok - they haven't been scanned, so it's pot luck what we get - let's hope they all lamb ok! They are due two weeks after our other four, which is good - not so rushed that way. They are all pedigree Wiltshire Horn Ewes the same as ours, so i hope they all get along ok.
We managed to get stuck in the field in Chedworth and had to be towed out!
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Weeks 7 and 8
At last we seem to be getting some dryer weather - although it is unbelievably cold...! Still the sheep don't seem to mind - they are looking blooming! All the students are getting really excited about the impending lambing season - let's hope the sun's out by then!
We have been re-organising all the raised beds - moving the soil around and generally refreshing them, ready for planting spring vegetables and salads in the poly tunnel. The students planted the first onions out on Thursday, and we are potting up sweet peas inside. Next week we hope to plant some mixed salads in the poly tunnel to sell as cut and come again salad bags.
One very important job the students did on Thursday was to 'poo pick' the entire field where our 4 Ewes are...! We are conscious that we don't have much grass, and need to keep it clean and as healthy as possible for them. We have moved the last year lambs to another field close by, in order to keep as much grass for the Ewes as possible. We will start giving them a little bit of hard food next week (about 1/2 lb each per day)
We have been re-organising all the raised beds - moving the soil around and generally refreshing them, ready for planting spring vegetables and salads in the poly tunnel. The students planted the first onions out on Thursday, and we are potting up sweet peas inside. Next week we hope to plant some mixed salads in the poly tunnel to sell as cut and come again salad bags.
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| yet again it's gone sidesways on me....! Helen cleaning the field with Alan & Hilly. |
One very important job the students did on Thursday was to 'poo pick' the entire field where our 4 Ewes are...! We are conscious that we don't have much grass, and need to keep it clean and as healthy as possible for them. We have moved the last year lambs to another field close by, in order to keep as much grass for the Ewes as possible. We will start giving them a little bit of hard food next week (about 1/2 lb each per day)
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Week 6
The pigs weighed in at 43 and 45 kilos respectively! Mr Broomhall said "well i don't like to admit it, but i was wrong - i thought they was going to be too fat, but they are just about perfect!" The right percentage of fat to meat....! And, we can vouch that the pork tasted delicious too! The Bathurst Arms bought 1/2 a pig last week, and i am just going down to get their 'feedback' comments for the blog....the last two pigs go off next Monday - put your orders in as we sold out of sausages really quickly!
The students were busy on Thursday making bird feeders to sell at our Spring Car Boot Sale - really dirty mucky business - but great fun! CAR BOOT SALE SUNDAY 24th MARCH see details opposite
The students were busy on Thursday making bird feeders to sell at our Spring Car Boot Sale - really dirty mucky business - but great fun! CAR BOOT SALE SUNDAY 24th MARCH see details opposite
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| making bird feeders...! |
Saturday, 9 February 2013
week 4 and 5
This week started with taking two of the pigs off to the abbattoir! They took quite some loading, splitting them up from their brothers, but we wanted to take two at a time; partly as they are quite a bit bigger than one of the others. The other reason is that we don't have large storage facilites, and so two are easier to sell than four at a time! They will be ready next week - let's hope they taste as good as our Oxford & Sandys...!
We got the Ewes in again to check them over, wanting to make sure they are having enough hay, and that their feet are ok - we need to pay special attention to 'June' who's having triplets - they may turn up early, and she must keep in good condition with the others. We don't want to start feeding them 'hard' food too early, otherwise the lambs will get too big, and then be difficult to lamb.
Thursday, we nearly had a full house, and spent the morning unloading and stacking hay bales for the sheep, and some DIY was needed on the sheep shelter due to the snow and wind. The farrier came to shoe the two horses.
Friday, we had a special visit from 'Coopers Hill' school in Gloucester. They have started a 'Farm Club', and wanted to come and see what we get up to here. 16 children aged from 6 - 9, had a lovely morning, feeding the pigs, collecting eggs, feeding the hens and ducks, and meeting the sheep. After break, we moved to the Poly tunnel, where they planted their own 'salad' seeds and each took a pot back to school. They all behaved beautifully, considering it was a horrid freezing day!
Don't forget we have Pork available next week.....!
We got the Ewes in again to check them over, wanting to make sure they are having enough hay, and that their feet are ok - we need to pay special attention to 'June' who's having triplets - they may turn up early, and she must keep in good condition with the others. We don't want to start feeding them 'hard' food too early, otherwise the lambs will get too big, and then be difficult to lamb.
Thursday, we nearly had a full house, and spent the morning unloading and stacking hay bales for the sheep, and some DIY was needed on the sheep shelter due to the snow and wind. The farrier came to shoe the two horses.
Friday, we had a special visit from 'Coopers Hill' school in Gloucester. They have started a 'Farm Club', and wanted to come and see what we get up to here. 16 children aged from 6 - 9, had a lovely morning, feeding the pigs, collecting eggs, feeding the hens and ducks, and meeting the sheep. After break, we moved to the Poly tunnel, where they planted their own 'salad' seeds and each took a pot back to school. They all behaved beautifully, considering it was a horrid freezing day!
Don't forget we have Pork available next week.....!
Monday, 28 January 2013
Week 3
I'm afraid all the students and volunteer were cancelled last week due to the Snow! It was far too slippery on the Monday, and too much snow the rest of the week. Unfortunately we also had a burst pipe in the Ladies...so all in all not a good week!
Everything takes SO long in the snow - i was completely exhausted by Friday. We had to get water for the pigs from down in the stable yard and push it up through nearly a foot of snow to the pigs!
Great excitement...... TODAY Monday 28th, the sheep scanner came and wait for it.....3 of our Ewes are having twins, and our fourth Ewe, June, is having triplets!
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| some photos of our lovely brood of bantams... |
Great excitement...... TODAY Monday 28th, the sheep scanner came and wait for it.....3 of our Ewes are having twins, and our fourth Ewe, June, is having triplets!
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Week 2
Well the weather's taken a nose dive this week....luckily not till Thursday! We've had a busy week again, with the freezing conditions and snow arriving, we have had to make sure the sheep are having enough hay so they don't lose condition. We've just heard that the sheep scanner is coming the last week of January - SO exciting!
Helen has been learning how to use the 'crook' to catch the lambs in a pen, and doing really well (and extremely proud of herself!) The Wilts and Glos Standard came to do an article about the Project again this week - i wrote a letter last week to the paper, thanking the residents of Ashton Keynes for their donations, and added a 'ps' - it's about time you wrote another piece on Care Farming...! They took some lovely photos of Helen feeding the sheep, and working on painting the Hen House.
Talking of Hen houses, we managed to move the new house out to the field on Thursday, using the 'rolling poles' technique, as the Manatou tractor had another puncture! It was great fun, and hard work, but it now looks very stately alongside all the other older houses. The Gloucestershire Community Foundation gave us the funding for the Hen House.
We will have two Berkshire weaners ready to go off in another two weeks - so if you would like some pork get in touch!
Let's hope the snow doesn't stop the students getting here this coming week - it's hard work looking after all the animals on our own...!
Helen has been learning how to use the 'crook' to catch the lambs in a pen, and doing really well (and extremely proud of herself!) The Wilts and Glos Standard came to do an article about the Project again this week - i wrote a letter last week to the paper, thanking the residents of Ashton Keynes for their donations, and added a 'ps' - it's about time you wrote another piece on Care Farming...! They took some lovely photos of Helen feeding the sheep, and working on painting the Hen House.
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| The plaque given to us with the funding for the new house |
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| Rolling the House into position! |
We will have two Berkshire weaners ready to go off in another two weeks - so if you would like some pork get in touch!
Let's hope the snow doesn't stop the students getting here this coming week - it's hard work looking after all the animals on our own...!
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Week 1 Spring Session 2013
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| one of the weaners exploring |
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| Ella and Hilly collecting for the project at Christmas in Waitrose! |
We have been painting our new Hen House ready to get it moved outside -can't wait to move the hens into their new home. We can then do some much needed repairs on Ella's old play house!
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| Helen cleaning out the pig troughs |
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| The Bantams making themselves at home atop the clean straw for their houses! |
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