The hens are still in our polytunnel and wow do they love it - they are laying like mad! The students have been busy health checking them each week; scaly leg treatments, being on the their favourite - they look fantastic, and hopefully we can let them all out again at the end of the month. If not, we are going to organise a tunnel roof between the poly tunnel and the fruit cage, where they can scratch round our soft fruit....saving us too much weeding!
Perry continues to cause us problems - he just doesn't seem to be coming sound enough. We moved him into the yard, in order to keep a better eye on him. He seems very happy there, but still holds up a foot when feeding.....Meanwhile we wait to see if Sandy was properly 'covered' when she went off to a boar near Brinkworth for a holiday! Hopefully the scanner will be able to come within the next two weeks. We still have 3 gilts ready to sell, so are advertising them locally....fingers crossed they will go within the next few weeks too. Then the woodland can have a rest and recover from all this wet weather.
The ewes look fantastic on the bank, and they will soon be coming back for lambing. We are due to bring them back at the end of the month.
The students have a two week break now, but for us....there's still all the animals to feed each day, and training to catch up on and of course the mounds of paperwork!
Thursday, 9 February 2017
Friday, 20 January 2017
IT'S LOVELY AND COLD AGAIN!
AT LAST SOME BEAUTIFUL SUNNY COLD WEATHER!
The students are all back and wrapping up warm (most of them!) and we are all working hard. There's lots to do with the animals. We had the sheep scanner coming last week, so we had to bring all the ewes and Gerrhalt (the magnificent ram we borrowed) back to the farm. They are so good and all came running up to the gate when we called them and we all walked them back across the fields to the farm. They have been up at the farm for a week, and a very successful scanning - 9 sets of twins, 6 singles and two sadly 'barren'....but one is an old ewe anyway. We walked them back to the bank on wednesday - they were thrilled to be back in their favourite field again.
Sandy our favourite sow has been off on holiday for a couple of weeks - she has gone visiting another boar, as sadly our boar, Perry, has had a sore foot, and so was unable to get married this time. She has been having a wonderful time, and we are due to pick her up again tomorrow!
The other pigs are all looking great, and we hope to sell at least two of the 6 month old gilts on shortly.
We have moved all our hens to the end of the poly tunnel due to the avian flu trouble....they love it in there and are laying many more eggs as a result - our salad beds are looking rather bare...but they are doing a great job weeding them!
The students are all back and wrapping up warm (most of them!) and we are all working hard. There's lots to do with the animals. We had the sheep scanner coming last week, so we had to bring all the ewes and Gerrhalt (the magnificent ram we borrowed) back to the farm. They are so good and all came running up to the gate when we called them and we all walked them back across the fields to the farm. They have been up at the farm for a week, and a very successful scanning - 9 sets of twins, 6 singles and two sadly 'barren'....but one is an old ewe anyway. We walked them back to the bank on wednesday - they were thrilled to be back in their favourite field again.
Sandy our favourite sow has been off on holiday for a couple of weeks - she has gone visiting another boar, as sadly our boar, Perry, has had a sore foot, and so was unable to get married this time. She has been having a wonderful time, and we are due to pick her up again tomorrow!
The other pigs are all looking great, and we hope to sell at least two of the 6 month old gilts on shortly.
Saturday, 10 December 2016
NEARLY CHRISTMAS!
Yet again i am starting the blog with an apology....! We have had such a busy time since i last wrote
and now it's the Christmas Break already
The students finished this week, but we will be seeing most of them again on Monday as we are having our Christmas Lunch at the Village Hall - this is a great occasion and everyone dresses up in a Festive jumper (or hat!)
Back at the Care Farm, the animals are all ok - we still have 3 gilts for sale, and Sandy has moved back in with her boyfriend Perry (just as well as Perry had already broken down the fence and tried to force his way through the gate to her!) Let's hope this time she gets pregnant, as sadly that wasn't the case earlier on - if she is that will mean piglets in March / April time
Gerrhalt has worked his magic on the ewes down on the bank, and most of them have orange bottoms, aside from three that must have cycled the second time, and they have green bottoms!
Our lambs are up in Woodmancote, having a lovely time and being very well looked after by Ron who checks them every day for us
This week, we heard on the news about the threat of Avian Flu so, we have reduced the size of the hen run, and are netting the tops, to try and stop wild birds flying down and eating their food - we are doing the same with the ducks too....we will do this for 30 days, and hopefully this will keep a lid on it - i was on BBC Radio Gloucestershire on Thursday morning at 7.45am discussing our plans!
Our Christmas cards have been selling really well this year - we keep having to order more - do look at the website
Sadly we had to cancel our Christmas Fair at Daglingworth Village Hall this time....for all sorts of reasons, but we will be organising a much better one next year.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS AND SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR!
and now it's the Christmas Break already
The students finished this week, but we will be seeing most of them again on Monday as we are having our Christmas Lunch at the Village Hall - this is a great occasion and everyone dresses up in a Festive jumper (or hat!)
Back at the Care Farm, the animals are all ok - we still have 3 gilts for sale, and Sandy has moved back in with her boyfriend Perry (just as well as Perry had already broken down the fence and tried to force his way through the gate to her!) Let's hope this time she gets pregnant, as sadly that wasn't the case earlier on - if she is that will mean piglets in March / April time
Gerrhalt has worked his magic on the ewes down on the bank, and most of them have orange bottoms, aside from three that must have cycled the second time, and they have green bottoms!
Our lambs are up in Woodmancote, having a lovely time and being very well looked after by Ron who checks them every day for us
This week, we heard on the news about the threat of Avian Flu so, we have reduced the size of the hen run, and are netting the tops, to try and stop wild birds flying down and eating their food - we are doing the same with the ducks too....we will do this for 30 days, and hopefully this will keep a lid on it - i was on BBC Radio Gloucestershire on Thursday morning at 7.45am discussing our plans!
Our Christmas cards have been selling really well this year - we keep having to order more - do look at the website
Sadly we had to cancel our Christmas Fair at Daglingworth Village Hall this time....for all sorts of reasons, but we will be organising a much better one next year.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS AND SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR!
Monday, 17 October 2016
HALF TERM ALREADY!
Yet again....i have been a very poor blogger this last four weeks! We have been so busy....Gerry and i have done three talks this past month - two to WI groups and one in Cirencester to the Ashfcroft Ladies Group. We have now finally got a really good projector (having struggled to show good enough quality photographs before) and it makes such a difference! The talks we do are a really good way of raising our profile, and great fun to do.
We had an article in the local paper looking for volunteers recently, that led to RADIO Gloucestershire ringing and coming to interview us the following week! We went out 'live' two days later....another great profile raiser, and our student Helen, and Volunteer Alan were brilliant!
Hazel's piglets have all been weaned and are ready to sell so we took four of them to the market last week (it costs so much to keep feeding them all) Unfortunately there were a load of really grotty dreadfully thin pigs for sale and so although they made more than any others = they still went for half what we can get for them privately.....a lesson learnt - we will know for next time.
Sandy is pregnant again and is due to farrow the end of November, so we will do some 'moving around' when the students get back to make sure she is in the 'nursery' in plenty of time.
Our veg boxes are nearly finished - we just have some tomatoes, and lovely 'flower sprouts' - a delicious cross between brussel sprouts and kale and pumpkins left....
The poultry have completely gone on strike - the hens aren't laying at all....apparently lots of people are saying the same thing - weather i imagine, but it's not good for our 'produce income'! The ducks are still going strong - but only 3 per day instead of 5 at the moment. I am off to buy some more 'point of lay' hens this week, we may need to rig up a light of some kind in order to make sure they start laying before next year ....!
We had our third quiz on Friday night, run by Neil (father of one of our students) - it was a great success again.....a really fun evening - everyone brings their own food and wine. The questions were very varied again and 'interactive' which keeps everyone interested!
On Saturday i took Christmas Cards and Jam to the Autumn Fair at Beaudesert School - they have chosen us as one of their 'Charities' this year. There was a huge footfall so hopefully they will have raised a lots of money. With any luck it will go to purchasing another second hand portacabin to use for a cookery room....another thing to tick off my '10 year plan'!
we are now on half term for two weeks. as it's such a long term - this gives us time to catch up with lots of maintenance on site, and plan for the next half term. Alan (volunteer) and i are off to pick up 'Gerhallt' a magnificent Wiltshire Horn Ram this week ...watch out girls!
We had an article in the local paper looking for volunteers recently, that led to RADIO Gloucestershire ringing and coming to interview us the following week! We went out 'live' two days later....another great profile raiser, and our student Helen, and Volunteer Alan were brilliant!
Hazel's piglets have all been weaned and are ready to sell so we took four of them to the market last week (it costs so much to keep feeding them all) Unfortunately there were a load of really grotty dreadfully thin pigs for sale and so although they made more than any others = they still went for half what we can get for them privately.....a lesson learnt - we will know for next time.
Sandy is pregnant again and is due to farrow the end of November, so we will do some 'moving around' when the students get back to make sure she is in the 'nursery' in plenty of time.
Our veg boxes are nearly finished - we just have some tomatoes, and lovely 'flower sprouts' - a delicious cross between brussel sprouts and kale and pumpkins left....
The poultry have completely gone on strike - the hens aren't laying at all....apparently lots of people are saying the same thing - weather i imagine, but it's not good for our 'produce income'! The ducks are still going strong - but only 3 per day instead of 5 at the moment. I am off to buy some more 'point of lay' hens this week, we may need to rig up a light of some kind in order to make sure they start laying before next year ....!
We had our third quiz on Friday night, run by Neil (father of one of our students) - it was a great success again.....a really fun evening - everyone brings their own food and wine. The questions were very varied again and 'interactive' which keeps everyone interested!
On Saturday i took Christmas Cards and Jam to the Autumn Fair at Beaudesert School - they have chosen us as one of their 'Charities' this year. There was a huge footfall so hopefully they will have raised a lots of money. With any luck it will go to purchasing another second hand portacabin to use for a cookery room....another thing to tick off my '10 year plan'!
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| Our stand at Beaudesert Autumn Fair! |
we are now on half term for two weeks. as it's such a long term - this gives us time to catch up with lots of maintenance on site, and plan for the next half term. Alan (volunteer) and i are off to pick up 'Gerhallt' a magnificent Wiltshire Horn Ram this week ...watch out girls!
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
AUTUMN!
firstly, the first weekend in September Gerry Rosie and i went to Moreton Show with our beautiful Pedigree Wiltshire Horn Shearling, Alice - we took Annabel for company too, but only showed Alice
we came a respectable 7th ......out of a class of 9! The judge sadly wanted all the ewes to stand in line, whereas we had spent all summer term, practising walking Alice with the students! She was very well behaved though, and we think we should definitely do more next year!
The students have all started back again, we have said goodbye to three lads, and welcome 3 new students this term. It's all systems go, with Hazel and her 7 piglets; due to be weaned next week, and the lambs nearly ready to go off.
We still have some lovely produce to sell in our veg boxes, as the sun has continued shining in between rain.
we came a respectable 7th ......out of a class of 9! The judge sadly wanted all the ewes to stand in line, whereas we had spent all summer term, practising walking Alice with the students! She was very well behaved though, and we think we should definitely do more next year!
The students have all started back again, we have said goodbye to three lads, and welcome 3 new students this term. It's all systems go, with Hazel and her 7 piglets; due to be weaned next week, and the lambs nearly ready to go off.
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| grown in the poly tunnel! |
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| does anyone recognise this? |
Monday, 1 August 2016
HOLIDAYS!
During the holidays we still have all the animals to look after and lots of produce to pick and sell in our veg boxes!
Hazel has just farrowed - she had 7 lovely piglets - they have been loving the sunshine, but now it's raining we will make sure the heat lamp is on to keep them warm
We have had two more lots of chicks hatch from our lovely dutch bantams, but sadly both our cockerels died during the last month.
The veg garden is brimming with produce; and we have now managed to keep the slugs at bay with copper tape round plastic bottles for the french beans - we have also been going out at night just before it's dark, rounding up the horrid blighters and putting them in buckets with salt and water.....not very kind, but essential as we have been over run with them!
The tomatoes in the poly tunnel are growing well, as are our cucumbers - we should have a bounty of them for September, when the students come back.
This warm wet weather has been a struggle to keep all the livestock healthy,,,,we have suffered with the poultry having lice and mites; cleaning out their housing religiously two or three times a week
And the sheep - a couple of our lambs have been 'fly struck'.....not a pleasant sight - but we have sprayed them both, and brought one back up to the care farm, where we can keep an eye on her, and give her some tlc!
Gerry and Kate have been running school activities over the past week and have 3 more days left this week - we have lots of school age children attending sessions to learn all about farming, and growing produce. They have a wonderful time; and for some it's the only chance they have to be in this environment.
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| sorry about these...can't get them to stand upright! |
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| These are beautiful aubergine plants...sideways! |
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| The shade area we made for Hazel to wallow in without getting sun burnt! |
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| Hazel resting before farrowing! |
We have had two more lots of chicks hatch from our lovely dutch bantams, but sadly both our cockerels died during the last month.
The veg garden is brimming with produce; and we have now managed to keep the slugs at bay with copper tape round plastic bottles for the french beans - we have also been going out at night just before it's dark, rounding up the horrid blighters and putting them in buckets with salt and water.....not very kind, but essential as we have been over run with them!
The tomatoes in the poly tunnel are growing well, as are our cucumbers - we should have a bounty of them for September, when the students come back.
This warm wet weather has been a struggle to keep all the livestock healthy,,,,we have suffered with the poultry having lice and mites; cleaning out their housing religiously two or three times a week
And the sheep - a couple of our lambs have been 'fly struck'.....not a pleasant sight - but we have sprayed them both, and brought one back up to the care farm, where we can keep an eye on her, and give her some tlc!
Gerry and Kate have been running school activities over the past week and have 3 more days left this week - we have lots of school age children attending sessions to learn all about farming, and growing produce. They have a wonderful time; and for some it's the only chance they have to be in this environment.
Friday, 8 July 2016
end of term already!
This half term has flown by....i can't believe we had our last day yesterday with the students for the next five weeks or so...although we will be doing summer activities during the holidays for school age children (look on the website for details)
We have had an awful month losing two lambs to pneumonia, and one ewe to a twisted gut - i think it's the weather...so much rain and not enough sun - until this last week or so
We have another bantam hatch 6 hens (she was sitting squashed down between one of the raised beds in the poly tunnel) and we have one sitting on eggs in the middle of the straw stack in the yard!
The lambs look fantastic - and we will be weaning them next month hopefully. we sent off two of last year's lambs last week - they will be delicious mutton as they are over a year old now
We have our end of term lunch next week, where we give out certificates to all the students. Sadly we say good bye to 3 of them this term, but will be welcoming 3 new students in September.
Sandy is looking forward to her 6 piglets being 'weaned' next week - she is getting a bit fed up with them eating her food! They look great and weigh in at around 14 kilos each.....
We have started selling our veg boxes this week - beetroot, chard, potatoes & salad bags with fresh herbs
We have had an awful month losing two lambs to pneumonia, and one ewe to a twisted gut - i think it's the weather...so much rain and not enough sun - until this last week or so
We have another bantam hatch 6 hens (she was sitting squashed down between one of the raised beds in the poly tunnel) and we have one sitting on eggs in the middle of the straw stack in the yard!
The lambs look fantastic - and we will be weaning them next month hopefully. we sent off two of last year's lambs last week - they will be delicious mutton as they are over a year old now
We have our end of term lunch next week, where we give out certificates to all the students. Sadly we say good bye to 3 of them this term, but will be welcoming 3 new students in September.
Sandy is looking forward to her 6 piglets being 'weaned' next week - she is getting a bit fed up with them eating her food! They look great and weigh in at around 14 kilos each.....
We have started selling our veg boxes this week - beetroot, chard, potatoes & salad bags with fresh herbs
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