Valkyrie Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I knew I forgot one! Yes there too! But it's a bit expensive though. Now Lincoln is so tempting but too far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 The M40 and train services from here to London are excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Do you remember me saying we'd been for a noss at Banbury last year? We had a right good looky around - ended up in Woodstock! Hmm, bit tooo far. We did like Hereford but that's really out of the question now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Yes, and Woodstock is expensive Give me a ring next time you're up here and we can meet up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 That would be nice! OH was up there the other week - I asked to come too but he said he wasn't backtracking to pick me up (plus it would have been too short notice, Clare) as he was only dropping off samples and working his way back home the . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 week days are a bit hard to do, but weekends are OK-ish with enough notice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 We had a big day planned with grandchildren on Saturday - going to see piglets and new hens......Lauren obviously had other ideas.....an ambulance to Warwick Hosp and most of the day spent there....followed by Monday all day and most of yesterday.......sort of sorted for now. We did manage to take Jake and were two hours late to see the piglets and made it to collect new hens just before they closed....... We are having 3 girls from this litter........ They had a fine old time wandering from pen to pen - none of the other sows or the boar was bothered... The Welsummer trio - I was going to have just hens and had chosen their names....so they are Pixie (Lott), Paloma (Faith) and.....erm..........the cockerel is called Dita (von Teese) - he has the feathers for it The Light Sussex trio we hatched last year - no names yet (I forgot ) - any ideas? The Dinners - doing what they do best The lambs - Mint and Sauce - are growing fast and take the bottles in the bottle rack and are hungry - we're trying to introduce hay and a little of the lamb concentrate pellets but they just want more milk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Lovely to see some photos Lesley, the piggles look lovely. Shame that it didn't work out for us to get over there this weekend, but we'll manage it another time soon. Just glad to hear thta L is sorted for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Look at the piglets! Welsummers look good too and love the names! I'll be over soon too hopefully! Hope Lauren is ok x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 I had the first egg from the Welsummers today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Those piglets are just lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Oh those lovely piggies! I love Welsummers - such handsome cockerels & the girls eggs are so beautifully coloured. At what age will you get your weaners then? Do you name them? Oh & is it true that a boar can easily chew your arm or leg off? I've been told this by a neigbour who used to look after pigs! My hubby has a plan for pigs, a plum tree, a hazlenut tree, some spring onions & some sage all in corner of a field. Only so he has all the ingredients for Stuffed bacon chops in jam sauce! I hope Lauren is feeling better today. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Great plan for your OHs recipe We will have the piglets at 8 weeks old - they're 4 weeks old now - and we always name our pigs we never find it easy taking them to the abbatoir and having names doesn't make it any worse. We do a Rear a Pig plan where we raise the pig for people who have already paid a deposit. They come and visit 'their' pig and eventually get their half back ready butchered - as they are having half a pig then each pig has a double barrelled name......some very odd combinations sometimes! In theory a fully grown, bad tempered, boar could chew your arm off but unlikely with weaners that you are only taking to pork or bacon weight. Having said that, I wouldn't like to fall flat in the mud in the same paddock as any large pig The boar at the smallholding we visited on Saturday was very laid back and happy. We like to visit to see the piglets with the sow, seeing the boar as well is a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Good luck Lesley! Can't wait to see the pictures. (I do check your Good life threads religiously even when I am not as active) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGirlsMum Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Fantastic looking pigs ..... good to hear from you again Martin. Was wondering if you could give me some advise Lesley, our ducklings hatched out 3 days ago but they don't seem to be eating a great deal, should we be making the crumb into a mash for them? or leaving it as crumb with water next to it? I've decided I'm going to bite the bullet and just order the pig ark this week and rely on electric fencing to keep them in.......it might move hubby on with the fencing I suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 Hi Martin -good to see you here Ducklings shold be fine with crumb but they may need to be shown what to do like hen chicks? Ours were fine and just started eating it. Chicks sometimes need to be shown by putting some crumb on a sheet of paper and tapping at it either with a finger of pencil and the chicks copy and peck at the crumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Lewis, Phil and I went lamb-cuddling today... I'll get photos on here when I get a moment to download them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Was nice to see Lesley and Carl again, thanks See the lambs and all the other animals. The famous front door and row of eglus! Got my hand nommed and dribbled on by the cows too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGirlsMum Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Ducks are now eating, drinking and had a little swim too, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Just read through the whole thread - the lambs are cute, the piglets are gorgeous and the chickens are lovely.....you're doing a fab job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Lovely photos - those piglets are so cute . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Lesley, the relevant post was some way back but what trees have you planted for wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Just read this through - wow! Lesley you're amazing. it sounds like very hard work, but rewarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 It is hard work but we love it - I also have time for slobbing around/watching rubbish on TV/reading I do watch recorded TV at odd times though! OSH - The trees we planted are mostly Ash as it burns so well. We also have some hazel, beech and a lot of willow. The willow was for making Living Willow Sculptures and is in three colours - we were given the withies - but we're burning some well seasoned willow and it has been really good so some of the willow will end up coppiced like the others. We've also planted a lot of fruit trees in 3 areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I burn lots of willow and ash Lesley - they both burn very well in the stove, as does eucalyptus, which is a very dense wood, so burns slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...