Toad of Toad Hall

We have found our first toad on the smallholding - a toad. It was under some wood which we moved to create a temporary gate. We are delighted to have them around. They eat the bugs that would otherwise eat our crops.

The pigs have arrived - the video

 

I shot this video when my friend Steve's weaners arrived. Sadly I wasn't there to film their actual arrival when one of the pigs escaped and ran around the sheep field!

Sheep sheering - the video

 

We filmed this on the day we first attempted to shear the sheep. We got one sheep done. The others had to wait.

Repairing the goathouse

 

Last month we had much more rain than usual. The result was a flooded goathouse. To avoid a repeat, we took up the paving stones on the floor, put down a thick layer of recycled gravel and relaid the paving stones. The result: a dry goathouse!

Our first attempt at sheep shearing

 

We turned our hand to sheep shearing today. As a first ever attempt it wasn't too bad though I doubt we will win any sheep shearing competitions. Ethel however was pleased to be rid of her heavy winter coat. We will shear the other sheep on Thursday.

New chicks

 Our first chicks of the year hatched over the weekend. All 7 have been adopted by a mother hen.

Visitors

 Every day we are visited by a pheasant and his crow friends to eat the leftover sheep feed!