We no longer have free range quails. Their unique flying style has had to be curtailed as another three escaped – even over the netting that we had put up. So there will soon be a large wild quail population in Halton Lea Gate. So the remaining 12 are now split between two rabbit hutches. They don’t seem desperately upset, although one did manage to fall out when I was feeding them. I’m not sure how it happened, I think it must have been hanging on to the food bowl.
All the goats have now been bought in. They have found the wet and warm weather quite tough and we need to treat all of them for foot rot. Even Bertie and Gertie have been affected and until now they have been quite robust. Hopefully we’ll get their feet sorted and then when the weather turns colder and drier they can go back out again during the day. They are due shearing soon, so I will need to work out how. Last spring I sheared them in the front room, somehow I think Ian will say no to goat being sheared on his newly laid floor, so we will all be shivering outside!
When Ian was entertaining Debby last weekend with his antics, it transpires that whilst she was lurking she was actually working out what to do about her sheep, our sheep and the two tups. She has rebuilt one of the stone walls – to keep the tups apart, or to keep Ian out, still not sure which. Surfice it to say, she managed in a few minutes, single handed to do what it would have taken Ian and I several hours to do, and without the novelty factor that we seem to build in to most of our projects. Anyway, in the field immediately to the side of the house her sheep and Hovis?? (another horrible memory) will be kept, and the field as we look in front of the house will be our sheep. This means they can still get into the garden via the train track entrance. Of course – where to Freckles and Black Knees fit into this? So far they have spent much of their time getting split up, they are confused by the rebuilt wall. It is interesting, they cry for each other like the ewes do for their lambs – and they aren’t related.
Bandy Legs still has his legs taped together. I will undo them this week and see what the situation is. The other chicks are really big enough to go out side now. The only challenge will be getting them into the shed before it gets dark, as the little chicks don’t go straight to bed like the older ones.
As the weather has got colder (and it has, we ordered oil today as we’ve found ourselves fighting over dogs in the night as a source of heat) it is interesting watching the chicks. The hen with two chicks outside often finds herself with the little ones tucked under her wings whilst she is eating.
No more sign of the fox, but we have everyone locked away before dusk. I guess he is still there as there will be plenty of rabbits around. We just need to be vigilient. We posted a question onto a website that we belong to for smallholders www.acountrylife.com about the fox and we got a lot of response, it was interesting the lengths that people go to making their land fox proof, and the problem that it can be.
The three injured ducks are with the others now, and they seem to have rebonded, although they did need to spend some time re-waterproofing themselves. We’re making sure that the ducks are in before dusk, but they are getting quite good, and waddle into the cellar when we call them (other than the three that we have just reintroduced who are still getting used to this).
We really have been so lucky up to now.