Quail Egg

Well, I was counting the quails yesterday (whilst I know that can’t really escape from their current home, I would not put it past one of the little blighters to make itself into a pencil shape and squeeze out through one of the holes) and I noted one with a bloody neck. I had a look at it and is seemed to have been pecked. I have read that males can be a bit over zealous when mating (I will leave you to insert your own comment at this stage) and that lady quails can suffer from pecked necks. I thought that this was strange as we did not have any eggs yet, looked in the box and low and behold – an egg! Well I have taken poorly quail out and she is now in the cat basket on the windowcill keeping us amused with mobile phone ring impersonations. They are very loud. Quails are very messy. I made a nice nest for the bitten one with straw and newspaper, with a slice of bread to peck on, bowl of water etc, and within about two seconds she had turned it upside down, tipped the water over the bread, kicked the food over….

We now have to decide whether to cook the quail egg or to incubate it. Well, if we are going to get one a day from now on, it will take us a bit of time before Mrs Pullens Pennine Pickled Quails Eggs make our fortune – but this time next year……!

This time last week I went on a spinning workshop, and proudly took my wheel with me (refer to first ever post I believe) and was told that it was a linen wheel and not suitable for wool. Hmmph. So I need to keep an eye out for a second had one if I am to spin wonderful things with our wool. Typically on Adtrader this morning I saw a wheel with accessories in Poole. Of course it might have been a bit much for M & D to travel up the country by train lugging a spinning wheel and accessories!

Yesterday a man from SUSTRANS came round to say they were going to start work on the cycleway in the new year – typical. I can’t say that it is the best timing as it looks as though we are selling because of it, and will it put people off if it is going on when they are doing the work? Saying that, at least if people are interested in the business aspect of the house then they can see that it is a reality. The SUSTRANS chap reiterated that they would support any accomodation inniative. SUSTRANS will, of course, fence the cycleway and it does mean that we can keep a bit ‘sheep free’ if we or someone else wanted to re plant the trees.