Sulky pig

Lots of farmy pictures today.

Tane was pleased I was home.  One piece of sorry business. Tima was her usual chubby happy self though she had had another miscarriage sometime during the night I arrived home. Only one baby, barely formed, as big as half my thumb.  But I would not have known if I had not seen the evidence in her bed later in the morning. She was busy and loud and hungry  – even arrived up on the verandah for her carrots – just her usual self. I am beginning to think that this couple will not be having piglets of their own.  Now it is warmer  I can separate them for a while to give her a break from it all. Poor wee doll.

But there you are, sometimes our plans do not work out the way we want. This is just life. I will take a leaf out of Tima’s book and just roll with it. Though I will try to keep her from getting pregnant again for a while.  Although they are not paying their way they will live out their lives on the farm.  I cannot bear to sell either of them and start again – I will let the plan of raising and selling kunekune go.  These two are such loving well trained creatures and they don’t take up too much room  so they have pet status.

Talking of pets – Sheila sulked for much of the morning yesterday,

.. until just before lunch then she decided that sulking can get a bit boring and with much sighing she thought maybe she would forgive me my absence and so hauled herself up and lumbered over to where I was working and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked – non stop.  I have never had such a long talk with her. All I had to say was “really?” and “oh no,” and “oh, darling”, or “hmm mm.”  The twin piggies came in and went back out being unusually quiet and a bit sheepish.  And Sheila talked some more. I have a feeling Sheila was telling me tales of much naughtiness.

The two Old Maids had no such problems – the moment the turkeys saw me they ran at speed across the quad, rowing at the air with their outstretched wings,big clod hopping  feet tearing across the grass, rushing towards me jostling to take up their customary position, third and fourth  in line behind me after the dogs and before the cats,  ducking to avoid Geraldine who literally took flight and flew straight at my head. That peahen can fly but her aim is terrible.

Naomi  literally bawled at me all day.

Demanding scratches and attention.

I am sure I saw Lady Astor’s baby move today. She was very affectionate with me too.  I brushed her until my arms ached and she just stood enjoying it. She is a different cow when she is pregnant.

I would like to think Naomi  missed me but actually I think she is coming into heat so I have marked this date on her calendar. She is a darling little heifer.

Alex the little Dexter was happy on the inside.

Aunty Del and Carlos IV (also known as Carlos the Tiny) stood and stared.  She looks bigger but he looks smaller.  If she is pregnant she is not due until July, so that is not a pregnant belly you are seeing it is a belly full of hay.

Poppy the Hereford sow was definitely happy to see me.  During my absence she has shown no signs of coming back into heat so Manu may have bred her at last.

Hugo’s chickens who live in the West barn have started to lay – I have found three full nests of eggs so far.  Probably about thirty eggs. As I  have no way of determining the age of the eggs, though they were not there when I left for Australia, I have boiled them all and today I will mash them up with apple cider vinegar  and feed them to the big flock of layers  and the pigs.  The big flock will get a jar of crushed dried chillis too, they are being slow to start laying well. The chilli flakes sometimes get them going (orange yolks too).  Ch0oks have no taste buds so the chilli dose not make them cry and race for a glass of milk.

Good morning. Yesterday I pottered about yawning, cleaning out waters, packing up the water heaters, putting down more bedding, hauling hay and straw from one barn to the other and generally tidying. BooBoo was glued to my side the entire time and Ton who has been staying with John’s mother while I was away, launched himself about the farm at speed. He is an animal dog.  TonTon is a determined herder and it is easy for him to get into bad habits if he is on the farm without me to manage him. Border Collies are hard to break of bad habits so it is best he does not make them in the first place. So off to town he goes when I am away.  He has put on some weight during his holiday in town, it is good for him.

Boo stayed with John and Jake.

There now.

I hope you have a lovely day.

Love celi