February Update
Well this is the first update of 2007, again we have been a little remiss with the timing of the updates, I don't think we can call them monthly updates any more!....Right then lets get it over with....Daft quotes, I do believe I said "I thought I would have a go at building a barn! I mean how difficult can it be!!!".....The answer VERY. I took ten days over the Christmas period to erect the 14 poles that would be the main frame of the building.
10 days was not enough when you have to dig footing holes and your building materials are all on the large size! That, with soggy wet ground....well what can I say, this is as far as we got!
That's 1 corner post, and I'm very proud of our achievement. However that does not get us ready for Mary's calf due in April, so an executive decision was made and we purchased a field shelter. Which as you can see is much liked by all who reside in her.
This was not the only stressful issue we had to deal with, our free range Turkey's were becoming a little too free range!
This is one of the Norfolk Bronze females having a wander on top the 10 foot hedging, they have changed a fair bit since the chick pictures "Septembers update", the Stag (boy) which is Buff in colour has an interesting look....not sure that handsome covers it though!
Oh well....it'll soon be Easter!
We have some new arrivals, about 30 thousand of them to be exact, my bees are now on-site, Penny (my bee keeping mentor) and I moved them from Penny's the first weekend of February.
Here we are performing final checks (late Autumn) ready for the move once the bees had finally stopped their activity.
This is the equipment needed to setup your first hive....No it's not just an excuse to drive the tractor!
And finally in situ....I can't tell you how happy this tiny little box makes us feel.
The bees are not the only new arrival, last update we introduced you to Patrick (of the Patrick bloodline) a boar we had for one of our sows. We decided to keep him along with Sambo (of the Sambo bloodline). This means that we have breeding stock now as all of our pigs are pedigree registered.
We are now officially registered as Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS) breeders and are named the "Broadgate Herd"
Here Sambo is hard at work!
And finally we have taken ownership of three Suffolk cross male lambs, along with three additional Wensleydale lambs (this time white)
The Suffolk's are the smaller white ones in the middle of the picture, the Wensleydale lambs are top right just in view.
Doesn't take long to join a gang on the smallholding....Just look at Willow and hers.
That's it guys your right up to date.
See you for the next update.
Shane & Emma