Wednesday 5 June 2013

New Arrivals

It's been a slow start for chicks this year, but we are starting to get there now. A week ago we had 5 chicks hatch for a Light Sussex mother. We were delighted to see two Indian Game chicks in amongst the 5, they have been very difficult to hatch over the past four years.
Mum and babies are doing very well.
We now have a total of 28 chicks and have two more broody birds with a total of 18 eggs due to hatch in about ten days and a further bird just had thirteen eggs placed under her. We are on Turkey watch with 17 eggs due to hatch today in the incubator. Once the incubator is free we will put a further 24 chicken eggs in and that will probably be it for this year.




Our other new arrivals are this years piglets. Kip and Jes were both keen to meet our new four legged friends, but as per normal Kip gets 'bitten' by the fence and won't set foot anywhere near the pigs because 'the pigs bit her'. Jes did get a slight zap, but has been so lucky not to get a good jolt. Her tail has wagged against it, she has rubbed against it and she is still oblivious to how much it will hurt. She is so keen to lick them just like she does the sheep, but can't get close enough.



We picked them up a week ago and one escaped out of the box into the boot of the car, which was a challenge to get it back. And of course they had only been in their pen 2 seconds before they tested the fence, shot through it and we then spent the next two hours chasing them round the field. After stopping for a spot of lunch we had another go and got them back into their pen which they promptly got zapped, shot through the fence and the chase started again.




They finally settled down and now have respect for the fence, staying on the right side of it. They are getting into a routine and seem happy enough. They are eight weeks old and are a Gloucester Old Spot cross Duroc cross (we think) Tamworth. We are very late this year, but will hopefully be taking them to slaughter in 4 to 6 months. I have been collecting stale bread and cakes from work which will help with the feed bill. They have a very sweet tooth and fight over the cake scraps!
They are very nosy and like to keep an eye on what I am doing when I potter around the polytunnel.

Diz has named them Spotty Bollix and Ginger Bollix. Enough said?!

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