Farm Diary (15)

25th April.

It's pouring with rain, today. The sort of rain that we remember from Singapore, when it was like having buckets of water tipped over you. (Checked the rain gauge next day and we'd had an inch of rain in 24 hours).

The last few days have been glorious, the sun warm and the air soft, the birds singing and the countryside turning green before our eyes. We put the cows out in the little bit of Gratna above the covered yard. It was lovely to see them kicking their heels up in the air. The ground is still quite soft, but it's a small field for them to spoil, without too much lush grass (which isn't good for them when they first go out).

Polly

The Broad Beans that Sally planted last half term are beginning to sprout. This is such a lovely time of year. Of course the weeds are sprouting too!

Cows enjoying having room to run around

James has been out spreading muck from the previous winter. It's been in a covered heap in the vegetable garden, so I can't get in to plant the rows of potatoes I want . He's almost finished, but not quite, which is frustrating.

The chickens are growing. They've beeen enjoying the sun. They like to lie in little groups sunning themselves.

I shouldn't have said that James was the only one to find dead new born Lambs. I went up last night and found twins very recently born, with the mother licking one which had never breathed. I know now why he finds it such a sad sight. The ewe was behaving just as if it was alive, making soft bleating sounds at it, and licking it all over. It was a lovely big lamb too.

The sheep in the adopter crate is being let loose some of the time. We keep thinking she's accepted the new lamb, and then she spoils it by butting it away, or kicking it The lamb isn't frightened though, and is growing bigger and stronger.

Little lamb being tolerated for a while by its stepmother.

We've had some more triplets born today. It's difficult for the mother to know which one to lick. It tends to be the one that's bleating loudest.

Here's W2 again, he's growing quite big

A young ewe had twins 2 days ago, one much stronger than the other. James found the strong one lying underneath her, yesterday. It appeared dead, totally floppy, but then it took gasping breaths and seemd alright after a bit. Then later we found the weaker one dead, apparently lain on. Early this morning the stronger one was dead too. We thought about puting one of the new triplets with the ewe, but decided that ti was better not to risk it.

It's raining so hard now, that's it only by looking at the photos that I can believe I was sitting on the grass yesterday, leaning against a hedgebank by the Barn, with violets growing beside me.

Tigger always knows how to make himself comfortable, and spent most of yesterday afternoon on the quad, fast asleep.

Straw is very expensive at the moment. We've just had to get some more (we need it for the chickens, and the cows are coming in at night). This is what £740 worth of wheat straw looks like.

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From 9th April 1999