Visiting Ram

We now have the services of a Ram (or Tup) servicing our Ewes. That should mean if all goes to plan that the Ewes will be tupped and ready to lamb next April or May. The sheep have managed to eat and trample all of the grass in their enclosure (I am not sure all the wet weather helped). So we have moved them in with the chickens. They are quite funny together. I have seen a couple of chickens give a sheep a peck to get it to move out of the way (this technique does seem to work). The sheep have realised that the chicken house contains straw which is edible. To start with this involved nibbling at entrance ways to get at it. Yesterday morning the sheep let the chickens out first thing by opening their door in an effort to get at the straw. This morning all was well when I let the chickens out, however they had nibbled all the straw they could reach in the hen house. So while we had breakfast they took another approach which was to completely demolish one wall of the chicken house! I found all the slats removed and a leg of the house broken. Once the sheep had broken in I don't think they were that keen on the straw due to all the chicken poo on it. I was trying to get up a fence in the main field so we can get the sheep out of the chicken run, however I ended up spending a good while fixing the chicken house instead. However I did manage to get some fencing done and in the next couple of days we should hopefully be able to let the sheep out into the main field.

Tractor loaded up and ready to help with fencing

I seem to have forgotten already what happened last week, I really ought to update my blog more often. At the weekend the kids and I left Zoe dog sitting and went down to the RSSKL Advent fair. It was great to catch up with lots of people. I spent the whole day chatting and drinking coffee. On Sunday Mark visited (a University Friend) and he helped us with the animals. We clipped the chickens wings. Zoe had helpfully made a corral to chase them into. This saved the usual procedure of chasing them round in circles around the chicken house and never catching them. Steve then kindly delivered the Tup. We then had to get all of the sheep into the other field. Zoe decided we should make a corridor of palettes to guide them from one field to the next. I was somewhat sceptical that the flimsy fence would keep them in. However it worked well and the sheep happily just followed the food bucket where ever it went.

Hopefully the sheep will stop destroying the chicken house and will be out enjoying the long grass in the field very soon. 

We are now managing to have salad from the polytunnel several times a week, as well as a having some servings of Kale. Hardly self sufficiency but it's a start.