Piggies

Spring on the farm

One more day till the spring equinox. Weather has been gloriously sunny and warm and the barnyard and fields are almost bare. Twenty lambs so far...all of them variations of black and white. Five sets of triplets this year and an early start to lambing and one record day where we had eight lambs born during one day. We had our share of losses also, with Fairy having a dead lamb, Black Face losing two of her triplets in some undetermined mishap (found them wedged into a corner of the lambing pen) and one of Freckles triplets similarly found dead in the pen one afternoon (suspecting Carmelita's horns). We're still waiting for the six youngest first lamb ewes...hopefully all will go well with them and soon.

donegal farm organic pigs

The piggie herd is growing rapidly. We added three young pigs from a farm near here...two are Tamworth crosses and the third is a Hampshire cross. I think we will eventually get exclusively into heritage breeds but for now...are happy with our selection.

Andreas was here for a day visiting Henning and got to help unload piggies.

The sow with the nursing piglets has been here for almost a month. She's a Yorkshire and her piglets are half big blacks (very pink in their infancy though) and are growing nicely into spotted piggies. Yesterday, Henning fetched Napoleon from his home near Stirling. Napoleon is pure-bred tested 8 month old Duroc boar who should father a lot of good meaty piggies with Esmerelda and Lulu who have settled their differences and are now co-existing nicely in their pen while they wait for their respective dates with Napoleon.

On the bird front, delivered our five little duckies to their new home at Robin and Stephanies farm. Too complicated to keep them at the cafe until they are old enough to go to our farm.

Hens are laying really well and meat birds are growing nicely. I am searching for a breed of Heritage chicken which will lay and be a good meat bird also. Possibly Delawares, Chanteclairs or Jersey Giants...if I can find them.

The Wilno Film Festival went well with our theme From Farm to Fork. What an eye-opening series of documentaries! Food Inc....The World According to Monsanto...The Real Dirt on Farmer John....all very much worth watching.