All well and accounted for

This morning the rooster came down from the tree after crowing like a siren. When the chickens finally emerged from the hen house they were all there so the one I thought was missing must have been in the nest box all the time. The run now has a roof and an evening rainstorm allowed me to shut them all in the hen house, so hopefully they'll settle now.

The pigs slept outside, but seemed none the worst for it. They slept most the morning too. They're slowly getting used to me.



Early this morning I watched a Pine Marten in the field. I have seen a lot of droppings that I thought were maybe those of a fox but I have never seen a fox a here and the droppings aren't quite right - now I know what they are. I think this predator is the main threat to the chickens. The photo above makes it look like a squirrel (in fact it eats squirrels) - the male is the size of a fox, but with shorter legs and more of a weasel like 'bounce' as it runs along.