Who's eaten all the chicken food?

Someone has been breaking into the chicken run and eating all the chicken food, we set a trap to find out if it was a martin, a badger or something else.





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Finally after another 30 minutes of eating he leaves. An electric fence at snout level seems to be keeping him away.

Twins for Faith

Faith our last pregnant Ewe has given birth to twins (a black female and a white male). Heavy rain and cold has made the conditions difficult for their start in life and Faith is a bit bonkers - not taking them into the shelter in awful conditions, so we're having to step in and take them there ourselves and she follows.

Nanouk has also been difficult - she's jumping through the fence to try and get to greener grass we causes havok in the flock. Some extra strands of fence wire we hope will keep her under control.

Cold snap for the lambs

24 hours after the lambs were born, 6-7 inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures, but the lambs were indifferent to it, staying close to their mums or nestling down in the bottom of the hay feeder.

One more lamb still to be born and a return to warmer temperatures has already begun.

Overall it's been a hard winter: long, frequent - though not generally heavy - snowfall and unusually cloudy. The lack of sun has meant that this year we have burnt a huge amount of firewood, twice as much and usual and three times what we burnt last winter (which was a short and mild winter). There's over 3m of snow on the ground at 2000m. We are still having regular snow flurries and I daresay winter is not over yet.

The last few weeks have been busy, I've been building a new bathroom for Sheri and Michiel, and Susie and I had a short trip away to Venice for my 50th birthday. We've also been planting potatoes, leeks, onions, cabbages, peas, mangetout and other assorted early vegetables and flowers.

Sheri and Michiel's new shower room

Lamb number 2

We watched lamb no.2 being born this morning to Louise (another female lamb not yet named). A few hours later and we have 4 inches of snow! Mum seems to be taking good care of baby and keeping her (mostly) in the shelter. Hopefully the 3 rams in the flock and the electric fence will keep any predators away.

First lamb of the spring born to Thelma

P3160065 from Lee Sharp on Vimeo.

More wildlife on the camera trap

Forthcoming event

Spring is coming!

First hepatica

 More field clearance before the growth starts

Aplen glow