So... over the past week all our cuddly rabbits have had to be separated due to either bonking, flattening or fighting. This is unfortunate, however they are all happily living in separate cages in a large stable where they are individually let out on rotation daily. They have massively calmed down since being within sight and smell of each other and we are currently having all our boys castrated as and when they are old enough. Once all this is done, they have recovered and their 2 weeks of testosterone withdrawal has been allowed they will be ready to all start the gradual introduction process. I have no doubt that in a couple of months time they will all happily be living together in their massive hutch out in the garden, this period has just been a (semi-foreseen) glitch!
Tuesday and Wednesday was spent up at Paccombe Farm in Sidmouth (part of the Donkey Sanctuary) where mum and I were taking stage 4 and 5 of our donkey course based around donkey behaviour and psychology. May I just take this opportunity to say how amazing this charity is, they do absolutely brilliant work and are so organised. On top of this all of their courses are free! I would totally recommend taking them before getting a donkey since it is such a big commitment; I had no idea there was so much to know. Now we know it all thanks to Ben Hart, a great teacher and a donkey pro. Check out www.hartshorsemanship.com if you are having equine troubles or are just interested about learning more.
I am very excited about getting the donkeys Teddy and Bailey, only about 6 weeks to go! I have no idea how we are going to manage but we will be fine once we get into the swing of things; at the moment they are still with their mothers so we are still working towards breaking the touch boundary, once that's done I know we will feel much more confident. There is so much to do still, so for now we can focus on upgrading the stable and getting all their accessories ready, before the panic of their arrival really sets in! :)
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Friday, 22 July 2011
I Can't Believe It's A Year...
Wow, a year ago today I was sobbing my heart out in my little blue Peugeot 206 with a goldfish bowl between my legs as I left behind the house I had lived in and loved for 13 years. I had to pull over at the side of the road twice to sob and it was only a 3 mile journey to my new home...Old Venn Farm.
When I pulled up outside the house the removal guys were sat in the back of the truck waiting for us to bring the keys, luckily it was a beautiful sunny day because being at the end of the chain the keys didn't arrive until 3 hours later! Still feeling gloomy and as though I no longer had a home in which I belonged, I walked around our new 4 acres of pasture for the first time. The sun shone through the trees as I wandered through the dappled long and damp grass. The breeze moved the beautiful array of tiny meadow flowers, pinpoints of purple, pink, yellow and white. I wandered along the boundary taking in the brook and the little waterfall which fell 8 foot from the moor into the muddy pool and then headed off on its journey to the surrounding fields. The whole place was idyllic, peaceful; I smiled, that's when I knew I was home.
The last year has been crazy, energetic, exhausting and so much fun. I still cant believe how much we've changed the place, putting our own stamp on it and really making the most of how beautiful this place can be. I also cant believe how much there always is to do! The grass cutting, weed pulling, mucking out, building, demolishing and remaking never stops - and we haven't really touched the house yet! The last week has been no exception, it's been bunny week.
Mum and I headed up to Telford near Birmingham (the closest place we could find unusual coloured french lops!) for 12 o'clock on Monday. When we arrived with our giant cage in the back of the car and went into the 'garden' of a small terraced house we realised there could be a problem. We were picking up three french lops and a continental giant, none of which were castrated or had lived together. The good news is that our boys are beautiful, we have an opal continental giant called Duke; a red french lop called Benjamin; two french lop brothers Dillon and Toby, a blue self and chocolate otter; and our tiny little black self continental giant Flynn who we picked up last. The bad news was the second we put them together in the back of the car they instantly turned into a giant bundle of fluff, claws and teeth and we had a 3 hour car journey to get through!
Dillon and Toby stayed together in the cage, Duke sat in the boot the other side of the cage and Benjamin had to sit on my lap in the front. We quickly headed to the nearest pet shop we could find and forked out another £40 buying pet carriers! Despite all this effort in the end Ben spent 4 hours travelling on my lap because his box was too small and his ears too big. Flynn when picked up was a little dot so went in another box we had acquired.
We all finally got home at 9pm having left at 9am, and being absolutely exhausted. We still had to sort out where all the bunnies were going to go since they couldn't share their hutch. We ended up with two rabbits in separate cages in the hay barn and three littlies in the hutch. All appeared well but the drama doesn't stop there... tune in to find out what happened next time :)
When I pulled up outside the house the removal guys were sat in the back of the truck waiting for us to bring the keys, luckily it was a beautiful sunny day because being at the end of the chain the keys didn't arrive until 3 hours later! Still feeling gloomy and as though I no longer had a home in which I belonged, I walked around our new 4 acres of pasture for the first time. The sun shone through the trees as I wandered through the dappled long and damp grass. The breeze moved the beautiful array of tiny meadow flowers, pinpoints of purple, pink, yellow and white. I wandered along the boundary taking in the brook and the little waterfall which fell 8 foot from the moor into the muddy pool and then headed off on its journey to the surrounding fields. The whole place was idyllic, peaceful; I smiled, that's when I knew I was home.
The last year has been crazy, energetic, exhausting and so much fun. I still cant believe how much we've changed the place, putting our own stamp on it and really making the most of how beautiful this place can be. I also cant believe how much there always is to do! The grass cutting, weed pulling, mucking out, building, demolishing and remaking never stops - and we haven't really touched the house yet! The last week has been no exception, it's been bunny week.
Mum and I headed up to Telford near Birmingham (the closest place we could find unusual coloured french lops!) for 12 o'clock on Monday. When we arrived with our giant cage in the back of the car and went into the 'garden' of a small terraced house we realised there could be a problem. We were picking up three french lops and a continental giant, none of which were castrated or had lived together. The good news is that our boys are beautiful, we have an opal continental giant called Duke; a red french lop called Benjamin; two french lop brothers Dillon and Toby, a blue self and chocolate otter; and our tiny little black self continental giant Flynn who we picked up last. The bad news was the second we put them together in the back of the car they instantly turned into a giant bundle of fluff, claws and teeth and we had a 3 hour car journey to get through!
Dillon and Toby stayed together in the cage, Duke sat in the boot the other side of the cage and Benjamin had to sit on my lap in the front. We quickly headed to the nearest pet shop we could find and forked out another £40 buying pet carriers! Despite all this effort in the end Ben spent 4 hours travelling on my lap because his box was too small and his ears too big. Flynn when picked up was a little dot so went in another box we had acquired.
We all finally got home at 9pm having left at 9am, and being absolutely exhausted. We still had to sort out where all the bunnies were going to go since they couldn't share their hutch. We ended up with two rabbits in separate cages in the hay barn and three littlies in the hutch. All appeared well but the drama doesn't stop there... tune in to find out what happened next time :)
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Yesterday...troubles far away? Um no
So yesterday was not a great day; the weather was a tad wet and grim, which suited the day to come perfectly. The laying girls huddled together, old group near the house and new group attempting to squeeze under the chicks nest box for shelter, whilst Mums fancies all stared out at the dreary day from the comfort of their house. My girls of course also have a lovely warm and waterproof house which they have access to throughout the day but insist on ignoring even in the wettest and windiest of weathers; don't ask me why, I haven't the faintest idea. Today on closer inspection, however, I discovered that my chickens had had an eventful night in said house. Due to the new location of my shed, unbeknown to me at the time, the bolt on the interior wall of the chicken house is ineffective against exploratory shoving chickens. Four of my girls had opened the door and climbed into the main compartment of the shed where all my cleaning materials, medications etc live, had slept there and SHAT EVERYWHERE! Nice.
After clearing up the appalling chicken mess I came inside to find something worse, my beautiful little red capped fancy fish Arnie had gone swimming in the big pond in the sky. I buried him next to one of his old friends in the front flowerbed, I will miss him, as will his tank buddies.
Unfortunately our stunning Gold Brahma Roxanne is not too good. She has been broody twice in quick succession these last months and as a result of lack of food and water and fresh air (despite our best attempts to kick her out of the house twice a day) she has a nasty rattle. Over the last couple of days she has also developed a large swelling under her right eye, we believe it to be a blocked and swollen sinus due to a throat infection. Today was the turning point and we decided to take her to the vet, this confirmed our own diagnosis and the vet added that she is also extremely underweight. All the girls now have antibiotics in their drinking water, I hope this works to keep them all safe from this bacterial infection, and I pray Roxanne recovers, chickens seem to battle constantly against the odds. For once I wish we could win; she is resilient for now. I'll keep you posted.
After clearing up the appalling chicken mess I came inside to find something worse, my beautiful little red capped fancy fish Arnie had gone swimming in the big pond in the sky. I buried him next to one of his old friends in the front flowerbed, I will miss him, as will his tank buddies.
Unfortunately our stunning Gold Brahma Roxanne is not too good. She has been broody twice in quick succession these last months and as a result of lack of food and water and fresh air (despite our best attempts to kick her out of the house twice a day) she has a nasty rattle. Over the last couple of days she has also developed a large swelling under her right eye, we believe it to be a blocked and swollen sinus due to a throat infection. Today was the turning point and we decided to take her to the vet, this confirmed our own diagnosis and the vet added that she is also extremely underweight. All the girls now have antibiotics in their drinking water, I hope this works to keep them all safe from this bacterial infection, and I pray Roxanne recovers, chickens seem to battle constantly against the odds. For once I wish we could win; she is resilient for now. I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
...will we ever stop?
So today we ended up trekking off to find more indian runner ducks. We now have Dawn, Delilah and Matilda to add to our little flock - Gemima, Jasmine, Geraldine, Mabel and Beatrice were a little taken aback at first but after an hour they were running around together happy. The eight of them look wonderful together in the field, an array of colours and comical running :) I think that will do with the ducks for now whilst we concentrate on chickens.... oh, and next week Giant Bunnies!!
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
The New Girls!
Yesterday evening arrived the newest additions to The Eggy Egg Company's production line! The girls - new and old - had only a couple of hours to acclimatise before they were thrust into their newly 'shared' accommodation. First thing this morning on release, all rushed out in a feathery mass and bundled over to the water drinker. Only once the excitement of fresh air, corn and drink had worn off did the bickering begin. I sat and intervened every now and then for a couple of hours but all things considered I think their first day went very well; no blood was shed nor overly aggressive attacks actioned. I was told that adding nearly equal numbers (10 new girls to 11 old) would be quite easy due to the absolute chaos and confusion that would ensue, and it seems to have done the trick! Lets hope that tomorrow is as successful!
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