Oh dear, having just dealt with the lame cat, I’ve now got a lame pig Poor old Perky, she’s currently hobbling round on three pins, while we wait for the vet to arrive. I’m hoping she’s just bruised her foot (somehow) and that a swift recovery is just round the corner.

Wait and see, that’s all I can do.

Ho hum

Snipe and Perky - 17 November 2009

Well, apart from the torrential downpours, that is!

Yesterday, I took a little road trip to Powys.

This involved getting up early and feeding the animals as the sun was coming up:

Sunrise at the farm - 22 November 2009

Sunrise at the farm - 22 November 2009

The dogs let me know they needed a toilet break enroute, so we stopped somewhere in deepest Powys:

Roadside in Powys - 22 November 2009

And then it started raining, and didn’t stop til long after I got home

When I got up yesterday morning, it quickly became clear that all was not well with Horatio, B’s soft and cuddly cat. He couldn’t put his near foreleg to the ground, though an inspection failed to reveal the cause: no heat, no swelling, no obvious injuries, no bites or cuts… He still wasn’t using it by the time I’d fed the dogs, had breakfast, done the washing up etc, so I bundled him into the cat basket, drove to the farm and fed all the animals, and then took H to the local vet.

Typically, when he came out of the basket, all four legs seemed to be in perfect working order, though the vet did point out that the adrenalin from the shock of the car journey would have helped him there.

She took his temperature and said it was a unusually high, so gave him a couple of jabs (painkiller, anti-inflammatory and antibiotics) and sent us both away with a course of antibiotics.

I gave him the first tablet this morning and we’re no longer talking, mainly because he sank his teeth into my finger. Git.

Still, get better soon, H!

Horatio - 29 April 2009

Having bought some new straw on Sunday, I cleaned out the piglets’ ark, a necessary task every few days as they’re still being toilet trained. Although they tend to go to the loo outside, they do go inside as well, presumably at night – especially with all this rain bucketing it down!

So, having cleaned out the wet straw, I gave them about three-quarters of a bale, and left them to it, playing in the suddenly much bigger bed, eating the heads of barley, throwing it about and generally enjoying themselves (their fun was abruptly halted when Pinky and Curly saw what was going on and booted the piglets out so that they could play!).

I then took a second bale down to the sows and gilts, nearly slipping in the mud en route but thankfully managing to stay upright! I only intended to give them about half of the bale, topping it up again later in the week but, being pigs, they had other ideas. I put the bale in the ark, pulled the old straw to the front, which is where the rain comes in, cut the string, carefully removed half, and put the half I wanted to keep in the corner, and set about shaking the sections up. That done, I turned round …. and saw that Perky and Scrumpy had taken matter into their own trotters and had done the same to the other half! I thought they were enjoying the straw that I was shaking about the ark but no, they were making sure they got the whole bale, not half.

So they got the whole bale, though I did tell them that this means they won’t be getting a top up for at least a week.

I don’t think they cared…

Perky in the pig ark - 15 November 2009

I had to get some more bales of straw yesterday, and after a bit of rearranging, managed to fit three on the back seat, leaving the dogs in the boot (sans parcel shelf, worry not!) and me and my crap in the front.

On the drive back to the farm, I was puzzled by the strange looks and wide grins that other drivers were giving me, especially those at various set of traffic lights.

It was only when I arrived at the farm and got out of the car that I discovered the reason:

Snipe - 15 November 2009

*shakes head sadly*

Drat, it’s raining again. Note the use of the word “again”. Imagine it six-foot high in neon lights. Hmph.

Sorry it’s been quiet here of late – I am around, just shattered. After months and months of no work, I could (if I wanted) work 40/50 hours a week. I don’t, so I’m sticking to a neat 36. Or 38, as this week’s total will be. Maybe 39…

It wouldn’t be so bad, only I don’t start until 6pm and I’m working 6 days a week. And then have to get up the next morning to do the animals. I’ve pushed my alarm clock back an hour to 7am and some mornings, I reset it for 7.30!

The end result is that I’m tired and simply can’t think of anything blog-worthy. Well, that’s not true, there’s loads to write about, I just can’t seem to put pen to paper, as it were.

Normal service will resume soon. I hope!

In the meantime, the pigs, chickens, dogs and cats are all healthy and happy … apart from the rain. They’re not happy about that. Join the club!

It’s a windy but sunny day today, what a change from all the rain we’ve been having. I’m seriously thinking about buying some lifejackets and arm bands for the pigs, just in case!

Mind you, the rain did hold off long enough earlier this week for me to move both the piglets and the adults onto dry, fresh and green ground, though how long it will stay like that is anyone’s guess (for what it’s worth, mine is ‘not long’).

The adults couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw where they were going and haven’t stopped grinning (or stuffing their faces) since then:

Tia, Brini, Perky, Fergie and Scrumpy - 3 November 2009

The break in the weather didn’t hold for long:

Dark clouds over the field - 4 November 2009

And here’s the cutest piglet photo ever:

The piglets - 5 November 2009

But this is the funniest:

Don't ask. Just don't ask!

If they’re like this at 6 weeks, what will they be doing at 6 months?!!

I’m feeling rather sleepy and not really with it, so here’s a photo of the piglets from Sunday:

Pinky feeds her six-week old piglets - 1 November 2009

My, but they’ve grown in the six weeks since they were born!

Pinky's piglets - 20 September 2009

And they’re naughty, too! And smart, but there’s a story to be told there… another time, when I’ve woken up!

I’ve been doing silly shifts at work (t’is the season and all that), hence the lack of posts recently.

In lieu of having to engage my brain, I decided to cheat and took some photos this morning that I thought Lec and Jan would appreciate!

Leaves - 29 October 2009

Snipe - 29 October 2009

If I’m honest, I’ll admit that young Master Curly is a pain in the backside and I spend half my time wishing I’d sent him off before Bailey, instead of waiting for the freezer to empty so I can fit him in.

However, I spend the rest of my time marvelling at how gentle he is with his piglets:

Curly and his piglets - 23 October 2009

Pinky is, of course, as doting as any sow:

Pinky and her piglets - 23 October 2009

If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see that she even dropped down in a large pile of pig poo to feed the piglets when they started telling her that they were hungry!

Good times