2nd 2 weeks (getting started in the UK)

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The tractor has arrived. We have a brand new New Holland. I am not very mechanical, all I know is it’s blue!!! Lol. We’ve used it to move caravans, and it is so much easier than pushing them by hand. The children think it is great riding on the tractor.

The beginning of July was clod here. We had to put the heating on. Something Never heard of in our family ever. We even lit the aga.

The weather finally set nice and we have been making hay. We actually cut about all 30 acres but only baled about 18. The rest was so full of thistles. All thistles and no grass. We have managed to put up 1000 square bales. Not bad considering we have no experience, and the land has had no management for 3 years and had totally gone to pot. I’ve discovered muscles I didn’t know I had. We managed to do this in 7 days.

The ducklings have arrived. They are Khaki Cambells. I ordered 12 thinking some may die but they are so strong and robust. They are all doing fine. Aren’t baby’s time wasters? I have to keep going in and checking them!! We put them in Charlotte’s (3) paddling pool. She only got it a couple of weeks ago for her birthday but she thinks it’s great the ducks are living in it. We separated half of it off to start with but today they have been let into all of it. (8’x5’)

I started making some cakes to sell with the eggs. Light fruitcake and sultana cake are the most popular with chocolate and ginger coming in well behind. I’ll have to do another batch tomorrow.

We have ordered 12 weeners. Large white crosses. They were supposed to be delivered this week but we’ve had to put this on hold because of foot and mouth. We had already agreed our neighbour could rent a paddock for 24 Jersey calves and they are coming this week. The new legislation due to f&m says you cannot move livestock on or off within 21 days of a previous livestock movement.

To get the pigs here we are having a man deliver them for us, as we don’t have a trailer yet. The pigs have to be visited by the vet within 24 hours before being transported. The truck then has to go to a sanitation site to be disinfected and sealed. He collects the pigs and delivers to us. He must then wash out the trailer and return to the sanitation plant with the relevant paperwork and be disinfected again. All this we have to pay for. £20 disinfect ion (about $30).

I spent quite a lot of time finding a vegetable shop that may have end of day surplices. I have found a small shop, only a mile away who has so far given me 2 sacks a day (Once I found them I could hardly tell them we haven’t got the pigs yet) This should help with their feeding as we haven’t got a vegetable garden yet.

We bought a Rhode Island Red cockerel from the man we got the ducklings from, and separated the 7 best chickens to be with him. We’ve named him Rooster Cogburn (only animals not going to be dinner are getting names here) the new passion palace hen house arrived today and when we’ve finished joining the electric fence to the new chicken paddock Cogburn and his wives will be moving in.

Well that's us in the UK for another couple of weeks. Greetings to you all

God bless you

Alison

-- Alison Homa (alison@mullacottfarm.co.uk), July 30, 2001

Answers

Response to 2nd 2 weeks

I'm tired just from reading about your 2 weeks .Make sure to eat well and get enough sleep so you don't get sick.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), July 30, 2001.

Response to 2nd 2 weeks

Perhaps you are using the term ducklings, as in baby ducks, or your lovely pet ducks. Well anyway....until they are nicely feathered out, they shouldn't be swimming! I agree with Patty, you have a very full life! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 30, 2001.

Response to 2nd 2 weeks

Baby ducks shouldn't swim? Why not? Ours always did! I was only going to mention to Alison to be sure they have a ramp to help them get out. If they can't get out (which can happen if they get too tired or the water goes too low), they can drown.

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), July 30, 2001.

Response to 2nd 2 weeks

Baby ducks get their waterproofing from their mama, who gets her bill oily from her oil glands and then grooms the babies. Ducklings without a mama won't have waterproof feathers until they get a bit older and produce their own oil, so if put in water they can take a chill, and also sink! I think I got that right although probably didn't use the right terminology:o)

-- Elizabeth in E TX (kimprice@peoplescom.net), July 30, 2001.

Response to 2nd 2 weeks

Make sure to change the water in the wading pool before your child gets in it, duck droping do not sound sanitary!

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), July 30, 2001.


Alison:

We have two regular participants outside the U.S., one from New Zealand and one from Australia. Hope you become a regular as well. It is nice to get a non-U.S. perspective on things.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), July 30, 2001.


A safety point - children riding on a tractor is a fairly effective way to get dead or maimed children. Tractors shouldn't carry more people than they have seats for. An unseated child (or adult, for that matter) can easily pitch forward in front of the wheels and then be run over, or backwards and get mulched by whatever tne tractor is towing. Or just tip off and break their spine - or other bones. They can also get caught up and wound around the power take-off shaft (and can even turn the PTO on when you had it turned off). Same even applies if they're riding on a towed trailer - unless the only way they can go off it is backwards, behind the wheels. Even then, they could still be injured, and you're not right on top of them to keep them under control, unlike in a proper passenger vehicle. Best is to treat ALL farm machinery as industrial machinery (which it is), and inherently dangerous (which it is).

Tractors on hills or near streambanks or starting under heavy load are widow-makers too.

If you're new to this, your local Agriculture Department or Department of Industrial Relations or insurance company or some such should have safety brochures on use of various farm equipment - tractors, chain saws, etc. If so, well worth getting - they'll bring up points you would never have known enough to think about - even if you knew a lot.

People - I think the implication of ducklings in the wading pool is that the pool was being used as an enclosure for them, rather than a pool. If so, it won't last forever - birds learn to fly remarkably quickly.

Cutting thistles was a worthwhile exercise, even if you couldn't make hay from them (thistles in hay are an abomination). Just cutting them will tend to run down the reserves in the plants - keep at it and they may not be able to form seeds. If they already had, it may be worthwhile thinking about windrowing the thistles and then burning them - if it gets dry enough there, and if you're allowed to.

Careful of foxes and wildcats and feral cats and birds of prey and weasels and any other predators with your poultry.

Best wishes.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 30, 2001.


I second that about no children on the tractor! I know of two families in our small town who have lost 4 year old children who were riding with their grandfather, in both cases, on a tractor. I've read that farming is the most dangerous occupation due to the equipment used.

-- Elizabeth in E TX (kimprice@peoplescom.net), July 31, 2001.

Yes Alison we call young ducks 'ducklings' too, and of course 'chicken s'grow into hens. And we don't have 'chicken tractors', in fact it took me weeks to work out that chicken tractors are actually mobile coops! Such interesting things we learn on the international sites. Be careful with the kids and machinery.

Cheers

-- John Hill (john@cnd.co.nz), July 31, 2001.


Yes the pool is only being used as an enclosure at the moment. It works really well and is easy to clean.

The novalty is already wearing off for the children riding the tractor, but I take your points about safety. We aare in a cab so falling off back or front would not happen, Thanks for your concerns Alison

-- Alison Homa (alison@mullacottfarm.co.uk), July 31, 2001.



Several posters have said spraying vinegar on thistles will kill them. However, don't remember if it was diluted or full strength. Threads should be under the Pasture category.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), July 31, 2001.

Hi Alison, your place sounds great. I may have missed it, but where in England are you? We used to live in East Anglia before moving here (western NY State) 11 years ago. Good luck with your new place, and keep in touch it's great to here from around the world.

-- Carol Koller (ckoller@netsync.net), July 31, 2001.

Im shattered after reading about Alisons 2nd 2 weeks. Alison I think you do too much, lol.

And i was totally surprised by the replys i didnt know that so much could be taken from a 2 week story to cover everything from the biological systems in a duck to safety issues. I think i need to rest my eyes otherwisei think ill go blind not advisable if you want to ride a tractor, huh? lol!

-- Craig Oliver (ruskie@absolutevodka.fsnet.co.uk), August 01, 2001.


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