Happy New Year!
Here we are again in a New Year and what a start to the year it is proving. Here in East Sussex we have been pretty hard hit with all the snow. We have had well over one foot of snow and in places it has drifted to almost two feet in depth. It makes walking over the fields quite laborious but the animals have to be fed whatever the weather!
Turkeys
Our Norfolk Black Turkeys are bearing up under this weather very well and they still prefer roosting on their perches outside! They only go into the shed when they want their feed. But that will all change shortly as in around February the Turkeys start to think about mating and laying eggs. We have already put about 14 old tyres in the shed and filled them with straw. These serve as nests for the Turkeys and they will lay their eggs in the tyres in March. So they will not just be going into the shed for food in a month or so!
We will be keeping very detailed records on the Turkeys egg laying this year as we want to know how many we can expect on average from each bird. We are hoping to produce over 1,000 poults this year which will come up for sale from May and June.
Soay Sheep
The little Soays have been brilliant in this terrible weather. Goodness knows how they cope with the freezing temperatures but just like the Turkeys they eschew any need for the shelters that we provide for them and sit out the snow in the field! We have 2 small conservation flocks of Soays and we sincerely hope that our two rams – Abel and Hebrides – have been working their magic and that we will be blessed with the pattering of little hooves in late April or early May.
But we are simply amazed how these tough but tiny little sheep cope with the cold and the snow. They really are troopers! They do like their extra feeds which we give them and of course they tuck into the hay that we provide but every morning I go down to the fields expecting to see some casualties but every morning I am greeted with the bleating of a full compliment of little Soays.
Pea Fowl and Poultry
The Peafowl and the hens have coped quite well with the bad weather. The Peafowl have a special run and they are always going to fare better than the other creatures on the farm but – considering they originate in India – they have done well in the present weather. We are looking forward to a good year for the Peafowl as they have proved very popular in 2009 and we are going to raise more in 2010.
We have almost 100 Bantam Buff Sussex Hens available for sale which will be at Point of Lay in February as we grew them on indoors over Winter. They look superb and we are sure that our customers will appreciate the ‘early birds’ in 2010!
Micro Pigs
Micro Pigs have come to Over the Stile. In the 2nd half of 2009 we invested in 3 Micro Pigs and a Micro Pig Boar. The object is to form the nucleus of a Micro Pig herd here at Over the Stile. These little creatures are deservedly very popular and we have certainly fallen in love with them.
At the moment one of the Micro Pigs – Pancetta – is indoors and about to have her litter of piglets. Its all very exciting and we will certainly keep you posted on developments.
Its all go here at Over the Stile as the farming calender just keeps on with its relentless cycle of life and birth. We are looking forward to an exciting 2010 and I hate to say it, but plans are already forming for 2011.
Happy New Year to you all!