Monday 16th April 2018
A day of compost turning - very satisfactory.
The turkeys have a new house (really just ramshackle shelters where they can lay their eggs) and it is pleasing to see that each of the hens has now moved into her own house.
The turkeys have a new house (really just ramshackle shelters where they can lay their eggs) and it is pleasing to see that each of the hens has now moved into her own house.
Tuesday 17th April 2018
Turkey Runaround
Dry today with a strong warm breeze. Maybe finally some of the moisture will be driven from the surface of the land.
I ordered a new chicken pen on Sunday night and it arrived bright and early this morning, so I started erecting it straight away. As soon as construction is finished it will be home to the 20 commercial meat birds which are currently living in the garage.
They are growing astonishingly fast and already need more space.
They are growing astonishingly fast and already need more space.
This new chicken pen is part of a slight redevelopment of the old pig pen and spare veg patch. To fit the pen in, I removed some of the rickety old fence today. With the two hen turkeys sat tight in their houses, I let Silver Stag out for a bit of a wander. He doesn't go more than a few feet away from the girls as he spends all day huffing and puffing in his new role as Chief Protector. In fact he was too busy thumping his chest and ruffling his feathers to even notice the lush new nettle growth beneath his feet (turkeys are about the only animal which will effectively remove these)
I busied myself with taking down the old fence, only to look up and see that the turkey door had swung open and the two hens had decided to stretch their legs. They did find the nettles and were pecking away delightedly. I decided to leave them be as they weren't wandering far. Big Mistake.
Distracted by my work, I did not notice all three turkeys embarking on an exploration of the smallholding. By the time I did, they had a taste for freedom!
I spent the next 45minutes turkey-chasing. I think of the smallholding as the world's best gym. Yesterday's turning the compost was the muscle exercise and the reps. Today's turkey chase the aerobic exercise.
Anyway, eventually the turkeys were back where they belong. It is such a shame they can't be free range any more, but they had become too confident and started wandering too far and getting themselves into perilous situations.
Meanwhile, all was well in the sheep field.
I busied myself with taking down the old fence, only to look up and see that the turkey door had swung open and the two hens had decided to stretch their legs. They did find the nettles and were pecking away delightedly. I decided to leave them be as they weren't wandering far. Big Mistake.
Distracted by my work, I did not notice all three turkeys embarking on an exploration of the smallholding. By the time I did, they had a taste for freedom!
I spent the next 45minutes turkey-chasing. I think of the smallholding as the world's best gym. Yesterday's turning the compost was the muscle exercise and the reps. Today's turkey chase the aerobic exercise.
Anyway, eventually the turkeys were back where they belong. It is such a shame they can't be free range any more, but they had become too confident and started wandering too far and getting themselves into perilous situations.
Meanwhile, all was well in the sheep field.
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