THE SQUIRE FARM

Home grown Mutton available

Follow the link for details or ask me, Becky on 01547 530530 or e-mail becky@squirefarm.co.uk

THE FARM 

Happy Christmas 2011

The new stables are built and looking very smart in our big barn; it took us three weeks in the end as improvements kept having to be made.  The horses seem happy enough with them, but on fine days would rather be outside picking at the hedges and leaning over the fences to eat whatever is on the other side!

Peter is filling in potholes on the farm track, thoroughly enjoying driving a tractor and pretending to be a farmer!

The Guinea Fowl are all growing up and I seem to have acquired an additional one, which has become leader of the pack.  All I can think is that it is one of my previous fowls, which I had thought had been eaten by a fox?!

October 2011

Much has happened since I last updated my news in July. 

Back in August, I bought 12 baby guinea fowl, 6 of them cream and pearl I think they are called.  However, in the process of being let out to roam, I seem to have mislaid three of them - c'est la vie - see below!  I also have eleven half grown chicks, hatched by a speckledy hen.

Goose has had another batch of 6 kittens, 4 of which have homes already.  They are ready to go now - 26th October.

Eight ewes have been put out with Hobson this Autumn.  I didn't have time to go and buy cheviot ewes from the breed sales, so unless I find some for sale privately, there will only be 8 ewes lambing this spring.

I now have a tractor mounted log splitter and it is proving a godsend - the stacks of wood are getting bigger.  I have a couple of 'Helpers' coming to stay in November, so there will be some coppicing work going on to provide wood for next year.

But the biggest news is that I have met the man of my dreams and we have got engaged!  His name is Peter and you will meet him around the farm if you come to visit.  He has a lovely 7 yr old chestnut thoroughbred horse, who is busy making friends with El Cyd.

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July 2011

It seems that guinea fowl are doomed on this farm.  I found Flow a mate yesterday, from a neighbour, and went to fetch him.  However, while going to pick him up, I realised I hadn't seen Flow for at least 24 hrs and now it seems that she has gone the same way as her predecessors.  Why should that happen just when I have found her a mate?  I don't keep chickens and guinea fowl (or ducks) as fox and badger fodder, but they still come and help themselves - can I go on letting this happen?

The final kitten, little black Gypsy, is still with us.  Her future owner has gone to Paraguay, to help some of the locals there and will be back mid July.

June 2011

Continuing with the 'young animals and babies' theme, we have had four kittens, four chicks hatched in the incubator, ten chicks hatched by one of the black hens and three guinea fowl chicks hatched in the incubator again.  All youngsters are doing well at the moment, but it is a very precarious life for little birds and I doubt they will all survive.  The kittens are adorable, of course and all have got new homes to go to.

Goose, the multi-coloured mother with Spike, her year-old daughter and the four 6 week old kittens, enjoying an afternoon nap in front of the AGA.

Jack and I went on a day's sheepdog training course, where he got top marks for ability, but not for obedience.  Here he is pictured with Holly (in the front), who is on holiday with us for a few weeks.  Together they make a formidable pair!

Two sheep have been butchered for the freezer, so I now have mutton available - see the box on the right, or ask me about it when you visit.

The sheep were shorn last week and there are two large, full sacks of wool to go off to the Wool Board.  Two of the wethers have gone to our local abattoir and will be coming back as joints and chops for the freezer.  This meat will be for sale, so do ask if you would like some.  

April 2011

My five ewes have lambed their cheviot X lambs; it never fades - the love of seeing the little woolly creatures gambolling around the fields.  Of course in no time at all, they've grown up, lost their appeal and become yet another sheep, but for now, I love them and can watch them for hours.

This is the problem with taking pictures of animals - they don't stay still and the ewes naturally don't want any unauthorised pictures of their lambs getting around on the internet!

February 2011

More new things - I have a tractor!  It is a Ford 5030 loader tractor (that's blue to you non farmers) and it is already proving to be very useful getting bales of silage in from the field for the sheep and horses.

Squire Farm had a long cold Christmas season with beautiful weather and lots of snow.  My Mother died at the beginning of January after a short illness, which put a damper on the holiday season.  She celebrated her 90th birthday last October with all the family and had been living on her own very happily until going into hospital just before Christmas; she had a good life.

I have also been away in South Africa staying with my brother, who lives at Paarl, north of Cape Town.  It is sunny and hot there most of the time, though this month there are days of very high winds, which means that it is unpleasant outside.  I was checking out the local livestock - should we have some on the farm?

I still don't understand what goes on on the polo field, but in that

beautiful setting and with a Pimms in your hand.... who cares?

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