Our little flock is growing...

We now have four hens and three ducks... two white Sussex hens called Yellow Legs and Darling (Darling was the first to lay, but she's since gone broody in the heat) and two smoky (one grey, one black) hens called Dark and Stormy, who haven't started laying yet.


With the arrival of the ducks, we decided we needed to fence all the birds in, so they're in the orchard and there's a wild woodsy corner with plenty of shade and shelter for them, as well as their coops. I miss having the hens around the house where they felt more like pets. I saw a book last week on keeping hens with photos of people hugging and nursing their birds and I totally get that. But the mess on the verandah was not so sweet. We didn't want to have to fence in our verandah, so we've fenced in the birds, and the fruit trees will now have the added benefit of manure.

Yesterday, the ducks discovered their water tank for the first time and the ecstatic diving and swimming and splashing that went on was a wonderful thing to watch.

Oh, and on the weekend a new little pig arrived, a little black heriloom variety, and six year old Lilly, who was visiting, named her Thunder.

Elliot has also prepared two vegetable plots that we plan to plant up in March, so we're taking another step towards a measure of self sufficiency. Can you guess what our favourite TV shows might be? River Cottage and Gourmet farmer anyone?