News from Nunnery Farm

Minnie and Elf Move On

2017-05-27T16:44:00.004-07:00

One of the saddest things to happen at Nunnery Farm to date is the story I am about to tell and it was the main reason for the blog stopping. I just couldn't bring myself to write anymore. I tried last year to get writing but my heart wasn't in it. I wrote one post but it wasn't the same. The truth was that love and passion I had for Nunnery Farm was overshadowed by a sadness too big to put into words.

It was the day before Christmas Eve and as usual Minnie and Elf had jumped the walls and gone for a stroll! This was nothing new and although the walls and fences were constantly being built higher Minnie still got out! Despite her huge size, she was the most gentle of dogs and to date I am yet to meet one with a more beautiful nature and because of this and the fact that she escaped on a regular basis Minnie was well know and seeing her strolling up and down the valley was nothing out of the ordinary. She was known by everyone and was quite the local celebrity never having put a paw wrong until this particular day.

Elf and Minnie had become best friends and were never far apart which meant that when Minnie jumped the walls her sidekick would be right by her side. Elf was unlike any Bernese I have known, she searched for trouble as though her life depended on it and more often than not she found it.

The phone rang early on 23rd December. The call was letting me know that my dogs were out by themselves the previous day and she had been told that they had been seen in the field with her sheep. Although she didn't actually see Elf or Minnie, the fact that someone had mentioned their names meant that whether or not they were responsible, they were about to be blamed for the death of a number of her young sheep. I was shocked and still to this day do not believe Minnie was capable of hurting anything. We had our own sheep and Minnie had played surrogate mum to many of our lambs and even baby chicks and Drainpipe the duckling shared her bed. Elf on the other hand may have played a part in it and after apologising profusely I offered to pay for all the losses.

Sadly this wasn't the end. It became clear very quickly that Minnie and Elf were marked dogs!

They could no longer stay here at Nunnery Farm. So although it broke my heart they went, secretly one morning to a place far, far away.

Walking away from them at the secret location was one of the hardest things I haven ever done. I said bye and walked without looking back.

I miss them so much and wish for them back so often but I know they can never return.

Minnie and Elf are in lovely homes in a beautiful SECRET location and are very happy, very spoilt and loved very much.

It has taken me over 2 years to come to terms with this but I think at last, I have and the Blog is Back!

*Since writing this post Minnie passed away. She had a wonderful life.

Drainpipe Has Died

2014-05-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

I really do not know what to say. I went out to let everyone out yesterday and all was well at the Farm. An hour later in pouring rain I went out to check the birds simply because it was raining so hard and I wanted to know they were all ok. My hens do not like the rain one bit!! I found all my feathery friends huddled together in one large group which immediately rang alarm bells .... I had a feeling we had been visited by a fox.

Above all other clucks and hisses and cock-a-doodle-dos, I have always been able to hear Drainpipe - his 'tweet-tweet' sound that was his alone rang out above all other sounds and by simply listening I knew exactly where he was. I couldn't hear him and inside I cried.

I have always tried my hardest not to get too attached but I suppose it is in my make-up. Some people can ignore things and live without a care in the world, others like me dwell on things and have to save every living creature they ever come across in distress. I just think that when something has tried as hard to live as you have to save it then Nature deals a pretty cruel hand when She takes something away after all that.

I found him, so at least I had closure.

I will really miss him, that's all I have to say today

Rabbit Release ... Farewell Little Friend!

2014-03-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

I did not expect to see the little rabbit alive this morning! I had a look at him and although he had some obvious problems with his back legs I couldn't see any other injuries. I would guess this guy was no more than 5 weeks old and was no more than 3 inches long. Having no previous rabbit rescue experience I wasn't sure what such a small rabbit would eat so I prepared a selection of tasty treats for him hoping he would start to eat and drink, I thought the shock of the experience would kill him but he's obviously made of stronger stuff!

He couldn't stay in the small box but as I'm against any form of cages for animals I was struggling to come up with a suitable solution which was made more difficult with the dogs. While I thought what to do I made him a temporary house in a bigger box with the stuffing from an old pillow for a bed and straw and hay he could use to burrow in. I also thought he would like some grass so I dug up a patch of grass and put that in too!

Within a couple of days he was completely recovered and going from strength to strength and although his legs are not 100% he is doing great. The fact he was a wild animal was there for all to see and although he was lovely to cuddle and hold he did not belong with me. He was able to run and hop a couple of days later and as the sun started to shine and the weather improved I knew his permanent place was back in the great outdoors.

I decided the dogs would have to be kept inside for a day while the little bunny made his escape! I have become quite attached to him but the time was right and I cannot describe the lovely feeling I got when I said Farewell to him, put him in a quiet part of the field with lots of hiding places and watched as he turned and went back home.

RUN FREE!

A Midnight Rescue .... We're Back!!

2014-03-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

It should have been a straight forward simple task, locking up and going to bed but it wasn't. Just before midnight I remembered Bean was still outside so I shouted her and waited for her to come back. Not long afterwards she scratched on the door to come in and that's when it started. I opened the door and there she stood looking extremely pleased with herself and barged past me into the kitchen. For a split second I thought she had a teddy in her mouth, I could just see two little white furry legs hanging down but then I realised it was a baby rabbit and despite it being clamped tightly in her mouth, the poor thing was still alive.

As soon as I took a step towards her she took 4 steps back. I took another step, she took 4 more. Great, she thinks it's a game!! I shouted for her to drop it like a lunatic which did nothing! I told her calmly to drop it which also failed to work! By now I was close enough to see it's back legs kicking at one side of her mouth and two tiny black eyes and little nostrils flaring at the other side. I was petrified that she would crunch it there and then because I knew Bean was not going to give up this tasty snack by choice. I ran at her and with her tail wagging she turned and ran.

Shrieking 'Bean, drop it' like a lunatic I set off after her round the kitchen then outside which was pitch black and pouring down in my pyjamas and slippers that helpfully slipped off my feet every other step I took - enough was enough and I lunged at her to grab her tail as she turned and wrestled the 10 stone lump to the ground and eventually got the rabbit from her mouth!

It didn't look good and I grabbed a towel wrapped it up and put it in a box with a heat pad underneath. Shut the door and finally went to bed.

If I'm honest, I can't see it being alive in the morning.

Twins On Mother's Day ..... At Last More Lambs!

2012-03-18T06:54:00.002-07:00

The Mother's Day Twins

Well it's 00.38 according to this phone I'm typing tonight's blog on and I'm in the stable once again keeping an eye on the sheep that I am convinced are about to lamb. I wouldnt expect any activity just yet though as I've been convinced one girl has been about to lamb for the past 8 days! I have religiously sat with them in the dark with my torch waiting patiently expecting a new arrival but have returned to bed freezing cold in the early hours with nothing to tell apart from frostbite! And tonight seems to be no different. I think Its becoming an obsession! I have now upped my game and have decided that the floor is no place for lamb watching and have pulled Kyle's old buggy out of storage and as I type sat in it I feel it was quite a good idea! I just hope noone catches me huddled in said pushchair as it may look more than strange to the normal eye! I sit for 3 hours but decide nothing is going to happen tonight!

So it's another night back in the stable, maybe more lambs tonight! It's 11.30 and I've just come in to see if any of the girls have taken themselves away from the flock to find a bit of peace and quiet which is a sign they are about to lamb and I've found 2 in here. The one I've been watching for over a week now and another girl who I sensed was not too far off lambing. I have given them some hay which they have both eaten and now they have found corners in the shed and are lying down panting - I've begun to learn this doesn't mean anything is about to happen straight away!!

I'm sitting comfortably in the buggy again and am waiting patiently. I'll stay till about 3am and then make a decision as to whether my bed is the best option! I think both of the sheep in here with me tonight are having twins because of pure size but not opting to scan for pregnancy means I can never be 100% sure. The twins born 2 weeks ago will need their tails docked tomorrow and I will need to castrate the boy which is a sad realisation that he will not live out his days here at Nunnery Farm but will instead be for meat. Anywau, enough for tonight - once again I see no signs of any lambs so I am off to bed!

It's Mother's Day today and I've decided to check how things are with the sheep. I need and to dock the tails of the twins. I decided I wouldn't castrate the boy on the same day as I docked his tail due to limiting the stress so once his tail has settld down I will castrate him. I set off down the field to do my job and check all was well when I found Ivy in labour at the bottom of the field. The front hooves of a lamb were already visible. She did extremely well and after a short time gave birth to a beautifully marked boy! She cleaned him up and then walked away so I was pretty sure another was on its way. I was right because she then gave birth to another boy. He is pure white.

Ivy is doing well, she has cleaned both boys and they are currently down at the bottom of the field having a rest in the sunshine. They are both feeding and so as far as I am concerned there shouldn't be any problems with them!

Dave The Lamb Meets The New Twins!

2 down 4 to go!!

Not One But Two New Arrivals at Nunnery Farm

2012-02-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

This morning I went out to check on the sheep and noticed Violet was by herself and as soon as I saw her I knew she had lambed. When I got there I saw a little white lamb next to her which I scooped up and told Violet to come with me and we set off for the stables to get her settled into the comfy straw bed so she could have a rest and so I could make sure both Violet and Baby Violet were ok.

The lamb was female and very small. I had a funny feeling that Violet may have a touch of mastitis so I tried to put the lamb on her to feed and it just wasn't going very well. I left them to it and got ready to go the vets for some antibiotics to give to Violet and the lamb should the mastitis get any worse. If the lamb starts to feed normally sometimes the swelling can reduce and things are ok. I have found that it is when the milk is not being stripped that mastitis can set in and mean taking the lamb from her and hand rearing which seemed a shame because she was such a good mother last year.

Then I heard a sound - another lamb bleating - Violet had had twins but where was the other one? I started searching all around the field, the place where she had given birth to the other lamb, in the stream, under the bushes and practically everywhere. I thought I may have imagined the noise and then tucked up next to the stables in a dark corner I found this one!

A little boy black from head to toe, completely the opposite to his sister! I put him in with Violet and his sister and went off to get my supplies to treat them with should things not go to plan (as most things at Nunnery Farm tend to do!). My experience with Dave and Poppy last year meant that I was taking no chances this year and wanted to have everything to hand should I need it.

When I got back I was armed with orphan milk to feed them with just in case Violet abandoned them, some penicillin to sort out Violet's mastitis, some colostrum for the twins and some antibiotics to inject them just in case they were not able to get that all important first milk from mum but the good news is that all was well in the stable and both lambs are feeding from mum now and settled down for the evening and both the new lams and Violet are happy and having a nice rest before going out in the field in a day or so.

I am now on official lamb watch and will be doing my rounds during the night with the torch so maybe tomorrow there will be some more new additions to the Nunnery Farm Flock!

The Ups and Downs at Nunnery Farm in 2011

2012-02-25T03:28:00.000-08:00

Now as those that have been following me in my attempts at moving ever closer to partial self sufficiency, which is to grow fruit and vegetables to accompany the free range meat I already produce, will already know that Dave the Lamb lost the plot last year and thwarted my attempts good and proper.

For those that don't, Dave the Lamb was one of last year's lambs that I hand reared in the house after his mother died after giving birth to him and his twin Poppy who sadly I didn't manage to save. Dave was one of the porliest lambs I have ever dealt with and I fully expected to lose him too. Dave, however, had other ideas and is alive and well on Nunnery Farm. In fact Dave has become somewhat of a local celebrity as he always comes with me on the dog walks around the valley and has been known from time to time to accompany me in the Landrover! Dave's problem is he has no idea he is a lamb!

Dave would go out in the garden as he was slowly getting better and would always be with me during the day outside developing the veg patch and all was well. I imagined chutneys and fruit wines. Dave however had other plans which included eating everything in site and if he didn't like the taste of something he would make his bed in it. Dave the Lamb went berserk. It was so late on in the year when he did this (just as everything was getting ready to be eaten by ME!) that I actually thought I would have very little to show for my efforts at the end of the year. I am happy to say I was totally wrong!

The plants grew back in no time, my strawberries and raspberries grew in abundance, I couldn't move for blackberries, the hens laid plenty of eggs, in fact we got so much out of the veg patch that I couldn't have been more pleased.

This year I have already started outside and will tell you about that again but I intend to leave out the things I didn't make much use of and replace them with more of what I did. When the year ended I had made so much fruit vodka I thought it would last me a lifetime and I was certain that Christmas would be a very merry one indeed.

The meat I produced on the farm last year meant that I did not buy a single piece of lamb, pork or beef. The sausages were split into 3 flavours pork/leek, pork and spicy pork which unfortunately other people have now discovered and my stocks have depleted!!

I made lots of chutney and I still have lots left so at last I have a little home produce larder and have a small pile just aging nicely.. Unfortunately I didn't manage to save any of the vodka and considering the amount I produced is a little bit of a concern - I will simply have to make more this year!

Dave the Lamb was forgiven and still spends his days playing with the dogs and joins in chasing the cats and he still gets into bother. The dogs are ok, the cats are still going and Kyle who is 2 now is having the time of his life and becoming quite the farmer!

This year I will produce twice as many vegetables and twice as much to drink - well, that's the plan!

Happy Days Are Here Again .... It's Good To Be Back!

2011-10-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Well it certainly feels good to be able to post again at long last on the Nunnery Farm Blog! It seems like such a long time since I have been on here and this has been due to a combination of renovation works which resulted in a lack of internet and on top of this I had to undergo major surgery which has taken me slightly longer to recover from than I anticipated but all that is behind me now and I am able to post once again which is great!

So myself and the Crazy Gang are back and there has been lots of goings on as you can imagine and events I will post about in the coming weeks updating you about all the antics including

Meg The Collie's Emergency Dash
Daisy's Double Surgery and The Fury Boot
Daisy Goes Missing
Drainpipe
Libby's Dartmoor Diet
Jams, Chutneys and Marmalades
Christmas Vodkas
The Productive Patch

and

Dave The Lamb who we will start with!

The last post concerning the now world famous Dave 'the dog' Lamb was I think left with him being returned to the second pig area and being fenced in due to his frenzied attack on the garden which resulted in almost all my plants, veg and fruit bushes ending up in his woolly little mouth.

After a couple of failed attempts to get Dave out in the field with the rest of the Nunnery Farm Flock I decided it was time to open the gates and let him mingle with them as I was sure by now he would be convinced he was a lamb and not still believe he was one of the dogs. So the gate was opened and Dave looked at me, turned his back and walked to the top of the field and sat in the corner ignoring me and the open gate and there he stayed sulking for the rest of the day. After attempts to coax him through the gate to join the others I gave up and went inside thinking he would make his own way to the others - not so!

Dave said No to freedom! He stayed put in his pen for 3 days refusing to budge. He only ran out of the pen when the rest of the flock went in to check him out and appearing to be mortified by their actions he made a dash for it and ran as far away from them as he could. At last he was out and in the big field, he just had to stay in it and not climb back on to the driveway or run into the house.

All has been fine for the last couple of weeks and Dave is very happy in the field these days. Each morning returning from the dog walk when I come out of the woods and walk through the field with the dogs Dave runs to us and plays chase with the dogs. They still all get on very well and once we reach the top gate to go to the house Dave simply turns and skips back down the field as if telling us "that's enough for today!".

I am not sure Dave the Lamb will ever fully integrate with the Flock but I don't think that matters, he will always be an honorary member of the dog pack!

Just one problem - I came back home this evening to find Dave out of the field and on the drive with Daisy! He is back in the field now but for how long is anybody's guess!

Preparing To Lose A Friend

2011-08-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

How do you do it? Is it possible or is it best just not to know?

Last year, the last Bank Holiday in May to be precise, Bean my Newfoundland was sleeping just outside the front door after a long dog walk. A few hours later it struck me that Bean hadn't moved and I thought this strange so I went out to see how she was doing, she was fine just in a deep sleep. It was a warm day and so not unusual for the dogs to collapse around the garden and sleep for hours on end after a dog walk but there was something about her that I just did not like.

Once she woke up she seemed to be fine but I decided to book her into the vets first thing Tuesday morning anyway for peace of mind. When I got to the vets I told them that I might have imagined events as Bean appeared perfectly fine and I felt a bit silly. I was convinced the vet would agree with me and say I had nothing to worry about but she didnt. Bean was referred to a specialist after the vet discovered an irregular heart beat. I still wasn't overly concerned because Bean gets checked regularly and has had her heart checked lots of times and nothing has ever been found to be wrong so I agreed to take her to the cardiologist but fully expected the all clear when the time came.

Appointment day came and the 3 of us (Kyle, Bean and myself) jumped in the Landrover and set off. When we got there Bean was taken from me and lead into the surgery and I was told to collect her in an hour which I did. When I went back I had a chat about what had been found and it was that Bean had developed a terminal heart condition - she needed to go on medication immediately that would need to continue for the rest of her life. I asked how long Bean would survive without medication and the answer was about 4 weeks. Even with her medication Bean's life expectancy was only 6-12 months but with luck on her side she could live as long as 18 months - that takes us to 6 November this year .... .6 weeks 5 days away. In total shock, with tears streaming down my face, a confused toddler in one hand and Bean in the other I set about loading my two passengers back in the landrover for the drive home trying my best to appear to both of them that nothing was wrong.

I was advised to stop Bean's walks and all her activities in the hope that this would prolong her life and I thought long and hard about the advice given to me in the tearful days following diagnosis and came to the conclusion that I owed Bean more than that. Although I was aware that Bean's life could end at any moment - she was not - and she would only get a sense that something was wrong if I changed her routine and the life she knew and loved so much. Bean has always been a very special friend to me. She was a character the day I bought her and she has never changed - to me she is one of the most beautiful dogs I have ever known with the most beautiful eyes .... I swear when you look into Bean's eyes you see her soul. Bean is the best four legged friend anyone could ever have.

So I took the decision that as far as Bean was concerned nothing would change. I would not cut down her walks and on the days I ran around the valley with the dogs she would still be allowed to come if she wanted to. If her and Minnie had a mad hour then I would not intervene because I felt that if I changed anything then I would be trying to prolong her life for my own selfish reasons and in doing so I would be cutting down the quality of it for her ..... and so the decision was made - Bean would continue the life she had always known and I had to get my head around the fact that one day very soon my friend would be gone, but this is my problem and not hers. I have also made Bean the promise that should things get uncomfortable for her then I will do what is right by her as she has always done by me.

Bean is 4 years old.

But .....on a positive note Bean is still going strong and is enjoying her days as she has always done. All I can wish is that her happy life continues for a good while to come.

My Friend, My Bear, My Bean!

Dave The Lamb .... Returned to Solitary

2011-08-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

After a couple of weeks in solitary confinement I was beginning to feel a little bit sorry for Dave and thought he might like to come out of his pen and join the other sheep in the field. My friend also thought that Dave should, by now, have realised he is a sheep and be happy eating grass in the field with the others and leaving my plants alone.....

So we let Dave out ....

He ran straight out and up the field to the holding pen where he met Minnie and without a second glance Dave hot-footed it through the fence and straight over to the front door! Things were not going well .....

So we set about re-capturing Dave who obviously hasn't got it yet.

Dave had other ideas and when he saw my friend approaching him he just lay down on the floor and refused to move. Jean went to find a halter to put round his neck to try and lead him back into the field ..... no chance.

Dave was going nowhere.

Only one thing for it .....

A Fireman's Lift

Dave is back in his field for another week when I will try again to re-introduce him to his Flock!!

It's Nearly Time

2011-08-11T02:45:00.000-07:00

Sadly it is almost time to say goodbye to the two Saddleback pigs I have on the farm at the moment. I have to organise a trailer and get my paperwork in order for tomorrow.

I have just brought the next set of weaners on to the farm which makes taking the older two a little bit easier to deal with because while I am looking after the little ones I am not thinking about the two that have gone. It works for me anyway but it is never something that I look forward to, enjoy or find easy to deal with.

I have never really been comfortable with the killing of animals for any reason and drifted in and out of vegetarian phases in my younger days. I think the first attempt at becoming a vegetarian was after buying The Smiths album and listening to Meat is Murder. Upon hearing Morrisey confirm the killing of an animal was death for no reason and death for no reason was murder my life as a vegetarian had begun to take shape .... unfortunately after many months struggling to find vegetable curry and breakfast without bacon tasty I decided that a vegetarian life was not really for me and so I started to think about how I could eat meat without the guilt trip it carried with it for me personally. This came about by me thinking of raising my own meat as strange as it sounds because that way I could ensure that the life any animal I raised for meat would be controlled by me and I could thereby ensure their life would be the best it could possibly be. In knowing that my pigs are raised the way nature intended without any growth hormones or cruel practices that routinely take place with indoor intensively farmed pigs I reached a place where I was happy to eat that meat.

This aside, the weeks leading up to the date that I take the animals to slaughter I still find terribly upsetting and I find it hard to think about anything else. I consle myself with the fact that they have had a great life that is not offered to many animals destined for the food chain. The first time I took animals to slaughter I realised just how much respect is required for the animal that in the end gives you everything.

So here I am at the saddest point in the journey that is home grown meat. I now need to get the papers and pigs ready so they can be transported.

I need to complete the BPEX forms (these are avilable online at the BPEX site) and email these to the Abattoir. The pigs will need to arrive no later than 10am in the morning. I will load the pigs on the trailer then ear tag them. I have always got someone else to do this for me just because I am a softy but I am going to try and do this myself this time ... lets see!! I will set off at 6.00am to get there before 7am which is the earliest I can unload them and then get them settled into their pen.

So it is a sad day but it is also makes me happy because I am standing for what I believe in and by doing what I do I am making a difference.

The Arrival of 3 Pigs And A Puppy ....Goes Pear Shaped

2011-08-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday there were 4 new arrivals at Nunnery Farm

Dolyhir Ikkle Elf at Luddenden ("Elf") the Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
and
3 Mangalitza Piglets (Spanish Woolly pigs)

The journey although long was pretty straight forward without any mishaps and I almost had the job done and dusted when it all started to go wrong.

First of all I lost a piglet ....

Then I lost the puppy!

I backed the van into the area in the drive where I unload animals. I fed the two Saddlebacks so they would be distracted in another part of the field and this meant I would be able to open the gates for the pigs to run straight into the pen from the back of the van without any problem. Two of the piglets did as exactly what they were supposed to do and the other saw a gap under the fence and ran straight through it and joined the sheep in the middle of the field. "Oh Fantastic" I cried ... this is just great!!

Luckily Jean and Nat were on hand to help me capture the piglet. Jean stood guard at the pig gate, Nat started to give chase and I joined in (appropriately dressed in flip flops). Another Nunnery Farm Nightmare was unfolding before my very eyes! Luckily for us Meg was on hand to make matters worse and every time we got within a few feet of the piglet she would appear from behind the shed and charge it so it fled in the opposite direction and further away towards the bottom of the field. Not dissimilar to a scene from Tom and Jerry the pig chasing lasted about 15 minutes before we managed to corner and capture the escaped piglet and get it into the field with the others.

Sweating, stressed and not even nearly amused we walked back to the van to get the puppy out and you can imagine my surprise when I opened the door and couldn't see her - she was gone! We ran round the garden trying to find where she had gone searching high and low, in the chicken shed, under all the bushes, behind the house, I eventually heard a faint cry and ran over to find that she had sniffed out a dead rabbit in the corner of the garden and obviously drawn to it by the awful smell had took a step too many any tumbled into the brambles. She was now completely hidden by the thorny bushes and the nettles! Jean scrambled through the brambles and rescued Elf who was quickly taken indoors and out of harms way!!

A few days on and Elf is a fully fledged member of the Nunnery Farm Pack taking it all in her stride. The piglets are also all settled in to their new home and all seems well ..... for now anyway!

Dave's Destruction Knows No Bounds

2011-08-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Now Dave has been causing trouble yet again ....

Dave In His Hiding Place Avoiding Capture

His distruction of the entire garden has meant that I have been left with only one choice......

My Raspberry Bush

Dave is heading to solitary confinement.

Another Bush After Dave Dined On it

Harsh some may say ......but fair!

Another Plant Trashed

He has been moved to the second unused pig area for a few days in the hope that he will at last want to live in the field ... or get a taste for grass!!

Nat Taking Dave to His New Home

As you can see by the way Dave had to be transported to his new home he is not impressed. I will see how he goes on and see about letting him out with the others in about a week for good behaviour!!

Buddy Blows Me Away

2011-07-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

I have been sent some recent photos of Buddy Richardson, one of Molly's puppies earlier this year. I had to post this photo - I just think it is beautiful!

Buddy is taking to the stage in October at the Northern Bernese Mountain Dog Club Open Show at Tingley West Yorkshire and will be in the Minor Puppy Class. He is so beautiful.

Nunnery Farm is expecting arrival of a little Bernese Mountain Dog on Friday ..... Baby Elf Skelton

Drainpipe: Show Me The Way To Go Home

2011-07-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to post an update on Drainpipe for the last few days because although he has grown enormously over the past 10 days, and that would have been worthy of a post in itself, I planned to try and reintroduce him and try and place him back with the ducks and chickens. I never like introducing new ones to the existing lot because I find my feathery friends are not friendly at all - at least not to each other, they do not accept newcomers lightly and in my opinion and can be very cruel during the initiation ceremony, sometimes killing the new ones if they are placed straight back with the others. This was not going to happen to little Drainpipe!

If I am introducing a new chick or duckling I would put them in the isolation unit inside the hen house from which they can see the others and the others can see them and leave them there for a few days before letting them out (under my supervision) and monitoring the introductions. Even with these steps there are usually some quite ugly scenes before all settles down and the pecking order is adjusted taking in the new members and so I was prepared for Drainpipe to get some stick from the others and because he was such a special fella I knew it would upset me if any of the others attacked him but also knew that his place is really outside with the freedom to roam, grab his own food as and when he felt like it and being able to dip in and out of the pond whenever the mood took him. So I took a deep breath and walked outside with him.

I put some food down for everyone and then put Drainpipe down - he seemed to join in without any fear (living with 5 dogs and a Sheep in Dogs Clothing (aka Dave - who we will discuss tomorrow!) for the first part of his life have probably helped develop this attitude!)) the other hens occasionally pecked him to move out of the way and the other Muscovy ducks grabbed him quite aggressively from time to time - this worried me because I immediately knew he was not going to be accepted by them just now and he needed someone who would accept him and provide protection if he was to go back at this stage. His mum, the white Indian Runner duck constantly called and I thought she may want her little one back but every time he went after her she would run away. Things were not going to plan just yet but I was not about to give up.

I stayed in the background watching him as he was ignored and/or pecked and tried to grab a bit of food here and there and whenever another bird moved he would follow until they realised and then turned on him. It was very sad to watch but after a few hours I decided to leave him alone and check every 20 minutes or so. Each time I checked he was sat alone - but unharmed which was all I could ask for really. There was never going to be a reunion with his mum and dad - too much time had passed but I hoped he would be accepted by someone. So when I looked out of the window and saw this...

Dad and Drainpipe (the small blob)

I was and still am gobsmacked!

I noticed his dad was affording him protection during feeding time and then I noticed him encouraging him into the water and over-emphasising the pecking of food which ducks and hens do to teach their young how to do it - usually its mum who does all this but not this time - Drainpipe's Dad had one thing in mind - to get his little boy back and his family back together.

Drainpipe and His Mum

And he did just that!

A Dartmoor Diet

2011-07-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Libby the Beautiful Teeny Weeny Dartmoor Pony joined Nunnery Farm in December 2010 and settled into life here very well. She was bought as a pony for my little boy and things were going well.

Even though my little boy is still too small to ride her she enjoyed walks up the lane with the dogs and a friend's daughter was able to ride Libby from time to time so all seemed well until ....

Two friends dropped in for tea! These two were beautiful Gypsy Vanners - they are adorable ... but still boys in a field with my Girl!!

Libby and the two BOYS got on extremely well - I phoned a lady who knew who the owner was and she came to collect them shortly afterwards but it is to date a mystery as to whether 1 will become 2! Libby and the Boys seemed to get very close during the time the boys were in the field with her!

This little escapade happened a couple of months ago now and I thought Libby was getting a little larger and didn't pay much attention to it thinking that she was obviously pregnant due to her antics with the boys. Then my friend (who knows lots more than I do about ponies) simply said to me that she was too fat to tell whether Libby was preggers so she has gone on the Dartmoor Diet.

Libby is not impressed!

She is now on a friend's stud farm being exercised daily and in October - when the fat has subsided, we will know whether there will be a Winter Baby at Nunnery Farm!

.........Watch this Space!

Break In Transmission

2011-07-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

Nunnery Farm internet is going down this afternoon and will not be back up and running for at least a week. As soon as it is fixed ... I'll start reporting the antics, by then I am sure there will have been many!

So long, fare thee well

Pip! Pip! Cheerio

We'll be back soon

Y'all come back now!

It's Me Dave .... Help ............... Petition Needed

2011-07-14T16:43:00.001-07:00

Me Looking Like a Dog

Right I am in sooooooo much trouble!

I have been put in the field on more than 4 occasions .......... but honestly, it is rubbish. I wait until she has gone to bed then I hurdle the wall, trespass through the next field, and walk up the drive.

My Pack

Anyone else would think this genius .... not her!

I now sleep in the front porch if it is left open, otherwise I get in the dog kennel which no-one uses.

Startled - A Dog in Sheeps Clothing

But last night I slipped in, crept into Minnie's bed and sat quietly until everyone had gone to bed. I was only discovered this morning and apparently I am being moved into the bottom field on Saturday because I made a mess.

I have to be caught first ..............

Love Dave x

An Update From Drainpipe

2011-07-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Me, Drainpipe

Drainpipe is doing exceptionally well.

I have been terribly concerned with his eye and have been fanatical about bathing it and keeping it moist, just in case the eye lid did still exist under the scabs. I know he has got the film still glossing over his eye.

Me and Minnie .... Aim High!

As I have said I have been watching Drainpipe's eye like a mad woman and each day I have noticed a little bit more of the pupil has become visible. Today my suspicions have been confirmed - Drainpipe has regained sight in his eye and can see out of both eyes, this is an absolute miracle and nothing more than luck due to the random way the skin was ripped off.

Molly My Friend

The long and short of this situation is that Drainpipe doesn't think he is a duck he has been with me too long now. I have tried on more than a couple of occasions and Drainpipe absolutely refuses to remain with the ducks .... I don't bloody well believe it..... another one for the kitchen!

So Drainpipe is the second member of the Nunnery Farm I Was Born To Be Different Club... I thought this club would be exclusive! Hmmmmmmmm!

There are currently only two members (to date):

Dave The Lamb

(Founder, Chairman and Global Membership Secretary)

Drainpipe The Duckling

(New Member and Second In Command)

Me, Sat on Minnie - Normal Behaviour?!

......... and as the old saying goes, if you have to tell people you are................

What?.......Me on my new friend Minnie!

............ you aren't

So here at Nunnery Farm the fashion seems to be .... odd is mod!!

Me Swimming in the Dog Water Bowl

Maybe we should set up a Nunnery Farm It's Fine to be Different Club........................ Views!!

Love Drainpipe x

Drainpipe Goes Swimming

2011-07-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Now for those of you who do not have a 2 year old, may I say, Well Done!

For you who do, or who have at some stage had one, you may well understand the events of yesterday.

It went like this:

Drainpipe was playing with my little boy and all was going well

Me - Come on put the duck in its box we need to get going.

2 year old - No

Me - Come on we are going to be late, the swimming lesson starts in half an hour.

2 year old - No

Me - Right, give him to me and get in the car.

2 year old - No.

With that the 2 year old was on the floor with no intentions of swimming or anything else. Negotiations had begun. We now had 15 minutes to get there and the journey took 10 plus we needed time to get changed and generally mess about so this meant that we were now officially late. I was getting used to punctuality and myself no longer walking hand in hand. Everything these days needed to be negotiated and then usually negotiated again.

Only one thing for it.

Me - Right get up and get in the car with the duck.

And with that, we were on our way.

Drainpipe in Footwell

And so we got to the swimming baths, had the lesson and came home again.

Back Home

Bye Beryl ... And May I Say, Thank You x

2011-07-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Days

I had noticed recently that one of my girls, a Silver Laced Wyandote, was looking rather old and tired. She had become unsteady on her feet and occasionally lost her balance and needed her wings to steady herself. This is always a little upsetting to see and a sign that, in the race nature sets us all, old age had finally tapped her on the shoulder.

I bought Beryl and her 4 sisters at a local poultry sale about 3 years ago and knew at the time that the reason they had been put into the sale was probably due to them being over 2 years old and that their egg production either had or was about to start to decline. This happens once a hen reaches 2 years and whilst not a problem to most poultry fanciers, can mean only one thing for those after serious egg production - replacement!

Big Girls like these are not the best layers and although they do lay for a while each year, they prefer to go broody and sit for the rest of it.

For me, having only 2 people and a baby to collect eggs for, this is and has never been an issue. Most eggs produced here at Nunnery Farm, go in the Honesty Box at the end of the lane and my reason for keeping hens is purely for my own self indulgence which is watching different pretty breeds bumble about the gardens.

A Lady

Relying on their looks rather than their egg production the 5 gorgeous hens sat in their cage and waited patiently. When it was their turn I bid and I won. So the Wyandotes joined the hens 5 and set up home at Nunnery Farm.

They have given me plenty of eggs really over the years and more than that - hours of entertainment and so when I saw the first of these old ladies showing signs that her journey was almost complete it saddened me but at the same time brought a happy feeling - not many hens in today's world live out their lives to the end, and literally fall off their perch! Even a commercial free range egg layer is replaced when she is 2. Where does she go then?

So yesterday I went to check the hens and noticed she was trying to get into one of the lower nest boxes with a struggle. I knew this was the end, she wanted a quiet place to just lay down and sleep. I gathered her up and brought her inside one last time. She had a little cucumber and fresh water and was quite perky but tired.

An hour or so later I took her back to her house and her friends and as she wanted put her in the nest box she had tried to get in to earlier. She ruffled her feathers and sat back quite comfortably. I brushed her cheek, she closed her eyes.

Good Bye x

Forever At Nunnery Farm

Drainpipe Befriends Minnie

2011-07-09T04:29:00.000-07:00

Drainpipe Duckling, Nunnery Farm's newest addition really did have a nasty head injury when I brought him inside the kitchen last Sunday evening. He had been unable to re-connect with his mum and had made it obvious to the others that he was without protection and in doing so became a target. The geese are my main suspects, mainly due to the shapeof the wound Drainpipe had on his head. It was not a barrage of pecks which would have come from the hens but more like something had grabbed his fur and ripped it. Drainpipe had no fur or skin left on the right side of his head. His eye, although still there, had no lid and I doubted whether he would regain the sight.

So after spending a few hours with him I warmed an old woolly hat in the tumble dryer and put Drainpipe inside in his new cardboard box style home and watched him snuggle down. I went to bed and was realistic in my beliefs that he would probably not be with me in the morning.

I got up the next day and could hear no sounds coming from Drainpipe and put off checking him straight away but then I took a deep breath and peered over the sides of the box and was met by a crusty head tilted to one side and a few chirps. I smiled.

The worst was over, he had survived the shock, the wound had started to scab over and amazingly his eye was wet so the little film he would use to blink was unharmed. He was unable to close his eye when he had a snooze but chose instead to tuck that side under his wing so he is managing and appears to be unaffected by his earlier trauma!

A few days on and Drainpipe is the new Dave. He is not at all happy being left in his box and makes so much noise that there is no option but to lift him out. He Potters around on the floor and is keeping very close to his new best friend Minne the Great Dane!

What Do You Get When You Cross A Lamb, A Duckling And A Nightmare?

2011-07-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF YOURS TRULY!

Hello, Good Evening and Welcome,

You are tuned in to Nunnery Farm - the place where if it can happen, it certainly will happen - and once again I can report to you that everything that could go wrong did, in fact, go wrong.

A Duckling In Disguise

What a heck of a day. I have just got in and can tell you that I do not know how I found this duckling but I did. In fact I am unbelievably worn out, have sunburn that is just a mass of water blisters on my shoulders, my eyes are swollen and look like they belong to a bloodshot frog, my nose is blocked and my face is covered in scratches because I have terribly bad hayfever, and nettle stings because I jump like an idiot, and it itches and I scratch it, simple as that. I am really allergic to grass and trees and it went out of my mind to take any of my tablets before I jumped over the fence to get searching for it. I jumped down over the fence in a fashion that only an imbecile would be proud of and straight into a 3ft band of nettles, then tripped up. So mad!

Grass Covering Broken Drain

Right - where do you start. The whole field is overgrown with not big but massive thistles with arms that are about 3 foot long and I have no idea what to do even when I get to this drain. I am massively scared of frogs BIG TIME. So armed with a tea-towel and Asda carrier bag - obviously, I mean what else do you need on a duck drain rescue (cant believe it now) I scanned the field. I knew the duckling had gone down the drain which is the overflow on the pond. This then went underground and straight down the field in front of me so I figured if I walk to the end I would see a pipe or something to go on. Off I set, when I got there the end of the field was a sheer drop down into a little stream below. I thought right then that it had gone because if it had come out and was even visible it was too dangerous for me to try and climb down. I felt sick.

Duckling Following Its New Mum (Me!) While I Hoover

I headed back up the field so disappointed but I just couldn't leave. I couldn't. I decided that I would just give the field another search, corner to corner and see what turned up. So slowly I walked backwards and forwards over the whole of the field and after this proved unsuccessful decided I would walk the drain line again, the old clay pipes were hundreds of years old, there may be a break in a part of it - so I started walking and parting the grass in a straight line again, on my hands and knees in parts - praying to the God of Frogs not to let one be where my hands were going.

Guess What?

Safe and Sound

I found hole in the field which on closer inspection had slow water running through it. I had found the drain.

Now all I could think about was that I had to put my hand in this black hole and I knew I would touch a frog. Not only am I having the day from hell but I am now a contestant on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. I bent down and was convinced I saw an eye - oh it was awful - I cannot describe the fear of putting my hand in that black pipe. I tried time and time again and even with Asda's help I could not start feeling around. I started to do my best impersonation of a baby duckling and its an intermittent scratchy whistle. Nothing.

Then again, and again, and again. I figured if it was there I would hear it.

Then I did. I heard it - that made my heart pound and I waited and waited continuing to whistle and then it appeared - the Drainpipe Duckling with feathers all stubby and brown. Yeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss!

I scooped it up and brought it back home and as quickly as I could put it back with the other birds and its mum.

I made constant checks and then on my last check when I looked it had been attacked by some of the other ducks and now has a really nasty head injury. I guess it had been away too long. So, not to worry, it is the newest addition to move in and become a member of the hand reared brigade. One out, one in - only Dave hasn't really left. It is on my knee now as I type this and has followed me round the kitchen while I hoovered. Since most of my day has been spent dealing with animal rescue I thought it best to put in at least a quick hoover.

So there it is - mission drainpipe duck success

The duckling has quite a nasty head injury and it is far from out of the woods but you can rest assured that if it can be saved - I will save it.

Asleep on my knee typing Blog

Now where is the wine!!!

Dave The Lamb Found Safe And Well .....

2011-07-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

BUT THE DUCKLING HAS GONE DOWN THE DRAIN

Oh My Word - this is a nightmare of a day. Its not supposed to be a comedy and I woudn't mind but I am supposed to actually love animals .... what is going on!!!!!!!

Right I have got to dash because I know the drain goes into a 4 acre field in front of the house but I have no idea where or if it comes out at all or whether it is a seep-away and I just cannot leave it there. So I am going now to try and locate it and find the drain and hopefully find the duckling.

This is just fabulous ... I mean how can this day get any better!!!!

Update soon!!!

Nunnery Farm Receives A Rather Special Delivery

2011-07-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

There was one extra for breakfast this morning.

A few months ago I found a nest belonging to the Muscovys wedged in the eaves of the hen house. Unfortunately the duck didn't manage to stay on the nest long enough for any of the eggs to hatch which is quite common with hens and ducks so even though it was a little bit upsetting knowing she had been sitting on them for at least a week I removed the nest and cleared it out.

Then about a week later I was cleaning them out and I moved an old cardboard box to throw it out and noticed that there was something at the bottom.

Another Muscovy nest - no wonder my duck egg production line had come to a complete standstill! Not holding out much hope for anything to hatch I put it back and left it alone. I checked each morning when I fed them and noone was in sight, that the eggs were warm which they were and they were always covered over and but I have never seen anyone actually on the nest.

Then this morning I saw this ...

But I am puzzled because I am not convinced it is a Muscovy. I have a pair of Indian Runner ducks and I am certain it belongs to them. I have not had an egg from her for absolutely ages but have never come across a nest either and as they are ground ducks - they never fly - I would have thought I'd have come across it.

I have checked in the Muscovy nest for a broken shell ... and nothing!

So who does it belong to???!!

I will let you know as soon as I do!