Thanks for the reminder Tracie.
Ive been twice to the farm since I have posted so Ill go back and write it in order, if I remember properly lol
This time I went back I was worried because we had the intial visit from our Animal Health person so we scooted around tidying up the farmyard. God alone knows how many bits of string we picked up!!
As it happened we had to go out to get some food for us the day of the proposed visit and she was waiting for us when we got back. I signalled to my son to make sure the baby pigs had water cos they turn the bowl over and she walked with us and caught us doing that but she understood we dont really keep the piggies short of water.
She walked slowly with us round the farm asking questions and with me gabbing away about anything and everything as I do when Im nervous (hubby says I vomit information) but I needent have worried Stacy (thats her name) was lovely. In fact she was so sweet I could have sat her on my lap and patted her back like you do with young kids.
After the walk round we went into what passes for the kitchen where my son made us all a coffee and we sat and went over the paper work which I hadnt filled in so she showed me how to.
I also told her that we had buried a lamb and the reasons why we had, she said that she didnt think there would be any action taken against me but that it wasnt her decision. She also gave me the knacker mans phone number.
Stacy stayed chatting for over 3 hours, she is lovely and I was encouraging her to go to university and getting DEFRA to pay for it.
On leaving Stacy said the she visits each farm once every year and I said "Oh no you must call in when passing to have some coffee and cake." she was THAT nice.
She wrote on my inspection form 'I am impressed with the set up and the owner is very knowlegable about the needs of her animals.' Yay!! Go Us!!!
1 week later we got a letter saying that 'due to my honesty being refreshing' about telling her that I buried the lamb and as I didnt know any better there was no further action but dont do it again.' Phew!
Ah and now back to that little escaped pig. It has been seen loads of times. We get phone calls about it, our neighbours get phone calls about it. We had 2 articulated lorry drivers that skidded to a halt by the refinery and tried to catch it come and tell us. We have had the security lady in full uniform come tell us about it, BUT WE CANT CATCH IT!!!
I have taken a bucket of pig pooh and another of pig food to lead it onto our land as its only in the next field munching on peas. Oh yeh the tractor driver that was ploughing the field came and told us too!
We wondered if we should advertise a 'Pig Hunt' to get this dam pig back!!
Seriously 7 of us are going out to get this pig with beach wind breaks with the poles removed between each of us to funnel the pig into a dog crate, so if you can imagine how we will look a sort of circle closing in that will only leave the pig one way to go. Wish us luck!!!
The geese had been gradually let into an area that is approx 1/2 acre as they eat the grass the area gets bigger and last week I saw them take a run up to fly out of that area but they are too heavy to take off, so now they wriggle under the fence and usually to be found loose over the whole 5 acres. Im not worried as they do come back when I shout 'bedtime' or if Im late and its getting dark they are in bed waiting for me to lock the door. Clever little goosies!
The kenells and cattery are now just about finished and next week we will ask for the inspection for the licence. Hoorah some money coming in!
We had a letter from the council saying that we had locked the gate to the public footpath through our land and without even checking they sent us that nasty letter accompanied by photos of 2 months before we even owned the place!!! I asked for the council woman to come out and actually see and that next time she should check not rely on a complaint that was untrue.
Now we have gates either side of the footpath cos our lambs are loose, she tried to tell us we couldnt have gates even if we had livestock!! Yeh right!! Im not as green as Im cabbage looking Mrs!!!
Oh and I lock these gates at 10pm although she doesnt like that cos noone walks their dogs at 10pm over a field unless they are up to trouble and my place has been broken into several times before we got it. I have the backing of the police for this and have many incident/crime numbers to back me up.
As my husband now says 'Jackies got a battle to fight and is girding her loins and sharpening her talons.' He knows me well as I love to be told 'No' when someone is wrong so I go into battle.
My most famous 'battle' was to make Tesco change their wages policy throughout the whole group which cost them mega bucks.
We had one thing happen that actually turned my stomach and made me think hard about owning chickens.
I know chickens are carivores and sometimes peck each others vents but we had been out for most of the day after feeding and watering the animals and when we got back we saw something in the middle of the field so one of the lads hopped the fence and borught it to us. It was a dead chicken that had ALL of its inards eaten out!! Everything was gone and the cavity was clean.
Poor, poor chicken. I wonder at what point in being eaten alive did it die?
The chickens are fed well and are in a half acre area so not over crowded for 33 chickens, why?
My son pointed out that chickens are actually the nearest living thing to dinosaurs we have now, as if that helped! It didnt.
As some of us do on here I chat on Facebook too so decided to advertise my meat for sale and I sold 3 chickens in Melton. Each one was 8.5lbs when cleaned, 12lbs before being defeathered etc. Not bad weights and they taste great, or they did.
I really ought to get on finding buyers for my meat or Im gonna be stuck with loads of animals lol or freezers!
Les has made me a fantastic bathroom and because I have been a bit short tempered with him he thought I would moan at him for it but I just went 'WOW' when I saw it.
I have a sunken extra large whirlpool bath that whizzes out water AND air. On the wall by the bath is a glass shelf for my wine glass and book and over the bath is 3 ceiling lights that work on a dimmer switch. OH heaven!!
We have a huge shower cubicle that could fit a rugby team in, the idea sounds good but I think hubby may moan with them there, I wouldnt.
Anyway that was that visit.
