31 October, 2010
Start the day by feeding the pigs and poultry.
Water the pigs and poultry.
Make pancakes for breakfast.
Set up temporary fences in cleared tattie field.
Move Graham, senior Berkshire boar, to temporary pen in tattie field.
Move Daphne, Berkshire sow, in with Graham.
Move Doris into Graham’s old pen.
Set up netting fence to make pen for two weaner gilts in the tattie field.
Move weaner’s house and trough.
“Persuade” weaners to move from old field to new pen.
Set up temporary fences to make lane between the previous pig field and the newly fenced off one.
Set up gates and nets to make race from road, between pig fields, and up to hill top.
Race inside and start getting boys ready for Halloween party.
Run outside and help move sheep from farm across the road, into our temporary race, and up to the hilltop field.
Close gates and race back inside to finish boys’ outfits with greasepaint and fake blood.
Try to find time to gulp down a pie.
Update the blog, briefly.
Run back outside to move two more pig houses, take down temporary race, finish fences, do chores, feed pigs and poultry, water pigs and poultry, run back inside…
All that with ever decreasing light.
Not so long until Solstice, thankfully
Fortunately, our neighbour came over with his tractor (with front loader) and moved the pig huts for me. The ground is very boggy, so when I tried to my usual lift-and-carry routine I found myself sinking while the huts stayed put. The tractor, although it did sink deep, was able to lift the huts out and move them to their new locations in a few minutes. It would have taken me hours—and I may not have been able to get the heaviest one shifted at all.
Of course, having had one job shortened I was then left with plenty of time to do even more jobs!
We had a bit of a day like that yesterday but without the sheep. Had to move the pigs up to the next part of the potager for them to clear it. There were three of us to move the pig house luckily.
Good fun isn’t it!
You slacking again Stoney? lol