The days are slowly but surely getting longer. Minute by minute. Now I am getting the chores done by dark instead of still going after dark, and today I spent a quiet five mins just sitting with Alvin after everyone was fed, watered and cared for. Perhaps things are getting easier from now :-)

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Flora is about six weeks from calving and she is in training to be a milk cow. We trimmed the long hair from around her udder and she's been getting the full "wash/dry/milk/massage" treatment. I haven't been taking much milk, perhaps a cup, and it's time to dry her off now so she can make colostrum.

In this pic you can see how short she is :-) I normally sit alot closer to milk, but I wanted the shot to show the bucket a bit more clearly. Like most of the animals on the farm, if there is food involved the sky could fall and she won't notice.

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Last weekend I picked up five new pullets. 3 months old and very calm and confident. This is their pen for the next six weeks. We've put up bird mesh to discourage hawks.

Top to bottom, a barred rock, a welsummer, a wheaten araucana, a lavender araucana and a sebright.