The piglets are now a week old and doing really well. They're starting to explore their surroundings and having great fun rooting around in the straw. We're still using the heat lamp and heater in the pig house as temperatures here overnight are still below freezing but the sun is shining again and the snow is starting to melt quite quickly.
There are problems associated with the snow melting too fast and last year we did get flooded at one point - although that was due to excessive rain falling on already sodden ground. So we'll have to be vigilant and make sure the drainage channels don't get blocked or overwhelmed.
The horses and donkey are out in the garden enjoying some fresh air and the heat from the sun and the chickens have decided that it's ok to venture out for a while too.
Garden planning needs to start in the next week properly and I'll have to sort through my seed bag and see what's there and what I need to buy. I have a huge bag of mixed flower seeds so at least we should have a riot of colour in my small ornamental garden!
Roll on spring!
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Missing in Action!
I've not posted on here for a few days and can't really explain why. I've had the time just not the oomph I guess. Strange for me when I can usually ramble on about almost anything!
The weather here has been awful with daytime temperatures still below zero and the coldest we recorded personally was minus 22 degrees C. Brrrrr no good for man or beast!
Our piglets are doing ok in their now heated house and also have a heat lamp to help keep them going. We did lose 4 babies but think that Charlotte being a first time mum may have possibly lay on them by mistake. It's a real shame but all part of nature and raising animals, even though we were upset at having lost some piglets I still wouldn't like to use a farrowing crate and think that a natural birth is best. At one point we were worried that the piglets were suffering because of the cold and I dashed out to buy milk replacer, bottles and teats just in case. Fortunately I've not had to use them yet as mum is providing lots of milk and snuggling up with the babies to help them stay warm.
We've been without water inside the house for 4 days now and are all badly in need of a shower! I don't know how the Bulgarians cope as most in the village don't have a bathroom. Luckily for us there is a fresh water spring next to our that provides running water most of the year. So it's off with the empty pop bottles and I might even get to wash my hair later! What could you not live without?
The weather here has been awful with daytime temperatures still below zero and the coldest we recorded personally was minus 22 degrees C. Brrrrr no good for man or beast!
Our piglets are doing ok in their now heated house and also have a heat lamp to help keep them going. We did lose 4 babies but think that Charlotte being a first time mum may have possibly lay on them by mistake. It's a real shame but all part of nature and raising animals, even though we were upset at having lost some piglets I still wouldn't like to use a farrowing crate and think that a natural birth is best. At one point we were worried that the piglets were suffering because of the cold and I dashed out to buy milk replacer, bottles and teats just in case. Fortunately I've not had to use them yet as mum is providing lots of milk and snuggling up with the babies to help them stay warm.
We've been without water inside the house for 4 days now and are all badly in need of a shower! I don't know how the Bulgarians cope as most in the village don't have a bathroom. Luckily for us there is a fresh water spring next to our that provides running water most of the year. So it's off with the empty pop bottles and I might even get to wash my hair later! What could you not live without?
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