Burrow Downs
life on a small farm
Friday, 22 June 2012
Poultry everywhere!
Sunday, 3 June 2012
My Travelling and My Dogs
Of course travelling can have it's down side too. While coming home reinvigorated and with new thoughts and ideas, there are always jobs waiting when you get home. In my case I came home to the worry of a sick cockerel. We never did quite work out exactly what the cause was, but thankfully now he is back in good health after being isolated from the others and living in a dog crate in our family room for a couple of weeks. I think he enjoyed all the attention.
Anyway, back to the show in the US. The show was held in a big hotel in Pennsylvania at the foot of the Poconos Mountains. The show ring was set up in the ballroom of the hotel and dogs and their owners took over the place for the week, with many dogs staying in the rooms with their owners. I like this about many places overseas - the dogs are made much more welcome in many places. As well as the show itself, there was lots ot buy and silent auctions of all sorts of treasures held every day. My prize purchases included some lovely artwork of Pyreneans doing their job in the fields and a signed first edition copy from 1949 of Madame Harper Trois Fontaine's book 'My Travelling and My Dogs'. A wonderful book from one of the first breeders to introduce the Pyrenean breed into the UK from France with many insights into the breed and individual dogs from the pre and post WWII era, and a very special addition to my collection. You see more pictures and read more about my experiences at the show on my website.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Holidays mean more time for work!
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Bring on the dawn
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Guarding the flock
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Roosters roosters everywhere
One thing to keep in mind about breeding chickens is you will always end up with a surplus of roosters. And you always seem to end up with more roosters hatched than there are hens! We have separated this seasons pullets and cockerels now and are in the process of deciding who stays and who goes. I will only keep the few best to continue on with the breeding program. I am slowly working to improve my lines each year. Today we put leg rings on the birds who are 'under observation' as keepers (the photo is of one of those contenders). I have spent hours so far just sitting or standing and watching them, chatting and interacting with them and looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the different birds as they develop. Some can change a lot and some can surprise you with changes for better and for worse. In addition to the ones that will stay, some will be sold. There are some though - all those excess roosters - that require another solution. No one buys roosters unless they are good ones and even then there is often a surplus. Truthfully you can't give them away either for the most part. Particularly in the numbers I have here. So the boys who are left will be culled and will go in our freezer to be eaten. Their life therefore has good purpose even if it is a fairly short one. Though it is a life far better than most if not all of those chickens found in a supermarket.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Little d'Uccle
Here is our little d'Uccle chick, now 5 1/2 weeks old. He looks to be a cockerel and the colour looks like it will be silver millefleur! He is very pretty and perky. Quite a character. Yes, he will be staying here at Burrow Downs for a while so we can see how he develops. If he turns out as nice as I think he may I may have to see if I can get him a couple of nice girls!
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