So? What's new?

Well - for a start, there's these 4 ducklings.

A number of broods were hatched since spring but, for whatever reason, only this bunch have made it through the difficult early stage - mainly, I think, because I managed to isolate them (with their mum) from the main flock and, even bigger danger for little ducklings, the pond. But they're big guys now - almost indistinguishable from their mother - so they'll be joining all the other ducks in the next few days.

Then there's these tiny chicks. The little brown hen that incubated them caught me unawares

- I thought she had another week to go and was planning to move her from the Bantam house to the broody coop in order to hatch the chicks but all of a sudden there they were, so that was the end of that plan. She's a fiercely protective hen and has managed to keep 6 of the original 8 alive for a week; a long way to go yet though.

And then we have this rather handsome Cockerel with his 4 wives. They're Lincolnshire Buffs -a very rare breed. The Big Boss decided to name him Clarence but his ladies have yet to be christened......

We collected them from Gavin & Stacey's home the other side of Boston on Monday afternoon and so far they have been too shy to venture outside their little house. It was pouring with

rain yesterday so perhaps they could be forgiven for staying in. Today though I opened the front door in the hope they'd venture out, but still they are happier to stay inside.

They'll soon get used to their new surroundings though - if Gunner stops going to check they're OK that is!

"What of the Pigs?" I hear you cry.

So here we have the new 'Wallow What Precious Dug'.

She must have decided that the old one was no longer fit for purpose because she very determinedly started digging this one after breakfast this morning. It's just in front of the door to the ark so I suppose she can wallow at will without worrying while watching her offspring tumble around indoors where it's warm and dry.........

In the first of the two photos she's digging......

... and in the second she's blissfully wallowing for all she's worth.

And, finally, just to show she's not the only one digging a new hole.... in the final shot we have Ginger's two Spice Boys engaging in their favourite occupation....... they are just so happy that finally it is raining (and raining.... and raining) that they cannot stop digging - except if a human comes within sight or - maybe - it's breakfast or tea time. They're just 'heads down' and getting on with looking for truffles - or something - all day long.

They'll be moving up to join their older cousins on Friday though so that'll be the end of digging in peace for a while........

But I'm sure they'll not be there long before they come up with something new... again ..........!!!!!

Precious moments

A most glorious sunset welcomed the arrival of Precious's 4th litter.

She started serious nesting - great snoutfuls of straw and sticks gathered up and taken into the ark - halfway through yesterday afternoon and when I went to check on her at dusk there was a squiggling mass of bodies and more squealing and squeaking than I've heard from any newborns before.

It was not much quieter first thing this morning and the whole day has been punctuated by squeaks and squeals as the numerous little bodies snuggle up to the nearest available teat. Judging by the contents of the dinner dish, Precious did get out during the night but she's ignored her food today, clearly deciding that motherly duties take priority.

How many piglets? Somewhere between 7 and 11. Hopefully I'll be able to get a closer count tomorrow. The Boss says we're going to name them after Asteroids, it being that time of year and there being 10,000 or so to choose from. I thought Apples, it being that time of year and there being a dozen or so to choose from.................................. we shall see!

Lazy hazy crazy days of summer...

But they won't last much longer and then the real work will begin. With that thought in mind I made a call a couple of weeks back: "Can I book a water-work session with Rory?" I asked his good lady wife.....

Thus it was that The Bestest Gundog in all the World, and I, turned up in the middle of last week for a spot of training in a fishing lake not dissimilar in size to this one in the photo which is one of the 'ponds' on our local shoot.

Should a shot bird land on a lake during a 'drive' the dog of choice to retrieve it would be a Labrador - the coat and physique of which is particularly designed to withstand long spells in cold water. But there is not always a choice. Sometimes a spaniel has to go for it - but their coats are not waterproof and the dog quickly gets cold. So the more confidence and speed he has in water the better for all concerned.

The BGiatW is pretty good with rivers and small ponds but his experience with large water masses is limited. Therefore, warm summer weather being most conducive to a spot of swimming, I thought he'd have a bit of fun and improve his skills at the same time.

But the water was deep and wide and the Trainer unrelenting.

"We'll start off with a couple of easy ones" he said.

With which words he lobbed a dummy a few metres into the water to get the dog's brain working in the right direction.

"Walk him a few yards away from the pond then turn and send him in" he instructed.

And we complied; and the dog happily went for the dummy and brought it back to me - not fast but without hesitation. So Rory-the-Trainer repeated the exercise, this time flinging the dummy tens of metres out into the lake. Again the dog gamely went after it - snorting occasionally as the water went up his nose - and again he brought it back, steadily and deteminedly. Again the lesson was repeated at - again - a greater distance. Once more the dog did a good job of bringing it back. "Going jolly well" I thought - should have known better.

"Right" said the man "You two stay here; I'm going over the other side of the lake. I'll throw one dummy into the water then a second into the reeds at the bottom of the bank. In each case send your dog to retrieve - but there are waterhens in the reeds so don't let him get distracted."

"Right" I said.

Well, Rory hadn't even got half way round the other side when sharp eared dog suddenly sat up alertly and indicated a bird in the reeds. Which he continued to watch intently - although he did break off to watch Rory lob the dummy into the water as agreed. Sending Gunner out to "Fetch" brought an eager response - straight down into the water, right turn into the reeds - and after the waterhen which, obviously (being a seasoned Gundog) he knew was what I really meant he should fetch.

When he heard the sharp "No!" he instantly returned. Rory lobbed another dummy into the water on the other side.

"Fetch" I said. "Waterhen!" he thought "No!" I replied.

Back he came again.

"You'd better bring him round the side and fetch into the wind" said Rory, since one of the dummies was now happily floating towards the side and the other was firmly stuck in the reeds over there.

So we did and instructions were given and followed to the letter and I handed the two dummies to Rory. And we tried the same thing again, this time with him on the other bank.

But Gunner was having none of it. There were waterhens in the reeds and by hook or by crook he was going to flush them out or, better still, bring them to me.

"Fetch" and "No" were repeated and repeated and repeated - each time Gunner came back and each time Rory lobbed another dummy - fortunately not into the water but on to the bank on

his side. But Gunner would not go across. He was firmly determined to find that waterhen and fetch it back to me. Finally, he took charge of the situation and would not come back; instead he paddled up and down the reeds intent on catching that darned bird. By the 3rd recall whistle I was almost in the water and he got the message; "Uh Oh - she's whistling me to return!" And he sheepishly returned - and got the jolly good shaking that he knew to expect.

"Right - sit him well down the bank almost at the water's edge" said our patient Trainer.

And then he lobbed a dummy well out into the water.

"Fetch" I instructed and the dog entered the water, looked to the reeds on his right... "FETCH" I instructed and he snapped back in the direction of the dummy - but the 'tide' caught him and carried him well downstream. He swam on to where it should have been, then stopped and looked back at me: I gave a left arm signal; "Oh, that way is it?" he said; turned upwind, caught scent of it and quickly swam up to and retrieved it - and swam quickly back to give it to me as if to say "Whyever didn't you say that was what you wanted me to fetch?"

And he was probably right: whenever a dog gets something wrong it is invariably because the handler got the instruction wrong......

"That was an excellent re-direction in the water" said our Trainer "many dogs won't handle in water" and we finished on a good note. Good Trainer. Knew I'd be just as upset as the dog so no point rubbing it in.

The advice: return to river and small pond work and teach Gunner to go "over" the water rather than "Fetch" (which he now associates with game) and then return for another lesson in the lake!

Easy then. Still a few weeks to go before shooting season starts........

Never a dull moment

The original plan involved attending various Country Shows and markets until the end of July and then taking a bit of a break. But we've been enjoying it so much that The Big Boss booked us in for a number of events throughout August (and forward) too!

Hence, the Pork Provisioner is now appearing at the local town market, the local city market, one or two more Specials and a number of Christmas Markets.

And, just in case life gets a bit quiet, we also have our Meet the Pigs Days at home.

Sometimes we even do several events in one week. Like last week - two markets and an 'At Home'.

Gets a little bit crazy because there's

all the back room stuff - fetching, packing, labelling, loading/unloading - and then remembering if we're using our own Stall (compact and neat) or one provided by the Council (large and sprawling) - and which bits of equipment are needed to protect the food, which depends a bit on the weather - sometimes that's not so obvious at the crack of dawn when we leave for market....... the check list gets longer and longer. Then after a long day smiling and talking with all the customers, everything has to be packed up, unpacked, inventoried, stored away and bookwork done: all to the accompaniment of 'stories' from the day......... Never, ever a dull moment.

Still.... If there were a danger of things getting a little quiet , there's always a pig or two (or more) to keep us on our toes.

At the moment it's still Cherie's Little Truffle Hunters who are providing the entertainment. Coming up to 6 weeks old their adventures know no bounds: many's the person coming down the drive who is greeted by the sight of a row of piglets heading towards them, or away from them, or "busy-busy-busying" across to the hedge and through into the field.

"Did you know you had pigs running all over your drive?" is currently our most FAQ!

Gunner is really earning his keep. Whether he's indoors or outdoors, a quick "Fetch the piglets" has him dashing off to find and return them. One of the funniest sights is 5 baby porkers, one by one, charging frantically across the drive and back to the safety of Mum's pen closely followed by The Bestest Pig Dog - who then proceeds to charge all round the pen to make sure they've actually gone in; then he'll sit and watch for a few minutes to make sure they stay in! Smart!

On the subject of piglets, we said "Good Bye" to Ginger's two little Spice girls. Coriander and Cumin - henceforth to be known as Marmalade and Woolly P - left the Lincolnshire Wolds for Northwold at the end of our Meet the Pigs event on Sunday. It was all a bit sudden but they didn't make too much fuss and, as the last picture shows, they wasted no time on arrival in sussing out their - very smart - new home. We know they are going to be very happy: their new 'family' (and all their friends) spent the Whole of Monday just gazing at, and fussing, them!

I'd like to say their brothers pined for them, a bit, but there's no evidence they did! Out of sight, out of mind!

But....... Pigs go and Pigs come. We now excitedly await the imminent arrival of Precious's new brood: she's looking "very interesting" .... Never a dull moment........

The Pig that Digs

"Do these pigs dig a lot?" is a question we are frequently asked.

Here's a good example.

He may look as though he's scratching his bum but it's the other end of him that's of more interest as far as he's concerned!

On the other hand his two mates are clearly more intrigued by what the camera is doing than the big hole being dug behind them!

So perhaps not all these pigs find digging so mesmerising......

Anyway, just to show it from another perspective........ I'd say that hole is about half a hog deep.... good job it's only a temporary holding pen otherwise we'd be concerned about the foundations.......