Blog

Hello everyone. I have started a blog so that everyone will know what is happening on Karen's Farm. (That in itself is a "tongue in cheek" Perranuthnoe version to Adams Farm as per BBC Countryfile.)

The pigs in Apple Tree Field are doing well and are now all sold. They will remain there, (unless they escape) until about August when they become food, having had a good life doing what pigs like to do. I am fine with people giving them fruit & veg scraps.

Going down the lane on the other side is Garden Field. This used to have chickens in it but has now been reseeded for the Christmas geese to eat. For 28 days in the summer holidays I will also use this field for camping.

Next field down I call the Bees Field. This had 4 working hives and 2 empty ones. Its the time of year when the hives get opened up to check what the queen is upto. If i had a chrystal ball I would have done it in March when we had the hot weather. April has proved a bit too cold for me to do it at the moment.. If i can find a way to do it I want to make this field fox proof so I can have chickens in there.

The next field is Little Barn Field. This is where the two sows are with their piglets. These were taken on after someone was banned from keeping animals for 10 years. The sows are Lage Blacks a rare breed mostly found in Cornwall. Cilla ( Black) is 8yrs old with 4 piglets and (Black ) Betty is 4yrs with 7 piglets. When the pigs are a bit older they will go to new homes.

Lastly I come to three bigger fields that I will use for the cows. Two fields have the Churchway Footpath in them Higher Carn and Lower Carn. The third is where the cows currently reside- Swallows Barn Field. The cows - Whitebred Shorthorns, have received a lot of publicity recently because of the savage attack on them by 2 pit bull type dogs. One dog was shot and the second has been seized by the police as it is reported to be a Rhodesian Ridgeback crossed with a Pitbull. I CID have gathered all but one statement and it will be going to court.The good news is that they are on the mend. Guinevere, despite having many stitches lost part of her upper lip, but she can eat and will now look like she has a hair lip. In the next few weeks she and Primrose will go back to Pendeen for summer grazing on the moors and in time run with the bull over there. In return I will get Buttercup back and she is due to calve in September or early October. I just need to find some more finances to kit out my dairy and get a pasteuriser and then I can do butter and other dairy products.

Lastly in the garden I have 2 more bee hives and a pen where I am bringing on 12 goslings. The goslings will be 2 weeks old this weekend. Once they have their white feathers I will be walking them up the lane to graze and back home again in the evening.

More info when I have more news. Karen