Down on the farm...

It has been a while since we posted anything about the animals down on the farm. They are still multiplying and doing their thing. Since Edward and Bella we are on our 3rd pair of Hereford calves (all the others having gone on holiday to a cooler clime). Peter has our latest ones wrapped around his little finger - literally...

We are also on our second calving of Highland Cattle since we bought the herd. The bull is good at doing his thing and the calves are all very healthy. You can see how we are strip grazing them (below) to ensure we manage the pasture well over the wetter winter months. There is still plenty of hay should we run out of grass.

The Dorset Horns are doing very well. They now regularly lamb twice a year, which means that we may get as many as four lambs per ewe each year. Here they are frolicking about...

And the pigs are doing well well. We have 3 sows and 1 boar (who is regularly 'pimped' out to other farms). I managed to catch Caramel, one of our Ginger Saddlebacks, giving birth the other morning. Here are some pictures and some videos (videos not for the faint-hearted)...

Above: Caramel resting in the sun after her efforts.

Below: The rooster 'Madison' would not leave her throughout the whole event.

Farewell to our Godson...

Our godson, Michael, left us this weekend after a jolly tour of NZ to move on to the USA (we think it is open again).

We think he enjoyed his time with us. He did the obligatory planting of trees at WBP (as all our visitors do). He planted two very dramatic Magnolia 'Cleopatra' outside the entrance to The Nymphaeum in memory of his visit...

Magnolia Cleopatra is New Zealand variety cultivated by Vance Hooper, by crossing Sweet Simplicity with Black Tulip...

He was also there for the birth of our first successful hatching of incubated runner duck eggs (previously when we had left the Indian Runners to their own natural devices their nests were ravaged by ? stoats). This year to collect the eggs and incubate them with good results...

and the birth of a litter of piglets...

He also got to go Zorbing...

Above and Below: Peter and Michael Zorbing

and Bungy Jumping...

and flying...

and shooting...

He was a marvelously jammy devil, with a hit rate of at least 90% - excellent for most shooters, but amazing for someone who had never held a gun before in his life! 

We hope he enjoyed himself and has a great time on his round the world tour. We look forward to him coming back once WBP is up and running.

Pig Hilton Mark 2...

After 2 years of breeding Wessex Saddlebacks, we were in need of a larger pig sty. Pig 'Hilton' mark one was a rectangular ark made of plywood, open at one end - functional but not pretty. I did some research into traditional pig stys, ones that would look at home on an English-styled farm. There were several which caught my attention...

Above: A Traditional Welsh Pig Sty

I like the look of the old traditional pig stys, but they are impractical, non-transportable, and designed for non free-range pigs.

Having seen some of the shelters on the market...

And some old stone huts...

...I struck upon the idea of making a stone-look sty out of wood. So, my grandfather and I set about building Pig Hilton mark 2 - out of completely recycled materials. 

We had some timber from previous projects lying around, and we pulled the plywood lining off the inside of the current barn (knowing that it is going to be demolished to make way for the driveway next year). One of our neighbours gave us a whole lot of spare roofing iron, and so we were set to start building.

Above: Old Timber which we used to create the floor (below)

The floor size was 7'x10'. 

Above: Putting the framing for the walls up

Below: Starting to make the trusses for the roof

The finished roof framing

Below: Cutting the roofing iron

Putting on the roof...

All the way through my grandfather taught me heaps of helpful hints and tips that I will be able to apply to any other buildings in the future.

Almost completed project - structurally finished with gate latched back against wall. Now we just need to find some stone coloured paint and set about adding the finishing touches.

Below: The old pig sty, with the brook swollen with water due to all the rain we have had.

I'll post an update once we've painted it. Now I've learnt how to build a gabled animal shelter, my next project is going to be a potting shed for the middle of the potager garden.

New Piglets...

In the rush before Christmas we had another sow give birth to a litter of five piglets. Again, there was the obligatory gold and white piglet (as with the last litter).

Our piglets and Boer kids have been a huge success. We quickly sold out of all the piglets and kids from 2011, and have pre-sold sold several piglets and kids for this coming year. If anyone else is interested please contact us directly at farm@willowbrookpark.co.nz

It is always nice when people who have bought our animals stay in touch. One such person is Jacqui, who bought a piglet from our last litter and has named it 'Lady Marmite'.
You can follow 'Farmer Jax' at her blog: Little Acres Cottage

I do need to give a hugh thank you to Peter, for his amazing dedication to the 'pig run' every day (he drives across town and back to two grocers to pick up fruit and vegetables for the pigs - every day after he has finished work). Thank you for so willingly sticking to the mission. The piglets are a tribute to your hard work.