Jumping Daf on the Beach!

We took Dafydd to the beach today to exercise him and teach him to jump.

Must have spent 2 hours playing and trotting around the beach but he loved it!!
As much as I hate running I loved it too! :))

Started Riding Lessons

Have been helping to back a couple of horses and my friends we're doing it with have been saying for ages we should have Riding lessons...
Thought it was just for girls and that I'd squash all the horses etc but we finally decided to book lessons and it was really good!
Have worked with horses for years at the farm + at work, so know a bit about them but never ridden.

We've only done Rising Trot but is good so far! My horse is called Boxer and he's got a really big trot so I spend half the time making him slow down so he doesn't overall, but think I'm setting the hang of it. The woman asked if I'm sure I've never ridden before 'cos I looked quite good :P haha

Egg with a face

I took a couple eggs out the incubator and this face was staring back at me!

Day 7: Candling Chinese Painted Quail eggs

I candled a load of the quail eggs today and a lot are fertile!

I took out 7/21 Japanese eggs and 5/120 CPQ eggs... Although I didn't candle then all but lots were fertile :)

Looking forward to Lambing 2013!

I'm really looking forward to another season of Lambing!

I have the new job at the Uni farm which I think will be about 6 weeks split between me and Cody - not sure if we'll be in pairs, on our own, or what yet though. At least at the Uni farm there's somewhere warm to sit and do Dissertation work, if we're quiet with the Lambing!

Richard from Glanystwyth rang me a few weeks ago to ask if I could go Lambing for him again this year. It'll be 3 or 4 weeks of 9pm-6am which is quite a lot when we have lectures and Uni too.
I asked the 3 girls who have come for the last 2 years but they didn't want to come 'cos of Uni etc which is fair enough. A few other people on my course want to come this year but have never been Lambing before, so it'll be really good to have help but will need to help and teach them how to Lamb too...

The 2 farms are so completely different...
First the Uni farm is a modern, almost clinical, performance-recorded system where we don't pull much and have to measure and record every detail for research:

Then Glanystwyth is a traditional Welsh farm with a massive shed with 1,200 Organic ewes and lots of little barns with lambs in:

Not sure when Uni start but Glanystwyth start in 2 weeks! :)

Why do you want to be a Vet?

I saw a Medical student post something with made me laugh and wanted to make a Vet version...

The question wannabe Vet Students ALWAYS get asked it, "SO, why do you want to be a vet?"

Lets make a list of things we need in a career:
Mentally and practically stimulating challenge
Variety in work with new scenarios everyday
A world of species and specialisms in which to be able to explore
The opportunities to make a difference to animals and animal-owners lives
And most importantly of all, I wanted to wear my blue pyjamas to work everyday

Incubating Quail; Japanese and Chinese Painted

I've just popped around 120 Quail eggs into my MS Broedmachine incubator.
I bought 24 Japanese Quail eggs and 108 CPQ eggs but after candling them a couple had cracks in their shells so I didn't put those in the incy.

Due to hatch around the 17th/18th Feb!

Snow in Aberystwyth

Music: The Staves - Mexico

Just bought The Staves' album for my car and love this track...

2012

To be fair, ‎2012 was wicked.
I went to Reading, Latitude and Hackney festivals.
London for the Olympics, Les Mis, Blood Brothers and Wicked.
Snapped my ankle and travelled around Europe in a wheelchair.
Gained valuable work experience, skills and contacts. Just need to work on the academic skills now!
Worked with camels for the Jubilee. Helped to break in and back a few ponies - still need to learn to ride.
Got a new job on the Uni farm doing Milking and Lambing.
Bought a car in Jan, then have just bought another to replace it.
Turned 21 and spent the whole year with amazing friends and family! 

Here's to 2013!

DONKEY!

Tommy the Donkey!

Scaley Face Mite?

I think one of the chickens, Mabel a Pekin bantam, has Scaley Face Mites...
Its only happened over the last 2 weeks and on one side of her face

Student Onesie

Acceptable for Student to wear a onesie?

Royal Welsh Winter Fair 2012

Went to the Royal Welsh Winter fair at Builth Wells yesterday.

They had reindeer, cows, sheep, horses and chickens!

Wanted to buy these Apricot Call Ducks!

(snotty) Sheep with a rug on

Sleepy piggies

My favourite was "Rhianna" wonder cow!

New car: Corsa SXI+

I've bought a new car! An '06 Corsa SXI+

I don't like 3 door cars or red cards but like MY 3 door red car! :P

Dairy placement in Aberystwyth

I thought I needed to do some more work experience in Aber this year.
I've started helping to back and break in 2 young horses and thought Milking would be a really good idea.
Lambing in great and love doing it but its only 6-8 weeks of the year so thought we could do Milking a couple of days a week before or after lectures so would be good experience and doesn't get in the way of Uni work like Lambing can.

Now the hard part was finding a placement!
Uni built a new Rotary Dairy parlour near Trawscoed last year but when I asked we didn't get very far trying to get a placement there. I don't know any local dairy farmers so asked around and didn't really find anyone so went back to the Uni farm...

After a few emails and speaking to the Farms Manager they decided they were looking for relief milkers and stockmen. To apply for the job we needed to hand in a CV and fill out a 10 page application form!

Anyway, I handed it in yesterday and now we wait!

Breaking in Dafydd the pony

Am going along to help back and break in a young pony called Dafydd, he's a gelding in with 2 mares so he took a couple mins to catch and he was a bit weary at first when we separated him from his ladies. There's also a mare and young foal in the next field so they were all excited too.

We led him around the field do get him used to us and just to get him doing something.

We then went back into the smaller area, leant on his back and walked him round, Sophie leant across his back and eventually got onto his back without a saddle on and to be fair to him, he was really good!

He was really excitable and completely motivated by carrots and polo's to the point he was pushy and a bit nippy so we're going to have to teach him some manners!

Long Reigning Lady the Pony

My friend has taken on a project horse, starting to back and break her in - she was used a few years ago but then had a foal who is now weaned and she's ready to be worked again.

She doesn't like men so was a bit weary at first and wouldn't let me groom her but she calmed down and was really good.

I've done some work with horses but I'm not a horsey person so I'm learning too! We put her on Long Reigns and got used to her walking down the lane, I walked with her on a lead rope to start off with to calm her down and just incase she freaked but on the way back we left her to it and she was really good!

Epic Summer 2012

Not gonna lie, I've had a pretty epic 4 months off!
Finished Uni on the 28th May and am going back this week.

I worked with camels for a week of the jubilee, went to Radio 1 Hackney Big Weekend, Stage Managed 2 shows for Brit Youth Theatre, volunteered and camped for a week at Latitude Festival and went to London to watch the Olympics.
Fell off a platform slightly drunk and ended up in A&E with a snapped foot, then got on a plane 8 hours later (in a wheelchair lift!) and went on a cruise around Corfu, Greece and Turkey.

Volunteered and more camping at Reading Festival, even more camping and BBQ with chicken friends. Got chased around the Safari Park by a deer and Camels (twice) and LOADS more than I can't even remember!

In between that I've worked with chickens, written articles for 2 poultry magazines and probably should have started my dissertation.

Not had many lazy days sitting at home, spent it all with friends and family.

I'm broke, overdrawn and tanned but loved every minute of it.
May be the last big Summer before I graduate (hopefully!), have to grow up and enter the real world.

'The Newcomer' in Fancy Fowl

Grant Brereton, editor of Fancy Fowl asked me to write an article as 'The Newcomer' about Poultry Showing for Beginners and I was in Septembers issue!

My Chicken Run

Have extended the WIR, still needs the roof finishing!

CAMEL WANT BREADSTICK

We were at the Safari Park on Thursday and got this video of Nikki and a camel...
 

Sherlock + Watson

Just an update about Sherlock + Watson... They still hate each other!

Sherlock was castrated last year so is really laid back but Watson was too young so is still entire so he's aggressive and they don't get on.

They're only slightly friends when they're separated by 2 run panels - we tried 1 and Watson bit Sherlocks ear through it!

Sherlock lives inside and is a proper house rabbit but Watson lives outside in an eglu.

but does come inside too

Ex Battery hens; Then and Now

Took a couple photos of the Ex Batt girls earlier and realised how much they've changed since I got them from the BHWT.
They were from the last batch of hens rescued from the old-style battery cages in December '11.

First there is Tracy Beaker with her twisted beak. She took a few weeks to start eating properly but copes ok now and has feathered up really well!

Then there is Justine, the friendliest and cheekiest one of them all! She's the only one to escape their Free Range area to come to our bit of the garden and see what's going on. She's feathered up really well compared to what she was but still hasn't moulted her wing feathers so they're still bare quills.

With the rest of the flock...

Reading Festival 2012

Had a wicked week volunteering at Reading Festival 2012!
We were working on the campsites, stewarding and looking out for fires etc.

Went with 7 of us, were on the same shift pattern but on different shifts - wasn't too bad though 'cos made friends with everyone on our shifts.

Saw Paramore + The Cure on Friday night...

Were walking along, heard these (Me First and the Gimme Gimmes) so went into the tent and they were wicked! Did rocky covers of songs you completely wouldn't expect - Tomorrow from Annie, Somewhere Over The Rainbow and I Believe I can Fly.

Then after them we went over the Justice who were siik aswell! Have a video of DANCE on YouTube

And one advantage of working on the campsites... We were allowed to recycle all the free booze + take it home with us ;)

Chicks + Growers

Just a couple photos of some of my chicks + growers from this year...

Mainly pekins, Frizzle x Silkies (Quigley babies) and Araucana + Cotswold Olives.

Growers; Lots of boys!

I seem to be good at hatching and growing cockerels!

Theres 2 Silver Birchen pekins, 2 Cotswold Olives (Araucana crosses), 2 Araucanas and 3 Frizzle Silkies; 2 of which I think are boys.

This cute little Quigley baby (Frizzle Silkie) is going to live with one of my customers and 10 hybrid girls... Will need a couple months growing before moving in with his wives though!