The family arrive.

As Christmas nears all the family have started to arrive in Cornwall. Matthew, Lauren and Chris have arrived from Essex.They are staying at the farm. My sister and her family, seven of them have arrived from Gloustershire and Devonshire. They are staying at Mum and Dad`s. We are having two Christmas dinners one in each house but we will be meeting up during the day for present opening and an odd drink or two. Of course all the animals have got to be checked and fed before the festivities can begin. We try to get as much food prepared on Christmas eve as possible. Then it`s just a matter of tipping the bags of grain and dropping in the big silage bales. Hopefully the first lamb will wait till New Years day, I have a feeling that it will be earlier though.

Christmas

Christmas is almost here and we are rushing around trying to get organised.There is so much to do.Not present shopping, I mean organising the animals. The first sheep flock who are due to begin lambing before new year are now housed. The individual pens for mothers and lambs are ready. We have bottles, teats and milk powder waiting. The pregnant cows are also in the sheds, every day their bellies seem bigger. New year should see the first calf born. We have had an electrician putting up some new lights. The cows always seem to wait for tyhe middle of the night.
This morning we prepared the geese for our Christmas dinner. I usually feel quite sad but last week one gander decided he would try to peck me. I just managed to jump out of the way.
Lorna has been getting in some practice as chief midwife to the ewes. Our neighbour`s ewes have started lambing already. Yesterday Lorna delivered a lovely double, the first lamb was coming tail first, this can be quite a difficult delivery. Luckily in this case it proved to be quite straightforward and the second lamb popped out on it`s own. Mother and babies are all doing fine.