Farming Friends

I constantly talk to the pigs as I go about feeding and mucking out so that they get used to me and recognise my voice. I also talk directly to the pigs individually and I think that this has helped to make this litter of piglets very friendly and good natured. When I talk to the individual pigs I will try to get closer to their heads so that they know I am talking to them.

Physical contact with the pigs is also a good way of communicating with these animals. Patting them, rubbing their sides and tummies,tickling them behind their ears, stroking their heads and rubbing under their chin as well as stroking their nose and face helps the pigs to know that I am not a threat and helps to establish a relationship between as so that the animals can trust me.

Some of the pigs have been given names as they have distinguishing features that make them stand out and I do believe that the pigs with names are more friendly towards me.

My sows also respond to my voice and will get up if they hear my voice. One of the sows is more dominant and will show aggression towards the other sow at feeding time. If I call her name in a raised voice the more dominant sow will stop her aggressive behaviour.

As I only have a small number of pigs, I am able to invest alot of time communicating with these animals. I believe that it has helped me to work along side these animals as they have grown, without myself being injured or bitten. I would recommend making communicating with pigs part of your daily routine if you have a small number of pigs.

Quail will demonstrate a vertical flight movement.

This vertical flight can occur when quail are:

• frightened or
• startled by a noise, predator, human or intense light.

The quail demonstrate an upward flight movement which can injure or sometimes lead to death of the birds as they can hit their heads on the roof of the hut.

Feather picking (cannibalism) is a common vice in poultry and game birds and I have found quail to show very aggressive feather picking behaviour towards each other. Quail tend to peck at the necks, eyes and rumps of other birds. Feather picking is a very bad habit that poultry and game birds acquire if they are exposed to certain conditions.

Causes Of Feather Picking

• Poor nutrition (lack of protein).
• Lack of greens in diet.
• Overcrowding.
• Over heating the birds.
• Lack of floor space.
• Lack of feeding space.
• Lack of drinking space.
• Very bright lighting.
• Increased daylight hours.
• Boredom and idleness.

Action To Stop Feather Picking

At the first sign of feather picking, take action to stop this bad habit because the birds will continue to feather pick and once blood is drawn the birds will pick even more frequently and this could result in the death of the attacked birds.

• Change the environmental conditions.
• Provide more floor space.
• Provide more feeding space.
• Provide more drinking space.
• Ensure better ventilation.
• Cut back on the amount of light the birds have.
• Change the lighting in the coop to red as this will make the blood more difficult to see.
• Improve the birds comfort.
• Change feed - from crumbs or pellets to a mash feed that will require more time at the feeder.
• Give the birds more greens in their diet.
• Free-range the birds as much as possible as this will divert their attention and also allow the victims to get away from their attackers.
• Provide toys to divert attention such as scraps of food.
• Hang a cabbage by string from the roof of the run or hut to provide a diversion. The birds pick at the leaves instead of each others feathers.
• Place foliage in the run for the birds to hide behind or add interest in the coop to divert their attention to.
• Remove the attacker from the group.

Quail appear to be particularly aggressive so be vigilant for signs of feather picking in quail to avoid un-necessary stress or even death amongst the quail flock.

There are many varieties of potatoes which are grown for different reasons.

Soilman asked, “What varieties do you grow?”

The potato varieties we have grown on the farm over the years are:

• Hermes - these potatoes have been grown for a merchant that sells the potatoes for crisping.
• King Edward - these potatoes have been sold to the public for consumption as mash, chips or roast potatoes.
• Cara - these are table potatoes and have been sold to the public.
• Russet Burbank - these potatoes were grown to make chips.
• Cultra - these potatoes were grown for the table.
• Record - these potatoes have been grown for making crisps.
• Estima - these table potatoes have been sold to the public.
• Desiree - these are potatoes that are grown for the table.

If you are wanting to grow potatoes in your vegetable garden then visit TopVeg for excellent potato growing advice.

A calf was born at the weekend to one of our black saler cows. The calf is a heifer and is a real beauty. She has a lovely black nose and a grey tinge to her coat as she is a saler, charolais cross, having parents who are a saler cow and charolais bull. The calving went well and the heifer is extremely fit and healthy. She was up and suckling within minutes of the birth. A real sight to behold. I will post a photo of the calf in the next few days.

Pig owners and farmers can download the necessary documentation from the Food Standards Agency website or they can use the British Pig Executive online Food Chain Information service.