Well, not much happened in April then!  It was a hard month in the veg garden - watering can always in hand - no time for much else.

Present inhabitants of the farm: 37 sheep, 4 geese, 4 goslings, 4 cats, 3 hens (fox had 3 by day last week), 2 humans.  A couple of fallow deer suspected in the plantation.  Pigs due in June: 4.  Horse due sometime: 1.

The sheep had their toenails cut last week, and their muck cut away at the back to make life easier for the shearer, who is due next month.  The cost of shearing is about 3x the value of the wool.  I hope to keep back the half-dozen best fleeces this year, and recommission my elderly spinning wheel.  I shan't have time to use it! - but it will look good, standing round.

I'm hoping to find some new hens; would like Rhode Island Reds, excellent layers and excellent table birds.  If I had a cock, pure-breed birds would produce their own replacements - but the crowing of the cock will attract the fox, I've found that out the hard way.

This time of year is the Hungry Gap in the veg garden.  It would be tough, if we couldn't buy.  Need to plan for that for next year; asparagus, globe artichokes, all the luxury stuff!  Good idea!