The Beginning PT2

Most people start of with chickens and we were no different we visited a breeder just after Christmas, a late present I guess. Debbie feel in love with a trio of Light Sussex, made up to four with a spare hen. The cockerel was a beauty, and looked very much the part, and although I didn't realise it then he would provide the first bad experience later in the year! Debbie also picked two New Hampshire Red hens as they look like the stereotypical farmhouse chicken.
For those who have not kept chickens it is amazing what pleasure they give you, and how self-sufficient they seem to be. As instructed I locked them in the chicken house for three days giving them food and water each day. Let them into the run constructed of chicken wire and posts (It took nearly a day to do this) only for them to start escaping over the top within hours. Down came the fencing and we brought the plan of allowing them total free-range forward. They learn very quickly when the treats are on the way and it has got to be one of the funniest sights watching a chicken running for tit bits still makes me laugh! What I found quite amazing was how you go out to lock them up at night thinking how will I get them in and you find them already in roosting, and looking at you as if to say shut the door its cold! Of course you expect eggs immediately but being young birds we were told not to expect any for a few more weeks. Now I don't know if it was the mentioning the 'pot' each day but as promised nearly two weeks later the first egg. The look on all our faces said it all.
My oldest son Cain had always wanted a dog and Debbie for that matter but having lived in towns and cities I didn't think it was right for us in our position. Now we were in the middle of nowhere there was no excuse and I found myself being forced into driving to a farmhouse to look at collie pups. Flossy was the only bitch left and was very friendly. We paid the money and took Flossy home, she deposited her dinner over Debbie on the way back and to this day she doesn't like the car.
I can't remember thinking about buying pigs because it was never in our plans, but I can remember coming face to face with a breeding pair of fully grown Tamworth's. I tried hard not to look scared as I had no idea they grew this big, like many people had seen them on TV but my god they were never that size. Needless to say we didn't get them, and to be honest never thought we would ever have pigs.
Two days later we answered an advert and bought Jake and Elwood the blues brothers. They must have been crossed with Vietnamese pot bellies and probably saddleback's but certainly were much smaller and of a size we could cope with. Jake and Elwood settled very quickly in their paddock turning it over quickly, playing 'piggy backs' as boys do, and generally providing us with a great deal of pleasure from their willingness to have scratches. The kids loved them and enjoyed throwing them scraps and giving them scratches.
January certainly was a very busy month and to be honest we never planned to get all the animals so quickly it more or less just seemed to happen that way. With each one we felt it was the right decision and the right time we had people who advised us, which gave us the confidence, and the animals themselves were a delight, even the cockerel at this time! Looking back I am a firm believer in if you treat your animals right they will be very accommodating to you however inexperienced you are, and they will give you advice like making a hell of a lot of noise to tell you it is tea time!
January also saw us start working at the local nursing home, but only part-time, which was a complete change from what I was used to. With Debbie working as well it gave me the chance to spend more time at home and be more responsible for organizing the kids ect, and gave Debbie the chance to meet up with other adults after many years of being a 'homemaker' this also gave her the opportunity to talk to other adults, something she finds hard to achieve looking after me and the 3 kids!