Nina Surya

Kara Ann wrote:can you comment on how you overwinter your pigs? Shelter? How do they do with long stretches of cold rain?

My pleasure! Yes, wet winters with wind, and a week of freezing weather, usually.
We built a wooden shelter to the pigs, with a wooden floor (that was raised from the ground) with lots of straw bedding in the winter that they could really burrow themselves into, and a thinner layer in the summer. It had a roof made of those wavy metal sheets.
The shelter had a door opening at the front (to their wooden-fenced yard with a gate and pasture behind it - everything electric fenced as well) and a second door at the back that I could access for cleaning.

In the winter the pigs spent a lot of time in their shelter if the weather was not good. So they also used one corner of their shelter as an indoor toilet. To muck out the shelter without the pigs running into the garden, I made sure they were happily munching in their pasture, closed the gate to their yard, and then could open the backdoor of the shelter for cleaning.

In the winter the shelter had a curtain of plastic flaps to keep the weather out, but allowing the pigs to move in and out freely.  The wooden enclosure around their yard sheltered them from the wind as well.
The curtain of plastic flaps should be of heavy material ideally, but I didn't have that, so I made a double-thick curtain of thickish foil. They found it interested and chewed on some flaps, not ingesting (I could find the pieces in their yard) but breaking it, so it needed to be renewed every now and then.

The roof of their shelter had a little gutter that filled their water trough when it rained.

Pigs are VERY intelligent. And social. And adorable. Much like dogs! Enjoying belly-rubs and knowing who's who when you call them.

There are great answers here already, but I'll just add my experience so that others don't have to learn the hard way.
We have an orchard.
We wanted a veggie garden, so we got two kunekune pigs (that were already trained to electric wire fencing).

We thought electric fencing was cruel for the pigs, so we built a very sturdy wooden fence.
After eating the grass and digging around a bit, the pigs caught the smell of fallen apples.
The female pig climbed over the 1.5m fence (I still don't know how) and the boar lifted the heavy wooden gate off its rail and they both ran to feast on the fruit.

After that we had many episodes with running around - too weak a current on the electric fence; "HA! I'll go right through it!"

We ended up having a zapper intended for cows. But then everything went according to our planning rather than the pig's, and we had a moveable pasture.

I can see the weather coming looking into the west.
But there's usually a period of gusts of sudden wind before rain, and if it's a lot of rain that's coming, that wind will carry its smell with it.
Those gusts of wind are giving the homestead person just enough time to gather the tools and whatnot, put them back to place, and to go inside. More often than not, the first drops start to fall as I close the door behind me.

I believe, if you draw lines with your warm gray and a light blue, at a distance it will appear as a cooler gray.
Lots of parallel lines, not blending on paper with a tool, but optically, as one looks at it from a distance.
Good luck!

Welcome to Permies, Afam!

That's a great question, and I think it depends on the climate - in cold climates it's necessary for the chicken to have shelter from the elements.
But in the situation you're describing, a coop is not needed!

David, I'm interested in the nest boxes you describe. Do you have a photo, and/or a description? My chicken free range, and it would be nice to have them laying in external nest boxes instead of under bushes and plants.

One batch of new hatchlings roosted in the fruit trees when they were teenagers, instead of joining the other chicken in the coop - it's probably their natural instinct!

r ransom wrote:Also, how do soft pastels hold up to nocturnes?  Are they too pale to do a convincing nighttime scene?

Use dark coloured paper!

r ransom wrote:
The other day, a parcel came wrapped in some dark, stiff paper.  For some reason, I instantly felt this would be ideal for drawing charcoal, pastels, or maybe oil pastels.  
...
Would this work?
My idea is to use softer pastels to smudge a background layer, then firmer pastels for details, then pastel pencils for most details and defining edges.

Sounds good to me!
Just keep in mind, at some point the paper is saturated, and can't take any more pastel.
Also, when your work is finished, fix it. Art shops sell fixing spray, but a good hairspray does the same thing!
Good luck, enjoy experimenting!

Bees are a blessing, congratulations!
What I've learned is that when moving a colony of bees ...
...close the entrance and move in the evening/morning/next day
...move the hive AT LEAST 2kilometers or they'll fly back to their old home location and try to start a colony there
...AND put a branch in front of the hive before you open the entrance again, so that they have to make some effort in exiting/entering the hive. This helps them to learn where their home is, apparently.

It's hot and dry weather where I live at the moment, and I'm putting water in bird baths for the flying friends, big and small, to drink.

Good luck!

r ransom wrote:Beautiful fleece

It's not a breed I've worked with, but from the photos, it reminds me of the older (pre-down) sheeep.  The main quality these breeds had over the sheep that come later is that one sheep can have all the types of wool.  

The wool around the neck would be for clothing that touches the skin.  Sides would be good for outerwear. Legs might have long guard hairs (like coarse human hair) that can be separated for rug warp and the remaining wool be good for rig weft.  

It's often sorted before washing.

Or, be like me and blend them together and see what happens.

But it's difficult to tell from a photo.  I could be wrong.

It could be duel coated.

Does your local library have The Fleece and Fibre Sourcebook?  That helps show the different styles of wool sheep can make.

Thank you R, this helps heaps!! I obviously didn't sort the fleeces before washing, but now I know what to look for in the future.
And to understand why there seems to be so many different kinds of wool in one batch.
Ouessant is a 'primitive' breed. For me it means they gnaw on fruit trees like goats would. Most primitive sheep shed their wool naturally, these don't but there's a distinctive difference between the outer coat and the inner, fuzzy under wool.
For the second time in a row, I'll be spinning it all together (except the felty-fleece, it refuses to be spun).

The local library is small and French, but I'll add that book to my wish list.
Thanks again!

My mini flock of three Ouessant sheep got sheared the day before yesterday. We're having hot, dry weather, so I went ahead and washed the fleeces yesterday (after picking them through first to remove vegetable matter and poopy bits).
I tried carding a dry bit of fleece today, and I think it went OK - but I'm almost a total novice at this!

Last year two sheep were sheared, and I know one fleece was nice to spin with a drop spindle, the other is dodgy, I think it might be good for felting.
Now I have 2 fleeces that look nice (mother and daughter) and the one dodgy one.

But you kind fellow Permies, who have experience with wool - could you take a look at the photo's and tell me what kind of fleeces I've got?

Thank you in advance!