Some rotovate, some don't

And here is MumTess with some of her little helpers. Working away they are, feeding themselves but also rotovating part of the Long Veg Patch. And here is what MumTess has managed so far:

....and here is what I have  managed to do:

...yes, well, I have been otherwise occupied:

...in the Small Veg Patch I have been, ably helped by the Chicken Flock. A lot of team effort going into this year's veggie planting. However, the chickens have now been banned from this veg plot. The reason? Their feet. Stomping over the newly dug earth flattened and compressed the newly dug surface. Felt terribly guilty about setting a ban. When I had my next digging session they all stood in a line outside the fence watching me reproachfully.

The thing is, that no doubt they are doing a good job of cleaning up the soil from 'baddies', plus some 'goodies' as I well I should think, but the compressing of the earth again made me feel like giving up. The geese are banned as well. Their feet are even bigger.

When I had finished in this veg plot for the day and shut the 'gate', which is only some wire tied across the entrance but serves a useful purpose of keeping all out, all the chickens were sitting in front of the gate in a huddle hoping that a magic solution would appear to allow them into the plot.

But the flock have done a wonderful job of keeping most of the soil in that plot free of weeds, bless them, and as I say, I do feel guilty about not allowing them to enjoy the benefits of the newly dug soil.

And then there are these hooligans:

They are not supposed to be out and about. They are supposed to be in the Long Veg Plot with their mum. But despite Hubs rearranging the wire on the electric fence, within seconds they slid underneath it, not minding that some of them got shocked by the electrical current. Once out, it was 'Hooray, we have escaped', and off they sped, racing here:

...racing there....

..then did a circle around their mum's paddock but did not pay her a visit. It would seem that, like any young ones, that they prefer to keep out of her sight but within visiting distance if anything untoward happens which frightens them. With speed, should this happen, they will charge back to her. Otherwise, off they go, having a jolly, exploring, messing about, fighting, playing with Bools and Gus most times running along with them.

......and off into the Courtyard before I could get in front of them to turn them around and herd them back to mum.
And a quick investigation before I got them shooed out...

Then off down to the leek bed to have a stomp around.....

...then on to the mangel bed to finish off the last of the mangels.

....and that was enough! Charming though they are, I had work to do, so with Hubs' assistance we got them back with MumTess, then all were encouraged back into their home pen.

They are fun, those piglets. But my goodness me they are naughty. And they scream. Dreadfully. Two had got stuck in the Small Veg Plot. In they had gone for an investigation, but then Bools and Gus decided to accompany them. This freaked those two out, but instead of making a return through the gateway, they kept going and ended up jamming themselves in the wire. Man of man, but did they scream. The most loudest cacophony of noise did they make, which was amazing for creatures so small.

It is good that the piglets are having a good life. That they have fun. That they have adventures. And they give us much benefit back as we watch them.

.....but how are we going to catch those hooligans, what are we going to do with them....how are we going to sell them.....how many are we keeping back for ourselves, .....how does on make sausages, ......these, and many more questions, remain unanswered at this time!