Sunday 1st April 2012 - weather: blue sky and sunshine

Animal Gallery

Travis, the Hermans with the pretty shell, then Tom and Bertha, our spur thighed who we adopted last summer. Happily out of hibernation and back in the garden. They had just put themselves to bed when I took this photo, they really aren't shy.

Some of my Quail brood. They are laying well now and we are getting 8 plus eggs a day. Unfortunately, 2 of the boys became oven ready today as they had the most horrible shrill crow and I was worried we would start to get complaints from the neighbours. However, they aren't pets, they are livestock producing eggs and meat, but I do love them.

He is dosing in the afternoon warmth. I know this bird is a he as he has all of his feathers on the back of his neck and since spring sprung, the boys have been doing what comes naturally to the girls, and they are all now bald on the backs of their necks....male brutality!

Here is Pebbles, our last Guinea piggy. She is about 4 or 5 years old, and she is a grumpy little pig. We handled her and loved her when she was a piglet, but she has always been nippy and timid. However, we do let her and the rabbits in the run together, and I know, I know we shouldn't, but since doing that she has become a lot more friendly and inquisitive.

Leccy, our Bearded Dragon. We have had him at least 5 years and I think he is terribly handsome. He scoffs locust and avoids all veg and fruit so the locust have to be well fed so he gets his vitamins by proxy. He spends summer days in the garden in the old guinea pig run catching some rays, and other days he has the run of the conservatory where he climbs the walls, sits on the cactus and generally stretches his legs.

This is Flumps, the big daddy rabbit. He is so loving, but can give me a real good kick when I am trying to put him away. He is in his hutch here as we can't let him and the wife out together yet as we do not want any more baby bunnies!

Here is Floppy, names for obvious earry reasons. She is out in the run without her kids for an hour to stretch her legs, scoff as much hay as she can and generally ruin the lawn. She has been an amazing mum considering she was only a matter of monthes old when she had the babes. We didn't loose any, they are all big and beautiful. I am now trying to build her up as having 7 kittens did take it's toll and she has lost a lot of weight. Plenty of fresh grass, hay and greens and she will be plump and cuddly again in no time.

Babies! Originally we had 4 caramels, 2 patches and the little runt was all black. A caramel and patch went today to a lovely family who I have known for years and who I know will love them immensly.

This little fella is the mirror image of mum. They are all loving as we have been handling them since they were days old.

Here is our runty. We are keeping him. He was always a lot smaller than the rest of the gang and got trampled a lot, but he has caught up nicely and is just adorable.

The caramel bunnies, good enough to eat.

We do have a corn snake, but she was playing hard to get after scoffing a mouse. We also have an array of fish from Goldfish to Oscars and pretty little tropical fishies. Hubby keeps insisting we have enough pets, but the incubator has just been dusted off, and he is a sucked for puppy dog eyes more than the kids. Watch this space.