Winter approaches

This morning the Ukrainian village that is the field has been smattered with a covering of light frost. The weather has finally turned. Blanche's young chick is now properly feathered,robust and is facing the autumn with a healthy bounce and Kate Winslett's six babies have suddenly put on weight and now look like proper small hens. I have not had a chance to sex them as yet, and already have a buyer for a couple of them once I can separate the cockerels,they seem to be handsome little chaps.
In two weeks time the guinea fowl in the incubator should be starting to hatch and again the shed will be "full" of eager young beaks, Having chicks in the shed in October is a little foolish, I should have sorted all this out this spring, when the weather was better, but hey I am still learning this complicated lesson of animal husbandry.
The cold weather is a mixed blessing. Good frosts will kill off bugs and the red mite, but will increase the chances of fox attack as natural food becomes scarce. Sick hens like the delicate Susan will find the rigours of winter a little tough, and the pigs, with their adverse climate sensitivities, will want to spent 99% of their lives tucked up in their shed.
Two fading hen houses need replacing, a new turkey house for the poults needs constructing
and all of the allotment beds need clearing and manuring before the earth becomes too hard...outside work in the frost IS invigorating but can be terribly tough on the old chilblains....I need to dig out my range of woolly hats!
After their walk with Chris this morning the dogs gleefully dived under the bedclothes to get warm --they may look pretty but 17th century stone cottages are terribly cold in winter without the fire being lit....and bald dogs like Meg (below) dont cope will being chilled!

I am working nights tonight then am off for a week or so, I may have to do some extra shifts to pay for coal stockpiles but I know I am going to busy every day preparing for winter.....