Newsletter June 2018

Mantel Farm Newsletter - June 2018

Raising Money For The British Heart Foundation, Poly Beehives, Keeping Well Fed Flocks, Half Price Poultry Pep, South Of England Show, Quail, Beekeeping Notes, And A Springtime Poem

Please support Bertie in the London to Brighton bike ride

Something a little different this month but very close to our heart...

Bertie's heart story:

As some of you may know over the last few years our eldest son has been trying to get to the bottom of his mysterious heart problem. Due to an 'at the time' unknown reason his heart beat would race up to the region of 300bpm, so not ideal!  The trouble was this couldn't be linked to any pattern or narrowed down to a cause, until February when one of these 'attacks' was recorded on a new device (linked to his phone that could record a single trace ECG) and sent directly to the hospital.  This resulted in us being called to the hospital the next day to receive the news Bertie needed surgery!  They suspected an extra electronic valve/wire in his heart that he shouldn't have - this controls the beating of his heart and rather than closing after each heart beat it was staying open allowing it to loop back round beating faster and faster.   So, just 5 days later we were back up in London for the operation; all went well, they found and closed the extra wire and the service and treatment was amazing - he is now all fixed!

Sitting in the hospital waiting to hear the details of the operation and Bertie suddenly panicked - not at what he was about to go through, but that he would be unable to take part in his planned London to Brighton Bike Ride for the British Heart Foundation (a little ironic I thought!)  Well, after speedy surgery and the news that he has made a full recovery, he said he wanted to give something back; and so has again been training and will still take part in the London to Brighton Ride this June to raise money for this important charity (I have to admit I took some persuading that it was a good idea, but am very proud that he wants to go ahead!) So if possible, please give your support to him by sponsoring his ride; any donations are much appreciated no matter what size, and can be made in our shop or through the justgiving website. With many thanks!

No ugly ducklings here! Click for the video...

Back to the animals at Mantel Farm; our little colony of bees in the polystyrene hive is growing steadily and the WBC bees are looking a little stronger after carrying out a shook swarm (all the bees are literally shook into a new hive with fresh beeswax foundation to give them a fresh start).  We have some new arrivals, a lovely trio of Silver Brahma chickens, now named Polar, Ice and Crystal, understandably showing off in a pen on the track.  One of our little call ducks (in the pen by the Apiary) has hatched some lovely little ducklings, who look very sweet bobbing on the water! We have lots of new hybrid hens for sale, cute young Bantams to choose from and our flocks of little Quail have arrived safely.

Jason's poultry article this month is all about how to keep a well fed flock of birds. Amanda discusses spring preparations in her beekeeping notes, and Laurie the Poet provides a springtime poem entitled "Effortless".