In the paddock there’s a large patch of yellow Lady’s bed straw

And several clumps of common bird’s foot trefoils

Lady’s bedstraw (dried) was used in mediaeval Europe to stuff mattresses as the scent repelled fleas. Others say that the dried flowers smelled of new mown hay and that the mattresses of pregnant women were filled with the plant to provide a sweet savour.

It’s generally accepted that it was used to coagulate milk in cheese making. Maybe we should try this with the goat milk.

As for the trefoil it was used as an infusion to relax muscles or help with anxiety – but as parts of the plants are poisonous I won’t be drinking and bird’s foot trefoil tea!

They go home with jam, lettuces, gooseberries and spring onions

This week there are six … kids

Click below

Then we moved Ruth and the triplets back to the paddock and the goat shed

One of Willow’s twins started to feed from Ruth. One of the triplets got too near to Willow and she nipped her ear and Ruth looked very fed up. Here’s hoping all works out

Emptying the duck bath and containers (which I do once a week) but also, this morning, cleaning the containers and re-strawing the run and the duck house