Chickens

I've noticed the chickens haven't appeared here for a while, so it's time for a gratuitious chicken photo!

Actually, looking back through my pictures I can see that I haven't been keeping very up to date with the girls.  They now have a much smarter, bigger house with the luxury of 3 nest boxes (you would not believe the fighting that goes on when there's only two, I found three chickens sitting on top of one another in one a few days before the new house got installed!), and I am quite pleased that the Very Few Eggs Drought has finished and we are now getting at least 3 eggs on most days. 

The days are getting longer, I know this because my chickens tell me so with their lovely eggs!

Have a nice Wednesday folks.

Elections and Chickens

Still appalled at the election result.  I cannot even bring myself to listen to the news anymore.  I was a confirmed Radio 4 listener to the 'Today' program every morning, but lately, it's been Chris Evans on Radio 2, and then burying my head in the sand - ostrich stylie - since the coalition was announced.  Is anyone else feeling slightly depressed?

Also, why has it been so bloody cold?  For goodness sake, it's nearly June.  I only switched the heating off last week, we've had the grand total of - oooh - 4 days of nice, pleasant, summery weather, and suddenly, it's getting cool again.  I only changed the duvet on Sunday for the 'summer weight' one, in a small fit of optimism that I am now surely going to regret.

Rant over,  and breathe, and relax.

On to chickens, but even there, I feel a further rant coming on.  We have had to make some replacements lately, we were down to 3 chickens (from an earlier total of 5) but due to a)illness and b)stupid broody hens decided to boost the numbers back, and got 3 new pullets.  One is a Leghorn (beautiful, white all over with a big floppy comb) and 2 Amber Stars who are sort of .... peachy colour.  The Leghorn is called Miranda, she is capable of a vertical take-off that a Harrier Jump Jet would be envious of - discovered this after 2 minutes of fenced in garden time, and the 2 AS are Spotty Carmen, and Baby Peaches (cos she's the babiest one, obviously).  They appear to be incapable of anything except running round the back of the hen house every time they see me.  Since they all joined the flock about 8 days ago, we have had the grand total of ... 6 eggs.  Yeah.  Who's first in the pot?  Even the kids are joining in with the threats now!  Off to warm up the slow cooker ..

Spotty and Peaches











Miranda

Oy vey!

I'm so sorry. I'm still here, really I am. But, you know, kinda busy. Also kinda sick lately - tummy bugs lay you out something bad .... It's those germy kids of mine. Plague-ridden really, but soon, it's the holidays - yey! And no more walking round half of Dorset to get the children to school or nursery. Days at the hut will be taken, visitors will visit and fun (YES FUN) will be had!

Goblins have moved into the garden recently:

























They have been told to move off by the children. But I'm not entirely sure they're listening. (Actually, it's great fun, my Mum made some very very small clothes and bedding, and I've found some bits and bobs that are the right size, and every now and then, I go and change what's on the line.) The children like to go and see what's happening in the goblin patch at the end of the day, (as you can see above, they put up NOTICES!!!) and if they've put something up, I can take it down and save it. I thought I'd taken more pictures. But that was my organised self who appears to have left the building. I will pay attention and do more as the summer wears on.

The Veg/Chicks are producing:













Although lately, the chickens need a swift kick up the bum, 2 eggs from 5 chickens are not enough.

And there be a fairy in my garden too:
















1 skirt was not enough, I was informed that a second layer was required!

Hope you're all having fun.

I'm back!

Hello

Anyone still out there reading this? I hope so. I'm doing a catch up, first the birthday boy (only 3 weeks late but there you go!):

I'm a KNIGHT!!!!!!














AND..... I'm FIVE Mummy!











Next, I joined Usborne Books at Home - and now I'm selling books. It's great fun, I earned some money (yes, already) for the first time since I had the children, and it's giving me something else to do. I really like it - and the children LOVE it because I've got lots and lots of new books - with stickers - which when you're 3 or 5, is the absolute bestest thing in the world!

And finally, this Easter holidays, we've mostly been moving sheds, and building an enormous veg bed, and a chicken run (or fruit cages as they're known to the rest of the world). Tomorrow is moving day for those girls - after I've been for a catch-up and a coffee with my best friend.

The old shed being dismantled ...











Re-assembled in its new place ...











and joined by Chickenopolis aka fruit cage











And at last, 5 eggs from 5 chickens! Only had to wait six weeks for those new girls to settle in. Of course, yesterday must have been a fluke, because there were only 4 today. I'm feeling very Mrs Tweedy today, but I'm holding off getting my clipboard out just yet ....!

You really would not believe how difficult it was to put that blessed fruit cage up - we thought that under the pavours it was soil, but no, it was lumps of old concrete, bits of concrete flagstones and any old cr@p you could possibly imagine. However, we are moving on from the six (yes 6) hours of work today that this poxy thing has taken, and are now enjoying NOT doing anything else for at least 12 hours! Roll on bathtime, I say.

Happy holidays everyone!

Busy, busy, busy

And cough, cough, cough. I know, it just won't go away. Regardless of this, we have been very busy painting and putting together the long awaited bike shed. It's so pretty! All the bikes and gear fit in (except the new trailer) and now that nasty salty seaside air can't make my bike rust any more. We're so happy with it - we just keep going into the courtyard and going 'oooh, isn't it good?'.

The amazing thing was that we wanted to get it done during half term holidays (as Teflon boy was off too), and we actually did. This may not sound so amazing to many of you, but when you have 2 fairly small people helping you with the paintbrushes, and the screwdrivers, and they start taking all your fittings away, it's quite good. Also, we actually fitted in with our own scheduling. Usually what happens is, we say - oh, we'll do that - and we start off with good intentions - and then we go and do a whole load of other totally unrelated things, and then get to the end of the week and notice we haven't finished what we've started.

We've also managed to get out in the fresh air, entertain the children for a week without anyone killing anyone else, clear the hundred and one bags of rubbish that have accumulated over the winter, Freecycled a load of baby stuff, passed a non-laying chicken over to someone who has more space, ordered the new Chickenopolis accommodations, and purchased two new pullets to add to the egg-producing flock.

I'm happy. But very, very tired. Today I cycled up to No 1's school with both children in the new trailer, cycled back, then dug about a hundredweight of compost up with my friend and carted it into her (very long) garden, and just this evening been to my Pilates class. I didn't fall asleep on the mat, and managed to get home without dropping off either, so I think that's a good days' work.

Children 'helping' Papa












Our lovely bike shed












Daddy with the children at Lyme Regis















New hens - Henny Penny, Baby Mavis

Stuff we've been busy with

The snow (yeah, right, all 2 cms of it)














The chickens - they want to know what the hell that white stuff is, where's the grass? And by the way, we've done the eggs already.















Sticky back plastic. Way to go with 3 yr olds! Thanks to Amber at Kids Craft Weekly (again) for the idea.















New glass piece made at the weekend - for a light that I just discovered no longer works. B*gger. Not quite finished - there's a mirror border to be cut and added, if I can get the time, or fix the light.

Those Chickens

What you lookin' at?

Chickens In the News!

Oooh, my chicken pics have made the news! OK, it's a small story, but my proud girls deserve a bit of promotion, don't you think? Click on the title to see those feathery stars of the very small screen.

And, I know, I'm sorry it's chickens again, but life's been a bit poopy lately - trekking up to school and back with No 1, and down to school with No 2 is rather taking it out of me - and as we say here, I just want to lie like broccoli when I actually get in the house for more than 3 minutes. So, it's chickens, or nothing!

Maybe some crafting later in the week. If I can get off my sorry ass and do a picture or two that is.

Eggy Update

Further to my eggy post the other day, I'm happy to report that the whopper was in fact, a double yolker. Much happiness all round today at scrambled egg time!

Eggy

IMG_0518
Originally uploaded by rowsew

As promised, the Whopper! This is Millie's big egg from the other day, Gussie's long one, and Millie's normal egg. I had to post today because this is all we've got in the eating department and they'll be gone tomorrow - yummy!

Chicken Newsflash

Wow, Gussie laid her first egg yesterday and, being good eaters, we cracked it open for tea today, to find a DOUBLE YOKER!!!!! If this is a sign of things to come, roll on baby, I'm mighty pleased. And Millie outdid herself with a HUGE egg - double the size of a normal one. Photo to follow soon, and I have to add, she was limping yesterday, I think from the effort. Medals all round. Cluck, cluck, cluck.

Gussie

IMG_0395
Originally uploaded by rowsew

Birthday girl No 2, not such a good pic, but here nonetheless! She is also a Light Sussex cross, I think with Black Rock, but not 100% certain. Anyway, she's a big girl, and I'm hoping for many eggs coming soon!

Gertie

IMG_0398
Originally uploaded by rowsew

Birthday chicken No.1 posing for me on Saturday afternoon. She's a stunnah! Gertie is quite small, but she's only a young one - it'll be a while before she starts to lay, I think. She's a Light Sussex cross with Rhode Island Red, so hopefully will be a consistent layer. This is the same breed as my very first chicken (Megg) who laid an egg for us every day from the time she came into lay, until the day she died. I have great hopes .....

RIP Bluebelle (Mark 2)

I had to have one of the chickens put down this morning. Bluebelle (my chicken) suddenly couldn't walk - her legs just wouldn't hold her up, and it was the kindest thing to do. Very sad today. Also, on a practical note, it was only her and Millie laying, so now I'll be down to 1 egg per day. I can feel chicken purchasing urges coming on very strongly now. It's my birthday soon ......

Oh good, another cold

Suffering today from an awful head cold (break off for sneezing, coughing and nose blowing)!

If I believed in higher beings, at this point, I would think it/they had it in for me this year.

So far in 2008:

chicken pox x 2 small children
flu x 2 big grown ups, x 1 small child
operations x 1
shitty head colds x 8 (that's spread over 4 people)
various other kinds of colds - at least 15

also
boiler (packs up regularly at Christmas)
flooding
1 fox, killing, so far, total of 5 chickens
and, just this week, a bloody great big tick on one of the cats - yuck!

On the other hand, the sun came out today, so it was warm, and we made flowery crowns, and then wore our winter hats - maybe the shitty head cold had some influence here! All I ask is that it stops right now! It's my birthday next month and I'd like to enjoy it, some.

Bluebell, Millie, and Mavis (They're chickens, you know)

I don't know what they're looking for, but they're giving it their full attention!