Feed us Mum feed us now

When the clocks went back did you shout with joy at the idea of having an extra hour in bed or like me did you get up anyway because no one remembered to tell the dog, the cats or the chickens. Who were making so much noise – shouting, we want our breakfast Mum, we want it now. So out I went with buckets of porridge, rice and grapes all picked from the vine that grows over the front of our house. The chickens were delighted and had a feast. The dogs were happy doing their morning inspection of all the coops just to ensure we had no unwanted visitors – all was well so I could get on with the rest of my day.

On the recommendation of a friend I have been using chopped rapeseed stalks in our chicken coops, it works out a bit cheaper than wood chip and smells of citronella. so far – it works really well. But you must poo pick everyday. Then you top up with a few handfuls to make up for the amount you take out (easy). My girls seem to like it too. I will update you on how it works out over the winter months with all the mud and rain.

Which sadly as I type its falling down. It looks like its set in for the rest of the week. So how do all you other chicken keepers keep your boys and girls dry and cold free. I have some birds that are a bit vulnerable because there either to young or old or just a bit off colour in my kitchen and conservatory. It’s the only way I can ensure they get a good start /or help them on the road to recovery. Outside they would get damp and I would end up with some dead birds which would upset me greatly. As you can see from my picture when the sun shines they get up to all sorts of tricks. This young Lemon girl has jumped over the fence into the next door pen, she has a soft spot for the Enzo boy next door.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

One of our Lemon Pyle girls Alice went broody. She was sitting on four eggs, so I moved her out of the coop into a broody box. She was so much happier, she was doing a very good job but alas two of the eggs broke as the shells were not very strong. I was concerned the other two eggs might also be fragile and if they broke she would be so disappointed. I knew this girl, she was going to see it out to the end and I wanted her to have some chicks (she is such a good mum).  The week before I had placed an order for some white LF Faverolles eggs. They arrived just in time. I put these under her late at night, took out the remaining Lemon eggs and hoped for the best. I was so happy when 21 days on the dot six little chicks hatched out and all were doing well – then Mum sat on one. Such a shame, they are really cute and big chicks. Alice is doing a great job.  I think I have worked out the sex, we have one boy and four girls.

Rufus our Rhode Island red cockerel has just moved out, my friend Mandi picked him up to take him to his new home with a harem of girls who sadly lost their cockerel. He will be so happy with his new wives.  He is a lovely lively young fellow, a beautiful colour of dark reds and a few dark brown almost black feathers in his tail – a real stunner. Hopefully he and his wives will have lots of chicks in the spring.

Just when I thought the cold weather was upon us the sun comes out. This has given me more time to get everything tided away. Garden chairs and tables all wiped over and stored away. I also want to mark out a new flower bed and get ready to move some trees in November, this will give them a chance to bed in  well before the sap rises in spring. It’s a good opportunity to take photos of plants you may want to move because they have outgrown their beds before you cut them back for the winter. The photo will tell you where the plant is and how much space it will need.

We had a very good year with our roses – they now need a good trim and I will prune back around November. The grape-vine across the front of our house has produced an abundance of grapes. I’m going to try my hand at grape jelly – any other ideas would be most welcome. The veggie patch is now looking quite sorry for itself, time for a good weed before we cover it in black poly for the winter. I like to give it a good feed a few months before we plant up for the next season, then I feed as I go. We have laid by a few buckets of chicken poo, which will be diluted with water then poured over the beds. I hate the smell but it does such a good job. So it’s pegs on noses and carry on with the good work.

If you have any left over pears I have a nice recipe that will make a real Christmas treat: You will need:

About 12 pears, 1/2 bag of castor sugar, clove sticks, star anise, 1 bottle  red wine, cloves,vanilla pods, jam jars.

I cooked my pears in batches of 12, first you peel them, cut in half, try to retain the stalk, place them in the bottom of a big pan,cover them in the sugar, break cinnamon stick into four, scrape the vanilla out of its pod, drop 4 star anise and 8 cloves into the mix – think mulled wine. Then I covered the lot in a bottle of red wine (any will do), simmered for 20 mins until the pears were soft but not mushy. While this was going on I put my jars into boiling water. When the pears were ready I took my jar placed 4 bits of pear, a star anise, 1 cinnamon stick and a few cloves inside each jar then poured the red wine in. The smell was gorgeous. Once they had cooled down I drew a nice little label and stored them away to give out at Christmas. Of course I may have to keep them for myself, they are so yummy.

Brahmas, Brahmas every where

We had a lovely weekend. Not only was it the return of the sunshine, but we also celebrated my Mum’s 80th Birthday with a wonderful party at my brother’s house. We met up with so many relatives; new ones that we hadn’t met yet and old ones that we hadn’t seen for years. The joy at seeing family you have not connected with for a while is wonderful.

Having spent the weekend away from my boys and girls, I was very happy to come home. They were really pleased to see me too. Sebby, one of our Faverolle Cockerels, spent half an hour giving me little gifts and dancing all around. The chicks had grown visibly in just those three days and their feathers are coming on fast. I had brought them gifts of food left overs from the party. They whooped it up and pretty soon the  salad, bread, cake and pasta had vanished.

Lion Works Studios have sent me a disc with all my pictures on from the open gardens chicken shoot. They are so good! I wanted to show them all to you so you could share in my delight but there are so very many and the files are all at print resolution and pretty massive, so there’s no way to upload them all. I’ll get Hubbs to resize a handful of the best ones and then we’ll get those up online.

I had some pictures taken of my dogs as well as the birds and I was impressed with how calm Lion Works were and subsequently – how calm  the animals were. It was really hard getting the dogs to pose, but they did and we got some good shots.

Keep an eye on the Gallery  for new pictures.

In the meantime, here’s a picture that I took of our lovely Coco. She is an American cocker. She’s a very joyful and happy puppy. She loves everyone and likes as much fuss as she can get.

A Sunday Kind Of Love

The lovely Jessica, a Lavendar Blue Brahma

We were up late today. I know – no surprise there! As regular blog-readers will know, it’s become a sort of tradition that – being a Sunday – we get up late having caught up on the week’s papers while snuggled in bed.

But this Sunday is a little different because it’s Valentines day. Well… not *really*, but it’s the day before and it’s the time Hubbs and I will have together before he goes back to work.

“Fancy a cup of tea?” Hubbs says

“Oooh yes. Let me see to the animals and I’ll meet you downstairs for breakkie in thirty.” Says I.

“Yep.” He says, and rolls over.

I shuffle off downstairs and put the oven on to warm up. I have a nice breakfast planned but first I need to make sure the animals are all fed, watered and well.

Pearl, our Platinum Pencil Brahma

I let all of the birds out and sort each of the houses out with fresh water, layers pellets, plus a few tasty treats (stale, soaked cinnamon bread, grapes and meal worms). Then I feed the dogs, the cats, scatter feed for the fish and put out seed for the wild birds.

I nip indoors to put the rolls in the (now) hot oven and look around for that promised cup of tea. It’s been closer to an hour than the promised thirty minutes, so I anticipate having to make a new cup anyway.

“Hubbs…?” I call as I wander through the kitchen and into the lounge. No sign of tea. Maybe he got upset and poured the cold cup away! I put the kettle on for a fresh brew.

“HUBBS?” as I walk up the stairs to the bedroom. Oh dear. Have I really upset him by standing him up on our Valentines tea date?

“…”

A sheet-creased and sleep-puffy Hubbs pulls his head up from the pillow with a start.

“*mumble* Tea *mumble* Shall I put the kettle on then?” Of course, he just went back to sleep for over an hour!

And, sometime later, after he’s dragged himself into the shower and walked the dogs and I’ve finished off the laundry and those rolls are burnt to a crisp… We have breakfast. Even though for breakfast it’s way past brunch and well into tea-time territory, I love this. I love these quiet times we have together. It’s better than a day of chocolate and flowers – it’s just me and him having a natter over the toast and marmalade putting the world to rights.

We discuss everything from Egypt to putting up some new fencing. How many eggs are we going to hatch this year? What colour birds?

This is a good time – a peaceful time – we laugh and get on with our day.

New Lemon Pyle Brahmas! Oh yeah!

First, you need to imagine the opening few bars of Sgt Peppers Lonely Heat Club Band by The Beatles. Ready? No? Okay… just click play on this and read on, as we introduce the new stock!

Teddy and The Lemon Pile-ettes

So let me introduce to you… The one and only Teddy (what else would you play for a large bird with a Beatle brow?) and his effervescent ladies – Annabell, Amy, Araminta and Alice.

 

Golden Boy

Then we have Golden Boy Benny. He’s a large fowl Golden Brahma Cockerel. Isn’t he handsome?

 

 

The Jets: our lovely ladies Golda, Yetta, Hetty and Ruth

Not only, but also…  The Jets!  This group are Gold Pencil Brahmas.

 

 

 

 

Ecco : Red Pyle Brahma

The ladies go wild for… Ecco! Yes, this is the Norfolk Brahma’s version of Dean Martin with a little bit of Andy Garcia.

The wonderful Ruby our Red Pyle Brahma girl, she is lovely.

these are just some of the new members of our feathered family we are all looking forward to a bright and sunny year.

I will keep you posted on the breeding/hatching/ newcomers as and when.

In the mean time, as we’re still not quite in chick season and you may be missing your dose of cute, check a look at these curly tailed cuties at Tedfold Cottage Farm.

Save the last dance for me

I got busy today – got the incubator out and cleaned it up. I turned it on left it to settle for a few hours before placing some eggs inside. I’m starting the season with Chocolate Pekins – Red – Salmon – Black,  fingers crossed for the next 21 days. I want to give the small breeds an early start so they are well prepared for next winter.

We have just got a new Gold boy ( we named him Benny and the girls are the jets) and three girls from  Lincolnshire to run with our Blue Partridge girls Bead and Missy.  We also have a new Red Pyle boy who I have named Ecco he will mate with Ruby the female Red Pyle who we hatched out last May .

I told you about Elvis in my last blog, well the rest of the boys are starting to get  frisky too – strutting their stuff and crowing  and showing off to the other boys – it sound like they are crowing  “pick me – pick me”. The girls just sit back without a care in the world and you know they are thinking “No way – No way” It looks like a Sunday evening tea dance –  girls one side boys the other.

Who will be the first to Tango…..?

We have a munity on our hands Cap’n Jack Sparrow (very small black Pekin)  and Buttons a (buff Pekin) are fighting. It’s all over a little lady the beautiful Cheepy cheep. Cheepy cheep is so sweet and her heart belongs to Jack.   Happy Valentine xxxx