Hope you are having a good Easter break. I have just realised that it is a week since I last posted. What happened to me using this blog as a diary?!
Before I launch into the random stuff that litters (nay overwhelms) my posts I must say Hello to Sue Smith, Janet Fawcett and Paid in Chickens on Bloglovin. Really good to see you here.
I have spent some time last week getting the orchard run ready to take all the chickens for the summer. I have put in some more roosting poles around the place and D. has added some more nesting boxes to the large hen house. Apart from half a dozen broodies in the goat house, all the hens are now esconced in the said orchard and I have started to get the gardens ready for planting.
Here is the view over the Orchard fence into the orchard. The strong netting above the fence is tensioned on thick wire and brings the height of the fence to 7 foot. This makes it pretty much fox-proof. You may recognise the fencing. Yup Pallets!
Here are a few of the hens enjoying a spot of sun-bathing in the orchard next to one of the supplementary chicken houses. This has a small run attached and can be moved around the orchard or outside into the field. Guess what it is made from ? Too easy eh? The ubiquitous Pallets!
When I say ALL Chickens, I mean apart from Barmy Bonce, who keeps getting out and we can't work out how. She is desperate to get into the garden next door, where Stan (aged 95) puts all the peas (he doesn't like peas) from his Meals on Wheels. it would seem he gets peas with his dinner every day!
Here is Barmy Bonce. I have no idea which chickens sired this weirdo. She clearly has some White Star in her.
In the paddock garden I have dug two deep trenches which I have filled with some part rotted compost. After raking a few inches of soil over this I placed the main crop potatoes on this soil and then raked enough soil over to cover these well. We are taking a risk with the potatoes this year. we always buy new seed, but after finding a small bag of last year's in store, we are going to risk them as this year's seed. They are Sarpo Mira, which are a fairly new variety that are blight resistant. I also have a few Pink Fir Apple potatoes which I shall grow in pots this year.
Also in the paddock garden I have planted a few drain pipes of early pea plants (Kelveden) and some broad beans plants (Aquadulce) Planting has started Hurrah!!
Just in case you haven't heard enough about Pallets .....D. has been busy with his Pallet stash. Here are his latest constructions.
Firstly, here is a new Hive Stand, he did need to buy four new nuts and bolts for the stand at the cost of 40 pence for four. I believe he now has made one new hive and nearly completed another, which he hopes to sell ( compete with bees)
I think that is quite enough for tonight. I have quite a lot of other stuff to share with you, some of it not too good, buy I really need to settle down now. I am going to have a look at "Jamaica Inn " on BBC1
Good Night all
Gillx
Now I'm worried about your not to good news.
ReplyDeleteHere a pallet, there a pallet, everywhere a pallet!
I know you love a good pallet or too.. The smallholder's friend!
DeleteThank goodness for pallets. Its lovely to see the chickens in the orchard enjoying the sunshine, Im sure they will reward you with lovely eggs. Barmy bonce sounds quite a character, perhaps she has developed a craving for old peas!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what we would do without them
DeleteBB really is a character. She got out again twice today!
Gill
The original gates that led into our pool were made of... guess what?
ReplyDeleteI kept wondering how Richard was escaping from her run; then I realised that she was jumping up onto a Fig tree stump, then jumping again over the 6ft high fence. I've now chopped the Fig stump to ground level. Richard was not amused.
She got out again today, but D. thinks he has found the weakness in the perimeter. Tomorrow will tell. Our fear is that she will show the others what to do..result Anarchy most Fowl! (sorry)
DeleteA very pallet-able post me thinks! Love the escaping chicken as I think it is good for us allegedly intelligent beings to be completely upstaged by our allegedly lower order cousins every now and then.
ReplyDeleteHa Ha good one!
DeleteShe has certainly proved our better today again and put us in our place.
Some of our happiest family holidays were spent in Derbyshire (small village of Elton) on a house swop with a family who had a small holding with chickens, goats, a couple of sheep and a small ponies. Our children were young and absolutely adored it. Happy days. How amazing to find a hardware shop these days that will sell nuts and bolts and other bits and bobs individually. Have fun with your planting out.
ReplyDeleteDerbyshire IS a lovely county, with friendly people.
DeleteWe get our hardware from "Dodgy Frank's" from whom you can get just about anything usually. Occasionally we go to a hardware dealers that deal with the trade. This firm is happy to talk in random numbers too
Please don;t get rid of the Valerian and the Violets, they are far too pretty and should smother out the weeds later in the season when you have too much to do to go round weeding such areas.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I will refer anybody who thinks it needs weeding to you "Weaver says I should leave it" I will say.
DeleteAn orchard run is a brilliant idea. Those will be some happy chickens!
ReplyDeleteI have to say I envy those pallets. They are actually hard to come by around here. :(
Dual purpose land ! I believe that the chickens scratch up a lot of the grubs that climb up the trunks too.
DeleteWhenever we here of any pallets available. D. always stops whatever task he is on to fetch them. ! They are SO useful. he heats his shed stove with them, makes kindling for the house and burns the blocky bits in the house too
Pallets do come in very handy. I'm growing Pink Fir Apple this year for the first time. I've heard such good things about them previously that I thought I'd give them a go myself.
ReplyDeleteI've grown Pink Fir Apple for many years now as we really like the taste of them. The small ones can be a bit of a fiddle to wash, but well worth it. We usually get a decent weight from each plant too. Good Luck with them.
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