Egg related presents all round here this year :) Have a good day everyone!
Saturday 16 June 2012
Wednesday 13 June 2012
Operation Save the Veggies
Since they started free ranging in the garden a week ago, I have come to realise that I would need to do something to protect my fruit and veggies. So, I made a net fence around the fruit bed, and thought that the raised beds would be ok. Well, I was wrong. It isn't the veggies that are in danger per se, it is just that the chooks seem to think that I have provided huge dustbaths with snack bars built in! So, after chasing Catherine out for the 10th time in about 5 minutes, I tried several ways to keep them out of my raised bed.
I firstly tried putting a cane in each corner and winding string around them to make a sort of fence. Hubby remarked that it looked a bit like a boxing ring. This seemed to work briefly- then the chickens realised that they could climb through the strings to get in. Then Elizabeth got all tangled up so it was back to the drawing board. I didn't want to put up a proper 'fence'- the idea was that Small Boy and Small Girl could help harvest whatever has grown- a fence taller than them would put paid to that for about the next 5 years.
I had a brainwave. A trip to Wilkinsons later and here we have it- willow trellises (is trellises a word nor should it be trellisi?) on top of the beds. This only works because the bed is full of stuff that grows close to the ground, but it is perfect to protect the empty bed too.
I firstly tried putting a cane in each corner and winding string around them to make a sort of fence. Hubby remarked that it looked a bit like a boxing ring. This seemed to work briefly- then the chickens realised that they could climb through the strings to get in. Then Elizabeth got all tangled up so it was back to the drawing board. I didn't want to put up a proper 'fence'- the idea was that Small Boy and Small Girl could help harvest whatever has grown- a fence taller than them would put paid to that for about the next 5 years.
I had a brainwave. A trip to Wilkinsons later and here we have it- willow trellises (is trellises a word nor should it be trellisi?) on top of the beds. This only works because the bed is full of stuff that grows close to the ground, but it is perfect to protect the empty bed too.
Grub feeder
It fell off again scattering layers pellets all over the run. Camilla then ground them into the floor, mixing them with the puddle that was created by all of the rain.
Layers pellet soup. Yum. Not.
Layers pellet soup. Yum. Not.
Tuesday 12 June 2012
The Eglu Review
I only wanted chickens if I could have an eglu. It was a bit of a non-negotiable. The reasoning for this was that I had read quite a lot about people with wooden coops and red mite and how they wish they had got an easier to clean alternative. However, I had 2 concerns with this- I didn't want to be responsible for the making of another large lump of plastic, and also that the price of a brand new eglu with a run made me feel slightly queasy (£425). So, when I saw that someone was selling a pink eglu classic with 2m run for almost half of this, (and was rehoming 3 ex-batts to go in it) I was very excited.
Why an eglu? I heard of eglus 5 years ago when hubbys work colleague had one with chickens in- it sounded idyllic (I know that at times it wasn't, but it just how I chose to remember her description of it). I filed the name eglu away until we started thinking about a family pet again a few months ago.
Anyway, going to see it and deciding to bring it home, we managed to squeeze the eglu and run in the back of our Peugeot 807. We *just* managed itwith the 2 rear seats taken out. There were then 2 car seats and an adult in the middle, and 2 adults and a box containing 3 chickens in the front. Lets just say, if I was planning to do this again, I would a) leave the small people and au pair at home, and b) take a roll of strong tape with me. The chickens were contained in the box with a small amount of masking tapecriss crossing the top, which was no where near enough for my liking. Camilla spent the whole journey with her head poking out of the box in a slightly disconcerting fashion, eye balling me as if to say 'I am not sure about you, but I am the boss'. I would say that generally, to get this into a 'normal' sized car, they you need to put the back seats down and have the front seats for a box with chickens in (if you are collecting all at the same time like we did).
We got it out at the other end, having only ever seen one briefly, and managed to build it without instructions in about 20 minutes. So, reasonably easy to transport, very easy to assemble.
The 'super glug' drinker puzzled me a bit- having never seen one I couldn't work it out. However, after finding out the the choocks drink from the bottom (or are supposed to) it seemed a bit better. The 'grub' feeder fell off 3 times in 24 hours- I am not sure why as it hasn't happened since.
The run- on first glance, it is a great design. However, I do worry that if the chickens were never allowed to free range that the run would be too small and they would be miserable. I guess that is the point of the run extensions though. The other issue I have with the run is as it is so low to the ground it is quite difficult to clean! At the moment I have got round this by raking the run out through the door and hosing the gravel down, which seems to be working.
The eglu house- This is probably the genius bit of the whole set up. It is so simple, whilst being perfectly functional in every way. I love the dropping tray, I love that it is so easy to removen and clean the roosting bars, I love how the door swings closed, I love the egg hole on the side... like I said, genius. And, it looks good. I am not a huge fan of plastic as a construction material, and pre-eglu I was even less of a fan of pink plastic, but this is a winner for me style-wise.
In the future some time I would love to try a cube, but there is no big hurry- The run is higher up, and I like the idea of the cube being on wheels.
Anyway- the bottom line is that I love it and it was well worth the money.
Why an eglu? I heard of eglus 5 years ago when hubbys work colleague had one with chickens in- it sounded idyllic (I know that at times it wasn't, but it just how I chose to remember her description of it). I filed the name eglu away until we started thinking about a family pet again a few months ago.
Anyway, going to see it and deciding to bring it home, we managed to squeeze the eglu and run in the back of our Peugeot 807. We *just* managed itwith the 2 rear seats taken out. There were then 2 car seats and an adult in the middle, and 2 adults and a box containing 3 chickens in the front. Lets just say, if I was planning to do this again, I would a) leave the small people and au pair at home, and b) take a roll of strong tape with me. The chickens were contained in the box with a small amount of masking tapecriss crossing the top, which was no where near enough for my liking. Camilla spent the whole journey with her head poking out of the box in a slightly disconcerting fashion, eye balling me as if to say 'I am not sure about you, but I am the boss'. I would say that generally, to get this into a 'normal' sized car, they you need to put the back seats down and have the front seats for a box with chickens in (if you are collecting all at the same time like we did).
We got it out at the other end, having only ever seen one briefly, and managed to build it without instructions in about 20 minutes. So, reasonably easy to transport, very easy to assemble.
The 'super glug' drinker puzzled me a bit- having never seen one I couldn't work it out. However, after finding out the the choocks drink from the bottom (or are supposed to) it seemed a bit better. The 'grub' feeder fell off 3 times in 24 hours- I am not sure why as it hasn't happened since.
The run- on first glance, it is a great design. However, I do worry that if the chickens were never allowed to free range that the run would be too small and they would be miserable. I guess that is the point of the run extensions though. The other issue I have with the run is as it is so low to the ground it is quite difficult to clean! At the moment I have got round this by raking the run out through the door and hosing the gravel down, which seems to be working.
The eglu house- This is probably the genius bit of the whole set up. It is so simple, whilst being perfectly functional in every way. I love the dropping tray, I love that it is so easy to removen and clean the roosting bars, I love how the door swings closed, I love the egg hole on the side... like I said, genius. And, it looks good. I am not a huge fan of plastic as a construction material, and pre-eglu I was even less of a fan of pink plastic, but this is a winner for me style-wise.
In the future some time I would love to try a cube, but there is no big hurry- The run is higher up, and I like the idea of the cube being on wheels.
Anyway- the bottom line is that I love it and it was well worth the money.
Saturday 9 June 2012
Giving eggs away
Out of 21 eggs this week (20 if you don't include the softie egg) we have given away 5- one to very good friends of ours, and then our first box of 4 to the neighbours that live closest to the eglu.
A week with the chooks
It is now more than a week since Elizabeth, Camilla and Kate moved in and we are having a great time.
We have had 3 eggs every day. One was soft (it looked like a 'real' egg but the shell was squidgy), otherwise they have been great. Small Boy still loves them as much as he did when they arrived- he goes out with a little bucket every day excited about maybe finding eggs. Small Girl isn't all that bothered, but likes the sudden availability of boiled eggs.
On Tuesday (3 days after arrival) we finally let the girls free range in the garden. They came out of their run and wandered around for a bit whilst being chased around by Small Boy pushing a wheelbarrow, and then were easily bribed back into their run with some corn. Having heard all of the stories about hopw once you let chickens out then it is impossible to get them back in (especially when you are in a hurry) I was puzzled by how easy it was. I thought that the next day would be much much harder, but actually, it has been just as easy every time. I vary the bribe each time (broccoli stalk is current number 1 favourite) and it all seems to be fine.
I do wonder how long it will last though- on my Open University course I am currently learning about the effectiveness of reward charts for children, and how they are largely ineffective in the long run. I wonder if chickens ever get bored with complying for a token reward? Will they start demanding more and more in order for me to put them to bed? Maybe they will work together to attempt to negotiate terms with me, or kidnap Small Boy because they want a larger ration of mealworms?
Maybe. Or, perhaps, I have spent far too much time this week studying whilst looking after the chickens. Chickens can't manipulate me and use me for their own selfish ends, can they?
We have had 3 eggs every day. One was soft (it looked like a 'real' egg but the shell was squidgy), otherwise they have been great. Small Boy still loves them as much as he did when they arrived- he goes out with a little bucket every day excited about maybe finding eggs. Small Girl isn't all that bothered, but likes the sudden availability of boiled eggs.
On Tuesday (3 days after arrival) we finally let the girls free range in the garden. They came out of their run and wandered around for a bit whilst being chased around by Small Boy pushing a wheelbarrow, and then were easily bribed back into their run with some corn. Having heard all of the stories about hopw once you let chickens out then it is impossible to get them back in (especially when you are in a hurry) I was puzzled by how easy it was. I thought that the next day would be much much harder, but actually, it has been just as easy every time. I vary the bribe each time (broccoli stalk is current number 1 favourite) and it all seems to be fine.
I do wonder how long it will last though- on my Open University course I am currently learning about the effectiveness of reward charts for children, and how they are largely ineffective in the long run. I wonder if chickens ever get bored with complying for a token reward? Will they start demanding more and more in order for me to put them to bed? Maybe they will work together to attempt to negotiate terms with me, or kidnap Small Boy because they want a larger ration of mealworms?
Maybe. Or, perhaps, I have spent far too much time this week studying whilst looking after the chickens. Chickens can't manipulate me and use me for their own selfish ends, can they?
Thursday 7 June 2012
Eggs or no eggs? That is the question...
Sunday morning arrived and excitedly we went down the garden to let the hens out and expectantly opened the nest box pop hole to look for eggs. Hubby was ready with the camera, poised to take photos of our first eggs, Small Boy was standing with a bucket in anticipation, it was a momentous occasion. Imagine the disappointment when we found no eggs! Hubby muttered something about how he thought we had got duff ones and we all trooped back in, certain that we wouldn't ever get eggs from them and went off to church for the morning service followed by a Jubilee celebration lunch.
When we came home, I popped down to the eglu and peeked inside- there was 2 perfect brown eggs. I ran up the garden, and we repeated the set up from the morning before going inside to proudly write the date on the eggs and to write in the egg diary.
Later on, I had one more look and found one more nestled in the straw. All 3 hens are laying! I quietly said thank you to the hens and I went inside. 3 Hens, 3 eggs- an egg each per day.
I learned my first lesson in garden chicken farming- chickens like privacy to lay their eggs. Therefore, if I am letting the hens out at 7:30am, watchign them for 20 minutes whilst they eat their breakfast and then checking for eggs at 8:00am is just setting myself up for disappointment!
When we came home, I popped down to the eglu and peeked inside- there was 2 perfect brown eggs. I ran up the garden, and we repeated the set up from the morning before going inside to proudly write the date on the eggs and to write in the egg diary.
Later on, I had one more look and found one more nestled in the straw. All 3 hens are laying! I quietly said thank you to the hens and I went inside. 3 Hens, 3 eggs- an egg each per day.
I learned my first lesson in garden chicken farming- chickens like privacy to lay their eggs. Therefore, if I am letting the hens out at 7:30am, watchign them for 20 minutes whilst they eat their breakfast and then checking for eggs at 8:00am is just setting myself up for disappointment!
Tuesday 5 June 2012
Why chickens?
Before I start our diary of life as chicken keepers, I thought I would explain the process by which we came to find ourselves having chickens.
Having grown up with rabbits, guinea pigs, budgies and a dog, I think I always knew that I wanted a pet for the Smalls when they came along. However, I also knew that I didn't want any of the above :-) Hubby had a cat as a child and has great memories of her/him (I can't remember which) but the personality of a cat is unknown until they have settled in and ledt fur all over the house, at which point it is too late to evict them. Pretty much every cat I have ever known has had a spiteful streak (with the exception of my childhood neighbours ragdoll cat Simba- RIP) and although I think Small Boy could cope with that I think Small Girl would push her luck too far and be hissed at and/or bitten. The other point is that if I want pet cats then I would just start feeding those belonging to a neighbour of ours that seem to think they live in my garden...
So, no cats.
We have 2 fish already that Small Boy looks after (by this I mean feeds sporadically), but they don't really provide what I was hoping for in a pet. Small Boy doesn't really have a lot of language, and we wondered whether having a pet would help to bring him out of himself a bit.
Small furries- they are good, but the Smalls won't appreciate how gentle they would need to be- Small Boy would squeeze them until they squeak, so not a good plan.
Anyway, I have been thinking about chickens for a long while. We have a bit of a utilitarian regime in our house- if something isn't useful then it won't survive long. We don't plant flowers- only productive vegetables, shrubs and herbs. So, chickens, with their ability to lay eggs, are useful. However, I wanted an eglu, and they were well out of my price range, until 3 weeks ago a friend of a friend was selling an eglu and rehoming 3 ex-batts for a very reasonable and affordable price. That settled it for me- I arranged to take hubby and the Smalls to go and see it so that we could think about it, and somehow we came home with it all, plus the au pair, in the car.
That was last Saturday... and the start of The Egg Per Day Diaries.
Elizabeth, Camilla and Kate settling in- royal names as they arrived on Jubilee Saturday :-)
Having grown up with rabbits, guinea pigs, budgies and a dog, I think I always knew that I wanted a pet for the Smalls when they came along. However, I also knew that I didn't want any of the above :-) Hubby had a cat as a child and has great memories of her/him (I can't remember which) but the personality of a cat is unknown until they have settled in and ledt fur all over the house, at which point it is too late to evict them. Pretty much every cat I have ever known has had a spiteful streak (with the exception of my childhood neighbours ragdoll cat Simba- RIP) and although I think Small Boy could cope with that I think Small Girl would push her luck too far and be hissed at and/or bitten. The other point is that if I want pet cats then I would just start feeding those belonging to a neighbour of ours that seem to think they live in my garden...
So, no cats.
We have 2 fish already that Small Boy looks after (by this I mean feeds sporadically), but they don't really provide what I was hoping for in a pet. Small Boy doesn't really have a lot of language, and we wondered whether having a pet would help to bring him out of himself a bit.
Small furries- they are good, but the Smalls won't appreciate how gentle they would need to be- Small Boy would squeeze them until they squeak, so not a good plan.
Anyway, I have been thinking about chickens for a long while. We have a bit of a utilitarian regime in our house- if something isn't useful then it won't survive long. We don't plant flowers- only productive vegetables, shrubs and herbs. So, chickens, with their ability to lay eggs, are useful. However, I wanted an eglu, and they were well out of my price range, until 3 weeks ago a friend of a friend was selling an eglu and rehoming 3 ex-batts for a very reasonable and affordable price. That settled it for me- I arranged to take hubby and the Smalls to go and see it so that we could think about it, and somehow we came home with it all, plus the au pair, in the car.
That was last Saturday... and the start of The Egg Per Day Diaries.
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