After 6 months of introductions I have finally done it- all of the hens now live together. When we move house the chickens are also getting new accommodation in the form of a large wooden coop and big run, probably with an outer area made from netting so that they can still sort of free range when we are outside, and so that Small Boy and Small Girl can still hold and play with the chickens without me worrying that they will never be seen again. It will also be good to be able to free range the ixworths with the ex batts in summer.
Because it is Friday I want to just mention Free Range Friday, raising funds for BHWT:
http://www.bhwt.org.uk/cms/freerangefriday/
I am hoping to run a few events when we have moved into the new house to raise money for this brilliant cause.
Enjoy your hot cross buns!
Thursday 28 March 2013
Wednesday 20 March 2013
Plan A is very much Plan Bee...
Last night I went to Bee Club. By 'Bee Club' I mean the local Beekeepers Association Beginners course and it was great. We learned about swarm management and the basics of how the association runs.
So, Plan Bee. In one year I hope to have a hive and colony in the garden of the new house. It will be a National of some description, and I plan to order a nucleus for next summer to go in it.
why bees? I think bees get a bit of a bad deal. We expect them to pollinate things, and then we run around saying how scared of them we are. I think that they are fascinating creatures that need looking after- varroa mites mean that the bees are always starting from a poor position, and, well, I like honey, so feel like I should put something back. Oh, and I like the IDE of owning a besuited to wander around my garden in.
So, Bee Club was a hit. And bees will be here next year.
So, Plan Bee. In one year I hope to have a hive and colony in the garden of the new house. It will be a National of some description, and I plan to order a nucleus for next summer to go in it.
why bees? I think bees get a bit of a bad deal. We expect them to pollinate things, and then we run around saying how scared of them we are. I think that they are fascinating creatures that need looking after- varroa mites mean that the bees are always starting from a poor position, and, well, I like honey, so feel like I should put something back. Oh, and I like the IDE of owning a besuited to wander around my garden in.
So, Bee Club was a hit. And bees will be here next year.
Monday 18 March 2013
Planning new hatchlings
After the fun that we had with the quail eggs, I have decided to leave that until later
in the summer- we don't need to increase the colony size until we move, and have no desperate need for quail eggs or meat.
however... It would be nice to start hatching chickens for meat- we have egg birds, which is great, but I now feel confident about hatching and dispatching to eat them. I am still debating what to go for, but will probably try ixworths, or Sussex, in case I 'chicken' out of dispatching them.
Thinking about hatching soon, but we go on holiday for a few days in May, so don't want it to clash with that. Hmmm. Will probably need to wait until I get back.
quail-wise, I will probably go for Japanese Jumbos again, or Golden Giant. I need to work out what I want them for, but Japanese Jumbos are far more 'dual purpose' so that might swing it.
in the summer- we don't need to increase the colony size until we move, and have no desperate need for quail eggs or meat.
however... It would be nice to start hatching chickens for meat- we have egg birds, which is great, but I now feel confident about hatching and dispatching to eat them. I am still debating what to go for, but will probably try ixworths, or Sussex, in case I 'chicken' out of dispatching them.
Thinking about hatching soon, but we go on holiday for a few days in May, so don't want it to clash with that. Hmmm. Will probably need to wait until I get back.
quail-wise, I will probably go for Japanese Jumbos again, or Golden Giant. I need to work out what I want them for, but Japanese Jumbos are far more 'dual purpose' so that might swing it.
Sunday 17 March 2013
3 eggs.... And a little one too!
I think we broke our most eggs in a day record yesterday- 3 chicken and one quail.
I would add pictures, but a virus ate my pc :-( and my iPad is the one without a camera.
I would add pictures, but a virus ate my pc :-( and my iPad is the one without a camera.
Monday 11 March 2013
MOOC?
In the absence of other things to do this week, I signed up to do a MOOC.
If you know what I am talking about then you are doing well. If it, stay tuned.
MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course, they tend to be free and are courses run over the Internet by various universities and institutions. There are a few different providers of MOOCs- I found out about them because the Open University are behind one such organisation called FutureLearn, And I am studying for my degree with the OU, so have my finger on the pulse of such things (provided I read my newsletters).
I started one this week called 'Internet history, technology and security', which is lots of fun. There are recorded lectures that one should watch, quizzes and a final exam. You can write essays if you want, but given that I am already doing 120 credit points worth of essays at the moment In my OU studies, I think I will pass.
Today, my other MOOC will start- Introduction to sustainability. I am excited about this because it look challenging, but also it will be nice to get a certificate at the end to go in my certificates folder for showing at job interviews.
If you know what I am talking about then you are doing well. If it, stay tuned.
MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course, they tend to be free and are courses run over the Internet by various universities and institutions. There are a few different providers of MOOCs- I found out about them because the Open University are behind one such organisation called FutureLearn, And I am studying for my degree with the OU, so have my finger on the pulse of such things (provided I read my newsletters).
I started one this week called 'Internet history, technology and security', which is lots of fun. There are recorded lectures that one should watch, quizzes and a final exam. You can write essays if you want, but given that I am already doing 120 credit points worth of essays at the moment In my OU studies, I think I will pass.
Today, my other MOOC will start- Introduction to sustainability. I am excited about this because it look challenging, but also it will be nice to get a certificate at the end to go in my certificates folder for showing at job interviews.
Mothers Day
Yesterday was Mothers Day (or Mothering Sunday for the pedants out there).
I had a lovely day- the Smalls and Hubby made me some lovely pictures, a card and bought me a sewing machine (review to follow) and took me out in the afternoon to buy plants and eat cake. It was a lovely day. :-)
I had a lovely day- the Smalls and Hubby made me some lovely pictures, a card and bought me a sewing machine (review to follow) and took me out in the afternoon to buy plants and eat cake. It was a lovely day. :-)
The new house
Having spent some time there today, I thought I would share a bit about the new house. We are moving approx 2.5 miles from our current home, to go and live in hubby's late grandmothers house. She sadly passed away in January, and will be much missed. The house has been the family home for 50 years, and so it is nice to know that it is going to stay with us.
The house has lots going for it. Although it has fewer bedrooms, it is comparable to our current abode in terms of living space, but it is set out better, having a separate utility room, a double garage, 2 reception rooms, separate toilet and bathroom and, wait for it, a pantry. I am so excited about the idea of a pantry! The other very attractive feature is the garden- 300 foot long, with fruit trees and plenty of space for the chickens (and hopefully eventually bees), space to grow veggies and generally to be outside, den building, having bonfires... It is going to be great.
Small Boy and Small Girl are going to love it. We have spent lots of time there in the past, and so they are used to going there to visit and have fun, which should take some of the trauma out of moving home. Small Boy is going to have the bigger bedroom- mainly because he is older, but also because he has bigger toys. Small girl will be very happy in the small room- is is lots bigger than where she is currently, and she will get a bigger bed.
How do I feel about moving? I guess it is mixed emotions to an extent, I have worked so hard to get this house how I would like it, and now we are going to move. I am sad that all of the time I have spent planting soft fruit here will be wasted, but am excited about having fruit trees and lots and lots of space to grow things, for the chickens to have more space, to have a hot tub under the stars (that's the plan anyway)... It will be a whole new way of living, trying to grow what we can, spending as little as we can to do what we want to.
New house, new start. There is a long way to go yet, (we need to sort out the new house legally) but hopefully we will get there soon.
The house has lots going for it. Although it has fewer bedrooms, it is comparable to our current abode in terms of living space, but it is set out better, having a separate utility room, a double garage, 2 reception rooms, separate toilet and bathroom and, wait for it, a pantry. I am so excited about the idea of a pantry! The other very attractive feature is the garden- 300 foot long, with fruit trees and plenty of space for the chickens (and hopefully eventually bees), space to grow veggies and generally to be outside, den building, having bonfires... It is going to be great.
Small Boy and Small Girl are going to love it. We have spent lots of time there in the past, and so they are used to going there to visit and have fun, which should take some of the trauma out of moving home. Small Boy is going to have the bigger bedroom- mainly because he is older, but also because he has bigger toys. Small girl will be very happy in the small room- is is lots bigger than where she is currently, and she will get a bigger bed.
How do I feel about moving? I guess it is mixed emotions to an extent, I have worked so hard to get this house how I would like it, and now we are going to move. I am sad that all of the time I have spent planting soft fruit here will be wasted, but am excited about having fruit trees and lots and lots of space to grow things, for the chickens to have more space, to have a hot tub under the stars (that's the plan anyway)... It will be a whole new way of living, trying to grow what we can, spending as little as we can to do what we want to.
New house, new start. There is a long way to go yet, (we need to sort out the new house legally) but hopefully we will get there soon.
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Spring has sprung
Well, it's been a while hasn't it. I could make lots of excuses, but basically I couldn't be bothered to blog. To be honest, nothing worth blogging about has happened until now, so this is where I will pick up and promise to be good in future.
One thing I might have written about but didn't- we had a death in the family. I found Camilla chicken dead in pink Eglu on Christmas morning, which rather dampened my enthusiasm for cockerel on Boxing Day. It was completely unexpected, no signs at all that this might happen. It was very sad :-(
The other downer is that hatching quails hasn't gone to plan- nothing hatched from the first attempt, and I had 8 from the second, but they have slowly died, one by one. Feel gutted about it to be completely honest with you, dear readers. So, I have an empty incy, empty brooder and nothing to show for it.
The last big change is that we said goodbye to Au Pair at Christmas time. It was really sad as she was a part of the family, but Small Boy and Small Girl are growing up and are out far more and need looking after at home far less, and besides, I have stopped lots of my work and have no reason to have help. I miss her, and hope that she is having lots of fun whereever she is now.
However, laying all these things aside, things are looking up. We are planning to move house, I have a new sewing machine on the way, and I am starting a beekeeping course 2 weeks today.
In chicken news- we have had a couple of eggs, but not many at all. Will worm with flub soon. Quails Rosie and Jim (Jim is a girl in case you were wondering) are laying every few days.
So, animal count is as follows:
6 Chickens: Elizabeth and Kate (Eglu Pink) Blue, Green, Yellow and Nandos (Eglu Rouge)
2 Quail: Rosie and Jim
2 Guinea Pigs: Woolly and Tig (forgot to mention them- they came at Christmas)
1 Giant Snail: Bob
Lots of worms
One thing I might have written about but didn't- we had a death in the family. I found Camilla chicken dead in pink Eglu on Christmas morning, which rather dampened my enthusiasm for cockerel on Boxing Day. It was completely unexpected, no signs at all that this might happen. It was very sad :-(
The other downer is that hatching quails hasn't gone to plan- nothing hatched from the first attempt, and I had 8 from the second, but they have slowly died, one by one. Feel gutted about it to be completely honest with you, dear readers. So, I have an empty incy, empty brooder and nothing to show for it.
The last big change is that we said goodbye to Au Pair at Christmas time. It was really sad as she was a part of the family, but Small Boy and Small Girl are growing up and are out far more and need looking after at home far less, and besides, I have stopped lots of my work and have no reason to have help. I miss her, and hope that she is having lots of fun whereever she is now.
However, laying all these things aside, things are looking up. We are planning to move house, I have a new sewing machine on the way, and I am starting a beekeeping course 2 weeks today.
In chicken news- we have had a couple of eggs, but not many at all. Will worm with flub soon. Quails Rosie and Jim (Jim is a girl in case you were wondering) are laying every few days.
So, animal count is as follows:
6 Chickens: Elizabeth and Kate (Eglu Pink) Blue, Green, Yellow and Nandos (Eglu Rouge)
2 Quail: Rosie and Jim
2 Guinea Pigs: Woolly and Tig (forgot to mention them- they came at Christmas)
1 Giant Snail: Bob
Lots of worms
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