Little Green Space
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Little Green Space |
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| Feb 2008
February 28, 2008 Frogspawn
This appeared in the small pond today. Most of the surface of the pond was covered, pretty much, which has got me thinking - we need another (bigger) pond!
February 21, 2008 Chicken Update Bramble, Rosie, Snowy and Holly are all thriving, and seem very settled and happy. We were warned that they may need to be taught to go up into the coop to roost, so at dusk on the first day I went down into the field, all prepared for a bit of chicken man-handling, but they had put themselves to bed! They seem to be pretty well established in their routine already - if I arrive much after eight to lower the ramp from the coop they positively sprint down to get to their food and water. Once it's warmer, I won't bother to put the ramp up at all at night - there's no way I'm getting up at 4am to let the chickens out! Each chicken seems to be developing its own personality. Rosie is definitely the leader, but if worms are being offered Holly will destroy everything in her path to get to them first - and she usually does. They all love sweetcorn, which we give them as a treat sometimes in the afternoon. And they all come down into the pen when we call, with gentle, murmuring clucky greetings. (The chickens, not us). No eggs yet, though. I have read that point of lay pullets (young chickens that are about ready to lay) will begin laying eggs at anything between 19 and 24 weeks - they are now 20 weeks old, so it could be anytime now.
February 11, 2008 Our Flock The chooks arrived today, and are now happily settled in their smart new hen house. The owner of Little Morton Farm had very thoughtfully selected four birds with different markings, so we can tell them apart! The henhouse is a Boughton 902A from Forsham Cottage Arks. The sleeping and nesting areas are above a large enclosed pen. It could house up to six birds - which might be useful if we get hooked on chicken-keeping and want to increase our stock. If we did decide to get more birds we would need to extend the run as, even though they will be allowed the run of the field most of the time, there may be times when we need to keep them enclosed, and we want them to have plenty of space. We decided on the Boughton rather than the cheaper Forsham 605 because of the raised sleeping area - no kneeling in the mud once a week to clean it out! The Lohman Browns came down into the pen and had a feed and a good scratch about. They are very inquisitive and friendly. The white birds seem more shy, and have spent the afternoon in the perch. After some discussion over names - Rich wanted White Bird 1, White Bird 2, Brown Bird 1, Brown Bird 2 - the kids have come up with Bramble and Rosie for the Lohmans, Snowy and Holly for the Ambers. They have to stay in the house/pen for about three weeks - thereafter they will be truly free-ranging. Oh, and the apple cider vinegar is used as a dietry supplement for the chooks - it's good for their digestion and feathers.
February 9, 2008 Chickens Today we went to visit Little Morton Farm, in North Wingfield in Derbyshire, to have a look at chicken houses, and maybe buy one. We ended up ordering the complete starter pack - including house, four chickens, food, food and water containers, grit, grit box, wood shavings and apple cider vinegar. I have absolutely no idea what the apple cider vinegar is for - but I'll need to find out before Monday, as that's when the chickens are being delivered. We have ordered hybrid birds, as these are very good egg producers: two Amber hens (white ones) and two Lohman Browns, which are a Rhode Island Red hybrid from Germany. Both breeds are supposed to be docile and friendly, so should be good with the kids. They are about 19 weeks old, and ready to start laying as soon as they're settled in. I can't wait to start collecting fresh eggs each morning!
February 5, 2008 Dig, dig, dig Lots of reports and studies show that working the soil can provide physical and mental health benefits. Organisations such as Thrive and the National Care Farm Initiative (NCFI) have helped countless people with mental health problems, depression or stress by giving them opportunities to experience gardening and farming activities. On a sunny morning with a startling blue sky overhead there is no doubt that a good dig clears the head, puts a spring in your step and sets you up for the day. The only trouble is that it also knackers your back, and there is nothing like a bit of physical pain to cancel out that feel-good factor. I don't seem to be learning - the words "little" and "often" keep popping into my head, but I just push them away again. Part of the trouble is that, in true Channel-4-fly-on-the-wall-documentary style I have set myself up with a time limit. The pea and cauliflower seeds I planted last week are coming along a treat and will soon need transplanting; my seed potatoes are chitting nicely in the shed; and I have a whole host of seed packets which say "sow outside March" on them. And I still have three-quarters of the veggie patch to finish. Better get digging...
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