OCD

I saw a fridge magnet yesterday which said "I'm suffering from OCD: Obsessive Chicken Disorder"...I may need to get one, although I probably don't need a fridge magnet to tell me that!

Meet Hetty and Harriet:

In my defence, I've room for two more in one of my runs and I'm selling a lot of eggs at the moment - so much so that I don't have many for my family and friends. So, I popped along to Martins Wood Farm and purchased a couple of little Goldlines. They have all new stock and these two are quite young and have that gauche, coltish look about them so I don't think they'll be laying for a couple of months. Still, at least then they'll be settled in so should lay well once they start. I've put them in the broody coop for now as I'm not sure that they're ready for Simba's erm, attentions as they've been in the convent-like environs of an all pullet pen! The one on the right with the paler body and dark neck is Hetty, and the other is Harriet. I had a book when I was young with two hens of the same names, although Hetty was white and Harriet brown:

They didn't have any white hens there though so I went for strong layers and pleaded a bit of artistic licence.

The buff Sussex bantams have settled in well, and have been named Hugo, Gloria and Esme. We've had a couple of eggs - here's a pic of one next to one of Peggy's double-yolkers:

Aren't they sweet? They are great as quail egg substitutes or for dinky boiled eggs in salads and packed lunches. Or you can incubate them and have chicks :-) no no stoppit!! I think I will have to keep the pullets in the broody coop until the guinea pigs start using it, otherwise I'll develop Empty Coop Syndrome, a closely linked condition to OCD where one feels justified in having more hens all the time there is room for them...

Bantams, Bees and a New Pair of Mitts

The weather has been delightfully spring-ish and I'd earmarked today for going to buy some new chickens. My flock at the moment is a rather motley collection of hybrids and others that I've inherited or reared, so much as I love them all, I thought I might get some new ones of a specific breed. The coop I have (which was too small for Emu) is the perfect size for little bantams, so I procured myself a trio of Buff Sussex from Over the Stile in Broad Oak, about 20 minutes up the road from me.

They are very sweet! I've not yet named them as I can't tell the difference between the hens and you sort of need to get to know their characters before naming them. Yes, you really do.

Apparently they lay a good sized egg for a bantam so I'm looking forward to seeing how they get on. I'm hoping to sell some as hatching eggs (fertile eggs that people buy to incubate) as they are pure bred so will produce Buff Sussex chicks. Ooh how sweet would they be....no....no don't start on that train of thought :-/

My bees have been making the most of this warm calm spell and I was watching them visit all the crocuses in my garden. I can't stress how important it is to plant these easy bulbs wherever you can - pots, window boxes, lawns, borders - as they are so very valuable to pollinators early in the season. They are inexpensive, easy to plant and sink gracefully back in to the earth when they're done. Queen bumblebees were out too, and I saw one shivering to warm up her muscles in the bowl of a crocus having probably just had her first drink of nectar since the autumn:

I saw a small solitary bee and a variety of bee-fly enjoying the nectar too, so please put a note in your diaries to double your quantity of crocuses when planting time arrives in the autumn!

The new season brings some warmth but it's still quite nippy out despite the temperatures nudging in to double figures if you stand in the right spot. So, I was pleased to have my Peerie Flooers mittens (pattern: Kate Davies, yarn: 2ply jumper weigh by Smith & Jamieson) which I've just finished and have been blocked. I'm absolutely thrilled with them and they're just perfect; bright and cheerful whilst being really warm:

Aren't they fab?

Why I Love My Veg Box

I've been using Abel & Cole's organic veg box service for over a year now and they recently bought out a Meat Box - similar concept but with cuts/portions of high-welfare meat. I know some people have doubts or difficulties with the idea of having these kind of weekly deliveries, but I've got to say, I LOVE IT!

I love: that I don't have to think about what vegetables or meat to buy - the decision is made for me

I love: that it arrives simply boxed in minimal recycled, recyclable or returnable packaging

I love: that the food in my box is truly available - if there's a shortage or a glut then it's reflected in the produce in my delivery

I love: that I am not putting pressure on market forces and farmers by demanding food that is not in season

I love: that the produce changes according to variety - sometimes I get fewer large carrots, sometimes more smaller ones for instance, and that is how it should be with real vegetables

I love: that all the producers have the same environmental/animal husbandry ethics as myself

I love: that my children now eat any type of vegetable rather than just frozen peas and tinned sweetcorn

I love: that I now am more adventurous with my cooking

I love: that I know the provenance of all my fresh food

I love: that I use all the veg and meat every week as I prioritise it as the basis of our meals rather than relying on packets

I love: having a jug of soup in the fridge at all times for impromptu meals

Needless to say, the quality is always excellent, and personally I don't alter the contents in the box as I find I can use everything and prefer to look for inventive ways of eating/disguising something I wouldn't normally choose. It does take a bit of a change of mindset if you're used to going to a supermarket, but being offered what's truly in season or recommended means farmers and consumers have a greater link. There is also a buffer for the growers/producers as there are not the same constraints because items can be substituted if need be depending on conditions. I do really think it would relieve the pressure on our production systems if we celebrated the fact that people growing and supplying our fresh food know what's best!

Emu

Last year I inherited a chick from my ex-husband' step-daughter (!) and a lone chick is a sorry thing, so of course I bought it some friends of the same age. Emu is one of them, and he's had a run of foot infections which thankfully seem to have cleared up after a second, heftier dose of antibiotics. I figured that part of the he problem was the coop he was in; it's a lovely one from Flyte So Fancy but it's a bit small for him, but he's been in the broody coop during his treatment, which really is too small for him:

So, armed with these plans for the Basic Backyard Coop, I headed off with lots of enthusiasm and a little trepidation to the timber merchant and Wickes.

The weather's not been great and the garden is a mud bath so I had to construct the coop indoors but it was ok as the guys at the woodyard had sawn up the main bits and I had my dad's workbench and a vaguely sharp saw. Here it is in the lounge:

As with all flat surfaces in my house, it immediately took on the role of Extra Table, even though the dog clearly thinks it's some box of torture or kennel of some description judging by the look on his face.

I then painted it a tasteful shade of Herb Green and put it in position:

Here is a picture of the inside:

I have actually replaced the perch with a free-standing spare one from another coop but the basic layout is the same. Hopefully Emu will work out where to sit so that he doesn't squash his tail feathers...they are a bit thick like that. I'm hoping that as it doesn't have a ramp up into the coop that Emu's joints will cope a little better. 

So, today Amber helped my build the run and I reunited the cockerel with his two (probably rather confused) hens who have been in with Simba for the last 3 weeks. They didn't seem to mind too much though and were soon happily scratching and Emu was bok-bokking manfully and strutting around proudly on his fully-recovered legs:

They did go near the coop eventually! It's a bit Heath Robinson but then everything I make always is, and I have now upgraded from string to galvanised wire to hold everything together which can only mean I'm improving.

And here is my best attempt at a pic of them all in their new home:

What was it someone said about never working with children or animals?