I said in an earlier post that I was saving the bricks that used to edge the veg plot and the chickens strip, before we had the new path, for a future use.
The chicken’s strip
When we had the run extension built the guys suggested placing it on top of the wooden beams that used to make up the veg plot. With hind sight (which is a wonderful thing) we should have suggested building it in front of the beams. The beams are now beginning to rot in the soil.
They are in a worse condition on the far side of the run. On this side they are not too bad so I have cleaned up the bricks and placed them on top of the wood. When the wood rots I will replace the wood with the bricks.
I have also planted the front of the chicken’s strip with thyme and mint so that it can grow over the path and their strip of dandelions can continue to grow behind it. This will give an evergreen strip that will look good all year round.
On the other side of the run I started at the point where the beam was most rotten and chiseled out the wood and replaced it with the bricks.
The other side of the run
The four bricks I have placed
The bricks are stored here
I have stored the bricks here so that I can carry on a bit at a time. I worked on this yesterday in extreme heat and after four bricks I had to give up for now. I have done the worst spot and can carry on a few bricks at a time until I complete the job.
My aim is to make sure the run is secure and nothing can dig under. On the inside of the run there is a layer of roof tiles vertical inside the weld mesh and then horizontal under the earth so it is protected from the inside but I like to have a barrier outside too so that it’s not possible for anything to dig in.
The beam has rotted next to the run but beyond the brick width is mostly intact however at this worse spot where I have started the beam was rotten all the way across the width so I chiseled out the rest and put in some spare stones from the garden.
Stones
These stones will give extra protection and this part of the garden is tucked out of sight so it doesn’t matter how it looks as long as it is keeping the run safe.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
You have made a good job , It all looks good,I know how you feel
working in this heat, I did the flowers in the road this morning, I begain to feel bad in this heat, but thought I must just finnish, We must not complain about the weather,
but it is to hot to work in. Just hope when we get this storm tonight we dont get flooding, we had it once, not as bad as some have, but enough to be a worry, One thing about yourhome, dont think it would ever happen to you.
It is too hot but it’s hard to stop when you want to get things done. I have planted more thyme in the chickens strip today as I am impatient to fill it up but any exertion is too hot.
I think we are due the storm a day later than you but as you say we have no worries about flooding being so high up. We have been doing a lot of watering in the evenings so it would be good to get the garden watered.
I worry about the chickens overheating when it’s like this. I can feel some frozen peas coming on.
Mine had frozen peas in water today. I really get concerned when they start gasping. They do try and keep in the shade and are very quiet.
Mine too have been very quiet and sitting in the shade. Emerald and Toffee feel the heat most, possibly because of their darker colour. They both stood holding their wings out and panting through their beaks. I gave them frozen peas to help cool them.