Carol's Chickens

I haven’t been blogging so much recently for two reasons. For one there hasn’t been much happening in chicken world which is no bad thing and for another I have been learning to sell on e-bay.

We have been in catering for a life time and are now slowing down towards retirement and are just about part time at the moment. This means we have an awful lot of catering equipment that we no longer need.

My eldest son who is my I.T. guy has been teaching me how to sell on e-bay. I have now listed my first twelve items and have already sold four. I am really pleased with how it is going.

Back to chickens. Vanilla went broody but I broke her out of it in just two days. This meant she soon got back to laying again, just one week, after she went broody. She has laid three eggs over the last five days.

With Smoke and Marmite it is a different story. They are determined to stay broody. Marmite has been broody for the last two weeks and Smoke has been broody for the last three weeks.

Still broody

Marmite is a sweet and docile broody while Smoke is an angry broody. You can see the gentle look in Marmite’s eye and the anger in Smoke’s eyes.

Sometimes I put them in the same nest box to free up the other nest boxes when several girls want to lay at once and sometimes, as on this occasion, they choose the same nest box. They will often choose the same nest box if Ebony wants the one next door as she has no time for broodies sharing her nest box.

When I lift them out for a break Marmite will sit where ever I have put her and eventually will move off for a dust bath. Smoke on the other hand will puff herself up and hold her wings at full stretch and if any of the other little girls cross her path she will angrily chase them away.

It takes three weeks for a hen’s eggs to hatch so Smoke should be coming out of this by now but she is showing no signs of giving up. I wonder if she is challenging Ebony with her record of four weeks broody. Sigh!

Speckles is our oldest girl and we can tell that she is feeling her age. We have had her five years and she was at least two years old when we had her because she was moulting and had lost her tail. Chickens don’t moult completely in their first year but do from their second year on so she was at least two years old already.

Speckles when we first had her

This was a few months after we got her when her tail had grown back.

Speckles

It’s a slightly unfair comparison because Speckles tail isn’t quite it’s complete length after her moult, the first photo was taken in September, but the way she stands is different. Her age shows in her eyes and she has more white feathers on her head. These days Speckles spends much more time sitting on the ground or perching.

Speckles and Cinnamon are inseparable. Cinnamon at nearly three years old is our oldest serama. Whenever Speckles is sitting or perching Cinnamon will keep her company.

These two are always together

They are never far apart

If Cinnamon isn’t sitting with Speckles she will  be pottering about around her.

Speckles spends a lot of time sitting or perching

Speckles age shows in her eyes

The other thing that has changed with Speckles ageing is that she is much more easily spooked these days. When we first had Speckles she was the most nervous chicken we had ever had. She moved up the ranks from bottom girl to top girl as other girls left the flock.

Recently Speckles often gives out the alarm call. The flock have always done this if there was a cat in the garden but Speckles has done this a lot this summer. When spending time with the girls I have come to realise that Speckles now shouts the alarm if a squirrel runs over the top of the run. They have never been bothered by squirrels before. She will also shout the alarm at a bird near by or at a bird call.

One day, recently, I was sweeping the patio with most of the flock milling around me. Speckles was out in the run, past the hatch, having a dust bath. Suddenly Speckles shrieked loudly and ran at speed from her dust bath to the patio area. She seems to suddenly get spooked and I could see no reason for this.

It seems that with age Speckles has reverted to being nervy like she was as a youngster. Toffee and Emerald lived to a good age and slowed down with age but didn’t get nervous like this. While talking to my mum recently she said that her most nervous dog as a puppy reverted to being nervous when she was old so I am now thinking that that is what is going on here.

Speckles seems well in her self though and there isn’t much I can do to make her less anxious. It is heartwarming to see the close bond between Speckles and Cinnamon especially as the rest of the flock don’t have close friendships like some of the past girls have had.

It is also a good feeling to get some of the girls to a good age. Sadly the little girls haven’t reached the sort of age that the bigger girls have but I hope that some of these little girls will get to a better age as it’s always heartbreaking to lose them too soon.  I also hope that we have Speckles for longer yet even if she does spook herself over nothing at all.

Today when my husband brought produce back from our allotment plot he also surprised me with some wild flowers from our plot. He cut the top off his plastic water bottle to transport them home in water. I transferred them to a little jug.

Some wild flowers from the allotment

They are so pretty.

The next day

I was surprised to see how different the wild flowers in the jug looked the next morning.

Wild flowers the next day

They have picked themselves up and look even prettier.

We were disappointed when our whole row of marris peer potatoes, on our garden veg plot, got blight. We dug them up and ate them as new potatoes so they weren’t wasted but didn’t give us much of a yield.

That left an empty row so I decided to sow radish seeds as it is the only crop that would be quick enough to sow so late in the season. Now we are reaping the benefits of sowing a quick salad vegetable.

Yesterday I picked these and they are only a fraction of the row, picking the biggest ones, first.

Radishes

I am happy with these as I love the crunch that they add to our lunch time sandwich as well as any salads we have. It is a great way to use a bit of a late space on the veg plot.

It has been a good year, weather wise, for our first year sharing an allotment plot. Last summer was hot and dry and would have been difficult. Our own garden veg plot didn’t do at all well as we couldn’t keep it watered.

This summer started off hot and then has been wet during the growing season. Recent weeks have been a mix of sunshine and rain which is perfect for the allotment. The two couples that we are sharing the allotment plot with are both away on holiday for two weeks so at the moment it is all down to us.

We are also in charge of watering the plants of our friends and allotment sharers opposite us. They had put their pots in the front garden near an outside tap to make it easy for us. Instead of watering we have had to empty the trays that the pots are in to save them from drowning!

So watering hasn’t been needed. What we have found though is that it has been difficult to keep up with harvesting before everything gets really big. Everything has gone mad. T wanted to enter some competitions. He was hoping for the longest bean, longest carrot, biggest pumpkin and tallest sunflower. He planted the sunflowers from seeds and now the tallest one must be more than ten feet high.

Yesterday I decided to take some photos of the biggest things on our allotment plot.

Giant courgette

We have all been using the usual glut of courgettes and also giving some away to the neighbours. Some got too big and were more like marrows. We decided to leave this one and see how big it eventually gets.

My husband in front of giant sunflower

T’s pumpkin plant is snaking alongside on the left of the grass path.

Me in front of giant sunflower

We think this one could be more than ten feet high and it is still growing.

Giant bean

Beans like this are too big to be good to eat. They are more than twelve inches long. We decided to leave a few plants as we couldn’t keep up with picking. They will be good for taking the seeds for planting next year.

We have filled the freezer with cooked runner beans and given loads to our neighbours too.

Looking lush

Giant sunflower head

This sunflower head is too heavy for the plant to hold up. The seeds are forming on the head and will be good for the garden birds.

Wild flowers

Wild flowers attract the bees and give a splash colour. In the background is hubbies bargain, twenty pound, mower. He keeps the paths and the grass around our plot neat with this mower.

Artichoke

We have a row of artichokes from some seedlings that a neighbour gave us. None of us has ever grown artichokes before.

White onion

Red onion

The onions have been amazing. We haven’t lifted any garlic yet but must have a look soon.

Bee on sunflower

Our car beside our plot

See how neat my husband is keeping the grass around our plot as well as our paths through the plot.

This has been a learning curve and we will tweak a few things next year. Next year we will grow less runner beans as we have been over run with them.

D who lives opposite us is thinking about us taking on the empty plot behind this one. He has an idea of planting the tall things around the edge as a screen and then putting a lawn in the centre with a bench. He fancies a big square of wild flowers and I like the idea of some spring bulbs and some sweet peas for the summer. We could add a lavender bush and a rosemary bush.

We think we might be a bit crazy but we are all warming to the idea. Watch this space!

As Jenn is new to my blog, yesterday, I decided to try to get a photo of the whole flock for her to see. This is tricky with a couple of broody girls. I put a fish treat in several small bowls. I lifted both Smoke and Marmite out of the nest boxes and sat them on the patio.

I then rattled the corn tin to get the flocks attention and quickly put the dishes on the patio. The flock came running and I snapped away feeling pleased that I was getting all the girls in shot. Then I suddenly realised that one girl was missing. Vanilla wasn’t there.

I had checked the nest boxes but not the chicken shed. Vanilla was in the corner of the chicken shed and gave me the broody growl when I picked her up. By the time I had put her on the patio the rest of the girls had wandered off. Doh! I was mad at myself for not noticing that Vanilla was missing.

Today I decided to try again. This time I filled the little bowls with mash. I lifted Vanilla from the chicken shed first as that is more awkward than lifting girls from the nest boxes. I then lifted Smoke and Marmite and lined the three broody girls in a row on the patio. A shake of the corn and then quickly put the mash down.

Bingo! I got a couple of shots with all ten girls before the broody girls headed off again.

Vanilla in the corner of the chicken shed

Mash for the flock

All ten girls in shot, hurrah!

So we have Flame, front row, left. Spangle next at the dish. Salmon next at the front and Jasmine at the dish on the right. Next row back we have Smoke at the dish, Marmite next and Vanilla on the right. Back row we have Speckles on the left, Ebony in the middle and Cinnamon on the right just leaving the patio.

I can’t believe we now have three broodies at once. Smoke who started first had laid nine eggs in twelve days. Marmite went next after ten eggs in seventeen days and now Vanilla after just six eggs in eleven days.

Eggs are a bit down in numbers all round at the moment. Cinnamon, Salmon and Jasmine are averaging two eggs a week. Spangle lays one egg every two weeks. Ebony and Flame are averaging four eggs a week and of course Speckles doesn’t lay at all. Oh well, that’s how it goes!

Over the last few days I had the feeling that Marmite was going broody. She was spending much longer in the nest box and making the clucking sound.

Last night I had to lift both Smoke and Marmite from the nest boxes at bedtime and perch them in the chicken shed.

Today I lifted both girls out of the nest box to take a break and to remove other girls’ eggs which they had been sitting on.

A pair of broodies together

You can see the angry gleam in Smoke’s eye. Marmite is a more docile girl. When I next checked on them they were together in one of the nest boxes as both the other nest boxes were occupied with girls trying to actually lay their eggs.

Broodies in the nest box together

Oh well, at least this way they only clog up one nest box. Smoke doesn’t look best pleased at sharing though.

Flame is happy to lay her eggs next to a little girl and if it’s a broody girl they get to sit on Flame’s eggs. Flame could lay in one of the empty nest boxes but she actually seeks out a nest box with a little girl in it.

Flame laid her egg next to Smoke yesterday and Smoke sat on it as soon as Flame left the nest box.

Ebony is quite different. Whereas Flame seems drawn to little girls in the nest box Ebony has no tolerance of them at all. Ebony has no time for little girls either in the nest box or out of it and will peck them away from her.

Today Ebony was in the nest box getting ready to lay her egg. I had lifted Smoke for a break and Smoke realised Ebony was in the nest box. Smoke wasn’t brave enough to try to join Ebony in the nest box but Smoke wanted Ebony’s egg to sit on.

Smoke kept a vigil at the ramp of the nest box. Sometimes I swear these broody girls have a sixth sense when another girl is laying an egg. I have known the broody girl leave the nest box they are in to sit on an egg laid in the next nest box. We think they are alerted by the sound of a girl leaving a nest box.

Smoke could see Ebony in the nest box so she decided to wait outside. She had her wings raised and was determined to wait it out. If I moved her aside she would instantly take up her position again.

Ebony is in the nest box while Smoke waits outside

Smoke is on alert outside the nest box while Ebony lays her egg

And here is Smoke sitting on Ebony’s egg until I removed it

These broody girls are very determined. I am not even trying to break Smoke out of this as sometimes when I take her out of the nest box she will stand and shout her head off and she is the loudest of all our girls. Smoke can shout even louder than Ebony and that’s saying something!

I now just take Smoke out mid morning and mid afternoon for a break and lift her every time I go in to check if is she is sitting on an egg and if she is I remove the egg. I will let it take it’s course.

After a rare week of no broodies I knew it couldn’t last. A few days ago Vanilla started laying again and just like last time, when she was taking the role of chick to Flame, it was twenty one days since her last egg and eight days after I broke her chick relationship with Flame.

On the same day Smoke went broody. It really does seem to be one in and one out. Smoke had laid twelve eggs in fifteen days. She had laid her last six eggs six days in a row and that always seems to spark her going broody again. She only ever lays for between one and two weeks before going broody. Smoke often lays one or two more eggs after she has started being broody which is what she has done this time too.

A few days later Flame started laying again. It had been fourteen days since she last laid and like last time she was playing at mothering Vanilla it had been twelve days since she broke out of it. It’s amazing how the timing is exactly the same. Once again I hadn’t really expected Flame to start laying again so soon as she had been moulting but like last time the feathers stopped dropping and she started laying.

Broody Smoke

Here is Smoke protesting after I got her out of the nest box to take a break. It’s slightly out of focus because she was quivering. We seem to be destined to have at least one broody all summer. Sigh!

We have been bringing produce home from the allotment most days. At the moment though the most prolific produce is runner beans.

A day’s harvest of runner beans

Every visit we bring home this many runner beans and that still leaves loads more to be picked by the two families that we share the plot with.

Some of the beans are more than a foot long

I prefer to pick them smaller than this but some get to this size so quickly.

A pan of beans ready to cook

I have cooked them and divided them into portions for the freezer. Some people don’t like beans when they have been frozen. I cook them just as I like to eat them and freeze them in portions that are enough for the two of us.

When I take them out of the freezer I put them in a small oven dish and cover them in foil. I then put them in the oven, along side of whatever I have cooking in the oven, for the last fifteen minutes of cooking time.

I find that they are just the same this way as if they have just been cooked. We have also been giving our next door neighbours some too. There are plenty to go round.