The diary of two novice gardeners and chicken keepers
Posted in Allotments on Feb 24th, 2009
The incubator is in business again keeping warm six eggs of the Plymouth Rock, three Silkies and three Light Sussex bantams. (Update - 16th March; first buff plymouth rock chick has popped out on day 22. 6/6 hatched from the other batch but in the end they all died but one blue silkie)
Posted in Allotments on Feb 20th, 2009
Hello
(Update – of the five chicks, two had to be culled as they both had seriously splayed legs and just couldn’t cope. Two are cockerels and are going to live in Manchester and one seems to be a pullet so she will stay here. I am quite happy to have one Apenzeller to add to our little [...]
Posted in Allotments on Feb 17th, 2009
Well day 21 has arived but I didn’t get up this morning to the sound of cheeping. I think I can see slight wobble from two of the eggs but that may be my eyes deceiving me. we shall have to wait and see. Hatching is all about patience and I don’t have any.
The two [...]
Posted in Allotments on Jan 26th, 2009
This is the national breed of Switzerland. The feathers of the crest are forward facing. Spitzhauben means pointed hat or bonnet. The plumage markings are black-tipped feathers. With their crest, V-comb, and spangled plumage, these birds are very attractive. They lay a beautiful white medium sized egg.
I have bought six hatching eggs of the above breed for hatching in [...]
Posted in Allotments on Apr 23rd, 2008
Well the seedlings certainly had a good watering in the early hours of today. The rain was very heavy and temperatures as the morning has progressed are getting better.
The incubation continues well and we now have four silkie chicks in with the two pekins. Still nine eggs left though. I am not sure how long [...]
Posted in Allotments on Apr 22nd, 2008
This is what I saw when I went downstairs this morning.
Our first two pekin bantam chicks.
Then later on this afternoon Libbie came to say hello.
Posted in Allotments on Mar 29th, 2008
We finally decided to invest in an incubator and went for the RCOM20 from P&T Poultry. Our savings have taken as much of a battering as the allotment this week as we have also bought some plastic tubing and some netting to build a tunnel.Â
On Tuesday morning I checked on Pecker, who was initially sitting [...]
Posted in Allotments on Mar 10th, 2008
This afternoon I have sown seeds of Tomatoes, Ildi, Alicante, Moneymaker, Roma, Black Cherry and Lemon Tree. Two seeds each in small pots covered with cling film and given a little bottom heat.
Heirloom tomato seed Roma is an outstanding and disease resistant variety that produces red plum tomatoes of medium size.
On the window sill in [...]
Posted in Allotments on Feb 15th, 2008
This morning I have received a special delivery from Royal Mail. Six hatching eggs from Middlemuir Poultry up in Scotland. After a few hours to settle they will be set under Star, one of my white Silkies, in the broody pen. The eggs are a mixture of black, blue and cuckoo Silkie bantams. I have given [...]
Alan Romans asparagus beans birds brassica cabbage carrots cauliflower chicks Clematis courgette cucumber ducks family flowers food fruit gadgets germination harvest hatch health herbs leeks lettuce Libbie Lidl onions parsnip peas potatoes preserves roses runner beans Salad seeds squash strawberry sweetcorn Sweet Pea Tips Tomatoes tunnel verse. weather
