Bees in the garden..

A small nuc. box temporarily placed and secured on a chair- out of the reach of the hens.

Flowering herbs are amongst the most popular of flowers for bees.

....well the chicken run to be more precise. It's only for a short while but it is nice having them. Almost as much a time waster as the hens.

It's a small nucleus box with a few frames and a newly introduced queen. The frames of bees were taken from the hive at the yard, so it needed to be moved to prevent the bees flying back to the old hive. Ideally the distance should be three miles as that is the distance bees will travel to forage.

The queen arrived in the post a couple of days ago, in a Butlers cage, accompanied by a few worker bees to feed her. This morning the workers were destroyed and she was placed, still in her cage into the nuc. box. The cage will protect her from the new bees, for a few days, until they accept her. Once the candy that is blocking the entrance of the cage has been eaten she can escape, all should be well and hopefully she will start to lay.

The back flower border has always been known as the butterfly and bee border as most if not all the plants in it have been chosen as they are attractive to bees, butterflies and moths.


Today it lived up to its name as the new honey bees happily buzzed from flower to flower.

It will be a shame when they are returned to the yard.

( Tip for Mum & Dad - you can click on the photos to enlarge them. To return to the blog press the back button )

Guess what ?

Yes it's raining - again. In fact it's pouring down. A severe weather warning and flood warnings have been issued for this area. I feel so sorry for the holiday makers, the roads are really busy with families in cars just driving around with nowhere to go.Today is Yealmpton show, I'm not sure if it has been cancelled or is going ahead but it is such a shame after all the hard work and expense that has gone into organising, this annual one day event, to have weather like this and of course it isn't the only event, there are many at this time of the year.

Not only is it wet, it is also quite cold. The tomatoes in the greenhouse, although plentiful are tasteless due to the lack of sunshine, the outdoor cucumbers just don't seem to be developing and I have pretty much given up on the melon plants. Overall though the garden is doing well and most days now the majority if not all the ingredients for the evening meal are home grown.

The livestock aren't fairing too badly, all have shelter so are able to keep dry and warm but of course they would benefit from the warmth of the sun, sets them up for the winter, I feel.


Maybe we will have better weather in August, not looking promising mind. Oh well at least the grass is growing!

Growing up too fast

Yesterday evening the Light Sussex cockerel surprised both himself and us by trying to crow. His expression was similar to that of a baby when he shouts for the first time, making himself jump and looking around to see where the noise came from. He is only 9 weeks old. The Welsummer is 13 weeks and we haven't had a peep out of him yet. I could really do with the Light Sussex holding on for a few more weeks until we are ready to move them to the yard.
I am almost certain now that one of the other two is also a cockerel. I am hoping to keep one for breeding and will need to make a decision at some stage which to choose. The deciding factor I think will be weight and shape, rather than early maturity as it will be a meat flock. It may well turn out that early maturity and weight are connected, if so the choice has been made for me. The other does have a nice sparky character though.

The pigs are also showing signs of growing up a little too fast. We knew we needed to separate the boars and gilts at approximately 5/6 months old, although many people take a chance and don't worry. To be on the safe side we had planned to do so around 4 months. They were 17 weeks old at the weekend and the boars were showing a little too much interest in the gilt that is from a different litter and 2 weeks older. So the weekend was spent desperately trying to get the pen finished for them. From their behaviour on Sunday I have a feeling we may be too late, the gilt was standing rock fast. We would be very unlucky for her to be in pig, with both her and the boars being so young and although we could manage her fine, the situation would be far from ideal.

Chicken line

The chicken line is now up and running and works perfectly. It's brilliant ! As I have mentioned before the growers are now at the yard with the other livestock. We spend an hour every morning before work, letting out, cleaning, feeding, checking all is OK etc. and a similar time in the evening. ( they are also checked on during the day ) but since the young hens have been there it has meant each evening around 10 pm we have had to make the 4 mile round trip just to shut them in. Not any longer, all I have to do is phone them on their mobile ! My eldest son has designed and made a gizmo using an old mobile phone that when rung automatically closes the door! I'm not too good on the technical side of things, but there is a box that contains the phone, a trigger and circuit boards fixed to the inside of the house with a wire that goes outside and connects to the chain of the door, when the phone rings the screen lights up, the trigger withdraws and releases the chain and the door drops...brilliant.
All powered by a car battery.

All I have to do now is make sure nobody phones my old mobile number and that Orange don't send me a promotional text between the hours of 7 pm and 10 pm, shutting the hens out !

Fred

Poor Fred.... He hasn't had much luck in his short little life. He was born to an elderly ewe, who had scanned as not in lamb, therefore placed into the flock of barrens. Without the extra care or feed prior to lambing, Fred was tiny when born. He also had weak joints and twisted knees and so was unable to stand to feed, not that his mother was too keen on him anyway.

For the first 48 hours of his life he stayed with his mother and was bottled fed her milk, so at least he did benefit from her colostrum. After that he came to live with us. For the next 6 weeks he lived in the chicken enclosure having regular bottle feeds. He grew up not being quite sure if he was human or chicken, it came as quite a surprise to him when he realised he was in fact a sheep !

After the 6 weeks he was strong enough to join the rest of my tiny flock. His legs had straightened, although his joints were still a little weak - he walks with his feet turned in. This doesn't present a problem, other than he needs his hooves trimming every now and then.
At first there wasn't too much difference in the size of him and Annie's lamb, but after a couple of weeks ( coinciding with stopping his bottle) he started to scour. Despite a course of antibiotics and wormer, he lost condition rapidly.

After weeks of extra feed and care he has just stopped looking like an RSPCA advert for neglect, until yesterday that is ...when he managed to squeeze through the tiniest of gaps to get into the bee enclosure. He was stung on his ear.

So the poor creature now stands in the field, all skin and bones, knock kneed and twisted feet with his bald head sporting a lopsided and swollen ear. The poor thing does look odd, but he stands proud and tall (OK not that tall ) with a spirit and character as large as any best of breed ram. Did I mention he only has one testicle?

Like mother, like daughter

I say daughter...I may well be wrong !

Today, as it has finally stopped raining, for now at least, I gave Sylvia the mother hen back her dust bath ( an old kitchen drawer full of fine soil ). She was delighted and took advantage of it immediately, forgetting for a few moments that she was mother of two and thoroughly indulged herself in the delights of a bath. Until that was the yellow chick thought she would join in the fun. It was lovely to watch her copying her mother and slowly changing from a yellowy/white to red, from the soil. I must admit there were a few anxious moments when I was convinced she would surely be flattened by her mother, who in a state of trance seemed oblivious to her.
The other chick watched on in complete bewilderment, not quite understanding the attraction of covering oneself in mud.

I never tire of watching hens and they are even more compelling when they have young chicks.

The rest of the flock are fine. The hens are laying well, the growers have settled into their new routine at the yard and the Light Sussex chicks are becoming even more stunning, although I think my 'trio' may well now consist of two cockerels and a hen. A shame really but there you go.

The turkeys are growing by the day. They are at the stage where they could do with more space and interest but really do need one more week with access to heat before being moved to the stable.

Like winter

It's like winter this morning - constant rain, cold and dark. I think we have had enough rain now. I know it was only a few weeks ago we were praying for rain, but enough is enough. I guess the saying 'be careful what you wish for' comes to mind.

I don't mind the heavy summer showers. I know they can be quite damaging to plants and in the worst cases cause landslides and flooding, but with just the ordinary quick sharp summer showers you can at least get work done in between.

Today's rain ( actually all night as well ) is miserable. The hens were reluctant to come out of the house first thing and when they did they dived straight underneath it for shelter. The sheep were all in the stable, the pigs in their ark, in fact the only animals that appeared oblivious to the rain were the geese.
I added extra bedding to the ark, much to the pigs delight, also to the stable. It was strange having to turn the stable light on to enable me to see at this time of the year.

At home there is wet washing everywhere. The floors are wet from both animals and humans and the cats and dog are all bedraggled, sulking and giving me looks as if though the rain is my fault.

Tonight the utility room will be full of dripping coats and muddy boots.

The start of the school holidays and Kingsbridge Fair Week, what did I expect.

Home grown

Tonight we had the last of the pork - belly pork with freshly picked turnips, carrots, potatoes, french beans and broad beans. Typically just as the veg in the garden is producing sufficient for us not to have to buy any ( other than onions ours aren't quite ready yet.) we run short of meat.

We do have the trotters and hocks of the pork left, oh and a few packs of sausage meat, also a few lamb chops and some lamb mince but that is all until at least September / October.

There is still a whole turkey, some pheasant, mackerel, scallops and crab in the freezer, so not completely without ingredients for meals just no roasting joints and there are always eggs, I guess.

Next year we will hopefully time it so that we have both meat and veg available at the same time and if all goes to plan fruit as well.

Unfortunately the garden isn't big enough to grow sufficient to feed five adults and have surplice to freeze but we are really enjoying eating home grown vegetables again, while it lasts.

Growers pen

The growers have settled into their new accommodation well. All nine are now putting themselves to roost in the house at night, although we still have to drive the 2 miles each evening to shut them in. Hopefully this will all change when they move to the other side of the pen and we can fix an automatic shutting device to the pop hole door.

We still have a lot to do but are making progress. As you can see from the photo the rotten beam on the wheel frame still needs replacing and the second pen on the left needs fencing. Both areas need reseeding in time. The side the growers are in now will be done as soon as the boars have gone, the other side as soon as these birds have gone.

Today we made a start on renovating the 'new' pig ark.We removed the two end panels, as they were very rusty. This still left us with three sections ( the same size as our other ark). Six inches of iron was removed from the bottom edge on either side, again because of rust. The inside was painted with metal primer. We also made the wooden frame on which the ark will stand, giving it the height lost by removing the bottom 6 inches.

Tomorrow we will hopefully, weather permitting, give it a second coat of primer, fix it to the frame and make and attach the end panels.

One step closer to being able to seperate the boars from the gilts.

Livestock update

Just a quick update on the livestock. The pigs are now 16 weeks old and are growing well. They are smashing - quiet, friendly, fun and just good to have around. Not sure if it is the breed or just these four. The boars will need to be moved soon and so we must get on with fencing the second growers pen, which will be their temporary accommodation. We have been lucky enough to have been given a second hand pig ark. It does need a little restoration but will be ideal for now and in the future.We also need to stock up on hay and straw as the feed/store shed is completely empty.


Fred, the bottle lamb, is finally beginning to improve. He lost so much condition, it has really set him back. At one stage it seemed feasible to hang on to Annie's lamb for a few extra weeks whilst Fred caught up and we could send them off together.We will now have Fred's company well into the New Year, I think.
The rest of the sheep are fine. With all this wet weather the grass is growing again, so plenty for them to eat. I have to confess to spoiling them during the wet weather, bedding up the stable and filling the hay rack for them.



The geese just carry on as usual. Although poor old Henry is feeling his age. We are his fourth owners and from what we understand he must be at least 25 years plus. This years breeding season, although he mated the geese fine he had lost his usual aggressive attitude towards us and now he just seems tired. I will be surprised if he sees the winter out.



The growers that we moved to the yard at the weekend are thoroughly enjoying their new space and now look like small chickens rather than big chicks. Last night four of the nine even managed to put themselves to bed in the hen house ! All the other hens and chicks are well.


I'm not happy with the turkeys being indoors, I do like to see all livestock outside in the fresh air. We are weaning them off the heat but it will be another 2 weeks before they have none at all and then another three weeks before we can safely let them run outside at the yard.


As for the bees- well - a long story that I will post separately. Suffice to say with an unbelievable amount of bad luck we are now down to two, possibly only one hive and are awaiting the arrival of a new queen bee in the post any day now !

Garden update

It seems a while since I have updated the progress in the garden. Probably because with all the rain we've had just lately little has been done and everywhere is beginning to look a little battered by the weather.

At the weekend most of the boundary hedges were cut, making it look tidier.Still one side to do but I think we are safe from disturbing any nest this late in the year. It has been a very good year for nesting, many birds managing to rear two if not three broods...there seem to be fledglings of all breeds everywhere. I have even heard the skylark singing over the past few days, we missed it last year.

Back to the garden. We dug the last of the first earlies( Swift) at the weekend, after a disappointing start they improved but not enough for us to grow them again next year.Leeks have been transplanted in their space.
We have had several good pickings of broad beans, with still a few more to come. We will probably strip the plants next time, freeze the extra and cut the plants back.

The lettuce keep coming, enough for us, the hens and turkeys! Spring onions,carrots and beetroot are in continuous supply with more following on.There looks as if there are enough french beans for the first picking in the next couple of days. The runner beans are just starting to set, as are the cucumbers and courgettes ( we seem to have an awful lot of male flowers on the courgettes this year)

In the greenhouse the tomatoes are taking an age to ripen, although I think they are now just beginning to turn.They have fruited well except for 'Big boy' I don't think I'll grow that kind again.
The peppers plants are laden and a few of the fruits are big enough to pick green. I would like to leave some to ripen as they are the multicoloured kind. The aubergines are growing well but no flowers as yet.

None of the veg. I tried growing in pots have been worthwhile, except for baby leaf salad.

The flower garden takes care of itself, to a degree. This year I bought an old fashion strain of sweet pea, mostly for the scent - a real disappointment. I expected to get small flowers with few on the stem, which I did ! but I did expect the scent to compensate, sadly not. As with all gardening there is always next year !

Latest hatch

Although the least successful, the best so far. There is something rather nice about seeing a mother hen with her chicks. Today Sylvia gave up on the last two eggs and decided to concentrate on her two little ones - there were three but the last to hatch we found dead in the nest, fully dried. Most likely squashed whilst she attended to the others.
She has been a brilliant broody only to be let down by us.

This is more than likely our last hatch of the year. Not a huge success but a lot of experienced gained and lessons learnt. So looking forward to next year with more confidence.

Yesterday the oldest chicks, now 12 weeks old were moved to the yard, so are now officially our growers. After a nervous start they seem happy in their new environment. Although last night we did have to lift each one individually and put them into the hen house, as they had all snuggled down in their food shelter.Of the seven Welsummer (1 cock 6 hens) there are at least three nice pullets I might keep and the Speckled Sussex are tempting. The remainder if not sold will go in the freezer.

The second hatch, now 7 weeks are smashing. If they turn out to be the 1 cockerel and 2 hens, I think they are and if good to form I will keep all three for breeding. The mystery chick, now almost certainly a Light Brahma will stay if a girl.

Environmental enrichment

A commonly used buzz word I know, however I do believe in providing the best possible and most suitable accommodation for individual species needs. Today the effect of environmental enrichment had to be seen to be believed.

The turkey poults are housed in a large circular brooder in the garage. They have auboise as bedding, a 250 watt white heat lamp (recommended for the first 2 weeks to encourage feeding ) and plenty of food and water.

They are kept clean, their food and water is replaced several times a day and I visit frequently to provide them with company and get them used to people. ( OK I just like to watch them ) Yet, just recently, whenever I went in they panicked and spent the time flying up to the wire and crashing down. No matter how softly I spoke to them they continued to do so. I didn't know if they behaved in the same way when I wasn't around and I was concerned they were becoming a little crazy.

So today I added a few logs for them to perch on, clamber over etc. a lettuce hanging from the wire for them to peck at and turned the radio on. The transformation had to be seen to be believed, within minutes they had calmed down, almost to the extent I worried I had scared them to death !

Checking on them just now they were happily going about their business, eating, drinking, chirping away, standing with their heads to one side listening, it was amazing...four very happy little turkeys !

Tonight I shall replace their heat lamp with a dull emitter bulb, so during the day they will have the light and radio on and at night just the heat, providing a more natural day/night pattern.

One more

The broody hen is still sitting tight and I think one more chick has just hatched. I couldn't see very clearly but when I went to shut her in I could just see the broken shell of the white egg and a dark feathered, still wet chick. The first chick is doing fine, coming out for a quick peck at the crumbs and then back under mum to keep warm.

It's all a little drawn out but seems to be going OK. Three more hopefully to hatch. Tomorrow is forecast very wet and windy not ideal for them or for us as we had planned to move all the chicks on one.

Surprise early chick

We have had the broody hen in an enclosed broody coop for most of the past three weeks, just taking her out for twenty minutes a day. However on Tuesday I built a run for her so she could come out on her own accord, as I wasn't happy disturbing her so close to hatching time. As she didn't come out at all on Wednesday I decided today I would lift her, as she still had three days to go, only to be greeted by a little fluffy yellow chick !

It is only day 19 and no sign of anymore today. All I can think of is that it is an Ixworth. Long story, not one to be recommended or repeated but when we collected the eggs from the poultry man there was a hen sitting on the Ixworth eggs and he thought she may have started incubating them. I did question whether this would cause problems if they hatched earlier than the others....he assured me not..um mm we shall see.

Spirited little thing, already giving it's mother a hard time, pecking at her eyes and hanging from her comb. Not behaviour I've seen before and not good if she still has to sit for a few more days.

One day I'll do things properly and as I plan rather than being talked into the 'next best'.

It is really nice to see a mother hen with her chicks though, so much better than the harsh environment of an incubator.

Turkeys

The turkey poults are now 12 days old and looking very much - well like turkeys. They are beginning to walk like turkeys and do the typical turkey 'stretch and peer' with their necks. The young white stag is also starting to display - wings dropped but held out from the body and circling, so funny to watch. They are also very flighty and I'm sure see the wire netting covering their pen more as a challenge than a barrier.

They are very different from chicks, but no reason why they should be the same. Much friendlier and more inquisitive, taking photos is quite hard unless I'm after close up eye shots. Yet at the same time more wary of change. I placed their drinker on a stand at the weekend, it took quite some time before they were brave enough to go near it.

I think they are doing fine, once they reach 7 weeks I will be more confident as I have been there before and will be familiar with their behaviour, but so far so good.

Making progress

Along with the usual weekend chores, we have been working on the growers pens at the yard.

http://annie-ayearinthelifeof.blogspot.com/2009/04/making-start.html

It really is a race against time, as we need to get the oldest chicks moved in sometime this week. The broody's eggs are due to hatch next weekend and she will need the small ark the youngest chicks are in, so they will need to go into the older chicks run, hence the need for the older chicks to move on. All pens will need to be scrubbed, disinfected and aired, so we are looking at mid week at the latest.

Progress has been fairly good. The old house has been renovated, the outside painted with bitumen paint and the inside cleaned with Virkon S. Most of the fencing for one of the pens is completed. We are just left with the gate to hang and the house to move from the fowls run into position.

The pen we are moving them into is the pen we were going to put the boars in, but it was the one with less to do to complete. So the chicks will be in there for a couple of weeks until we finish the other side and then we will be able to swap them over.

The old fence we will leave up until the boars have gone, until then it will act as a chase to drive the pigs into the trailer. (all photos I was going to add,at this stage, are still on the camera....at the yard)

While we were working at the yard it struck me that the sounds around me were those of quintessential village life - a cricket match on the village cricket pitch, choir and organ practice in the church, next door, the neighbouring farmer's lambs calling for their mother's as they wandered a little too far and the bullocks on the hill shouting. Yet at the same time peaceful.

Slug busters

This year we seem to have a distinct lack of slug and snail activity in the garden. Much could be put down to the dry weather but I think it is also thanks to our night time visitors.We have always had a good population of toads and a few frogs in the garden, which I should imagine can only increase once we have the pond. However over the last few nights we have been visited regularly by two rather large hedgehogs and we think possibly younger ones, searching for spilt offerings from the bird table.( I have yet to manage to photograph them)

When we first moved here we did have hedgehogs visit but they soon stopped once the badgers made an appearance. As lovely as it was to see the badgers, especially the year the whole family including young ones arrived, they are extremely destructive, flattening plants, digging up the garden and worst of all for the children, they killed the pet rabbits. So it is nice to have the hedgehogs back with their familiar noisy snorting and loud munching of yet another snail !

Garden update

The veg patch looks fresher after yesterdays rain. Most things are growing well. The first earlies were disappointing, a new variety this year 'Swift'. They were suppose to be ready extra early, but didn't appear to be. The crop was disappointing 4 plants for one meal ! and not that tasty. I don't think we will bother with them next year. The second earlies 'Charlotte' are now ready for digging...they should be good, a waxy and hopefully tasty potato.

We lost a couple of young sprout plants to root fly but the remainder are coming along fine.The turnips have been a huge success, lasting without going hollow. We will certainly grow the same kind again. The first sowing of runners look fine and the second are coming through. The french beans.... well there has been an on going battle between man and mole with those! Each night the mole uproots them and each morning they get replanted. This has been going on for several weeks now but I think the mole has finally backed down. He is now burrowing his way along the edge of my outdoor tomatoes! The french beans have survived and are flowering, just not as good as they would have been if left in peace.

The broad beans suddenly got blackfly. They appeared overnight but a couple of sprays with soapy water seems to have done the trick.

We have finally succumbed to temptation with the rhubarb. It is best not to pick it in its first year, but it seems such a waste ! It was lovely.

All the greenhouse plants are doing well. A couple of tomatoes have an unidentified problem....see photos below. One looks as if though it's split, but I have been careful with the watering and it is only one tomato. The second - I don't know, again just the one fruit.

The peppers have so many fruit on each plant, I am wondering if I should remove some. It goes against the grain but I do think in this case it will be for the best.

The melons have really got going now so I must look to see how to tie them in.

Hopefully with a little more rain and not too much slug damage the garden will continue to do OK.

Rain !!!

Rain - yes we have rain !!! Thank fully not the torrential, thundery downpours forecast for overnight but but a nice steady gentle rain, just what the garden needs. There hasn't been enough yet to wet the surface, never mind go very deep but if it continues.... However I think last night's forecast storms are working their way up from Cornwall at present. Still rain is rain and we need it.

The veg. patch isn't too bad, as we have been watering nightly. Not ideal but necessary if we are to get the crops we hope for. The flower borders have to take their chance, I work very much on the principle of the survival of the fittest. It's the grass that is most important. We are beginning to run short. Normally by moving the livestock on a regular basis we are able to provide enough fresh grass for all their needs, only having to occasionally supplement hay at the very end of a dry summer or overwinter - never this early. We aren't at that stage yet but I moved the sheep off the paddock last weekend and usually by now new growth would have started to come through but the geese are eating it as fast as it is growing.
So this rain is very welcome indeed.

Exploding eggs

Poor Sylvia ! when I lifted her this morning an egg had exploded under her, she stank and was obviously uncomfortable as she spent almost the entire 20 minutes of her freedom time dust bathing. Once clean she had a quick bite to eat and a long drink, she was then eager to go back onto her eggs.

I feel somewhat guilty, on two counts. Yesterday I thought there was a whiff of rotting eggs and if I had removed the suspected egg it wouldn't have happened. I'm not sure there isn't another, but once you have the delightful aroma of bad egg about you everything smells. Whilst she was cleaning herself I attempted to clean the nest and remaining eggs, with as little disturbance as possible. I shook some barrier red mite powder around the outside of the nest, hoping the scent might deter any flies. I also took the opportunity to candle the other eggs ( not something I normally do with a broody ). If it had been obvious that all were clear I was going to break her broodiness, as it seems unfair to sit her in this heat with no successful outcome. However at least one is viable, a white egg of unknown origin. It was harder to tell with the other eggs as their shells were darker and the shed was too light. I think there are at least three clears/ non goers.

Secondly I feel guilty that we haven't done right by her. She is a brilliant broody, sitting tight and getting off only once a day and that is under protest, despite the terrific day time temperatures we have been having. The least we should have done was to have given her a decent clutch of eggs, we knew some of these were suspect. A lesson learnt !

Next year we will hopefully have our own fertile eggs. Of the Light Sussex chicks, now 6 weeks old, it appears I have a trio and am very tempted to keep them as the starter group. The trouble is I also have a very nice looking pair of Speckled Sussex, now 11 weeks. Of the Welsummer chicks I am hoping to keep two layers, the rest I'll try to sell, if they don't they should make a decent if not huge meal.

Photo: Light Sussex chicks 6 weeks old. The one squashed at the back is of unknown breed.

Photo: Speckled Sussex, hopefully a pair ! and two of the Welsummer hens