Momentous week

I am writing this in the middle of a momentous week at the allotment.

On Saturday morning, at the crack of dawn, I went down to start the major digging works that my other half hadn’t managed to finish. I planned to dig over at least the top plot and sort out the birds.

I found 7 chickens outside and assumed Emily was inside busy laying. Apparently not. She was sat in one of the favourite nesting places on the top of the nesting box and had no intention of moving. Pecked to death of you dared to go too near! It appears she is broody – we dashed home and ordered hatching eggs, new hutch and food bowls to provide for her. Broody chickens need to be separated from the rest of the flock and certainly Emily has to be moved due to the dangerous place she has nested in.

The rest of the day was spent digging over the top plot. The other half joined me at midday and finished a section around the new cherry tree. Now onto the next plot! One area has been left undug due to the massive amount of grass growing on it – chickens will help us clear that!

One other odd thing happened the following day. We popped to the allotment to check on Emily – some broody chickens die on the nest as they refuse to leave it for food or water. We checked the bottom nest box to find a newly laid egg without the shell!

Weird looking and clearly showing one chicken needs to eat more grit!

Tonight we built the hutch for Emily and placed the eggs in the shed ready to move her (with help!) tomorrow evening. Chris the Warden has asked to put three eggs underneath her so she will be sitting on 6 Vorwerk eggs and three Bantams. Apparently chickens only like to sit on an odd number of eggs – there is no accounting for taste!