Adventures in the life of an English allotment
Sometimes, I swear there is something in the air that makes the chickens go loopy. When I arrived down on site this evening, there was so sign that this would be a rather eventful visit. Stopping by the Nest House, I collected four eggs which made a total of ten for today! I organised the... Continue Reading →
Today was a very exciting day. A day that for us chicken keepers means the end of months of lugging gallons of water down to the site. On days when the coops needed cleaning out, I would occasionally have to do two trips, one for the chickens drinking water and another to collect enough water... Continue Reading →
Today, the sun was out, the sky was blue and I finally managed to clean out both chicken coops at home. To thoroughly clean both Omlets, get them dry and put in new bedding took the same amount of time as it takes to clean the wooden coops on the allotment. I know Omlets are... Continue Reading →
Today was a day of two visits to the allotment. With the Town Clerk coming to the site tomorrow morning, it was time to make sure the plot was respectable. Upon my arrival I said hello to Phil briefly before opening up the shed. As I am led down the plot, working out my plan... Continue Reading →
Rain was forecast for today. Not just a bit of rain, but what the news was calling 'Washout Saturday'. When I got up this morning and looked out of the window, the sun was out and the ground slightly damp. And that was it. So much for 'Washout Saturday' I muttered to myself as I... Continue Reading →
Down early today lugging several hundred weight of water and the new tree. As I checked on all the different chicken coops, I discovered that the Nest House needed a proper clean out. With the majority of the girls (and even Tommy) sleeping inside, it needs cleaning out more regularly. So I grabbed a bucket,... Continue Reading →
So we are being battered by another storm with high winds and rain causing flooding and damage all across the country. At home, aside from a fence panel, we have got off lightly. Both coops with the silkies and our veteran bantams have stood firm against the onslaught. But I always worry about the allotment... Continue Reading →
This afternoon, after chairing an EGM meeting, I went back down the allotment to sort out the chickens. With the drop in temperature over the past few days, the Warden has set a date for the water being turned off. So in preparation for it being off tomorrow, I had planned on cleaning out the... Continue Reading →
Mid-afternoon, my husband and I ambled down to the allotment armed with coop cleaning supplies and two empty food boxes. Upon our arrival, we chatted briefly to Cliff before we headed off to open up the shed. First job was to sort out cleaning the Omlet. The feathery weed destroyers were left to roam while... Continue Reading →
So when I arrived down on site this afternoon, I discovered that Cliff's black leghorn who have been trying desperately to save from suspected gapeworm/respiratory infection had died. It looks like she went peacefully in her sleep which is a blessing. I immediately rang Cliff to let him know what had happened. Slightly saddened that... Continue Reading →
The oppressive heat continues, more like mid July than early September. With the week looking increasingly busy, I bribed my long suffering husband to come down and help out. An offer of sausages for lunch, cooked outside the shed definitely helped! As the door of the shed opened, we were hit by a wave of... Continue Reading →
After spending the entire day wrestling with seemingly endless paperwork and cramming in a visit to the vet with a grumpy cat, I finally managed to get down to the allotment at five o'clock. To say that the chickens were unimpressed with my tardiness was an understatement! I opened up the Omlet door and let... Continue Reading →
It was meant to be just a quick visit to the allotment this morning to check on the chickens before having family arrive. I stopped to say hello to the Weed Destroyers and bundled them a large handful of kale to keep them happy whilst I refilled their food and water bowls. Down in the... Continue Reading →
This morning was a total wash out. Really heavy showers and high winds which saw me curl up on the sofa and watch the Olympics until it stopped. After lunch there were signs of a break in the rain so I grabbed my keys and ran down to the plot. Releasing the Weed Destroyers, I... Continue Reading →
Today was a manic day at the allotment. With no broody hens, I could finally clean out the new coop and whilst I was at it I thought I might as well do the other two. The first nest box was so much easier to clean now that Will has added hinges to the roof.... Continue Reading →
Yesterday was so busy that I completely forgot to update the blog! Mid-afternoon I ambled down to the allotment, mainly to check on the chickens and to feed them. Four hours later, I was still on site covered in dirt with several blisters on my hands. It always seems to turn out this way! After... Continue Reading →
After spending this morning working, I dashed down to the allotment to feed the chickens. My plan was to just pop down quickly. As it turned out, I spent a manic four hours running around the site trying to complete several jobs simultaneously! The British weather has decided to try to emulate the Mediterranean climate.... Continue Reading →
My arms may never be the same again after today. Digging out the coop is by far my least favourite job and one that I dread due to the inevitable back ache, arm ache and exhaustion that follows a full day of digging, filling up wheelbarrows and lugging it all over the plot. I started... Continue Reading →
And so as the January weather continues to make the third lockdown more miserable than the last, I escaped down to the allotment for some fresh air. Over the past couple of weeks, I have told myself that I must clean out the main coop. In winter, with the water supply off, the freezing temperatures... Continue Reading →
This morning I ambled down to the allotment to clean out the greenhouse. It's been overdue for a few days and we managed to get hold of some new shavings late last night before the shops closed for Christmas. I arrived on site and stopped to say a quick hello to Geoff. Due to the... Continue Reading →
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