Adventures in the life of an English allotment
Sometimes chickens like to mess with you. Usually when you least expect and always in a way you could never predict. Two days ago, one of the Topknot Gang decided to lay an egg a third of the way down the run. Heaven forbid that the egg was laid near the end of the run... Continue Reading →
I may have been somewhat over-enthusiastic yesterday in Wilkinson's. Hauling the loot home took ages! This morning after breakfast, I raised our egg boxes to find three big ones to put on the window sill in the dining room. There is always something so exciting about putting the potatoes out to chit. Maybe it's because... Continue Reading →
The weather has been abysmal the last week, alternating between pouring with rain, blowing a hoolie or a combination of both. But a short dry spell this afternoon gave me an overdue opportunity to clean out the chickens and quail in the garden. The Topknot Gang are in fine form although Trixie is still limping.... Continue Reading →
Another year gone! It seems only yesterday that it was the start of 2022. Doesn't time fly when you are having fun? I always love spending today looking over the blog, reminding myself of all the changes, successes and failures during the year. I've tried to pick out some of my most memorable adventures but... Continue Reading →
It's been a very eventful week and one which I will be happy to see the back of. We have had a family emergency which has been complicated by distance and Covid. To try and cheer myself up, I ambled down to the allotment. Winter afternoons are wonderful when it isn't raining! The sun was... Continue Reading →
Rather to my surprise, today was dry and, even more shockingly, there was sunshine! Granted in November, the sun contains little warmth but it's a vast improvement on the past few days! Armed with cleaning supplies, I dashed down to the allotment during my lunch break to clean out the chickens. Poor Maude and Mavis... Continue Reading →
Winter in the UK is wet. Not full monsoon for weeks on end but a persistent drizzle interspersed with heavy rain accompanied by howling winds. You may wonder why Brits have no problem going outdoors in this depressing weather. It's simple. If we waited for the rain to stop, we wouldn't leave the house for... Continue Reading →
So here we are again, loading up the car with wood to attempt to shore up the main coop roof. Thankfully, the rain has held off for most of yesterday which means we could actually catch up on jobs at home for the first time in three weeks. However, lunchtime saw us jumping into the... Continue Reading →
It is with a weary resignation that poultry owners read the news that the next Flockdown will begin on the 7th November today. Considering the massive cases of avian flu throughout the year, it had a feeling of inevitability about it although that doesn't make the Flockdown any more welcome. My main frustration is the... Continue Reading →
With the weather dry, the sun out and a day off, I dashed down to the allotment. Work has been so busy the last few weeks that aside from feeding the chickens, I have barely done anything on the plot. But today was the day to do jobs! When I arrived, I was happy to... Continue Reading →
Why is it that whenever I go to feed the chickens, the heavens open? Even the merest thought of "I'll go and feed the chickens in a bit..." seems to send out some invisible signal to the clouds to ready themselves for a full monsoon. Usually this phenomena is limited to my leaving the house... Continue Reading →
After work this evening, I ambled down to the allotment enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. There wasn't anyone else on site as I arrived and I pottered across to check on Maude and Mavis. Mavis seems to have joined Maude in deciding to shed her feathers all over the run. If they weren't standing... Continue Reading →
Over the past few weeks, the Omlet in the garden has become a battleground. Three of the silkies have been conducting a battle royale to hog the nest. The majority of the past four weeks, I have daily been turfing off Stratus from the nest. She has absolutely no idea how to be a broody... Continue Reading →
Today was a very exciting day. Late this afternoon, Nikki and Dylan appeared at the front door with a pet carrier containing three beautiful silkies! Birmingham Silkies has sadly had to sell many of her birds due to a house move. I have been following her online for several years and the silkies she breeds... Continue Reading →
After a morning of house clearing, I headed down to the allotment to clean out the Nest House. It's a job that always takes ages and it's one of my least favourite jobs. Upon arrival, I spotted Liz, Sarah and their mum so I went to say hello. Daisy was with them and gave me... Continue Reading →
Some days at the allotment start out ordinary and end up being extraordinary! I walked down to the allotment this morning with a list of jobs to do. My first job was to sort out the willow. Somehow despite the heatwave, it has grown massively in the last week. Grabbing my trusty secateurs, I made... Continue Reading →
After a really busy week at work without a moment to stop, I finally made it down to the allotment for more than a quick visit. The weeds were beginning to dominate several of the beds and I have an ongoing battle with the weeds that insist on growing over the paths. With the feathery... Continue Reading →
Just before lunchtime, I headed out to the allotment. The weeds have been taking over and the Nest House needed cleaning out. Stopping for a quick chat with Liz and Sarah, I quickly checked on Gertie, Winnie and Coco in the New Coop. Gertie was in the corner and the other two were finally off... Continue Reading →
There are going to be big changes in the coops over the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, a local resident has been making problems about the cockerels on site. As a result, the Committee have had to ask plot holders with cockerels to remove them. I have three-ish weeks to find homes for Tommy and... Continue Reading →
Sad news from the plot this morning. I ambled down before work to find one our little bantams had passed away in the New Coop. Initially, I thought it was Foxy, but closer inspection of the comb revealed it wasn't. It's such a shame as she was growing into a lovely bird (albeit a very... Continue Reading →
The Good Life Crewe 
Recent Comments