Adventures in the life of an English allotment
Yesterday my husband popped down to the allotment to check on the chickens. Ginny had been very quiet the last couple of days and we were worried about her. Unfortunately, he found that she had passed away overnight. Ginny was always on the shy side, preferring the company of Bonny over the rest of the... Continue Reading →
Well, here we are at the end of 2024! It's been a very challenging year at the allotment with a spectacularly wet winter and spring which meant we couldn't get onto the plot before May. By which time half the growing season was over so there wasn't too much we could do! and upon returning... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I ambled down the plot to catch up with everyone and feed the chickens. The sun was out, the sky was blue and there was more than a hint of spring in the air. It was lovely to see the site busy, with people appearing after their winter hibernation. Despite wind, rain and snow,... Continue Reading →
This morning, when I walked out into the garden, I discovered that the quail were in rather dire straits. The deluge of rain and wind we have had over the last two days has been unbelievable. The garden and plot are absolutely saturated. A single drop more rain and both would turn into a lake.... Continue Reading →
At lunchtime, I headed out into the garden to clean out Gertie and Quail Mansions. I started with Gertie. She has been spending lots of time on her perch and not eating much which is worrying. Pondering where to put her, I decided she might enjoy the sunshine for a bit, so I deposited her... Continue Reading →
After spending several days trying to find some quail to keep Queenie company, I found a breeder in Twemlow. He had a clutch of chicks that were three or four weeks old. These were too young to go in with Queenie but happily, he had some older quails who would be perfect. We drove into... Continue Reading →
I walked down to the plot early today, determined to avoid the worst of the rain that was forecast to last most of the day. I dashed around the coops and fed everyone. Geoff's black rock came out into the run today which showed progress. She has been terrorising Geoff's other hens and blocking their... Continue Reading →
Sadly we lost Quentin Quimby today. He showed no signs of illness at all and we have no idea why he passed away. Poor Quentin was rescued by a friend who has a plot on a different allotment site. He was walking his dog when he came across some unsavoury types trying to feed Quentin... Continue Reading →
Sad news today. When I went out into the garden to feed the Topknot Gang, Gertie and the Quails, I found that Quinn had passed away. She showed no signs of illness so I am at a loss to explain why she died. Quinn was a very tame quail who always came running to the... Continue Reading →
Before work this morning, I fed the home chickens and quail. With DEFRA finally lifting Flockdown on next week (the 18th April), it's so good to know that the girls will be able to explore the garden again. After feeding the fluffy and ravenous silkies and shifting three idiotic birds off the nest. I had... 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 →
Today was a very exciting day because we were finally able to pick up two friends for our little rescue quail. He has been going from strength to strength as evidenced by his increasingly loud and persistent crowing every morning. It began at 5am and he was still going strong two hours later when both... Continue Reading →
Much to my joy this morning, I was greeted by a little feathery face peering at me from the pet carrier. Happily the quail had survived the night and within a few minutes got busy pecking at the food bowl. A little later, I discovered it drinking but only after half filling the bowl with... Continue Reading →
After a relaxing day, I was scrolling through social media when I spotted an urgent post from Manor Way Allotment. One of their members had been walking their dog when they came across some unsavoury types trying to bait cats into killing a small quail. He managed to save the quail from the cats, taking... Continue Reading →
And just like that, it's a new year with new plans and opportunities. In the works are big plans to continue the shed upgrade, a new growing area, add raised beds to the greenhouse, finish the vertical garden and build a small terrarium area as well as finally getting some more quail (much to my... Continue Reading →
This morning I walked down to the allotment to make sure the chickens were all coping with the heat. They are prone to over heating and it is important to give them lots of water. On arrival, I found Leia and her buddy had been moved into the broody coop to protect them from being... Continue Reading →
This evening, I realised that we have had our plot for 5 years! The time has flown! So in the spirit of celebration, I have dug out photos from each year to share with you. Our first year saw us gain a shed, a large greenhouse and several chickens. We learnt how fast weeds grew... Continue Reading →
Walked down to the allotment this morning to find our remaining two quail have died overnight. So ends our flock of quail. I spent some time cleaning out the quail coop and drowning it in anti-mite spray to make sure it is clear ready for quail in the future. It look a good while to... Continue Reading →
Arrived down the allotment this morning to find Andrea (the landscape gardener) on site so I grabbed her quickly about our plans for the new chicken shed and base. Fortunately she is able to do it but probably not until February as she is fully booked. We can easily make sure the chickens are sorted... Continue Reading →
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