Friday 29 April 2016

Update on chicks

six out of seven hatched and are doing well. Running about, eating, drinking and pooing well! Another couple of days and the first feathers will start coming through. Will take photos as they grow. No idea yet of the sex!
Went to a fabric sale today and bought something to recover the footstool. Also some green and white gingham to go with some pink and white gingham I have. This will make the curtains for our spare room.
Have rearranged our main room to put the dining table nearer the kitchen. Really like how it looks. Also tidied and cleaned the two dressers. I might live on a building site but it is important to me that it is organized and clean!

Thursday 28 April 2016

First chicks

These are the first two to hatch in my incubator. There are now four in the broody box and two more drying out and fluffing up in the incubator. There is still one egg to go. It may be the last one won't hatch but I will  give it until tomorrow.
I love watching them hatch, it is a miracle each time. I am looking forward to my broody hen hatching her clutch too. It is great watching her bring out the fluff balls for the first time. She will be very protective and will sit with them under her wings if threatened. Chickens are fantastic mothers.
This is the first year for ages I have used the incubator. I only did so because none of the girls looked like they were going to become broody. The day after I set seven eggs she fluffed herself up, gathered all the eggs for the day and sat on them! Amazingly she is in the broody house. My chickens are in a small barn and they roost up on the ledges. They have a ladder to get up there. There are also six nest boxes on the floor that they use to lay eggs in. I put in a small broody house, raised off the ground with a ladder to enter, as they like to be tucked away when sitting. I close the door at night as we have a problem with rats living in the thick walls and they would steal her eggs from under her.
Hopefully all six chicks will survive. Maybe tomorrow it will be seven!

Wednesday 27 April 2016

Busy time

sorty I have been absent a few days. So much to do just now.
Have cleared the spare bedroom ready to renovate. Today I will stain the beams. We have decided to build in a cupboard on the end wall as it is rough granite stone and has half the chimney breast on it. We will insulate and plaster board the whole wall then build a cupboard across it. The walls are wonky so this is the easiest way to deal with it. Once I have done the beams P will start the framing out.
We found a beautiful old second hand bed for £45 that has an almost new good mattress. It has a tapestry head and foot. The colours are pink and green which will dictate the cloud of the room. The bed frame is wood. We want to get the room done for P's brother and wife who are coming over in June for a week. Once the cupboard is done we will put down a laminate floor. Then need to make a windowsill and paint the whole room. I think I will do it white as this goes well with the dark oak beams. I will make curtains for the dormer window. I am very excited about doing this.
Meanwhile in the garden...we are going to fence an area for the dogs. This means I need to move my two muck heaps. That has been started and I want to get it finished today. Seeds are sprouting now so a small daily weed is needed. The red onions are sprouting too.
I have 7 eggs in an incubator having thought there would be no chicks this year. They are due to hatch this week and on Monday a hen went broody! I do not know how many eggs she is sitting on. Mrs Goose spent all yesterday sitting on her eggs but got off again this morning. I am leaving her to it.
Weather is all over the place so it is upsetting the nesting.
Am off to start work!

Monday 18 April 2016

The clearing work continues

This is part of the back of our garden. This morning the larger tree at the front of the picture was hidden by brambles. Some of the brambles are so thick they are like small tree trunks. The brambles also grow through the branches and are difficult to remove. As always there are chickens in the picture. It is one of the joys of gardening for me the way the chickens help me. They have dug up lots of bramble roots. You can just see the fields behind our land. When our place was a working farm the surrounding fields were part of the farm. When the family sold they kept the fields which are now rented to neighboring farmers. We bought the buildings with an acre of land.
When we first bought this place it had not been lived in for some time. The land was overgrown with brambles and ivy. Slowly I am reclaiming the land and revealing lots of trees. Some of the trees have self seeded and have to be removed. Over crowding. Once the brambles have gone I will refence the perimeter of our land.
We have done the front of our property and as well as fencing have planted Hazel bushes, for the wildlife and for privacy. There are fields on both sides of our drive that often have cows in them.
It has taken a long time to gain control of our land but I now feel I am winning.

Sunday 17 April 2016

A couple of hours in the veg patch and.....

I have planted...peas, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and leeks. All seeds for the first time so hope they work. I always find it very hard to thin out and usually end up keeping all the young plants and putting them elsewhere in the garden! I still have butternut squash and spaghetti squash to go in. Once the polytunnel is done I will plant tomatoes, chillis, peppers and cucumbers.
Humbug cat decided to pester me which was tricky as she walks over the bits I have prepared for the seed. I hope she will not dig up my seeds.
I use no chemicals in my garden, all weeding is done by hand. It means what grows is as near to organic as I can get it. It makes for a lot of work but I enjoy spending an hour out there after the day's work is done looking after my veg patch. It is a great feeling to pick fresh veg for dinner.
The fruit trees are showing signs of blossom, I hope there are still plenty of flowers when the bees arrive in June. We have several large lavender bushes along the front path that I hope they will find. Many other bees find it. There is also a humming bird moth that frequents it. An amazing little thing and a joy to watch.
I have been reading lately about people whose parents embraced self sufficiency in the 1970's. The majority did not follow in their parents footsteps as they found the life too isolated and hard. It surprised me. There is a now another trend towards it. It is hard work but enjoyable. I get so much pleasure being out with the chickens, ducks and geese. I am still hoping to add some animals at some point.
A very busy time is coming up with everything growing. Lots of time in the garden....and a very happy me!

Saturday 16 April 2016

The cleared barn

This is the back of our oldest barn. You can just see the lounge chimney of our house behind.
Two days ago you could not see this wall. There is still ivy on the roof which has to be removed very gradually. It will pull off some of the old clay roof tiles. The dark patch on the right of the roof is a hole. The roof beams are suspect too. Lots of the pointing has been dug out by birds and insects. It is probably a long way down the list but it will be repaired. You can see a chimney on the far left of the barn...this was the smithy for the farm.
You can just see a door on the left behind the bush. My plan is to open up this door and section off that end of the barn as a stable for animals..probably goats as they can access the orchard from here.
The various dark shapes on the ground are some of my chickens who love to scratch about in newly uncovered areas.
When our house is re roofed soon we plan to keep the tiles to repair the roof of this barn.
We are very fortunate to have several barns of different sizes. A total of  five. The other big long one is for the Gites.
I will add photos of the others.

Friday 15 April 2016

Bit of a weird week

last Sunday we had a mighty storm that knocked out our internet. We heard it blow! My poor roof has taken a battering but thankfully we now have the builder booked to do it. It will make such a difference.
Thursday of last week we were contacted by a couple wanting to come to our Gite on the Saturday. We had not put the Gite back together and needed to do some painting, change the bathroom blinds and put everything back in place. The grass also needed cutting. The four of us set to and as expected it was all ready in time. The couple leave again tomorrow.
Monday morning phoned orange and they confirmed our live box was dead. I was given a code and told to go to the orange shop in Mayenne and change the box! Problem was there are two shops in Mayenne. P had a heavy cold bit insisted on coming as he didn't think I could vote on my own. We waited a good half hour in the shop waiting to talk to the assistant only to be told she did not have the boxes go to the other shop! P was grumbling constantly by now. We walked down to the other shop and five minutes later came out with a new box! So by lunchtime we were back online. And I did all the talking, in French! Monday another storm started but this time we managed to unplug the phone. We have had some spectacular skies, really weird. The rest of the week has been very windy, again not good for our roof.
We have made great progress in the garden despite the weather. Lots more overgrown areas have been cleared. The chickens love scratching about in the newly uncovered areas. They have been so interested in it they have not left the garden.
I now have one of my big Aylesbury ducks who seems to be sitting on eggs. This makes me very happy, I love having ducklings around. The others all say we should get rid of the ducks as they are messy but they make me happy! So they are staying.
I currently have chickens laying eggs in the goose nest! Mrs Goose has built a lovely nest but still shows no sign of sitting. No broody chickens either so have currently 7 eggs in an incubator. Another 13 days to go!
I have moved the raspberry canes in the veg patch and planted the red onions. Hoping to plant more veg tomorrow. My polytunnel is still not ready which is very frustrating.
Then finally younger daughter had to put her car into the garage and her hubby's car was dying too. He had arranged to exchange it today but meanwhile had no car. So, they have borrowed my mini. I will be pleased to get it back tomorrow.
Made another batch of marmalade today. Breakfast toast is not the same without it.

Sunday 3 April 2016

What a lovely day

I have loved Alpacas for ages but never met one. Through my smallholder group I had a wonderful day surrounded by them! Such beautiful animals. If I had more land I would have some!
When we arrived at the smallholding which is next to a large farm there was a new calf wandering in the road. The umbilical cord was still attached. She was staying close to a barn that had Bulls in it. I didn't think she was safe so encouraged her to come down to the farm house. Found a lady who said she was the cleaner but would call the farmer! Meant I spent time with the beautiful little girl. At least she was a girl so will grow up to give milk. I have to keep blinkers on a lot living here, I always put it down to being raised on Disney while the French had Asterix!
Have done lots of bramble clearance in the garden and it is looking good. Polytunnel is coming on, it is quite involved getting it done. Had a bonfire going too to get rid of the garden stuff. Bit of dry weather makes all the difference!