Old McHughes 2009
on Apr 17 in Uncategorized by DanI know you’ve all been pretty desperate to find out what’s been going on with my chickens whilst we were in the US. Well, they got bloody huge, that’s what happened.
In just six weeks they have gone from from this:
To this:
Pretty amazing stuff.
They aren’t fully grown yet, that will take another ten weeks or so. Then it’s another four or five weeks until the eggs start arriving. But the chicks do have all their adult plumage and so are now weatherproof and able to graduate to the wonder that is Chickentropolis.
And so now with my chickens happily clucking about outside I feel like a genuine small-holder. I even have to go out at dawn and dusk to open and close the coop and tend my flock (well; dawn-ish anyway). All I need now is a pig and a goat and an admittedly unlikely spurt of miraculous hair growth and I shall complete my transition into Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Unfortunately Kerry and my favorite chicken, a rather friendly Light Sussex named “that whiter one”, is starting to look very masculine indeed and is probably destined for the pot. We’re currently living in a state of denial about the whole affair, but when it eventually starts crowing then it’s probably going to be curtains for it unfortunately.
Our agricultural efforts this week haven’t just stopped at poultry however. We’ve also been doing a bit of veg growing. Seeds for sugar-snap peas, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and runner beans have all been sown; with further plans for sweetcorn and potatoes in the pipeline. That’s not even mentioning the sunflower ad sweetpea seeds that have also gone into various pots. Hopefully we’ll have a lovely glut of home grown produce in the summer.
Or at least that’s the plan anyhow.
Related posts:
- Old McHughes
- Burn Baby Burn
- Old McHughes’ Farm update
- Moonraking 2009
- An Alternative State of British Parent Blogging 2009
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Impressive stuff! Makes me want to get a move on with my own chickens!
I nearly bought a coop on eBay, but was put off by the felt roof. When I’m next round your way, may I pop in and have a gander at your flock?
Next stage in Oli’s plan: the smokehouse! I’ve already got the oak chips from a local drystone-waller / bowl-turner, and a supply of mackerel from a local fisherman, plus venison from a neighbour…
You certainly can. We can lean over the fence with bits of straw in our mouths and talk farmer talk.
Incidentally Have you done any training for the walk yet. I’ve had a few exploratory trundles and found I’m not half as fit as I thought I was.
Glad you’re back safely. Who was your chicken-sitter whilst you were away?
Jeffs last blog post..Uh… I can’t find a good song on my radio?
You will be all set once Armegeddon arives. No Soylent Green for you.
Jamess last blog post..Last Minute Reprieve
Amazing progress. I was just telling my son Zane how we needed to build a chicken coup. You may have inspired me.
May have…
Ed (zoesdad)s last blog post..Why the Bows?
I’ve just noticed how freakishly large the chicks feet are!
Xbox4NappyRashs last blog post..Not available in shops
all you need now is a mill and some sunpanels.
Arjans last blog post..4th ed Genestealers + tripod!
I prefer my chicken in nugget-form.
Avitables last blog post..It’s all relative
Jeff – The ten year old boy down the street chicken sat whilst we were gone, although to be honest his elder sister did most of the work as he as a little scared of them
James – Unless my next door neighbors beat me to a pulp and steal my chickens that is
Ed – Do it man, it’s great. the whole egg hatching thing is cool too, and I made 75% of the money I spent on the equipment back on sellign the stuff on ebay.
Xbox – You know what they say – big feet, big eggs (actually no one says that, but I still hope it’s true)
Arjan – I fancy a windmill actually. Surely you have at least a few spare (I’m rolling out all my dutch stereotypes at the moment)
Avitable – So you keep saying, but I think there is some denial going on somewhere. Admit it, you have a secret stash of pet chickens in your basement don’t you.
Dans last blog post..Old McHughes 2009