Stupid chickens.
Chickens
Burn Baby Burn
I spent the majority of today in the garden hitting things with hammers. And most enjoyable it was too.
Unfortunately we’ve recently lost a couple of chickens and a duck to the local fox, and so I decided my previously rather slack poultry containment efforts needed shoring up.
The aim isn’t particularly to keep foxes out – but to keep the bloody chickens and ducks in. The flock has been becoming far too canny in their escape efforts recently and have spent more time wandering the nearby fields and woods than in my garden. They even started not bothering coming back at night, which is when I think the fox attacks have been happening.
So now they have a reduced area to roam, but it’s a lot more secure. It’s a compromise between my free range principles and my responsibility to keep the birds safe.
The other rather gratifying thing to happen today was that I managed to burn that bloody pile of wood that’s been tormenting me for the past four months. It may have it’s own Facebook group, but that hasn’t stopped it becoming a pile of ash.
Granted it wasn’t actually me who burnt it – it was my neighbour who kindly let me hijack his bonfire. But the main thing is the bugger has gone! Gone I tell you!!
Ahh… the sweet smell of closure.
Chicken Wire
This morning I’ve spent a good couple of hours working on my garden fence. It seems the chickens and the ducks have banded together to form the A.D.F.E.C (Allied Domestic Fowl Escape Committee), and are working towards driving me into an early grave.
The chickens have somehow figured how to force the gate open, and the ducks have discovered the art of rooting around the base of the chicken-wire until they make a hole big enough to waddle through.
The bright side of this of course is that they are now wrecking next door’s garden rather than my own.
Still, it’s not a situation that can go on much longer. I’ve done what I can to plug the gaps with spare bits of wood and wire, but I’m fearful that the ultimate solution will have to involve expensive trips to various hardware shops.
Stupid birds
In the garden again
There is a secret to gardening that they don’t tell you in any of the books or TV shows. But it’s a secret that’s well worth knowing none-the-less:
Always take your glasses off before you go out to do some work in the garden.
This year alone I have lost two pairs of glasses in our back garden. These joined the pair I lost last year and also possibly my iPod touch (the loss of which still brings a tear to my eye in my more unguarded moments).
It happens the same way each time. I go out there vowing not to take them off my head. Then I start to dig a hole or something and begin to sweat. And as we’ve established already (on BBC Radio no less), I’m a very sweaty man.
Soon the glasses start to start to slip off my head when I’m bent over. And so, subconsciously, I take them off my head and put them down somewhere safe.
And they are never seen again.
Of course it’s obviously not me who’s to blame. No, that would be ridiculous. it’s those bloody megalomaniac chickens, that’s who. I’m not entirely sure why they keep stealing my glasses, but I’m pretty sure it’s something to do with incorporating the lenses in some sort of death ray device.
Anyhow, I’m three pairs of glasses down but I’ve finally learnt my lesson. Today I’ve spent about seven hours in the garden and my specs have remained firmly on the lounge mantelpiece, well out of the reach of kleptomaniac hens. I WIN!
Plus, I got a hell of a lot done up there today. There is nothing more satisfying than a bit of physical graft.
The main thing I did was a complete clean and disinfect of the chicken coop. I’ve been having awful problems with Red Mite recently. In fact I suspect they may have even had something to do with Evel Knievel’s death last month. She was broody and refused to get out of the coop and I think the little bastards may have caused her to become anemic.
I spent about £20 on various sprays and powders, which appeared to work for a little bit but within a week or two they were swarming as bad as before.
So now I’ve bought an industrial sized container of “Poultry Shield” and have thoroughly washed and scrubbed the coop again. I intend on doing it all again next weekend too. I hope it works as I’m not sure what I’ll do if it doesn’t. Apparently painting the inside of the coop with Creosote works wonders, but you aren’t actually allowed to buy the real stuff anymore.
While I had everything out I also gave the coop a rather spiffing coat of paint. I must admit I’m rather pleased with the outcome.
I also painted the kid’s wendy house as well (you can see it in the background of the photo). I have vague ideas of turning it into the Duckhouse for my imminent Indian Runners. However it’s current function as the place where I store all the crap is pretty useful too.
I’m half wondering if I should make a run for the ducks too. The chickens have one, although I nearly always leave it open so they can free range in the entire garden. However it can be quite useful when we go away so the neighbors don’t need to worry about letting them in and out. Any advice from people in the know would be gratefully received.
However, that’s something to mull over. Tomorrow, providing the weather is ok, I have a list of other jobs to tackle. I’m going to extend the guinea pig run, convert the sandpit to a rhubarb bed, and extending my tyre strawberry patch.
Things are pretty fun on Old McHughes farm at the moment.