First hatching 2014

My first hatching eggs of the year arrived a week ago today. Silverlace Wyandottes are on order but it is the Sablepoot Lemon Milliefluer that have turned my head this time.  A little unexpected in a way, but I did find I was being drawn to them at the poultry shows.
One of the main reasons I have chosen them is their size.  I don't have a great deal of space so large rare breeds like an Ixworth are out of the question for now.  I also tend to find the eggs from bantams have a lot more flavour.  They are perfect little hard boiled snack or for use in a creamy omelet.
Of course the looks of the breed have a great deal to do with it as well.  They are not a large breed, a true bantam, and so a dual purpose bird they are not.  My breeding efforts are still targeted at the wyandottes, so I guess this is more of a nice to have.
I'm off to candle the eggs tonight so fingers crossed I have a few viable eggs.

Mission accomplished?

I was starting to believe it was impossible, never going to happen. Then, just one more try, that stubborn streak took over. If I couldn't find half an acre or acre in the local area, why not forget about "livestock" and try for a small piece of land for more poultry.
When I say more poultry, really it is just a place to keep one, maybe two breeding trios.  Somewhere a cockerel would not cause a nuisance, but could serve his ladies happily and provide me with my own hatching eggs.
I was fortunate that in the village the local community council had a piece of land. They would not consider livestock, but chickens were a more realistic option.  I wrote to the Clerk and as it happened he was willing to support the idea.
I explained about my passion for poultry, my enjoyment going to poultry shows and my limited success at the Welsh National and the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.  I sent photos and details of the proposed coop and enclosure.
As if it was destined to happen, I had confirmation by email, the councillors were willing to rent a small space to me, enough for 10 birds. A great result but not after a lot of hard work and constant searching, questioning and badgering.  Sorry if you were one of those people.

It means that I can actually start to keep a cockerel with two of my silver lace Wyandotte bantams that I had earmarked as good breeding stock.  First of all I need a cockerel. Having some difficulty locating one at present I have decided to hatch my own.  So the incubator will be on again soon one the eggs have arrived.
It means I will struggle to hatch my own eggs this year, as I will have to wait for the cockerel to mature, and no doubt when he is ready the hens will go into moult. But I'm willing to wait to get the right trio to hatch the best quality birds I can.
In the mean time, I can concentrate on hatching new colours of quail and maybe some Welsh Harlequin ducks.

Randy Daffy the Duck

Just when you think everything is settled.  The chickens and ducks are living happily together in their new run area and house, Daffy the duck has taken a shine to Treacle the hen.
Poor treacle is being chased around the run, Benny Hill style.  I half expected to see a policeman with truncheon join in the chase.
Sadly, it seems he will not give up without "completing his mission".  Treacle is getting so fed up she is making her way up onto the top of the house and launching her self over the omlet netting into the open garden.  This isn't a major problem, other than she doesn't have access to food and water,and there is a better chance of me and the kids stepping in a freshly laid piece of poo!
So the only solution for now is for Treacle to live with the Silver Lace Wyandottes.  Not ideal but they all seem to have accepted the new living arrangements for now.

Treacle has always been a bit of a loner, never really settling in the larger group of hens.  One of dads army is always having a pop at her for standing in the wrong place.  Perhaps that is why she is a good broody, as she seems happy on her own with her own company.
I'm hoping a week out of the group may help Daffy forget his lust for her.  But that in itself could lead to problems when I reintroduce her with bullying from the other hens.

It's never straight forward with poultry, and it's a bit like looking after squabbling children sometimes, but at least there are not dirty nappies or bums to wipe!

A couple of hours on the plot

Having completely rebuilt and refurbished the chicken run in the back garden it was about time I visited the allotment plot.  I took the opportunity today and made some headway.
I have decided to try the no-dig method of growing potatoes.  Lazy I know, but got to be worth a try.

Having cleared the plot of weeds, I spread a layer of chicken manure and home made compost on top, then covered with thick black pond liner.  I pegged the pond liner down and then cut slits in the liner, used a trowel to loosen the soil and planted the potato, that had been sitting on my window sill for the past 4 weeks, just underneath the soil.
There is no need to plant any deeper as the liner on top will protect the potatoes that grow from going green.  It also means I don't need to weed between the rows. Like I said earlier - lazy gardening.  Let's hope it works.
There is also no need to earth up as the liner will do this for you.  If it all works, there will be even less work to dig the potatoes up.  I will just need to lift a section of the liner, and put up the potatoes, maybe using a small hand fork, but significantly less effort that I usually put in.  Like I say, I have fingers crossed.
I do have a couple of concerns, and that is ensuring the plants get enough moisture and making sure the top growth gets through the little holes I have made.
Not one to put all my eggs I one basket (chickens get in everywhere with me), I am only trying this method with the first early potatoes.  Casablanca is the variety and is supposed to have good disease resistance.
My second early potatoes, Charlotte, will be planted using my usual method, digging a trench, scattering a few chicken manure pellets or grow more fertiliser, covering and then earthing up when needed.

Whilst there today I also weeded the asparagus bed and covered it with a layer of compost and manure.  This is the second year that have been in the ground, so I am looking forward to taking a slightly bigger crop this year.  The few spears we tried last year were outstanding.  I might just try dipping them in a soft boiled or poached egg.

I was please to see the rhubarb was growing, although in comparison to my neighbours plants they doo look quite pathetic.  Hopefully the topping of compost and manure will help them thrive.

Homebrew banana beer

For some time I have wanted to try and make my own banana beer after sampling the Banana bread beer you can buy by the bottle.  Quite a few recipes meant trying to make the beer from scratch, mashing your own malt.
Finally I have found and road tested a recipe that I am pleased with.
It uses a basic beer kit, where you add the cooked bananas to the malt extract while heating on the hob.  Nice and easy, but there are a few tips to make things go smoother.

Here is the recipe.

Banana Beer 40 pints---This one uses overipe bananas and ferments on the bananas to give a really bananery taste! 1 normal 5 gal Beer kit with yeast - I used John Bull traditional English ale, single can with spray malt 12 over ripe bananas 2 tsp Pectolase 1kg sugar - normal white sugar  •Peel, break up, and gently simmer the banana in a couple of pints of water for about 20 mins, a little more if the fruit is firm. Mash up with potato masher! •add contents of warmed Beer tin to the banana pan and warm through. • add sugar to a couple of gallons of water in fermenter. Dissolve. •mix in slightly cooled banana mix from pan •top up to 4 gal with cold water •add pectolase and top up to 5 gal •pitch yeast. Ferments fully in 5-7 days at room temp in early summer. STRAIN INTO SECONDARY BEFORE BOTTLING. •condition as normal (1tsp per pint or equity), improves greatly after a fortnight's sit in the bottle. • be warned can be very lively to serve, consider cutting priming sugar a little if worried.

A couple of points to take away from the above.

1.  Priming sugar, I reduced the amount I put into the 5 gallon mix.  Traditionally they suggest 30g per 5 gallon, but I used 25g.  The result is an ale that needs pouring from height to produce a head and serving cool, not from the fridge but an outbuilding or garage.
2. The banana makes it very difficulty to use a bottom tap on your fermenter, so I would recommend syphoning into another fermenter before bottling. If you can leave it over night to settle again (with air lock in place) it will prevent any sediment or pieces of beer getting into your bottles.
3. The taste - it is not the same as eating a banana, in fact, you could miss it unless you are looking for it. This may just be the way I have brewed it, but it is a pleasant  aftertaste of banana rather than overpowering.

My next beer will include honey. I'm searching for a recipe, so if you know of any please get in touch.  Thanks for reading.

Its hatching time in the Homer household

Just when you think the bottom has fallen out of the market for Welsh Harlequin ducks......quack!
Three were taken off to a good home last week.  It's always a relief when you meet someone genuinely passionate about poultry and waterfowl.  It makes letting the birds go a lot easier, and boy did I need the space.
I have two left, one male, one female and whilst the initial plan was to move all of the ducks on, I can see myself keeping these two now, certainly until they have been through the spring show at the Royal Welsh Showground. Plus, there seems to be a battle brewing over the dinner table between the eldest boys for the soft boiled duck eggs.  I would not be popular with them if the duck egg supply stopped.

So for now they are staying.  It does mean they need names.  All other named birds have been food based, Rhubard, Crumble (no longer with us), custard, apple, blackberry, pudding and not forgetting Treacle.
So where do I go from here?  Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

With a whole pig, jointed in the fridge, I will be busy curing bacon and ham over the next day or so.  However, with March just round the corner my mind has turned to hatching again.  I will be hatching my own quail eggs this year using some lighter coloured japanese quail.  Apart from that, I do need, or should I say want, a male Silverlace Wyandotte to run with my 1st place winning hen from the Royal Welsh winter fair and the Welsh National Poultry Show.
I'm having difficulty sourcing one locally, so next option is hatching one.  This way I will hopefully have a choice of males and it gives me a little more time to find the best place to keep them.

As it happens I have just this second ordered some hatching eggs from Cheshire Poultry. They have some great looking birds.  Poultry genetics, Fancy Fowl editor, and genuine nice guy, Grant Brereton recommended I contact Steve Dace. I can't wait.
Hopefully by the wyandottes have hatched, the quail will have started laying and I can put my pair/trios together ready for hatching, in a month or so.

Thanks for reading.

Muddy run - chickens and ducks

I have been spending quite a lot of time recently in coffee shops. Whilst I would love to use independents, the choice is very limited for me, so I tend to avoid those that don't pay the correct tax and plump for coffee that is apparently "the best this side of Milan".

I find it relaxing and I seem to be able to waffle on and compose my entries for my blog despite the hustle and bustle, banging of coffee baskets, grinding of beans and occasional chink of china in the back ground.

I find it is one of only a few activities that truly relaxes the mind and body, giving you that moment to your self and opportunity to listen and observe others.
I get the same satisfaction out of the allotment and looking after the animals.  The daily morning dash outside in this recent torrential rain and, this morning, hail, has been made in lounge wear (pyjamas to you and me) and in full wet weather gear.  Not because of the rain, but just due to the sheer volume of mud in my garden at present.
My wellies are permenantly caked in mud, as are the waterproof trousers, jacket and the poor chickens and ducks.

So I have a plan.  Over the years I have used sand as a base in my run area with a good layer of wood chip on top.  It's works well for 3-4 hens.   Now the collection is bigger and includes a couple of ducks, I need a system that means the wood chip does not dissapear into the sand and mud, as the hens start to dig like Steve McQueen in the great escape.

This is the plan.
Level the ground, easier typed than done, but isnt it the same with everything.
Using a few slabs I will cover part of the run area, leaving a gap for some plastic guttering to run the length of the run.
Disinfect with stalosan f, then peg down a layer of plastic mesh that is manufactured and designed to stabilise grass.
Surround with raised beds or wooden boards (this will stop the wood chip being flicked all over the grass, when it grows back).
Top with wood chip.

Simple, but I'm sure it will be effective.
The plan with the guttering and slabs, is so that I can hose down the wood chip (or even better the rain will help) and wash any mess and poo into the gutter.
I have a sloping garden, so this may not work for everyone.  The gutter will run into a border with bushes, so they will benefit from the water and manure, and any excess can be shovelled out.

I concocted this plan whilst in a coffee shop, scribbling on a note pad, so who knows how it will go.  I will post photos of progress and the finished job.

Thanks for reading.