chicken wisdom

It's Mine

The weather has been much kinder today, the chickens do not appear to be wading in mud, although the dust in the polytunnel is giving them a good time. ( I need to get Dh to brush the erarth back about every 2 days).
On the other hand, the longer daylight has put them in egg production. Despite the mess in the tunnel and their skipping around the garden, we appear to have happy healthy hens with a will of their own. With 36 eggs awaiting in the kitchen I have had a go at making ice cream today, which was fine but is not going to do very much for my cholesterol levels. ( Everything in moderation and it will have no hydrogenated fat and artificial sugars in it anyhow).

The sweetpea teepee has been built and the plants planted out, surrounded by crushed eggshells which I dried in the Aga over the last weeks. I dry them, then crush them with pestle and mortar and keep them in a tin until I go out and plant little seedlings, to ward off slugs. I have no idea whether it will work completely but I go out from the viewpoint that eggshell may act as a deterrent and is environmentally friendly.

A bit of weeding took place which gives my chickens some greenery and at least some interest. I am not really looking forward to having to pull their coop along every day, but then that is preferable to them picking my crop in the tunnel. ( I know they are not partial to broadbeans or parsley as they stay clear of that at least)...chicken wisdom.