Preparing for Spring!!!

shegar

Ask your LL very nicely if you can have a couple hens, tell him if theres any signs of rats you will deal with it, and also that you need to lift 4 to 6 slabs so the hens can get a worm or 2:D:D and a bit of grit....

Tell him that if you vacant his house you will put it back to how it is now, perhaps if you can reassure him he maybe okay with that....... the spring is a nice time of year to start off with hen keeping.........my new hens are settling in nicely, 4 out of the 7 have laid today so thats a good start ........ive been out with the 21 hens today sorting out extra nesting boxes , feeders water etc, their so tame they keep trying to get in the 3 huge bags of straw that I was sorting, there under my feet like children...........

I also dug up a new bit ground for them so they had a few worms each..........I paid £2 quid each for the hens , that was really good, they soon pay for themselves with eggs.......Weather felt very springish today it was only about 9 degrees but the sun was out....I also notice that I have red buds on the rose bushes.........:D

The birds are also out in full song, this is such a good lift for my SAD.......:D No its never too late to put bird food out, I feed all the year round, that way they know they have a constant supply of food and always come back.......

pagangirl

Great thread - thanks Frugal. Was going to go out but very cold and foggy so had stay at home day. Shergar - buds on rose bushes??? - must be warm, can I come & live with you??? its flippin freezin here !!!

Well, got inspired by all your posts so dived into big under the sink cupboard - have now got some idea what's in there plus more organised so I can actually see what's what. Don't think I'll have to buy much for a while so all good.

Have some snowdrops in pots, seem to be shooting up more every day, lovely to see greenery again ! (live in 2nd floor flat with no balcony, so it's pots on windowsill or nothing)

Hugs to all
xx

diddly74

shegar wrote: »

Ask your LL very nicely if you can have a couple hens, tell him if theres any signs of rats you will deal with it, and also that you need to lift 4 to 6 slabs so the hens can get a worm or 2:D:D and a bit of grit....

Tell him that if you vacant his house you will put it back to how it is now, perhaps if you can reassure him he maybe okay with that....... the spring is a nice time of year to start off with hen keeping.........my new hens are settling in nicely, 4 out of the 7 have laid today so thats a good start ........ive been out with the 21 hens today sorting out extra nesting boxes , feeders water etc, their so tame they keep trying to get in the 3 huge bags of straw that I was sorting, there under my feet like children...........

I also dug up a new bit ground for them so they had a few worms each..........I paid £2 quid each for the hens , that was really good, they soon pay for themselves with eggs.......Weather felt very springish today it was only about 9 degrees but the sun was out....I also notice that I have red buds on the rose bushes.........:D

The birds are also out in full song, this is such a good lift for my SAD.......:D No its never too late to put bird food out, I feed all the year round, that way they know they have a constant supply of food and always come back.......

Shergar - how much room do you think I will need to fence off for say 6 hens? At the other house we had a huge area fenced off for them (after they had eaten the lawn up!) and it got very muddy. I don't want them running around the garden as I do want to try and grow potatoes, lettuice, toms, cucumbers, corgettes etc.

I think the LL will be aimiable about it all as we have already said we are hoping to be here for the LONG HAUL. It just feels strange cos I have always owned my own home before. We have 2 DDs and they are in school. Youngest is 8 so she has at least 10 years left at school before she can leave. Then I think we will go live at the seaside as soon as the kids leave home!

Yategirl

We had hens in our backgarden which is mainly paved with a gravelled area & 2 fenced off raised beds. The hens were perfectly happy as we put bedding in their run for scratching in, soil/sand in a dustbath & they would scratch the gravel. I used to empty out used compost for them to dig in. You do need to provide greens for them - I grew extra at the lotti or got stuff that the greengrocer was throwing out. We have moved hens to the lotti now but a small backgarden is adequate for 3 hens.

shegar

Well you will have to have a hen house for them to lay in and overnight perch, they need somewhere very safe because of foxes........but they also need to get out and do a bit of free ranging, I let mine out on the grass we do have quite a big garden, also when I cut the grass and my neighbours they give me all there grass cuttings so the hens get quite a varied diet, gives back good eggs in return...:j
Ive also took my lawn mower down the road side at times to get clover,dandelion, thistle etc.......they so love different weeds etc....you need to give them as much room as you possibly can, you will have to have a nice word with the LL first...........;)

fedupfreda

shegar wrote: »

Well you will have to have a hen house for them to lay in and overnight perch, they need somewhere very safe because of foxes........but they also need to get out and do a bit of free ranging, I let mine out on the grass we do have quite a big garden, also when I cut the grass and my neighbours they give me all there grass cuttings so the hens get quite a varied diet, gives back good eggs in return..

I have chooks too - my 3 wish they could free range at the moment - but the back garden is a mud bath - if I let them out the grass would wave the white flag in surrender so they will have to stay in the covered run for the time being.

Looking forward to the drier weather so they can get out and have a scratch about.

zarazara

I'm looking forward to weeding and hoeingthe veg plot and planting lots of seeds.

Eenymeeny

Thanks for the garlic advice ChocClare and I think I'll have a go at the taties! I haven't grown veg before. Maybe this is the year to start.

Kirri

I love this thread, very positive

I'd started washing out the kitchen cupboards the other week, one was full of dirt from the allotment from when I kept bringing home potatoes.. so about half have been done so far with rest to do this weekend. Trying to use up old foods and keep less in so easier to keep clean.

Have sorted out new, lighter storage jars so transferring foods over this weekend, old jars going on Ebay. Have more room in the cupboards now.

Had a bit of a declutter the last 2 weekends in the living room - am getting to the point that I just hardly want to keep anything. Plus makes it easier to spring clean.

Have ordered all the seeds for the allotment, want to get back down there but it's too wet at the moment, but is some signs of new life in the broad beans, onion and garlic coming through.

Saw daffs for sale this week, not very MSE but I am tempted to treat myself to a bunch to put in the kitchen once I've finished the spring clean out there.

Can't do the freezer till about end of March/April probably, still too full of last year's veg supplies for the winter!

HoneyBee83

Ooooo Yes spring please!!
Its getting closer by the day :D

My little list...

*Paint all inside walls...just as a refresh.
*Rug doctor upstairs and down.
*Wash windows upstairs and down,inside and out.
*Sort winter clothes into storage baskets under the bed.
*Tidy garden:Weeding beds and patio,cutting grass,wash down table and chairs etc
*Plant veggies potatoes,broccoli,carrots,tomatoes,peas,salad leaves,cucumber and herbs.
*Look into summer holiday.
*Organise more outdoor activities with DD...picnics and nature walks.etc which will include pooch :j
Must be more but that'll do for starters!!