Allotments 4 All

Not allowed any chooks or any other farm animals on my lottie  :(  People are all really friendly though so can't complain.   Have been known to work with my top off as well but got 'blamed' for the bad weather and late frosts for having it off to early!  {GG}   Still,  there might be something in it cos did likewise last week when digging out my new plot and look what happened to the weather!

On the wing clipping thing,  I though you had to be really careful because the feather ermmm stems..ermm ( oh you know what I mean!!!) have blood vessels in?!

Thanks Jaggy and everyone ,your input is greatly appreciated. ;D All hen info is heeded so pile it on!  Yes we have put wire down below the pen. Having heard recently about someone on another site losing his hens to mr fox. 

I fancy some more hens now but I want different breeds...it's very addictive this hen thing isn't it!  I have 3 bovan nera's 2 light sussex and a flighty one which I think is a cross with a White Star .There are White Stars at the place where I got them and she looks like foghorn leghorn with a few black feathers. Maybe that's my imagination running away with me..but I'm often found to be muttering "ah say boy" whilst pottering around.

I'm wondering,now my little group is set up,and seem happy together,how do you introduce new birds?  Not that I'm ready for any more yet but Japanese bantams sound very nice!  And Rhode Island reds.  I did fancy a cockeral but have been put off by two stories of cockerals being aggressive. We pick our hens up,my son sits with them on his lap I'm thinking a cockeral wouldn't like that.

Oh yes Lottie have had the axe out !  I've had to hide it though as son has a manic look in his eyes when he sees it and wants to hit everything in sight with it.

Icyberjunkie, hey the plot next to mine is up for rent now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a fit bloke who likes to garden with his kit off ! :D Knowing my luck it'll be a fit lass who likes to garden with her kit off  :(  OH will be  ;D ;D ;D.

Does anyone know about ducks?

  Cyber..........you only need to clip the flights...and the only time you have a full
  blood flow in the quills is when the new feathers are coming in after the moult.

  Heldi only down side of penning them up as you have.......is come the midst of
  winter you will find the pen will end up as a quagmire (its a helluva lot worse
  if you keep ducks )  your right on the being addictive thing Heldi... I stopped
  when I had about 15 different breeds !!!  ;D ;D ;D there are two schools of
  thought about introducing new hens......... one is you just put the bird(s) in
  and leave them to re arrange the pecking order..or two which is the one I
  prefer and thats if you can get a pet carrier place it alongside wire  with the
  hens able to see one another for couple of days.........then put the carrier in pen.
  then release the birds.......no way is foolproof.... just what works for you.....
  Roosters ..... well I used to have one that fed from my hand but as for the rest
  well they would attack my legs when I entered....which is a good thing they are
  in essence looking after there women folk. But if you want chicks then you will
  need a rooster ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D.........Only 1 thing to say on Ducks.......think
  chicken s h i t but a lot more liquid like :o :o :o :o :o :o :o ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


PPS.....you would need some sort of pond and grass too

At the moment the pen is used in the morning when OH goes up and lets them out of their shed. Then when I go up, I let them have the run of the lottie.  Still got a load of work there yet to do so I'm hoping I can keep the hens running about the garden as much as possible, keeping them in the pen to a minimum.  I don't trust the fencing enough yet to be able to let them out without a chaperone! the fence still needs alot of work. But you know how it is sometimes you just don't feel like spending hours at the allotment and other days you don't know where the time has gone.

I'm asking about ducks as a friend of OH's has hatched some out. He's offered some to us. I wouldn't want anymore than two I don't think.  A pond wouldn't be a problem and grass certainly isn't!  It's still in the thinking stage,I'll let you know what happens.

Went to see another allotment holder's hens yesterday. I'm more confident with what I'm doing now after seeing another person's set up. He had some lovely looking birds. Some with a mottled effect on their feathers,he told me what they are but I've forgotten.  I could see myself fancying a couple though!

I think it is about time I showed some updated pictures. I'll do a couple now and then do some more later. I'm supposed to be making tea not sitting on my heiney  ;D

The first pic was taken last summer.  The other pics were taken last November. Making some small raised beds as my lettuce last year got trampled on. They are where the all that rubbish and concrete was. Last picture are hens raised from eggs last year. Raiding the cauli and the sprouts.

hadn't seen your thread until today, as still a newbie, but just wanted to say WOW!!!

I can only imagine the huge amount of hard work you've put in, but really good for you for perservering, it's certainly been worth it looking at your plot pics. I bet you wouldn't be without it now! ;D

littl'un looks like it's fun to sit in there, lovely job, heldi..looking forward to seeing it full of plants  ;D

Well Heidi I have to tell you truthfully that is the first post that has actually made me cry. What a state to receive anything , the determination you had and  the passion, though all the laughs and downs.Then right at the bottom the new pictures. Priceless!!! That's when the tears came. I don't know what to say to convey my admiration, well done is certainly not enough.

Absolutely Fantastic Gal!!!!

You deserve Lottie if the year award. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XX Jeannine

Hello H
had not seen this thread before and really enjoyed seeing the transformation :)

Wow Heldi, you have done well! What a transformation :o :o
I didn't see this thread til now and I've just read it all in one go. (i'm even missing Eastenders!
Did the other plotholders turn out to be friendly?

Like the others its the first time I've seen this thread, a bloody big well done is all I can say Heldi. I flicked through quickly read some of your replies and see all the pictures. I take it the scrap went, did the oh ever get rid of the smell of diesel, did you join the secret allotment society and are you still growing glass.   ;D ;D ;D

wow what a saga. you have worked so hard. you should be really proud. i bet you know every single inch of that plot.

A quick thankyou for all those lovely replies.  I am having difficulty typing right now as that little miss in the photograph is sitting on my lap banging the kepboard. ::)  ;D  ;D  I'll be back later for a proper response and to post some more pictures.

H x

FANTASTIC HELDI  8)

Have just gone back and looked at your lottie pics right from the beginning again Heldi, and you are a star girl!!  What you have achieved on that lottie is nothing short of a miracle.  When I think off all that broken glass and debri you had to contend with, you have done a fantastic job and should feel so proud of yourself. Well done!! You dun good!!  ;D busy-lizzie

That's one of the best before and after pics I've seen Heldi. You must be mighty proud of yourselves. Looking forward to the next batch of pics.

Fancy being able to erect a dwelling (albeit plastic) now that is something ;D ;D

LOL @ Emaggie!   Pretty neat aint it!  That's the Toots pad. She takes tea with the chooks in there. They escape through the windows on the side.

Thankyou again for all your wonderful replies.   

I have to say that my OH has helped quite a bit. Not as much as he likes to think as far as blinking digging goes but he's done the hen pen etc.  Anyway I haven't been all alone aaaaaannnnnddd my children have always been present...not always helpful.but present!  ::)  ;D

No I still aint in the secret society though I have infiltrated enough to know a couple of the members.  ;) There is a meeting apparently sometime soon in the local working mens clurb so I'm hoping to go. i aint got babysitters so I might miss it...booo hissss! 

Have said hello a few times to our coast guard and have heard rumour that he gardens organic...will be making further investigations.  OH has helped by giving him a load of hard core and getting chatty with him.

There are still only a handful of guys who will stop and chat.  I have the distinct impression they think I'm only passing through on the way back from school with my children. If so they must think I'm the great unwashed. I generally have muck all over my face let alone my hands. That is on the way home not on the way there. Maybe it's because I never get changed...I garden in whatever I'm wearing at the time. Sheesh I can't be fannied to go home and change...anyway I like to cut a dash...I've got washing machine afterall lol!

Someone who didn't really speak, I got chatting to on Sunday. He spoke to me today. We have found out we both love car booties. He looks for fishin stuff,I look for hens. Pottery hens that is.coz I collect them. Saddo that I am. I collect many other things but I won't bore you. All utter rubbish nowt special. Anyway that bloke asked if I would sell me fish tank LOL. It's a whopper I told him so he says he'll ask OH.  It's my fish tank...had it before OH !
So no. There aint many who chat to me.  OH has more luck but then he looks like one of 'em, he'll be wearing a bit of string for a belt next. LMAO!  Actually I'm dead quiet and quite shy so it's probably all my fault.

All the rubbish.  Didn't get any help what so ever from the comittee. So its all piled up in "no- mans- land "down the side of the shed and boarded off. Stuff it! Oooh I still feel really annoyed about it. Anyway I can't see it any more so I'm not worrying. I would have preferred it all to be gone but needs must when the devil won't get the skip they promised.

Still collecting glass. Thankfully my last stretch.  Was under carpet for ages but finally the grotty carpet has gone.Hurrah,sing hosannahs! Me and OH took it to the tip. It was a glorious moment! the car still reeks but we've got kids so what does that matter  :D

Not posting pics now. Have you seen the time???!!  I'm going to pester Busy Lizzie tomorrow,I needs me sleep.  Oh Okay ..I cannit find them. I think alot of them are on my phone so phone to pc...come inn Orson nanoo nanoo... shazbatt.

Mind x

Hi there Heldi,
Don't you think it gives you a buzz looking at before/after pics. Keep it up, and I want your chickens  ;D

Hi baggie,

Yes I agree totally.  When you think things are getting a bit behind, a reminder of how things were before is a good tonic.

Here's another pic taken last summer.  It was taken on my phone.

You've done a great job Heldi... I've been on the site (A4A) for over a year but hadn't seen this thread.... what has happened to Wardy and those early posters?
:o