David K

What's the weather like in your area?

Hello, Brenda

I'm in the West Midlands and it's much the same....it's starting to get a bit tedious now. 

What's the weather like in your area?

AuldAlliance, can't help being impressed by your avatar.

Perhaps not the right thread, but this is from my own garden.

tonights gardeners world

Not to mention eternal fame for Artemis, re reading out the letter about rose cuttings.

Mantis Tiller

Thanks, Gold1locks

My soil is quite heavy and I find the Mantis is fine after it has been dug with a spade (defeats the object somewhat) If I try to use it purely for turning the soil, it leaps around like a bucking bronco.

Mantis Tiller

After much deliberation, I bought on of these last year. My hope was to cut down on the amount of heavy spade work I do.

Although it's fine for tilling the top few inches, hoeing & weeding, for me it will never replace me old spade & fork.

Anyone feel the same?

Garden Gallery

Poor, Pam....we must help her if we can, she has a beautiful garden which she opens to the public under the NGS scheme, she takes beautiful pictures, is extremely knowledgeable and is an asset to any forum.

Now didn't that make you blush, Pam?

Keeping Chickens

I can well understand, ChristyRose.

Given the recent wet weather, my chicken run is a quagmire, despite the fact I put fresh straw in there every day.

Keeping Chickens

tattiebogle wrote (see)

Thanks for that, David.  They have layers pellets, but also mixed corn, and I probably give them too much corn (wheat, really).  OK, corn to be rationed from now on.  I'll check their grit tomorrow.  I mix coarser stuff with oyster shell, but I suspect they've picked out all the oyster shell and could do with some more. 

As a rule of thumb, 1oz of mixed corn per bird per day is ample, this is best fed in late afternoon to sustain them through the night.

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind!

Thanks for the info about the name....I knew 'tatties' (and neeps) but that's all.

What's the weather like in your area?

kjdintown wrote (see)

I've had last week and this off work as 'holiday' purely to work in my garden in Wiltshire ( a bit of re-design).  I got a little done last week and this week was all about making raised beds, shaping the lawn, adding a water feature (ha ha) pea shingle and adding hooks and things to fences and sheds to store wheelbarrows and ladders etc.  Well....this week I have treated the wood for the raised beds....then looked at it for the last three days while it has done nothing but rain.  Oh there was a change this afternoon ....hailstones!  It's getting boring now, I'd be happy for just one day between now and Sunday to get something done pleeeease.  

That's such a shame, kjintown

I'm retired now, but remember however fine the weather was when I was at work, it was always raining when I had any time off.

Keeping Chickens

tattiebogle wrote (see)

Hello, I only have 2 hens at the moment - a Silkie and a Pekin bantam.  They are 5 years old, hardly give me any eggs, and none at all in the winter, but they are lovely characters, and being small they don't destroy my garden when I let them out. 

I wonder has anyone else ever had eggs with very thin shells?  Yesterday one of them laid an egg with a paper thin shell, although today she laid a perfectly normal egg. Could it be a calcium deficiency?  They have grit available, and get out into the garden most days. 

Hi, tattiebogle (lovin the name)

One of the main causes of thin shells is when whole grains or feeds deficient in minerals and vitamins make up the bulk of the laying hen diet. So a good balanced layers feed is essential and a minimum of treats....in fact I would cut out all treats until the problem is resolved.

To build-up calcium levels you could also add crushed oyster shell to their feed.

Btw, all chickens 'cherry pick' their feed. 

Carol Klein's, Life in a Cottage Garden

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