[vc_row][vc_column][postgallery_grid id=”grid_ SS_G8_20180110_2″ data_source=”data-4″ null=”” slidesetid=”SS_G8_20180128_2″ content_type=”image” columns=”4″ height=”200px” align=”aligncenter” lightbox=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our chickens have been living in an enclosure that we made immediately behind the house. This was so that they got used to each other, to us, and to their coops; we planned to release them once they had started laying and knew to lay in the coops. They didn’t start laying for ages, much longer than we expected so they are have been in the enclosure now much longer than we originally expected. Eventually we will have the coops in the orchard which is the far side of the potager and they will be free range – we will keep our fingers crossed that the buzzards don’t take the little ones. The rain seems to have stopped for now but their enclosure is very wet and most of the grass, or green stuff, has gone; so, we decided that we should introduce them to the ‘field’. First we had to undo the wire fencing, this proved quite a struggle as we have pinned it down with ground staples that proved very difficult to lift.

Once the ‘gate’ was opened we took our cups of tea and sat a little way into the field. Chickens are always curious, and they had to come and look; there was lots of excited clucking and squeaking, then a bit of fear and they would dash towards ‘home’. This was great fun and they are now really keen to explore alongside the river and down to the potager. The make little forays into the ‘field’ and then return to known ground. The first day, after they had returned to the enclosure – but with the fencing open – we had walked around the field to the road and the front of the house. We were busy talking about the hedge progress when Liz looked around and exclaimed ‘Look, the chickens!’; they had followed our voices and were coming up to the house beside the road.  They had never seen a road let alone cars, thank goodness it isn’t too busy, we shepherded them batck to the enclosure with the help of Madame La Maire who stopped to help. Panic over, all safely in.

The photos show how much they have grown, and they are very confident now. Monica is now laying so some days we have six eggs – hers are strangely shaped rather like a long rugby ball, and Marietta’s are huge sometimes as big as 70g. Coco is now magnificent and and mastered crowing, although it is a little high so far and we are waiting for his voice to break. They are a very happy flock, three cocks and nine hens, all beautiful.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][postgallery_grid id=”grid_ SS_G8_20180110″ data_source=”data-4″ null=”” slidesetid=”SS_G8_20180128″ content_type=”image” columns=”4″ height=”400px” align=”aligncenter” lightbox=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Technical Note

You will have noticed that there were no blogs for some time and now a whole batch has arrived. They were written but we couldn’t successfully load the photos. Ridiculous though it sounds if you are used to internet speeds in the UK or larger towns in Europe, here the network is painfully slow , drops out and sometimes is non-existent. We have found a different way to upload and this seems to work better. Suddenly we could publish the missing blogs – we turned off notifications so you weren’t inundated and this last one has notifications turned on. We have now seen men digging near the telephone junction box, and they told us it is for the fibre network. We aren’t sure how long it will take to reach us but at least it has started.

Sorry for the gap in transmission, we hope to be back to normal now.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#deead0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Perhaps you would like to know…
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