No, this is not a cooking post. It is an excuse for some pretty pictures of chickens, and a way for me to assuage my guilt about not posting recently. I’ll explain why soon. Get ready, we’ve been working on a Big Project.
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A few weeks ago I trimmed back the thyme and lavender in the Mediterranean garden. Both had finished a first flush of flowers, and I’m hoping that after this little haircut we might get another round of pretty before the end of summer.
Thyme trimmings.
I thought the thyme would make a nice addition to the bedding in the nesting boxes so I headed out to the chicken house. There was a certain amount of interest from some punters who were in the middle of laying.
What you got there then?
We use hay in the chicken house boxes, but we have a few obstinate broody girls who are spending far too much time sitting and trying to hatch babies. Thyme should deter mites, and give the girls a lovely springy mattress.
Broody chicken
At last count we have 14 chickens and one rooster. Each year the Forbearing Husband says ‘No more chicks’, and then… Well if you’ve been reading this blog for a while you can guess the rest. The girls have hatched five babies so far this season. Here are the two oldest.
Orpington / Leghorn cross chicks. They are at a rather awkward gangly stage just now.
And here is a portrait of their dad, Ghost Dog, here looking every bit the pompous Victorian Gentleman.
Ghost Dog.
Well that was a bit of a going-nowhere type ramble, but at least you’ve heard from me. And the pics were cute weren’t they? Yes of course they were. Now, go and watch some Game of Thrones so you are architecturally prepared for the unveiling of the br–. Whoops nearly let the cat out of the bag.
See you next Sunday!
Lucky hens with thyme scented bedding – you could pay a fortune for such luxury:) Good to see Ghost Dog reining supreme and his loved up henny pennies are happy.
Ha, true. Maybe we should save up all the thyme and stuff mattresses with it a la pleasant peasants! I’ve just trimmed the rampant oregano so after it dries those chooks can have a truly culinary bedding mix.
So looking forward to your March visit. The pool is ready for you. xxx
you FH sounds like a soft touch.
He is THE BEST!!!
Your wee chickies are so cute! I’m sorry I did not see them in person. Will have to organise Chicken Boy to sort out our chicken area and make a return visit! I’m sure I used to have thyme in the garden somewhere …
Now you travel in such style with beautiful Celeste I hope you will be back very soon. If you need one I can supply a thyme plant to bed your girls down with. x
The advert neglected to demonstrate Celeste’s hay bail or chicken carrying capabilities! I wonder why they would neglect such strong selling points?!
Perhaps you should offer Celeste to star in a new rural focused advertisement? Bet she’s still sporting a few bits of left over hay!
Yes, I’m sure a middle aged woman with a hay bail, chickies, Chicken Boy and a sword is just what their campaign needs. Hot young Europeans are so over rated! Yeah, there ARE a fair few random whisps of straw adorning Celeste’s interior…
Yeah, everyone is so bored by those hot young Europeans. All looks and no life experience. 🙂 xx
Some time ago I picked some rosemary from the garden to add a bit of green to vase of flowers at work. My sweet workmate (originally from Yorkshire) commented on the thyme. I had to correct her that it was actually rosemary, and thyme isn’t pronounced the way it looks! Can you imagine?
All I can think is that Yorkshire is too cold to grow such exotic Mediterranean herbs. Come to think neither rosemary or thyme were mentioned in Wuthering Heights.