Hippy chicks

I never really understood why the term 'chicken brain' was a derogatory one until now: these new additions to the allotment are really not the brightest light bulbs in the box, it must be said. I turn my back for a moment and find that the foster mum hen has managed to bury both the food bowl (and then looks around frantically trying to work out what just happened) and tip the water container over at the same time.

Brains - or lack of - aside, they are really cute (that's the chicks, not the hen, who I'm sure would have a nice nature if she wasn't busy taking her foster role so seriously that any hand near the hutch is a major threat which needs to be pecked - hard). They really do chirp and cheep...The little ones are also always climbing on the hen's back, and sliding down the side, and I think the record is four out of six of them on at once.

I'm spending a little time each day digging up bugs and worms to give to the hen, although I think the chicks are also having a go at them, dashing around passing worms between each other while the hen goes bonkers trying to get hold of it. They also love a bunch of chickweed, which luckily we've got plenty of on the brassica bed.

As they're only now a week old, it will be about a fortnight before they're out and about, which gives me not very long at all to get the trench dug, posts in, chicken wire up and hen house fixed.

It remains to see how many cockerels I've got among the chicks, which are a mixture of Aracuna (that's the mum) which is also known as the 'Easter Egg' chicken as it lays a mixture of blue, green and pink eggs; Black Rock; and I believe the rest are a mixture of Light Sussex and Rhode Island Red.

There has been some work done on the garden this week despite the new distractions, with me digging over and weeding the brassica bed this morning before it got too warm, ready to sow green manure to fix nitrogen into the soil beforehand (alfalfa and lupins). I also made up a few more salad trays, transplanted the cabbages, and Peter sowed some courgettes, squashes and pumpkins.


I also had a donation of some lovely autumn fruiting raspberry bushes and strawberry plants and the onion sets are finally in (see above) planted through six layers of newspaper this year in an attempt to keep on top of the weeds. It doesn't look very pretty, but hopefully it will do the job. I may put a bit of sterile compost over the top if I get bored of old news...