185. (Some of) the chicks clear their throats . . .


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271. The hazel harvest . . .

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Five years ago we planted 20 hazel saplings, the idea being to coppice several every year to provide useful (straight) sticks for the garden and to encourage new growth. They are growing well, and this year's harvest can be seen in the photos. Products include runner bean poles, pea sticks and pegs for tying down netting. Coppicing the hazel (a clean cut just above ground level) helps make the hazel grow much straighter poles. In the veg garden the rhubarb is starting to grow well, and for the first time we have forced some.
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282. Swarm control . . .

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On Sunday we inspected the bees and found some queen cells; they were capped which means a swarm is imminent. There are various options including doing nothing but that would mean you are likely to lose half of the bees when the old queen flies off with them. Another option is an artificial swarm, and after midnight discussions with Sarah, that's what I tried today. With one slight modification! We are unable to spot our Queen (v hard in 50 000+ bees when she is not marked) so rather than move the old queen as you are supposed I moved the queen cells. Before the move  ( empty WBC on left, full colony in National on right):- I placed a new brood box to the right of the old colony, then smoked the old colony like mad hoping to drive the old queen down to the bottom of the hive. Then took the super off the old colony and placed it to one side. Then took the half brood box (containing the queen cells) and put it on top of the new brood box to the right. Put its roof on. ...
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228. One big happy family?

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The chicks were 11 weeks old at the weekend, and we decided that it was time they were moved, along with their surrogate mother, the white bantam, into the main chicken house . . . . . . and into hell - as the 2nd photo suggests. So, on Saturday afternoon we caged the three of them in the main house, alone, and let them explore, and hopefully roost. Then at dusk we let Flash and the 5 hens back into their house. Chaos ensued. Bloody chaos. And ever since; Flash has been patrolling up and down, the (larger) white sussex hens have been pecking and baying (almost wolf-like) and skirmishing has been breaking out all over the place. Two days later, it is still not much better. One hen has a facial injury, the two chicks roost as soon as there is any trouble and egg-laying is becoming a case of  'drop-it-anywhere, quickly and run'. The only bright note is that the black bantam has laid her first egg for 18 months. (I half-expected an ostrich-sized egg after a...
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