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26/02/2007, 9:55 AM Stu Joined on 28/03/2006 Posts 13 Spring is on it's way   This winter has been extremely mild and I hope it stays that way.  There are all sorts of blossoms starting to come out, the almonds have almost finished and the peach & plum trees are just about to start and we live in real frost pocket of a valley.   We have carpets of primroses in flower peppered with the odd violet, which means spring isn’t too far off.  Plus the birds are coming into full song.  I hate the dark winter nights, and can’t wait for the clocks to change   We had a bit of mishap two days back. I found our cockerel stone dead. One minute he was fine and the next gone.  I’m convinced that our gander took a strong dislike to him. I’ve often seen them having a go at each other, but I’m amazed to believe that a goose could kill a hen.  He was a large bird a French maran; it would appear that his neck was broken.  I’d be pleased to hear from anyone who has experienced this or is aware that it happens.  I normally keep the geese separate from the hens, but this day the geese had managed to escape from their paddock.   Our 14 hens are all fine and have been giving us about 10 eggs a day since they started to lay again at the beginning of January.  This is far too many eggs for just the two us, most are given away to friends.  With the hens being totally free range the yolks are a deep orange colour and taste just fantastic.  Unfortunately I have to restrict my intake, as my cholesterol is bit in the high side. My wife makes the most delicious crème brulee with them.  Two of the hens completely refuse to go inside the coup at night time and insist on roosting on the roof in all weathers.  Some mornings they are white with frost.  It doesn’t seem to do them any harm and as the coup is almost 3 metres high nothing touches them.   Now that we have our second wood burning installed and it heats 5 radiators, I’m seriously thinking of installing a solar panel on the roof as well.  This is some thing I should have done years ago, since our electricity bill is by far in the way our largest outlay.  It’s almost £150 a month.  I’ve been spurred into action by that brilliant TV program called “It’s not easy being green”.   A friend records it for me each week, plus all of the other programs, which I’m sure, most of you watch e.g.  Jimmy’s Farm and River Cottage.   We are in the middle of installing new kitchen units and retiling the floor. We are having to remove the plaster from the walls in an attempt to square them up to take the new units, so the house is covered in dust.  The walls are something else with the house being built in the middle ages.  They are almost a meter wide and just full of soft rubble. Unless I get some help I can see this work keeping me occupied for at least 2 months, which will please my wife.  But then she’s thinking of returning to our house in the UK until I can give her the all clear.  Plus we have our first grandchild on the way, which will give her something to look forward too, not that I’m not also eager to see the new arrival.   It’s still a few weeks off, so I might just get the kitchen finished in time to go back home.   Ciao, Stu        Report

16/04/2008, 9:27 AM cindy long Joined on 19/02/2008 Posts 6 Re: Spring is on it's way 16.4.08   Good morning Stu   We live near a farm in Angus Scotland, and our cottage has a very large garden were we grow all our veg etc. We also have a couple of hens who lay very well they are Black Rocks.  Anyhow last summer we let one of the hens hatch some duck eggs and one turned out to be a male.  They were Muscovy ducks and grew very large but the male duck did infact go for the chicken and fortunately my husband saw the attack and separated them.  The female ducks was ok with the chickens and used to stay with them.  After this incident we took the ducks up to a friend of mine who has her own farm and they are doing very well. Regards Cindy Long    Report

15/08/2008, 9:53 AM Contadino Joined on 15/08/2008 Posts 2 Re: Spring is on it's way Ciao Stu, I've just stumbled upon your blog here, but note that the last entry was a while back.  They're a really interesting read for me as I have a smallholding down here in Puglia and am doing many of the things that you talk about - olives, livestock, bees, vines, veggies, solar panels, etc.. Looking forward to reading more in the future, Ciao ciao.    Report

01/04/2009, 8:11 PM ali.b Joined on 01/04/2009 Posts 1 Re: Spring is on it's way This is a lovely blog and I have enjoyed reading it so much.  I hope your health is good and I would love to hear your latest smallholding news.    Report

06/09/2009, 2:09 PM English rose Joined on 06/09/2009 Posts 1 Re: Spring is on it's way Stu,  I have just stumbled upon your Italian farming blog with much interest.  My partner and I have been trying to re-locate to Le Marche for several years now but everything has been against us and we are beginning to give up hope.  Reading your blog just made me think of the Italian countryside again and how much I miss it.  Are you still out there?  I notice you haven't written for a while so perhaps not, but just to say I would love to hear anything more from you.  I was just in the process of trying to buy a new chicken house, it's strange how one gets distracted when using the web!!! Good luck for the coming season wherever you are, best wishes, cordiali saluti, Ros    Report

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