This might be the only way that I would enjoy courgettes. I find that I cannot "get on" with them, or aubergines. Never mind, there's plenty of other stuff that I do like.

When we redid the chicken's outer run we cut down a straggly looking thing growing down one side. It is now back with a vengeance and appears to be producing elderberries. I'm not into wine making, but I do like elderflower flavoured water and cordial. Does anyone have an idiot-proof recipe for elde...

I don't even put my pasta maker away. It is permanently fastened to a counter top in the utility room and covered with a pretty teatowel. Our son bought me the machine a couple of years ago and told me he was worried that I would never use it. Silly boy.

That does look good. Eggs are no problem so I'll have to see if I can find the recipe. Our son is coming to stay the weekend after next and, like me, he'll eat any sort of bread. He did draw the line at pumpernickel now that I come to remember.

I'm happy for the bantams to rest. I just wanted to be sure that they weren't ill. They seem absolutely fine. Time will tell.

Thanks all. The bantams were wormed about a month ago; possibly I might repeat. There are no lice or redmite in evidence. None of them seems broody. There are still a few feathers about but nothing to justify the term "moult". They all seem perfectly well and happy so I'm a bit stumped. Mi...

Thanks Karen. No sign of egg eating - one of my old girls occasionally lays a softie and the girls do a good job of clearing up but there's always something left behind. Yes, they are getting good layers pellets, available all day, plus whatever they scrounge in the garden during FR time. I add LSF ...

Or possibly I need to be told what I'm doing wrong. I have 13 hens (mostly rescues) and 8 rescued but pure breed bantams. They all live very happily together. The baby bantams came into lay a couple of months ago, or at least 5 of them did at least because one day we had 5 eggs). Recently they've se...

That's brilliant! My bantams lay very small eggs and I've had a problem finding boxes. I go down the "padding with paper" route. I haven't tried boiling them but if I ever do I know how to cope. Thanks to the experts on the Lane again.

I put the woodash round the old apple tree as I heard it was good practice. The hens find it and make a dust bath there from choice. Mad birds.

Welcome from me, too. Honestly, the things that people think of when faced with a noisy hen. Your stable sounds lovely. I've just got 5 ex commercial hens and they are currently confined to one smallish area of the run. They can see the existing hens and get pretty vocal when I let my original chook...

. . . and don't worry! It's like everything else, you can hunt for difficulties and troubles but unless you are really unlucky you can avoid most problems by taking a few precautions. These have been covered in previous posts. I also bought 2 books; Haynes chicken manual and the self sufficiency boo...

Sandy - that would be great.

If I can remember how, I'll send you a message and you can tell me how to get the money to you.

Bea

Thanks Dom. I think I'll go the high tech route - margarine box with eggs laying on a bed of straw! My only bantam customer (so far) won't mind and I store them in a china hen in the kitchen. It's amazing how many will fit in there.

My rescued bantams are now laying. The egg boxes I have are too big for their eggs, which are half a 'normal' hens egg size. Can anyone tell me where they get boxes for small eggs. Would quail egg boxes be too small?

Thanks in advance.