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Hi, Yes the old house is now burned and I've been checking the eglu regularly - along with sprinkling lots of DE in it and in their dust bath - and so far so good.... I found a few live and a few dead mites the cat had brought in during the first week or 2 (checking where she had slept) but they hav...

Just to update, when I washed the hen house again with Poultry Shield today there were hardly any live bugs on it at all.... maybe 2 or 3 that I saw. The hens were in it for the last 2 nights with diatom earth spread around, and they've also had it in a dust bath. I saw some dead ones in the DE. The...

Thanks all for your replies. The mite powder I bought has diatomaceous earth in it (or might be only that) but it's a small shaker and I know the farm shop sells large tubs so I'll stock up. I had heard of using sand but didn't know sharp sand was good - probably easier to get than play sand which i...

So.... we have red mite in the chicken coop for the first time ever, and there are loads! I have washed down the coop and soaked thoroughly in Poultry Shield. I plan to do another soak in 4-5 days. In the meantime the chickens in are their old coop (which may also have the mites, as they have been c...

I like the sound of puree with greek yogurt. I've tried making cordial with ok results, but I'd be interested in knowing your recipe digger. I usually make jam and fruit leather. I also find I prefer them with plenty of sugar or mixed with sweeter fruits. I saw a recipe for blackcurrant cake which I...

Ok thanks, I'll make some time to go and pick what I can. I don't have any bird netting so perhaps it's time to buy some, then I can cover one or two bushes as well.

Hi, I've checked the blackcurrants on the allotment and they've just begun to turn black, a few were black at the weekend and now I'd say well over half are black. We go on holiday for a week in a couple of days, and I don't have a lot of time to go and pick them, but I don't want to get back to fin...

Thanks - that list is interesting... we do have foxgloves which are in the acid list, but my weed identification isn't great so I'll have to look up the rest!

Yes testing the soil is a good idea. I had always planned on (eventually) having some blueberry plants in pots, and only really wondered about altering the soil because the plant is already in the ground... maybe it isn't as alkaline as I thought, or maybe I'll find we get no fruit - although the ne...

Oh dear, I hate to admit I've had chickens for over 5 years and I didn't know not to leave food out all the time :oops: Thanks for the advice - day 1 of the new arrangement worked really well. We moved the hen house while they were inside it first thing this morning, so instead of leading into their...

We have recently acquired the other half of our allotment plot - yay- and with it a blueberry bush. The lady on the neighbouring plot also grows them successfully, even though I believe our soil is quite alkaline. I will ask the neighbour when I see her too, but I wondered if I should mulch with any...

Off topic is fine! When your birds have gone to bed do you remove uneaten food?

Great, thanks. Good to know they should get used to the new arrangement - and if I have to lure them in at first that's ok. I have always had food "on tap" in the past so only feeding am and pm sounds a good idea.

Hi, I have 3 chickens who have been housed in a permanent coop and run for the last year, with some free ranging - more in the winter when there aren't vegetables and children in the garden. I have decided to change their housing to a chicken tractor - because the fixed run is entirely devoid of any...

Yes, I think probably wine or champagne is the way to go..i wasn't sure whether just using the natural yeasts would be ok but sounds like it might be.... I like the idea of a sparkling wine but as there is so much sugar in it I wonder if it'll ferment for a while yet and burst any bottles I put it i...