Storing the Harvest, Hen Lockdowns

Bit of a good news / bad news post but that’s nothing new. Overall we’re on the plus side which is good. However the hens aren’t too happy at being kept in their protected run.

The last week was difficult. Our super offer on Dig for Victory had a better take up than we expected which is great but – and here’s the sting in the tail – we’ve had problems getting them processed.

The potato / squash / onions / garlic store.

My daughter Cara handles book sales and unfortunately my Grandson came down with a bug along with lots of his little friends. Of course, being a generous young chap he shared the bug with his mum.

Now we’d have popped over to help but the last thing we want is to catch a rotten cold or maybe even Covid. It’s a bit weird that some people with this cold are testing positive for Covid and others in the same family, same bug not.

Val had her Covid booster along with a flu shot which made her feel really washed out for a few days. A few days later I had mine and whilst I wasn’t too bad, having both arms sore meant for a restless couple of nights with tired days.

Sorting and Sacking Potatoes

I spent a few hours in the shed sorting and bagging the Mira potatoes. Quite surprised to find some had blight and were rotting. Normally Sarpo Mira are well nigh immune to blight. They’re certainly highly resistant but this year’s blight has hit them a bit. Still, another 50Kg in the store for us.

Runner Beans

Harvested near a bucket full of runner beans which produced 7 goodly portions after preparing. One for tea and six for the freezer. Took a while but that was fine as I settled down to watch a film on the TV with the chopping board on the table.

The chest freezer is getting awfully full of home grown and home made produce.

Hens in Lockdown

The poor chickens are back in lockdown due to the avian flu restriction. Our hens’ secure run keeps out wild birds and their droppings along with rain from above and strong winds. It provides 7 square metres of space for 4 birds. That isn’t crowded by any measure but the ladies stand by the door to the outer run and grumble regardless.

This avian flu and the legally required control measures are a necessary annoyance for home keepers. They’re a serious cost and problem for commercial keepers already reeling under increased feed and other costs. A number are getting out of the business when their hens are spent. Expect egg shortages and further price increases down the line.