new additions to the flock

just brought home 2 new additions - a fabulous-looking Millefleur bantam cockerel (infertile) who was free and a silkie-cross bantam who will be a superb broody in time.  I'm hoping the presence of the cockerel will enable the warrens to emerge from their self-imposed shed life into the grass and loveliness of outside a little more.  I'm not looking to breed from the warrens but simply to enjoy the eggs and their tatty company so the cockerel's condition doesn't matter at all.  When the silkie is broody I'm going to put eggs under her from @slatehousefarm and have a whole extra flock of something else.  Struggling to post photos - blast!

new girls

we got 8 hens yesterday from a free range egg farm who were moving their flock of 3000 on to the chicken pie factory before getting new ones, so they offered any number for sale at £1.50 each!  The hens are warrens - brown feathers with white fluff underneath - those that have feathers.  All of them are pretty thin and baldish but no doubt will pick up quickly.
This morning when I opened the coop they didn't want to come out - in a flock of 3000 I guess some of them never made it to 'outside' so it was veruy new.  By the end of the day I think 7 out of 8 had been outside at least for a while.  They're very friendly - when I sat on the grass in their run they came over to inspect and taste.
planted peas and beetroot today and nasturtiums for eating too.  Foraged for lunch salad in the hedge.

mixed weather - mixed jobs

with so much rain I've needed an indoor job to do as well as sulking because I can't get on the garden to dig and plant, so I've put the first coat of whitewash on the parlour (but can't upload any pictures at the moment :(
in the sun I've planted lots of seeds - rocket, runner and broad beans, 2 kinds of spinach, parsnips and have plans for lots of others in the next month or so.  Yesterday I helped neighbours put up Jack Lan's polytunnel - a huge laugh, hard work and followed by a beer in the sun.  Now that's what life should be like.
Rob's nearly finished moving the stuff out of the Rectory and then we can start properly getting hens and ducks then doing the fencing for pigs and sheep  - can't wait!