Time for some fresh air

Mary off the nest. She knows not too leave it  long so that the eggs don't cool down.

This is Mary she is one of my four chickens, a lavender Araucana and lays greeny blue eggs. Araucana are thought to originate from Chile but I'm not sure when the NZ ones arrived here or where from. Mary goes broody quite often and so I have bought 12 fertile eggs for her to hatch, which is what she is busy doing. She is in a rabbit hutch  away from the other hens so that she can just get on with the job at hand without any interruptions. I have put food and water in the hutch but also open it  for a bit at the end of the day so that she can have a stretch and a dust bath. It take about 21 days to hatch eggs which will be October the 13th all going well. The eggs are two different breeds, six white leghorn and six barnevelder and  she didn't seem to bat any of her eyelids over that.

First blog

My backyard is a fascinating place that I want to share with the world, well at least with those who are interested . It is early spring and my quince tree is breaking bud and I am hoping to get my first fruit next year. I have tomato seedlings growing to plant in my glasshouse  and a hen sitting on 12 eggs  to hatch. Hope is a great thing to have.