Apple Day

I didn't go to work yesterday, instead we decided to go to the apple day being held in the village.

Large display of apples

 It made for a nice couple of hours during the afternoon. We walked the mile there and back to try to encourage the baby to make an appearance but still no joy!
There was a nice display of apples, with some local varieties that I hadn't heard of (and now need to add to my collection!).

Interesting varieties

 There was also apple juicing and some Morris dancers who always give an event like this a nice atmosphere.

Apple juicing in action

Walking there and back to try to "encourage" the baby to make an appearance!

We got back home just in time for the heavens to open so we also managed to stay dry!

Chicken Feed

Yesterday I picked up some more corn from my fathers farm to supplement my chicken feed. I tend to mix wheat with layers pellets about half and half. They don't lay quite as much as they would on just pellets but I think it makes the eggs taste slightly better and it keeps the cost down of the feed.

My feed mix - 50/50 layers pellets and wheat

I know some recommend that you only feed the wheat in the afternoon but I don't get back until late evening so I find mixing like this works quite well (I also chuck in some grit as well for good measure).

Feed storage - I prefer metal bins for feed but so far the plastic one has been fine

 While I was there a friend I work with sometimes was also picking up feed for his racing pigeons. He was picking up completely different grains to me. His winter feed was going to consist of barley and oil seed rape along with some other grains as the racing mix is too expensive to use over the winter.

Wheat from the farm

Most of my chickens have access to grass and dirt along with weeds and other things I chuck them so they can supplement their feed a little bit. But I was wondering, with the price of layers pellets going up every year, if you were going to make a complete chicken feed up from scratch (and potentially grow it) was would it need to contain? I have ready access to wheat, barley, oats and oil seed rape, what else would I need and what mix would I use? Would they need anything doing to them (rolling, cleaning, etc?)

Does anyone else supplement their chicken feed or make their own up from scratch? And how effective do you think it is?

(Oh yeah and still no baby!)

D-Day

Well today is the due day and so far no sign of the new baby.

As for my wife, I think she's about ready to have it now!
She not taking it as easy as some might in her condition, mind you with our little girl it's hard to take it easy while she's around!
Yesterday I got sent the picture above along with the lines "Don't buy any potatoes on your way home, just dug up 20kg."
Nine months pregnant and still digging potatoes - think I married the right girl!
Maybe I'll make here some raspberry leaf tea or a hot curry!

Seed Saving

After work tonight, my little girl and I went to collect seeds in the veg garden from some of the flowers that I grew this year. 

There's three main flowers I grow, these are nasturtiums, marigolds and sunflowers (all have an ediable element but look pretty). Saving seeds from nasturtiums and marigolds is easy, even my 21 month old could manage that, but when I've tried to dry a sunflower head for seed in the past they've always gone mouldy.
I was wondering if anyone had any tips on collecting/harvesting sunflower seeds and drying them so they could be used for planting next year or just stored for cooking and eating?

Globe Artichoke For Tea!

We had some friends over for tea tonight, but earlier in the day I sent them a text asking if they like artichokes. I got a good reply so I went out and harvested all the big ones.

These are the artichokes from two plants grown from seed this year

We then used my large preserving saucepan to cook them in (as it was the only pan big enough), boiled 'till they were tender. We then sat round the table scraping our teeth down fat ends on the leaves and eating the hearts at the base of the flowers. We were somehow left with more waste than what we started with, as each flower was deconstructed to it's basic parts and chucked in a bowl.
I think it's the effort and faff that goes with eating globe artichokes that I enjoy almost as much as their delicate taste. They're always a talking point and although it's something I'll only eat a couple of times a year I genuinely love eating them (the little girl enjoyed a few mouthfuls as well).
I also love how they look in the garden, all big and proud. A good and easy to grow veg if you've got the space.

Who else loves these space hungry thistles?