Peeps in Europe!

[Phill98]

I can say I'm ready for spring, but we barely had winter so far. About a week of real cold, a bit of snow twice. But for the ridiculously short days you would've have known it was mid-winter here!


Oh you should! She sounds like a fantastic layer and if she passes that trait on to her chicks... Yes!

She'll probably continue laying through summer and then take fall/winter off to molt and catch a break. My Sussex hen starting laying in August (2015) and only took the last 2 winters off finally.

Here is the same with winter non-existence, but I hope we won't have it at all. Snowed few times and melted the same day.

We should be getting a few more hens this spring, but I wil try to get something that goes broody since I have never hatched anything and I have chickens since I know of myself!

 

[Perris]

here in Wales we've got 20 C - an all time record for February! it is gorgeous out there - like a good day in May I'm enjoying it while I can, because nothing is surer than that it will not last!

 

[PouleChick]

Sorry I have been so AWOL - been a shitty (litterally) and fabulous couple of weeks! We all had the flu, had the smallest off for a week then the middle off for a week leading up to the holidays. At the same time the eldest was getting through his mock Bac (A level equiv). Then when we all started feeling better (or so we thought) the nasty bug reinvented itself and came back as gastro I've been up 2 nights now having to do full sheet changes/ floor cleans ect for my little one while not feeling great myself!

On the upside I spoke to a friend the other week who lives on Corsica and she asked if I was interested in work (which I'd literally just seriously started looking for - the universe works!) and I said yes and she said her company was looking for someone based here in SW France. After an anxious 10 day wait the guy called last week and we had a 40 minute phone interview on Tuesday followed by a 2 hour face to face meeting! I now have the coolest job starting in April - working for a luxury holiday company - pre season will involve some travelling around getting to know the properties then after that much of my working week will be from home over the phone and email - just perfect for me - full time work without having to be away from home / kids / chickens ever day! I'm super excited

If I cook say sardines for them then I'm breaking the law. If I feed them raw straight from the tin or fishmonger I'm okay.

Isn't that crazy. My chickens will never get them - particularly not cooked - can't stand the smell

They could have passed a useful law like prohibiting sending chicks through the mail.

I know - breaks my heart thinking about it. I can't even imagine them in a brooder box after only seeing them under my fluffy silkies!

How is everyone doing? We're enjoying our spring break in February over here, yesterday's high was 16C! Can't believe this time last year we were bracing for our biggest snowfall in 30 years.

We are on holidays here too- 2 weeks thank goodness with all the illness! The weather here is crazy - we have stopped heating other than a little bit in one of the woodburners in the evening. I'm seeing over 20 and been giong on for a week or 2 already!

I don't know about all of you, but I am 100% ready for spring. I was just talking to my sister how dead everything looks today. Since it's overcast you can really see it.

I have started seeing spring already here - daffodills are up and yesterday noticed one of my plums trees is now blossoming.

Do you think that they will stop laying during summer heat since this is the first year that they are laying this good in this part of the year?

I agree with sumi, more likely they'll keep going now until the autumn.

I can say I'm ready for spring, but we barely had winter so far. About a week of real cold, a bit of snow twice. But for the ridiculously short days you would've have known it was mid-winter here!

I know - I was saying to dh the other day - I went up to Perigueux a day or 2 before Christmas to grab some last bits and was shocked when I got back in the car and it was reading 20c (in the sun but even so!) and this heat started in mid Feb, so really only 6 weeks of real winter - feels like Australia!

We should be getting a few more hens this spring, but I wil try to get something that goes broody since I have never hatched anything and I have chickens since I know of myself!

I highly recommend it - I love love love my broody hatches!

here in Wales we've got 20 C - an all time record for February! it is gorgeous out there - like a good day in May I'm enjoying it while I can, because nothing is surer than that it will not last!

Wow 20 here is one thing but 20 in Wales - woow! My biggest worry is what happened 2 years back it was a hot and early spring then we had a hard frost in April and lost most of the fruit and nuts for the year as it just killed off all the blossums. We are due rain and cooler temps coming back in next week but still what I'd think of as spring temps.

 

[chickengr]

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

the world turned upside down. there is snow just outside athens.

 

[Perris]

congrats on your new job @PouleChick ! sounds peachy

 

[Shadrach]

Congratulations @PouleChick .
That should take some of the pressure off.

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

the world turned upside down. there is snow just outside athens.

Just cannot fathom! The desserts in Arizona had snow last week as well!!

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

Been AWOL as well .
Had to make a quick trip back to the states...to renew my driver's license... because the Irish process is a ridiculous year long process for Americans! Had some much needed quality time with my son who is still there in order to finish up his senior year of high school [which is the last year of secondary school in the US]. Had a great week packing in Ethiopian and Mexican cuisine not found in rural Ireland.

I have another good week of drainage work to finish before I can start my coop so fingers crossed this freakish spring weather holds a few more days.

 

[PouleChick]

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

the world turned upside down. there is snow just outside athens.

I didn't even know it could snow in Athens!

congrats on your new job @PouleChick ! sounds peachy

Thank you!

Congratulations @PouleChick .
That should take some of the pressure off.

Oh my goodness it so does - was getting a bit fraught add all the Brexit pressure and was feeling a little stressed!

Just cannot fathom! The desserts in Arizona had snow last week as well!!

Wow

Been AWOL as well .
Had to make a quick trip back to the states...to renew my driver's license... because the Irish process is a ridiculous year long process for Americans! Had some much needed quality time with my son who is still there in order to finish up his senior year of high school [which is the last year of secondary school in the US]. Had a great week packing in Ethiopian and Mexican cuisine not found in rural Ireland.

I have another good week of drainage work to finish before I can start my coop so fingers crossed this freakish spring weather holds a few more days.

Wow that sounds crazy! How old is your boy? I've got my nearly 18 year old doing all his French final year stuff this year!

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

How old is your boy? I've got my nearly 18 year old doing all his French final year stuff this year!

My son is also 18. We started him here in Ireland in the fall but their senior cycle is a two year program and having come from a huge and very liberal urban high school he found the rural option here very uncomfortable. Decided it was best to just let him go back and live with my sister for the school year and finish the last year with his friends at his old school and do his university here starting in the fall.