January stats

Bit quiet on the stats front, but then I suppose it's to be expected in January.

Here you go -

8 & 1/2 dozen eggs £15.60.

Told you it was a bit quiet!  February's not looking much brighter at the moment either!

Expenses balance = £128.55

New deficit balance = £112.95

Taking it's time to get rid of this balance, but at least it's going in the right direction.  Sales, I don't suppose, will pick up until spring, patience is not one of my virtues!

Stats today -
Eggs produced = 5
Sales = Nil
Expenses = Nil

Stats

Just realised I haven't given you the sales stats for a few months, so here you go -

October 2013

12 doz eggs	21.6
12 & 1/2 Kg Tomatoes	12.5
2 x cucumber	1
2 bags Bramley apples	2
2 bags Plums	2
4 bags Onions	4
3 Pumpkins	4.5
2 Cabbages	1.4
	49

November 2013

6 doz eggs		10.9
1 bag sticks		1.5
7 bags potatoes		7
		19.4

December 2013

13.5 doz eggs		24.8
4 bags potatoes		4
1 bag sticks		1.5
		30.3

Remainder of Greenhouse and other expenses = £227.25

Oct, Nov & Dec Sales = £98.70

Still left to pay off = £128.55, phew it's getting there!  But we've soon got the seed order to buy!  Oh well here's to an excellent 2014 season.

Apples

Every year we promise to save as many Bramley apples as we can, either by storing or freezing them, and every year we fail, big style.  Until this year I'm happy to say.

I said to Michael that this weekend I would like to get as many apples off the trees before the high winds come through here next week, according to today's forecast.  So that's what we've been up to -

Look at that blue sky too, shame it didn't last!

After a good sort through and getting as many off the tree as we could, we had three piles - Pig apples, apples to use/freeze now/near future and storage apples.

Our storage system, now five stories high!

The to deal with asap pile.

Suffice to say the pigs have already eaten some of their's, I don't like to give them all at once, in case the acid is too much for the stomach's.

What's left on the tree will come down in the wind and be collected for use immediately or be given to the pigs.  We are feeling mighty chuffed with ourselves today, first year we have really harvested these apples, and as they are not selling from the shop, roll on plenty of apple pies Mr Tweedy!  So now starts the peeling and chopping stage, let's hope I have plenty of plasters on stand by!

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 5

Sales -
1 dozen eggs £1.80
Still no pumpkins sold (?)

Expenses -
Nil

Bacon, Leek, Potato and cheese pie

Thought I had better give you the recipe for this as I had raved about it the other night, so here you go.  As usual I haven't stuck rigidly to the recipe (I never do!).

4oz Pastry - I used shortcrust, the recipe says use Flaky, but I don't see that it matters.  You can use frozen for this or homemade

Filling -
1 medium leek - I used two smaller ones and found that four of this size would be better
2 medium potatoes
7oz smoked bacon
1oz butter - the recipe says to use clarified, but I couldn't be bothered so used it straight from the pack
4 fl oz Milk
3 fl oz Single cream - I used double cream as I didn't have any single and it was fine
2 beaten eggs
2 tsps dried mixed herbs - I left out as I didn't have any
2 oz grated Double Gloucester cheese - I just used strong Cheddar instead, but used about 4oz
Salt and Pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 190C / 375F / Gas 5
• Slice leeks into approx 1cm rounds and wash thoroughly
• Peel and thinly slice the potatoes
• Trim off the bacon rind and roughly chop
• Roll out the pastry and line a 20cm flan dish, trimming the edges
• Fry the bacon under the fat starts to render and it starts to go crispy.  Set aside on kitchen paper
• Cook the leeks in the same pan and set aside with the bacon once soft
• Add the butter and fry the potatoes until just coloured - you may have to do several batches
• Spoon the leeks and bacon into the flan dish
• I then added a generous layer of grated cheese and sliced a couple of tomatoes over the top
• Arrange the potato slices over the top, overlapping to cover the other ingredients
• Beat together the milk, cream, eggs, herbs and season well
• Pour over the potatoes and top with more grated cheese
• Bake for 30 - 45 minutes, covering with foil if it starts to brown too much

This is great served with a simple salad or with whatever veg you have available like we did.

Enjoy!

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 7

Sales -

1 dozen eggs £1.80

1 x 1Kg Onions £1.00

Expenses -

Nil

Easy Carrot cake recipe

I don't know about you but as I've got older I've started with a tendency to feel guilty about eating cake.  Maybe it's the thought of all that cake going on the hips!  But I feel less guilty if the cake has some redeeming qualities e.g. containing some form of fruit or nuts.  So when I found this cake recipe, well I knew I couldn't go wrong!  It's the carrots you see, makes you feel like you're eating something good, even though you're eating cake!

Again it's another clipping from a magazine, but can't remember which one.

Ingredients -
225g / 8oz Butter or margarine
350g / 12oz Caster sugar - I use granulated if I haven't got any caster
4 eggs, medium
175g / 6oz Self raising wholemeal flour
115g / 4oz Plain flour, sieved with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
350g / 12oz Peeled and grated carrots

Topping -
115g / 4oz Soft cheese, Philadelphia type
Icing sugar to taste
Rind and juice of half a lemon - I don't tend to use this as it can make the icing quite runny, then you have to add more icing sugar


Method -

1.  Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat together until well mixed - I did say it was easy!
2.  Spoon into a greased and lined 20cm / 8" cake tin and bake in a pre-heated oven 180 Deg C / 350 Deg F / Gas Mark 4, for 45 - 55 minutes.
3.  Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to go cold.
4.  Mix together topping ingredients and spread over the cake.


Enjoy and don't feel guilty about eating it - it's got carrots in it!  And home-grown ones too, I hope, another way of using an abundance of veg!

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 9

Sales -
1 dozen eggs £1.80
3 x bags tomatoes £3.00
1 x Cucumber £0.70

Expenses -
Nil

Update on the new arrivals

Just thought I'd update you on the new arrivals.

Today was scorchingly, stupidly hot, 34 degrees centigrade at lunchtime.  When I let the laying hens out, they all ran straight under my horse trailer to dust bath and chill.  Now the new ones, apart from Colin the Buff Orpington cockerel who's in with the laying hens, are in temporary accommodation in a large shed until their new hut is built.  Now this shed has an openable window, but that's all for ventilation, so on welfare terms I opened the door and left it open.

Three hours later they still hadn't come out!

'I'm not looking.  If I ignore it, it will go away'

'Don't look Elsie'

'Maybe you're right Mavis'

He's getting braver

'Hey Ladies, look out here'

'Now, how do I use this again?'

'On second thoughts'

'Right, come on, follow me'

'Look Mavis, I did it'

'Thats enough for one day'

He is darn handsome

Bless them, I am so impressed with them, really glad we bought them, AND, they all went back in the shed for bed, what clever little chickens they are.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 14, including one from the Exchequer Leghorns girlies

Sales -

1 & 1/2 dozen eggs £2.70

2 x bags Tomatoes £2.00

Expenses -

Nil

Fabulous day yesterday

Michael and I had a fabulous day yesterday.  We went to a poultry auction!

  

Now round these parts Fabian Eagle is renowned for his poultry auctions, regularly holding one at Swaffham.  Yesterday's sale was the 24th Annual Summer auction at Eldon Farm Auction Centre, Mildenhall.

Deadstock and Cagebirds started at 11am; 11.30am saw Waterfowl followed by Pheasants; 12noon saw Pigeons followed by Large fowl and finally Bantams.  Two auctioneers were simulaneously selling, it was a hive of activity.  Over 700 lots were auctioned off, excluding all the deadstock of drinkers, rearing equipment and incubators.

I was amazed at the number of birds for sale, especially of ducks, I never knew there was such a wide variety of breeds.

Here are just some of the birds that were for sale -

A pair of Bourbon Red Turkeys on the left, which made £25 and a pair of Pied Turkeys on the right

A pair of Peafowl made £85

Light Sussex trio

Seabrights

Bantam Buff Orpington quartet

Three Partridge Wyandotte pullets

Trio of Rouen, made £28

A pair of Buff African geese made £70

Trumpeter female Swan, lost her mate, made £150

Pair of Sebastopol Geese, made £70

Pair of Crested ducks

A pair of red and white Frillback pigeons, unsold, in fact not of the eight pens of pigeons sold

Two pairs of Arch Angel Pigeons

Trio of Speckled Sussex pullets, made £48

Trio of Buff Columbian Brahma, made £55, these were lovely, wanted to bring these home

Trio of Gold Seabrights

Pair of Bahama Pintails

One Ross Gander, made £90

Pair of Orange Ringed Teal

Pair of Ross geese, made £120

Trio of Buff Laced Wyandotte bantams

Quartet of Buff Sussex pullets

Blue Splash rosecomb bantams

As you can see all and sundry were there, with some amazing prices being reached, but most making between £25 - £50 per pen.  Top price went to a quartet of Vulturine Guinea fowl, one male and three females, which made, a whopping £850!

You'll have to check back tomorrow to see if we came home with anything!

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 11

Sales -

2 x bags of Tomatoes £2.00

1 x Cucumber £0.60

Expenses -

Nil

August Statistics

Well, August was a good month, takings were up on July, so am really pleased.

Here's the breakdown -

Sales -

22 dozen eggs £40.30
14 Cucumbers £8.40
8 Geranium plants £12.00
2 x Herb plants £1.00
3 bags Carrots £2.25
18 bags Tomatoes £16.50

Total £80.45

Expenses -

1 x Large Greenhouse £383.00

Still a long way to go to recoup the greenhouse money, but hey that was a long term investment, and it's now harvest time so fingers crossed we'll recoup in no time.

Today's stats -

Sales -

1 dozen eggs £1.80
1 x bag Bramley apples £1.00
1 x Tomatoes £1.00
1 x bag French beans £0.50

Expenses -

Nil

What more Swallows?

We seem to have had quite a successful and productive year for bird production this year, that is with wild birds.  We've hatched, (well not us exactly, we've just provided somewhere for the birds to do it themselves!), a clutch of blue tits, a clutch of wren chicks, a clutch of gold finch chicks in the wisteria and a nest of three swallow chicks.  Until now ...

It seems they've managed to hatch out another clutch.  I did think it was rather strange when I saw swallows flying backwards and forwards in and out of the log store, with bits of various material in their beaks, never did I think they would hatch out another clutch.  I am a bit worried that these latest chicks will be strong enough to fly all the way to their winter destinations i.e. South America, Africa or South Asia, I do hope they will manage it, they've only got until October, lets hope it stays warm here long enough so they don't have to rush back.

I tried to capture a close up, but I don't think my camera's sophisticated enough and they fly so fast, so I just snapped them chin-wagging on the telephone wires!

And just look at that gorgeous blue sky here in Norfolk.  Love to see them all lined up, felt like asking them if they wanted a cup of tea and a digestive!

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 11

Sales -
1 dozen eggs £1.80

Expenses -
Nil

More Great British Bake off inspiration

I seem to be on a bread making splurge at the moment - don't really know why, unless it has something to do with that 'stuff' they sell in the supermarkets labelled bread.  Now we always have some 'shop bought' bread in the freezer, just in case we run out, but being of the persuasion to not trusting what it says on the sides of packets, (what is a 'e' number actually made of, likewise monosodium glutamate, and who would actually want to eat the stuff anyway), I try and make all my own bread and associated bread products.

As I was hunting in the cupboard yesterday for some more flour, I came across this recipe on the side of a flour bag - Tesco Strong Stoneground Wholemeal flour, so I thought I'd give it a go -

Seedy Cranberry loaf

Ingredients:-
500g Strong wholemeal flour
25g Butter
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Sachet (7g) fast action yeast - I used one teaspoon
330ml Warm water
25g Sunflower seeds - I left out as I didn't have any
25g Poppy seeds
60g Dried cranberries
2 tbsp Honey
Grated rind from one orange - I left out as I didn't have one

Oven to 230 Deg C / 440 Deg F / Gas mark 8

Soak cranberries in water for 30 minutes, then drain
Mix together flour and salt, then rub in the butter and stir in the yeast
Stir in the seeds, cranberries, honey and orange rind
Pour in the water and mix into a dough by hand
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes - after this I put it in the fridge overnight to rise.
Taking it out the following day, I knocked the dough back and shaped it into a round loaf shape and left to rise again for a couple of hours in a warm place.
Placed in oven for 30 minutes approx, until sounded hollow underneath, then left to cool on a wire rack

Just taken it out and it tastes and smells divine, no doubt once hubby gets home, it will get devoured in no time.

Try it and let me know if you like it or not

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 11

Sales -
1 & 1/2 dozen eggs £2.80
2 x Cucumbers £1.20
2 x 500g Tomatoes £2.00

Expenses -
Nil

How to make a Rat Bait feeder

Now being very rural here, we get 'bothered' with rats pretty frequently.  They burrow into the polytunnel and eat the tomatoes on the lower leaves and also help themselves to the chicken feed, not to mention that they've had two of my chicks.  So Michael makes his own secret feeders with attractive rat food in them.

The key with rat bait, is to keep it in place all year round, so the rats get used to it being there and to change your brand each time you run out, so that they don't get immune to the stuff.

Get hold of a length of 110mm plastic drainage pipe

Cut off a piece 1 & 1/2 metres long, no shorter as the bait will come out, and then birds and chickens will be able to eat it.

Off that 1 & 1/2 metre piece cut off approximately 150mm to make the cover.

On the longer piece, cut out a slot in the middle, in which you will pour the feed.  Make it smaller than the small cut piece, so that the cover will completely cover the hole.

Take the smaller cut piece and cut all the way down the long side, on both sides, but not exactly opposite each other, so that when you put in on the long piece it forms a secure clip.

Your rat bait feeder is now ready for use.

Keep it topped up at all times and clear up any spillage, so that garden birds and chickens cannot get near the poisoned corn.

As you can see above, Michael has secured the feeder with two stakes hammered into the ground, up against the fence.  Don't forget to replace the lid!