December, 2011:

I’ve been wanting to make a “Chicken Garden” outside their pen for years. Somewhere we can grow some of the things they like to eat, so it’s easy to just pick some leaves and throw them in for them.  As far as I’ve ever got with this was planting a comfrey plant next to the gate.  The rest of the space is still pretty overgrown with couch grass and brambles.

As I’ve taken over the job of looking after the chickens on a daily basis I’ve been more inspired and motivated to get on and create the Chicken Garden.  Add the enthusiasm of happy helper Theresa and we finally made a start on it yesterday.

We dug out all the couch grass and brambles.  We want to make raised beds alongside a new paved pathway (Lester – who now lives in the village but first helped build the chicken shed when he was here as a wwoof-er about 5yrs ago – just offered today to lay some leftover paving slabs to make the path for us).

I also dug out the foundations for extending the chicken shed “veranda” as the soil has become really badly eroded and I want to put a bigger ramp in so it’s easier to get a wheelbarrow into the pen.   We also want to put a turf roof on the shed, and extend the roof over the veranda so the chickens have some extra shade in summer and cover from rain in winter.

Most of the area is now dug over and levelled!