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The Chooks at Christmas

December 24, 2019

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The hens are not big Brussel sprout fans.

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Travel: Tangy Mill, Kintyre Peninsula, Argyll, Scotland - Archive

Tangy Mill, which has been restored by the LandmarkTrust, is a great base for exploring the Kintyre peninsula, writes Catriona Thomson Travelling to the west coast of Scotland is always an experience as you never know what the weather will bring. This time we witnessed Loch Lomond in its full, dark brooding majesty, complete with angry waves showing their displeasure under leaden skies.The Rest and Be Thankful summit, which normally impresses, was encased in the cloud so low there was not even a glimpse of its stunning vistas. I start to question leaving the comfort of my own home for a short break en famille. However, I know this is a bipolar landscape which can change in a second to give turquoise clear waters dancing with light that makes your soul soar. Just when I begin to feel optimistic, we hit the A83 and a run of potholes, like the surface of Mars, which slows us down. We are heading all the way to the edge of the world on the Kintyre peninsula. When we eventua

Biting the hand that feeds you, or living dangerously with hens?

Living with four rescue chooks has had some comedy moments, my four fowl have taken over my life, but in a good way. They rush up excitedly to greet you, sadly it's not affection, they are just in it for the snacks. During their previous life, as intensively farmed birds they would have had constant access to layers mash which is dried powdered feed. So what are the chooks favourite foods now? Since coming to Gardeners cottage the variety in their diet has increased and they are thriving. They still have their familiar layers mash but also a pellet version, which so the poultry-keeping theory goes, it involves slightly less mess. They also scoff oatmeal, that porridge oats to you and me and they enjoy a bit of mixed corn. It turns out that mealworms and sunflower seeds hearts are the crack cocaine of the chickens' world. I even grew some sunflowers in the garden so they could feed on the seeds. However, the ungrateful wretches are too stupid to work out how to

A gentleman caller - Our girls have an admirer

It is every parent's nightmare but entirely inevitable. In life there is no getting away from the subject, at some point a stranger will suddenly appear in your family's life. This could be visiting in person or by being brought up constantly in conversation. However, it leads to an awkward situation, where you are simply too embarrassed to ask outright. Are they a friend who is a boy, or is he a boyfriend? Although this is none of my business anyway. So our ladies have acquired a gentleman caller. He is a dashing fellow, colourfully dressed who has been spotted out and about in the neighbourhood. Generally singing and showing off a bit, initially I didn't take much notice, but I discovered him in our garden today, hanging about the hen run. He didn't scarper the instant that he spotted me. He just moved quietly down to the bottom of the garden, lurking and trying his best to blend into the background, pretending he wasn't there. The four g

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The Chooks at Christmas

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