This has not been a healthy year for us so far. After the flu-ey bug, a week later we both had a 24 hour thing. My husband started before me so I went down over the weekend and crawled back to school on the Monday. This last week we have both had 3 days off work with a tummy bug. I got off lightly and will have to go back to school tomorrow. My husband didn't fare so well and has lost a stone in weight since Tuesday. He is nibbling at food for the first time today so he will be having at least one day and maybe two off work this week. Roll on half term!

The hens were appreciating the slightly warmer weather and have been laying 3 to 4 eggs a day instead of 2. As I have been off work and not taking eggs in to sell, this week's customers will be having a full box each. At least they will at the beginning of the week as it has been really cold over the weekend so the number of eggs laid may well be going down again.

As it has been cold and we have been poorly, we have had the heating on far more than usual - both central heating and the gas fire in the living room. Hot water bottles in use all day too both for warmth and holding against poorly tums. Cats make good hot water bottles too. We shall have to rein in the expenses somewhere to make up for the extravagance.

I went down with a flu-ey bug just after the last post and am just about back to normal again - whatever "normal" is. Fortunately my husband didn't get it because with his asthma, he gets really poorly.

The hens did not like the snow at all - which means that they hardly laid any eggs. We put down straw for them because their feet were getting all red with standing on the frozen ground. The straw provided a buffer for their feet. The two bantams would not come out of their house at all, no matter what treat I offered. Fortunately there is just enough floor space to put some food and water inside for them. The other two lots stayed within a few inches of the ladder upstairs, all huddled up tight together.

Now that the snow has gone, they've swapped the frozen ground for soggy ground. At least there are a few eggs being laid now but not many. My customers are being rationed to a maximum of 4 eggs each. It is just as well they are friends!