Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

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Linda S
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by Linda S »

So sorry you have lost 2 more of your beautiful girls, its been heartbreaking for you over the last few wks to lose 3 in such a short time is awful {hug} {hug}

Your girls will have left you with some lovely memories and they got to live and die as a chicken should, with a warm safe home, good food, plenty of love and freedom {hug} {hug} Lindaxx
And then there was one, Again!!!!
Jemima
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Little Angels Free For Ever
Honey,Lizzi,Peggy-Mitchel,April,Hope,Faith,Blondie, Sorrel,Scarlet, Penny, Gabby, Rosie, Chick-a-Dee
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Remembering Our Beautiful Foster Boys we are so sorry that we couldn't keep you
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sandy
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by sandy »

It is strange how when one little girl passes on the dynamics change, weird because nextdoor they all change places but mine seem to have just gone up in order?
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
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Bridgets Mum
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

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Thanks as ever for your kind words. I've accepted the loss of my girls now and can look at their portraits up on the hen house wall with happy memories. The girls have settled into their new flock structure although I can't fathom any pecking order, it seems to change all the time. Today Olga (my last surviving original) was definitely at the bottom, as she was in the first flock, but other days she happily wades in and beats up the newbies.
All the girls have been enjoying hoovering up the spoils of halloween and still have 2 pumpkins to go. I'm trying to ration them out a bit in case of pumpkin overdose.
Today was definitely 'fun in the sun'. I threw the muck heap up and they scratched it down. Later on their scratching was put to good use when they helped on the veg patch which I am slowly clearing. I barrowed the manure in and the girls spread it for me. Good little chooks.
Was going to add some images here but am having difficulty. Maybe later....
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Bridgets Mum
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

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Bridgets Mum
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

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sandy
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by sandy »

OMG they must have thought they dies and gone to heaven )t' What a lovely place for them to do their chickeny things, and they are just gorgeous
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
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sandy
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by sandy »

Bridget whats the news with you and your girls?
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
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Bridgets Mum
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by Bridgets Mum »

Olympic Success!
Well, I don't seem to have done very well posting recently, don't know where the time has gone. I am now down to 4 chickens having lost Olga, the last of my originals. The very sad end of an era. I did so love my fabulous five. My four remaining newbies (who have now been with me nearly 12 months but are forever new girls) are doing well and all but Portia lay regularly. She's in excellent health though and her dodgy wing, which took months to heal, is now forgotten.
The newbies arrived last March on a cold snowy day and two of them were consequently named after snowboarders. Imagine Jenny and Torah's excitement when both their namesakes won medals in the winter Olympics. Actually, they weren't that excited when I told them but made up for it at their grape and sweetcorn celebration party. Perhaps I should write to the human Jenny Jones and Torah Bright to let them know that their success was only made possible by the good vibes sent to them by the little feathered ones. I'm sure they'd be thrilled!
I'm now not sure what to do about increasing the flock. I so regretted introducing my newbies to my originals, it was horribly stressful and the two flocks never totally integrated even though they had plenty of space. My four are really happy together now and I'm reluctant upset that, so am looking at re-jigging the housing so that everyone can free range together but have somewhere lovely to retreat to if the going gets rough. That's the housing but now, what about the birds themselves? I would like some 'layers' as I hate buying even so called free range eggs, but also feel that if I have space for a chicken then it should be a hard working ex commercial farm girl. Some of each? That way I'll have to create a third housing set up. Sounds dangerously like a mini poultry farm! I'll have to have a little think!
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sandy
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by sandy »

Hello )wav(
I think a mini poultry farm is an excellent idea if I had anymore land left I would expand,expand,expand! Its such a shame your newbies didn't integrate well, I know the problems you had at the beginning as we got our girls the same time. My March newbies arent called newbies since i got 4 newbies! I def think you need to write to Torah and Jenny I bet they would take note )t' LOvely to hear from you, don't be stranger
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
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Bridgets Mum
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

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Right, the decision is made. We are having more chickens. Hurrah! Today was spent in preparation and much cleaning, perch building and changing around of chicken furniture was required.

First job was some mucking out
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Then a lot of moving stuff about and things getting worse before they got better. Everything had to be investigated.
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My Dad kindly fitted some new perches in the little coop but then there was some discussion with Jenny and Portia about the proposed new positions of the outdoor perches.
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Nemo demonstrated how little runs on their sides require tightrope walking abilities and can not be considered as suitable.
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Eventually the girls decided that what we were doing was OK and settled down for a little sunbathe
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And finally the run was successfully divided so that everyone will have a comfortable home, reasonable run space and not be able to beat up the ‘other’ flock.
Image
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sandy
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by sandy »

Brilliant photos, love the one of your 'little helpers;, they certainly have a lovely home. I had that blue pool some dumbo cracked it made a nice dustbath once. Very envious you are getting new girls.
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
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Bridgets Mum
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

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sandy wrote: Very envious you are getting new girls.


Ah but Sandy, You"ve had new girls since I last had new girls. It"s my turn!

We"ve had a happy day meeting Esmeralda and Florence, who are both Black Rocks and Image and Tessa who are Amber Stars. The Amber Stars are already being naughty. They are desperate to fight the big girls to the death and we had to put a second layer of wire up between the runs to stop heads pushing through and major carnage. Big girls Portia and Nemo were well up for some fisticuffs but at least Jenny and Torah kept a bit of disapproving distance. One of the Black Rocks tried a bit of a barney but then gave up and the other didn"t bother so I"m hoping they are going to be ladies. I couldn"t be around at bedtime but have just been out to check on them. Florence and Esmeralda are snuggled down in a corner together, one of the Amber Stars was perching near them and there was no sign of the other. Quick panic before I looked up and there she was, perched on the top of a wire fence about 7 foot in the air. It can"t have been comfortable and I have no idea how she made the height. Naughty. I"ve put her on a respectable perch in her respectable comfortable home but no doubt she"ll have her own ideas. I foresee more hen run adaptations tomorrow.

Here"s Esmeralda about to leap out of her carry box and into the run. Florence had zoomed out before I could pick up the camera.
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This is Tessa. Or Countessa. I suspect she is the fence sitter but I couldn"t be sure in the dark.
Image

Tessa on the left and Image on the right
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New girls Florence on the left, and Esmeralda on the right. This picture was taken just as the big girls first saw the Littlies. Portia is front left with Nemo next to her. I have to say Portia was a total baddie and fought with beak, chest bumps and claws. Still, there were no injuries and there is now another row of wire along the bottom of that wide stuff.
Image

Both my husband and my dad have put a lot of time and effort into creating our chicken homes, so I wanted them to choose names. Hub liked the idea of black chickens so he got to name Florence and Esmeralda. Dad gave Tessa/Countessa her name and my grandson named Image. He always comes up with unusual names. I had some names in mind but didn"t get to use them. I"ll save them for my next batch of ex caged birds. These new girls are absolutely beautiful but my heart is with re-homing.
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aishakali
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by aishakali »

Looking forward to more updates on your lovely girls. Know what you mean about your heart being with rehoming, me too )t'
LYN
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Bridgets Mum
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

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aishakali wrote:Know what you mean about your heart being with rehoming, me too )t'


Cant beat re-homing Lyn. )t' )t'
My neighbour keeps chickens and various other pheasants and partridge and I would never have expected him to go for re-homing, but look.... what"s this? A totally unexpected sight in my neighbour"s chicken run. A rotten photo I know but there are at least 5 ex caged hens in there. Yee ha!

Image
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Bridgets Mum
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Re: Bridget's Mum's Fabulous Flock

Post by Bridgets Mum »

New Girls Day 2
The New Girls are only 20 -21 weeks old and I wasn"t expecting any eggs from them just yet, but this morning there were three. After working so hard they then spent the rest of the morning/early afternoon dust bathing. Esmeralda really got into it but her sister Florence didn"t even try. After a slow start Tessa and Image really gave it some and the earth was flying high in all directions. Unfortunately, by that point my camera battery had given up.

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The Big Girls were able to free range all day so we had a rest from the fighting through the wire. As dusk fell the Amber Stars started looking for somewhere high to roost but eventually gave in and settled down in the coop. Esmeralda had already taken herself to bed and after a bit of hesitation Florence joined them.

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