My attempt to keep chickens.

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bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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P.Falcon , marsh harrier . They come from the marshes not very far away.
Fox would have had all the flock and not normally around in day time .
Spent a good deal of time with them Sat as well. So annoying that it happened with me around a lot of the time. Caused a lot of debate if a bird of prey could fly from garden with a 1.5 kilo chicken . They take rabbits all said and done.
40 in the flock. New girls all safe and sticking together like the good girls they are. Been brought up right as the boys are not getting a look in for sure.
Bob

bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , well coffee with Desmond this morning in the kitchen 4.00am .
Left the back door open so Harley could sort any unwanted visitors out. trouble was she was out before the rain and woke the boys up anyway .
Not let the flock out this morning as still dark. Go home later and release to the garden . They did get to stay out till 8.00pm dusk, went to roost with a good supper .
rain will do the mud good . Run pretty dry as the plastic and wood decking covering is still on.
Practise for the winter .
Girls laid nearly a dozen eggs 7 at home the rest gone already.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi , quiet morning , no time for coffee with Desmond this morning .
Fed ,watered , dogs let out and fed , cats fed , coffee , unloaded van , call from work , get in . away I go. 2 big meetings , 2 funerals , 2 ships and the rest of the work rubbish.
Meaning I got to get home to let the flock out sometime between it all . Early night for the flock as got to be somewhere by 8.15pm .Fortunately they wonder of to roost now about 7.45 pm as getting dark . Throw some food in run normally gets them in.
Goldie 2 found in the med ward nest box bit . Good job I check they are not hiding . Wondering why she has moved . They do sometimes .Pom pom and Club still nest in the internal coop of run . Check it out for bugs....
Bob
rest of flock seem ok and happy wondering the garden .
Flock of Penelope and Red . Gone but still remembered like all my lost girls./
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all what a day , done the work , passed the safety walk , (Still have my job ) Rushed home let the flock out let the dogs out , fed the flock again , fed the dogs and cats , Back in the mini bus . Already lost time as accident on the road stopped traffic (Lamp post down ?) 10.30am F. at 11.00am , Managed to get there driving throw all the waiting crowd , Just in time no parking place dumped the bus on a round about . Late starting , good humanist service , dropped papers off (late ) , straight to the next one . Managed cup coffee and a sandwich 2 Belgium buns , Lovely , Ran to the F. Mouth pushing the last bit of cake in mouth . WALKED INTO THE SERVICE LOOKED ABOUT DID NOT REACONISE ANYONE , door SHUT BEHING ME HAD TO SIT DOWN . WELL I HOPE DAVID LAUGHED AS I WAS NOT . 30 MIN SERVICE GOOD MUSIC SANG MY HEART OUT . aS THEY OPENED THE BACK DOOR AND WALKED OUT , I DISAPPEARED OUT THE FRONT . THEY WILL NEVER KNOW WHO THE MYSTERY GUEST WAS.
Bottom line end result girls and pets happy , 2 f. and ended up in a third and a non appearance in one. What a day . not finished yet . Missing from work 10.00 am to 2.00pm .
Still got my job though . Looks like retirement have to wait.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , Desmond awake (at least I was awoke at 4.43 am 2minutes before my alarm. )
Have not heard my alarm go off for a week . Getting later. Spent 30 min`s. with me having a coffee. Left rear door open for Harley last few days during the night to deter the fox from straying about.
Let the flock out later 10.00am . Spent 30 min`s last night getting the girls in the run. Morning , Club , A woo (white checks) 2 ring red (Desmond friend ) from south of river . Even Goldie tried to stay out late .
3 new girls doing well and getting in amongst the treats . Think not used to the diet for sure. Still prefer to be on their own . Ground good at the moment for scratching about . Excavation holes appearing all over the garden . Dirty claws as proof how is doing it. Chops is doing well considering . Quaker finished moulting Lit-al-n will sit on eggs as much as possible and defend them with vigour . Chocolate is still broody will not leave the nest for long. 10 eggs and selling them .
Clean out the coops next couple of days.
Desmond is throwing his large weight about before dusk . hence Goldie 2 retreating to the Med ward. Capt. Chaos roost up out the way and Champ goes in the Cluckingham Palace coop. Lots of girls outside on the perches . seem happy enough in the weather . Mostly dry and move out the way of drips . Got to start the winter roof preparations .Looked at DEFRA UK has not had any alerts out recently .
Geese flying over the house mornings and evenings going back to roost .Happy at the moment but still watching for predators .
Washing going out on the line , maybe a scare crow effect .
County show at Orsett weekend , try and get a wander round in the afternoon . Always the F S F H pen with the girls roaming around and being touched by the children.
Horses are the SHMBO favourite .
Bob
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sandy
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by sandy »

Such sad news, cannot believe a wing would be left if it was a bird?
On a lighter note you must run through your 'work' entry at Wisley, its giving me a headache >dum<
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/
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi , Sandy , Missing from work but never MISSED....
Job in a million . Hence never retire unfortunately.
Jobs ok till it goes wrong , about a 12 times a year .....
Getting up art 4.30 in the morning is the worst of it .
Good weekend Goldie 2 and CHOPs in the med ward last night. Put in the main run .
Still locked up this am as dark mornings are here.
7 weeks now till they go to health farm . Doing a weekend on the 15th Oct to Norfolk , so may get a dummy run in .
Desmond on the bed again 4.00am this morning , I think he thinks it is a regular thing now.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all ,Lazy boy Desmond .the neighbours over slept this morning . My alarm went off before him . No good crept about but before I could get a coffee he was calling them up. Stood in kitchen with me for half hour giving Harley the eye ball and her dog food. Standing on the chair getting a stroke now and again. The new 3 friends are now just 2 . They have split up . One has joined the main flock as the treats has actually got her fighting in the crowd . The other 2 keeping away from the flock . Hand feeding when the rest are busy. really pretty girls. Not sure if the open garden is changing the colours of their feathers as they where all light brown , now one has got a little darker . Blending in with the rest . Not sure but not the cage girl look a likes . More ped`s than hybrids . Maybe I am just spoiling them to much. Boys all good keeping fit dodging each other and DESMOND . More eggs arriving as moulting is ending . Chocolate broody Lit al n also Pom Pom running around with food in beak advertising she has . WHY . She then cannot find a place to eat it .
Wheat from fields plentiful. Joan has been helping taking the seeds off the ears. Trouble is they end up in her cullet and not the bin . I spend hours in the fields with thee dogs and If I get a couple of bowls of seeds at the end of it I am lucky . Cost of feed is so cheap , it is not cost effective . Certainly would not work for it money wise . Passes the time whilst the dogs have a wander . Race against , weather , farmer tilling the fields and the wheat growing on the ground.
Out again tonight . for some more.
Exercise bending over is good.
Off topic but should make you laugh .
SHMBO said she would marry me if I could Cart wheel down a hill like a 10 year old was doing . Totally unfair .... She would not let me Zorbing down it , Have assistance I e 2 people spinning me . Knows she is on a winner . Little does she know I am practising ..... Have now got a bad back and aching all over . Least the girls happily let me do Cart wheels for them all day.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi ,all good this morning . DE the lot last night as they roosted . Not happy flock but will fill better for it for sure .
Last night Pom Pom started her calling . Set the lot off . What a racket . Could not shut them up . Pom Pom was not having any of it either . Maybe it was Harley in the garden but Pom Pom could not see her so not sure what it was all about . Maybe someone was on her bed for the night ....
Desmond again in kitchen for coffee. Gives the neighbours an extra 40 mins sleep .....
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all, Naughty boy Desmond and Champ 3.30am , to early.
desmond got a 40min nap on my bed ,but at 4.30 am no stopping him and Champ , then Capt. Chaos joined in . Gave up fed them and legged to work . What I can not hear , cannot harm me (till I meet the neighbours ...)
All ( well ) good , Farmers mowed his field , but still got plenty of wheat to get from the edges . Soon he is going to plough and then it is end of season gathering till winter crop.
Bag of ears to sort out . The boys better start behaving as I thought they would sleep till day light by now 6.00am -7.00am . Got to be a fox / cat / something waking them up.
Well looking forward to Sat .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , just paid out for some marigold oil/dried petals/seeds ? Not sure which . SHMBO has told me good for health of chickens . Last weekend she found out (by me telling her ) that my flock had grown again . Not happy but she got over it.... She cares for all animals and knows that I will look after them. Thinks they are too many for me to look after . Never stopped me yet. Anyway the flowers are supposed to be good for health and chest complaints . If anyone has used them let me know . weight to cost will not nbe spreading around the garden for sure . SHMBO moans about paying 60 pounds for mealworms a month . Now an extra 35 pounds potentially .... if its good for the flock .
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , Well yesterday evening went to the fields . The farmer has had me . He has mow the verges , track along the sides of the fields . Well upon a little walk along the edge I found not so much but enough wheat to keep me picking for a hour whilsty the dogs had a sniff about. Know when they want to go home they run through and around me getting in the way.
Have a bag full of ears to get on with.
All good . Desmond left in run this morning . 4.00 am and was getting up at 4.30 anyway.
Indie the cat went into the run this morning and would not come out . Left her in there . She can come out when I let the girls out later this morning. they get on pretty well . Cat keeps away from the flock . She will get up on the perches when they get down to eat . Do not mind her in there as she will get rid of the mice etc. Dead ones will be eaten by the flock .
Weekend off back on Monday night .
Looking forward to Sat PM .Good food is always welcome.
Bring some bags with you as mealworms and other treats will be available . Pick up the two new mates of Sunny Clucker .
Chops is still doing well . Quaker is back to some sort of normal life. Goldie is vocal and lets me hold /perch on arm and chirps away . Pom Pom is just mad . Lit al n just wants to hatch chicks . Chocolate still broody . Eating . looks pale round the face as not getting as much fresh air. Desmond is doing a boy moult ,tail feathers gone (mostly in my bed room and kitchen. Capt. Chaos try`s his luck ,depending on the hens noise if he is successful. He has been seen to have a go at Champ when he performs so must have some favourite girls that he protects. Eggs are big and popular again.
No spares . SHMBO has been swapping for tom`s and veg from gardener friend . Not sure what values a egg is worth . But free range eggs and home grown food from garden has got to be a win , win all round.
Goldie two has moulted and re growing her /his feathers.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , Well Sat went well , Sunday out most of the day . Today Cleaned out the coops ,. Spoiled the girls as not had a lot of time with them.
Chops seems to be faring well . Quaker had some bubbles in left eye (normally the right ) Seems ok at the moment watching her . Chocolate still broody and not willing to stop . Lit al n is also sitting on eggs as much as possible , actually pecked me today little horror. Desmond still getting a rest on my bed at 4.00am . Let him back in run at 6.00am . In answer to a question asked Sat . He so far has not poo`d once on the bed (Sits on a thick rug/door mat ) . Crows a couple of time s but a hand round his throat and head into the duvet soon quietens him. He really does behave . Does not peck fight me at all. I actually think he crows for me to come and get him in the morning .Not sure what he will do in the morning as will not be home till nearer 6am Apart from actually going out and getting him in my bath robe and slippers it is not really a problem . at least I get another couple of hours in bed the weekend and Monday. I think one of the new girls has Chops trouble as her belly is swollen . still eating and getting about . they have settled in well .
Capt. Chaos has mastered the trick of gagging his hens to stop them calling for Desmond . Standing up to Champ (half pint ) .Pom Pom is pure white again and letting the world know that she has food . Does your Silkie Sandy make a funny noise as well . most unlike a chicken more like a duck noise.
Dug the ground up so they could get some worms.
Only thing tonight other than they did not want to go to the run was , I thought they where all in and someone was at the door . Went out side gate , Before I realised it Morning was on the front lawn . where she was I have no idea . Mystery. She is one of the girls I check as she never wants to go in the run early without some treats (mealworms) . last of the wheat from the fields today . Back to the brambles and blackberries again. moved a ton of stones for SHMBO for her front drive ,back killing me . 2 more ton ordered as the ton just disappeared without an impression.
First night shifts this week for 5 weeks so a lot of tidying up to do ion the house .... hate it.
bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , weather has taken a turn to the worse . Wondering what the coop will look like when I get home , probably the roof flown the coop.....
Flock should be safe , hope they have taken refuge in the coops and not slept on the outside perches. If they have they are braver than me with this wind blowing.
They have been good and all present and correct. Do not think I will let them loose as they will end up in KENT. or maybe NORFOLK......
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi sad news totally unexpected . One of the new girls has died -midday today in my arms .
She had a swollen stomach .Medication did not help.
Other 2 girls good.
Had her from the 20th August . Very pretty girl and only her swollen underneath was a sign of ill health.
rest flock survived the storm last night . Done some more work on the roofing more to do .
Bob

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