Louise's Chicken Diary

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sandy
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

Post by sandy »

)c(
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/

amber66
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

Post by amber66 »

Glad to hear that Ivy is on the mend. {hug}
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HenPen
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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Always lovely to see good news )like(
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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This morning Ivy laid her egg - the first one since she was poorly after holidays so I was very pleased indeed that her little system has got back to normal. They all had a lovely time in the garden over the weekend. Rose has gone in to a bit of a moult and is losing some feathers. Violet had a complete moult last year but Rose didn't so it must be her turn now. She seems fine with it all though and not causing her any problems (touch wood). Hope everyone's animals are doing well.
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sandy
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

Post by sandy »

Poor Ivy, what a horrid mum sending her away yike* bet she just play acted so you wont do it again {rofwl} so glad she is a well girl again x
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/
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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Hi everyone. Been a while since I updated, but (touch wood) we are all plodding along quite nicely at the moment. Rose is really moulting at the moment. She was the darkest of the girls and looks really funny as she is showing all her white underneath feathers. When she has finished this moult she is going to be a lot lighter in colour. Can't believe all this cold weather we are having and Rose has a great big moult. I know it is the time of the year for it, but it still seems strange to me to moult at this time of year. Luckily it doesn't seem to be bothering her and she is getting on with her everyday chickeny things. Lots of straw in the nest boxes so that should help keep her a bit warmer. I was so relieved that Ivy picked up after her poorly time. I think she was ill when she was away and Rose and Vi picked up on her illness and gave her a hard time. It's funny but Rose and Vi are absolutely fine with Olive but will still go to peck at poor Ivy. She's learnt to keep out of their way in the garden when they are all out together. I think these chickens have very good memories and remember that Ivy was the weakest one when she was ill. They all had a lovely weekend 'playing' in the garden. Hope everyone and their animals are well.
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KarenE
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

Post by KarenE »

It's definitely the season for moulting, your girls just don't want to be left out of the party :-D It's amazing to see their colours change as they moult. I think Dory's new feathers were darker last year.

I read somewhere that they moult at this time of year because they are getting their new feathers for the harsher winter weather - they are better insulation as they are in better condition, and of course more weather resistant. I suppose it makes sense they would moult now before the hard winter comes on. Summer would make most sense, but I guess that would leave too long before the hard winter weather comes and their feathers would get scruffy again.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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Hi All - Hope everyone and their flocks/animals are keeping well and warm in this cold weather. Still on the moulting subject my beautiful Violet is losing feathers at an enormous rate, bless her. She has got a bald chest and bottom and all underneath. I don't think I have had a chicken that has lost so many feathers before. Luckily she is fine, although she must be a bit chilly!! Rose is now looking good again with her new feathers in situ. Looking forward to the weekend and hopeful we will be able to have some garden play time. Playing out in the garden is definitely the best hobby that Rose, Vi, Olive and Ivy have. They get really frisky and chase any pigeons that come in to the garden. It is a real treat to watch to see them so happy. Have a lovely weekend everyone.
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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Hi all - Can't believe it is so long since I have updated my diary. Not an awful lot to report at the moment. Rose and Violet will be 3 years old next month and Olive and Ivy are now one year old. Can't believe where the time has gone, it only seems two minutes since we brought the babies home. I know they are no longer pullets now, but we always call them the 'babies' and Rose and Vi the 'big girls. Rose has been laying lovely hard eggs for quite some time now after a period of softies. Violet is now more prone to softies, but once she has got them out, she is absolutely fine (thank goodness). Olive and Ivy each leave me a beautiful egg every single day, so we are doing really well on the egg production front at the moment. Weekends is their time to play out in the garden when I am at home and they absolutely think that this is the best time ever. The funny thing is that Rose and Vi will still have a go at little Ivy but completely leave Olive alone now. This originates from when we went away on holiday and Ivy as poorly when we got her back. I think they bullied her and have never forgot that she was weaker. Ivy has permanently been left with a floppy crown, but she is such a happy little girl who is really enjoying life and that's what it is all about. Very cold here at the moment so there is a mountain of straw in the nest boxes so they all have a lovely bed. Looking forward to weekend and hoping it is going to be dry so the girls can have a good play out. Hope everyone and their animals are keeping well and keeping warm.
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sandy
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

Post by sandy »

So good to read your update (at last {rofwl} ) that all is well in The CC Division
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/
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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Thanks Sandy. We are still trying to keep on top of the mouse situation at the moment. I bought some more Jeyes and husband and I put it down the existing mouse holes on Saturday afternoon. As he was pouring some out about six baby mice appeared out of the hole. It was quite a surprise as I haven't seem any mice down there for quite some time. We managed to actually catch a couple of them and duly re-located them away from the coops. Unfortunately some got some Jeyes actually on them and we felt awful about that. We do need to keep on top of the situation as I do not want to be over run like last year. We put some poison down last year (which I hate doing) but although it is in an enclosed container where no animals can get to it, it is still a worry. Is anyone else still having rodent problems? I wonder if anyone knows of any poison that is not harmful to pets and birds? Thanks. I think this is the first time that Olive and Ivy have seen snow this morning. We woke up to an absolute wonderland with a good couple of inches of snow here in Cheshire. Normally on morning clean outs they are eager to have a run in the garden while I get on with the jobs. This morning no-one wanted to come out to see the white stuff. Only one of my cats has ventured out and the snow was all the way up his legs. Needless to say, he soon came back and got on top of the radiator!!! Hope everyone is coping with this weather. Got to make my way to work soon - think I'll walk as I don't fancy driving in these conditions. Stay warm and healthy everyone.
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HenPen
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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Wow proper snow - we just got a slushy sprinkling last night and by this morning it was sort of grainy and crispy and icy and really hard to scrape off the car. My dog loves the snow, so from that point of view it was a bit disappointing - but since we are in the countryside and the back roads don't get gritted, it's probably a blessing really.

Can't say I blame the hens for wanting to stay off the snow. They need little winter boots... :-D

Hope you didn't get too cold on your way to work .sn<
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KarenE
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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I have been hoping & praying that we don't get snow, so far it's working!

Glad to hear your little flock are doing well, even if it is freezing cold! Who can blame them for not wanting to get up? I know I would stay warm in bed if I could :-D

We've got rats too, they come from the neighbour's sheds. I've got a bait box in the coop, which they use as a rat run. It empties but the rats keep coming, and I do hate using it due to the cat, chooks, kites and neighbours dogs (he's the same) but frankly nothing else was working. I tried jeyes fluid once and it didn't work, I should probably use it again. I doubt I could keep them out of the garden anyway, there's plenty of natural food growing and water for them in puddles etc. Apparently depriving them of water drives them away quicker than no food. it's a pain but seems to be inflicting both sides of my street, and I think they come from the farms and stables round our way
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

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Hi All - Hope everyone is well and of course your flocks and animals. Had a lovely springtime weekend last weekend and my girls have really been enjoying themselves pottering around the garden. Rose was enjoying a good sunbathe and Olive and Ivy couldn't understand what she was doing. They kept going up to her and looking at her very closely as if to say - 'what are you doing - are you dead?' - very funny - until she got up and chased them away. It's so lovely to see them all happy and pottering around. A really good sport is chasing off the pigeons - it makes them so frisky. Enjoying the lighter nights too as still got time to see the girls after work and put them to bed. Everyone's laying again, even Violet who went through a stage of lots of softies - so we are well off on the egg front.
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sandy
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Re: Louise's Chicken Diary

Post by sandy »

CC excellent news )like(
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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