Henpen's hens and Eggstremely odd eggs

[sandy]

Aw I love that photo of Ginger(who I believe is a member of the SIC?) I've got The Saints theme tune in my head now I had it the other way around, my black rock looked after my ginger! Do hope Cupid is at full throttle soon bless her

[Chookaholic]

i love the pic of her with a halo :D

they never cease to amaze me how they make their friendships and stick together when needed ; all part of the chickeny sisterhood

[HenPen]

Well it had to happen sooner or later - and it had to be clever little, bustling, adventurous Cupid (who tends to go off on her own a lot) who would be the first to make the Great Escape.

During all this horrible weather, I have been very lax about fixing the rabbit-nibbled chicken netting. But the girls have shown absolutely no interest in walking through the ginormous holes...that is until yesterday, when I was wheeling the wheelbarrow through the gate and Cupid, who likes to stick close in case treats fall out of my pockets, found herself on the other side of the fence. I manage to chase her back in through one if the big holes and - lightbulb moment - she realised she could get through, so now she is using the nibbled bits to pop in and out.

She is so different from all the others, but I bet now she is wandering off it is only a matter of time before the rest follow. So I guess I should pull my finger out and start net-fixing. Ah well.

[sandy]

OMG a chicken on the other side of the fence You just know the other will be following Cupid, hole filling a priority

[HenPen]

Ooooooh me knees, thighs and other assorted kneeling-type muscles which I am far too polite to go into here . Well the fence holes are mostly patched for now, despite "help" from Cupid who either thought I was digging for crawly and wriggly things or was trying to help... Or, perhaps, was trying to stop me foiling her escape plans... Hmmmm (I think she reckons the further she can get from Amber the better).

We have big plans for some permanent fencing to keep the lovely ladies safe, but it will have to wait until the weather improves. Hubby is very much a fair weather DIY-er!

Meanwhile, Wiggy treated us to the Wiggy dance today when she realised she had been left by the other girls... They were a full 10ft away - "argh, quickly, run flapping and squawking in big circles until arriving back in the safety of the group!"
It is lucky I did patch those holes, heaven knows what she would do if she found herself on the opposite side of a fence to her flock . She would probably never recover!

[KarenE]

WE LOVE WIGGY!!!

You really must video the Wiggy Dance for us. I think it could get quite a cult following (if not a fair few disciples!)

Cupid is very clever. I think she should be putting in an application for the SIC. I hear they're recruiting members for some nefarious plot they are probably hatching. Best we don't know.

Chickens do like to keep us on our toes - or more correctly, our knees, usually poo scraping, scrubbing or filling in holes. Perhaps you can tell chicken keepers by their dodgy arthritic knees and hips?

[sandy]

Wiggy Woo Woo video very soon please

[Thomassio]

Wiggy woo sounds brilliant!

[KarenE]

Wiggy Woo is brilliant

[HenPen]

Oh she really is! We love Wiggy lots.

But I don't know if I will ever capture the Wiggy Dance on video as it doesn't happen often and when it does it is fast and happens with no warning - oh and the camera on my phone is rubbish. I will ask my daughter to try though.

The other thing she does which makes me laugh is a noise which is a sort of squawk crossed with the honk from a clown's hooter. Can't think of any other way to describe it. It is a really loud, really sudden single blast and then she just looks startled for a second - as if wondering where on earth that awful noise came from - before going back to what she was doing. Today, she did it in my face just after I had finished cleaning the poop off her huge, powder puff bum fluff. I get all the good jobs.

[HenPen]

Oh what a darling, darling girl our Wiggy Woo is.
The botty wiping was not hugely successful so we decided on a little bath to sort out the poo bum. My daughter helped me bring her into the house. We took out a fair sized box but her tail still hung out. She is MASSIVE. But she settled the rest of herself down into the bottom of the box anyway and she was so lovely and calm when we got her out. She sat happily in the water and appeared completely content to have her bottom hair-dried. She snuggled up on my lap as I combed my fingers through her bottom fluff while my daughter pointed the dryer. Bless my great big chook. She is such a sweetie. I really enjoyed my cuddle! And I think she enjoyed the warmth.
Thank goodness for this forum. My friends would think I had lost the plot if I told them that story!

[KarenE]

Oh that is just so lovely! We all dream of a flock of Wiggy Woos!

Wish my girls were as good - they hate baths, every last one of them I've ever given one has hated it. And blow drying???? Tried it once. Never again.

[sandy]

Wiggy what have you been upto? Is it catching? We all seem to be sorting out both ends of our girls at the moment! Wiggy sending you lots of . Maybe you can get a cctv camera to capture the Wonderful Wiggys dance?

[HenPen]

Well the girls clearly felt they needed a dust bath. The indoor one had to be removed when it filled up with rain water (leaky roof) and turned into a mud bath! After a day and a bit of sun, the ground was slightly less soggy so the girls had a good scratch around in their favourite outdoor dust bathing spot

Note: chickens do not equal tidy gardens!


Miranda was determined to get in, but she doesn't really move fast for anything (stalking around with her beak in the air is more her thing) so Amber got there first, followed by Ginger


And they weren't moving for anyone, not even top hen Miranda


Eventually, after trying everything including grabbing Amber by the comb and trying to yank her out of the prime spot (which just made Amber squawk but not move) she stalked off. I did try to get Amber to move along to give the others a go but Amber came straight back like a boomerang


Anyway, they certainly made me feel guilty (it's like they planned it. Hmmmm). Their outdoor bathing spot wasn't ideal, as it wasn't really dry enough to be dusty, and it compacted down fairly quickly. So I filled the indoor dust bath and when I left them there were three hens in it and the other two forming an orderly queue
(I've been playing with coloursplash to highlight gorgeous Ginger's gingerness)

Go away! I am about to have a bath

When I went back an hour later, to get the eggs I had accidentally left on the garden table, Ginger was still in there!

Wiggy found the photo session baffling. Couldn't decide whether to hide or investigate (sums up her attitude to life really)


Muddy beak! Aren't her feathers lovely?

[sandy]

Lovely photos, they are at their most entertaining dustbathing Ginger certainly looks ,w ell, ginger. What a lovely colour she is and who can resist a sighting of the wonderful Wigy Woo Woo.