Hmmmm, I can see myself as a chicken rustler! The little brown bantam appeared in her run yesterday and LBH headed over to see her. I haven't seen either of them today so I'm hoping they've been reunited.
My Walk-in-Run has been looking very sad and scruffy lately
but a spring clean, an application of disinfectant powder and a few bags of this
has made a huge difference
People sometimes say to me 'you get free eggs from your chickens'. Ha!
The run gets sunshine in the morning, patches of sun in the afternoon and no sun in the evening, so its good to get out and catch the final few rays that make it through the trees.
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/
Just wanted to record on here that Image went to the vet this week about her sneezing problem. The vet couldn't find anything specific wrong with her and considered her to be a healthy chicken. Naturally Imm didn't sneeze in front of her. We were given Baytril but as the withdrawal period for eggs varies between 8 days and infinity we're giving it a miss for now unless Immy becomes obviously poorly. In the meantime she is a good weight, has a strong healthy heartbeat and looks and acts the picture of health. She also lays just about every day, often enormous double yokers. And she appeared to enjoy her time in the surgery and had a happy poke about and fun pecking the greyhound rescue photo montage. Plus she met a delightful bull dog in reception. On a different subject, our little staffy cross made it into the hen house tonight. He appeared to be OK with the chickens (busy mouse hunting) and although the visit was unplanned I thought it might be a good idea to make no big deal of it in case he ever manages to get in with the girls when supervision isn't available. All went well until Torah attacked the dog. He's now recovering on the sofa and Torah is telling tall tales of how she repelled the invader, to the other chickens. Grandchild proof padlocks are going back on the gates!
Oh Tora, go girl I am puzzled vet gave you baytril for a hen that he couldn't find anything wrong with If anything he should have given you tylan for sneezing, mind you my Alice sneezed all her life bless her
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/
Hi Sandy She was a new vet and didn't seem over thrilled to meet my beautiful girl. Hrmph! Anyway, if anything Immy is sneezing slightly less so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed. The girls have had a happy day today - unlike me they just enjoy the moment and don't worry about what vets say. I shall take my lead from them!
What a great philosophy Lovely piccies of lovely girlies
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/
Thank you Sandy. You know, I never used to think of chickens as beautiful. Now I delight in the gorgeous pictures posted on here. A slow start but I've finally seen the light!
Today I moved one of my chicken watching chairs. The younger girls were thrilled and spent a happy 10 minutes hopping up and down and admiring the view from the extra height.
First Florence, closely followed by Image. Then Tessa came over for a quick look. I was surprised that young un number 4 didn't come over, then I realised that she was busy with a mouse she had just caught. Ugh!
Then I tried to pick some gooseberries. The girls haven't shown any interest in them before, but that all changed once they saw that I wanted them. Eight chickens and one harassed human all fighting for supremacy in a large and very prickly bush. Funnily enough I didn't get a photo of that bit!
Whoa you chair looks like it comes from The Shire! LOvely photos, did the girls eat any gooseberries?
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/
sandy wrote:Whoa you chair looks like it comes from The Shire! LOvely photos did the girls eat any gooseberries?
My dad bought the chair at a market somewhere near Leeds. He thought it was very 'me'. Not too sure what that means! The girls approve anyway. No, I don't think they did eat the gooseberries. Just pounced and ran off with the others chasing them. If I hadn't been impaled on a bush at the time I would have thought it very funny.
Afternoon at the Spa The ladies have been having a busy summer, what with chasing the dog and helping in the veg garden, so they decided on a spa day.
After a healthy lunch of bugs and salad they spent some time in the grooming parlour
followed by a restorative nap in the sunshine
The chicken rustling is going well. The little black bantam on the far right of both pictures seems to have moved in permanently. As far as I am aware she hasn't been returning to her official home at all - it was so worrying to see her trustingly going into her coop every night and knowing she could be easily hoovered up in the darkness. She's even begun laying in the little coop that my girls have designated as the laying zone.
On a less happy note; Image, my sneezing chicken, died very suddenly. She'd had a busy time the previous day, eaten well and not sneezed very much, but was dead under the perch in the morning. And Nemo, one of the oldest chickens, is looking rather elderly. She's given up sleeping on the perch and has chosen a nest box to sleep in. She can still run like the wind when she hears a buzzard though.
Bridget they look just so brilliantly relaxed, ladies out doing afternoon lunch and a spa
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/
New Girls The usual story........... Booked 4 chickens from the BHWT rescue on Saturday and came home with 6. Strange how that always seems to happen! I was only bothered because of the limited space in the small run that they will spend at least half their days in until they all can be together, but happily the new girls seem to be getting along with each other and are too busy dust bathing to fall out. Of the older residents only Tessa has screamed insults so far so I'm hoping the eventual all girls together integration will be easy. Ever the optimist!
This is the first afternoon with 3 brave new girls exploring their new run and being 'welcomed' by Tessa. Only 4 eventually came out that first day, the other two were exhausted and just slept all afternoon. The next day it was the other way round. The two who had had a good sleep were up for anything and the four who had been on stress alert all day needed a lazy Sunday. Today everyone is sparkling and they have had several hours in the big run.
Two of the new girls are mega heavy and I couldn't even feel the keel bone on one when I (just about managed) to pick her up. Bet they don't lay. They'll be too busy working on their booty!
Roxy
Olive
Lucy Locket
Heather
Chestnut chatting to Olive
Astrid
Portia, Jenny Jones and Torah Bright who all came from BHWT 18 months ago. Portia is top hen and amazingly lays almost every day. Jenny and Torah have sensibly given up all that nonsense and are concentrating all their efforts on bug hunting.