Pixie's Chix!

[PixieDust]

I get the feeling Winnie may be on the way to laying soon. I went to pick her up this afternoon and there was a slight squat. Also she and Pixie were in and out of the house and when I went to lock them up this evening, I found an egg, which resembled one I think Pixie has been laying.

Pixie drives Winnie away from the treat ball so I am going to buy a second one so that Winnie doesn't lose out when I fill it. Pixie is a bit snappy to Winnie and when I pick her up she is all ready for a fight. However, if she is on the ground or on the coop roof, she is quite friendly to me.

Lily is a bit scared of me but will settle a bit once I have picked her up. However, I have been caught a couple of times by a rogue wing in the face and they smart

I know they should come out and free range at some point but I am worried they may get out of the garden. Also worried they will wreck the lawn and OH will go batty about that. I just want to include them in our garden but I know it could be trouble.

Said Spaniel has been making headway with being up against the weld mesh and not screaming. Very slow progress but I am willing to persist. He is extremely jealous as up til now, he has had my time and not had to share it.

[KarenE]

Hi Pixie

I have a treat ball and Casper has taken possession of it, none of the others including the top hen get a look in! They can be terrible when it comes to treats.

If your run is big enough, there's really no need for them to free range if you can't accommodate it or want to keep a nice garden. Of course they will want to get out and make you feel bad for not letting them but many on dtl can't let their girls free range because of space or foxes. Don't give in to chicken tactics, they are master manipulators!

If you do decide you want them to have some free range time, do be prepared for them to gradually wreck your garden. And make sure they're well trained for treats so you can get them back in again.

[PixieDust]

Their run is 10.5ft x 7ft. Not huge but legally bigger than is suggested for 3 hens. It's 6ft high and we are going to add branches and a shelf and possibly a swing. My friend bought me a bird feeder type thing for Xmas to put veggies in for them. Most days I give them one of those filled with grass, so they are getting grass and other things after they have chowed down on pellets in the morning.

OH has suggested where we dug out a flower bed last year bad it has gone back to weeds and grass, we could have them there behind a fence for a bit of free range whilst I am outside. Our neighbour who I don't actually like, but has spoken to me about chickens, let's hers free range along the drive where we live, even when she is out!!!!!

She has lost over 20 since I have moved here is 2012 to foxes and dogs, (she looks after people's dogs). But still she persists in buying more and letting them free range everywhere. When I mentioned about clipping my lots wings as we are near the main road she said she thought that was barbaric

As I said, don't like her. She talks down to me like I am some serf or something. Terribly unintelligent and ignorant woman.

[KarenE]

I bet your girls would love to dig over that flower bed for you

I put some branches in my run and the girls love them. Mine do free range round my garden in the afternoons, but I do see them all roosting on the branches in their run of a morning. I also put a turve of grass down earlier in the year which they also loved, so you could try that when they're back in season. It didn't last too long but they do love grazing on grass.

I don't understand your neighbour - how can you lose 20 birds in 2 years and not really be bothered with their safety? But then, I see my girls as pets and I guess she doesn't.

[PixieDust]

In my opinion she plays at being lady of the manor! We live down a track with 6 houses. The 2 at the end of the line have small fields as gardens. This woman has the smallest of the 2. She told me they moved there from a small 2 bedroom house in town to here, which is quite rural, and they couldn't believe their luck. She looks after other people's dogs because "I can be dealing with all the expense and we have to have holidays." No-one has to have holidays, it is a choice. She also screams at the dogs which escape often and screams at her children.

OH was walking our dog over the fields one day over Christmas and saw over her fence and said her run is made of thin wooden posts and chicken wire and seems to be falling apart and stinks. I truly believe she is one of these people who has animals and children as status symbols.

Before Christmas I was having trouble with my foot and was very slow at walking. Her house is the last along the track and we are the first. I was parked in the track as I was shutting our gates. She drives up behind and as I am going to pull the other gate in she calls out "Err....PixieDust", rather like a teacher, "We are in rather a hurry. Can you hurry up!" Please bare in mind I had to leave the gate to get to her car for her to tell me to hurry up. I could imagine her to be someone who watches someone being beaten up by a bully and when the bully leaves, go up to the victim and start hitting them knowing they can't fight back. Unbeknownst to the silly cow, I also was in a hurry but had left plenty of time to get to my appointment because of my foot.

So now you know the state of play with this woman. I have utter contempt for the woman. I dislike people who don't bother to care for animals and as far as I am concerned, she knowingly puts them in harms way.

[PixieDust]

Definately have 3 squatters! Winnie has been in the nesting box twice today. Nothing yet but she is squatting. So hoping for the illusive blue egg after the sadness of losing Pob. Will keep you posted.

[KarenE]

Exciting times! Enjoy your first egg - if you eat it! Or you could blow it, write her name on it and preserve it for ever! (I wish I'd done that with a few of my girls)

Your neighbour sounds like a right old snotty cow. I can't stand people who think the earth revolves round them, and definitely not ones who are horrible to creatures dependant on them for care (animals and children). A neighbour of ours (who we didn't really like, he moved in and brought 3 cars plus a massive van with him, and there's no parking where we are, we all have to use the road - so basically he took up the whole road's parking and didn't give a toss) moved last month and - according to our next door neighbour - left his rabbit and hutch behind. The poor creature would have starved and died of thirst if our neighbour hadn't have known that he had a rabbit and had the presence of mind to check on it. Disgraceful! She was feeding and watering the rabbit for a week. Luckily she knows his mum and got right round there to complain, so they took the rabbit away but I couldn't see it when I peered over his new place's fence (he's moved to the other side of the village). Poor thing, god knows what has happened to it

[PixieDust]

A small, quite heavy, almost lilac coloured egg was found in the coop by OH this morning. Pictures will follow later

[KarenE]

Lovely! Well done Winnie

Pics of the Pobs would be good!

[PixieDust]

WARNING: Video and picture heavy.

Video of Winnie on my arm.



Attacking a broccoli tree. (video)



Cauliflower leaves in the bird feeder from their Aunty Lindy (video)



First egg from Pixie





Pixie's egg - left, shop on the right.



Pobs





Winnie



Middle one is Lily's first egg after a number of softies



Lily and Pixie



Winnie



The egg larder I got for Christmas



New activity area





Finally, Winnie's first and second eggs, though I don't know if they might go brown

[manda]

[PixieDust]

Thank you Manda.

Lily, the Sussex has been a bit poorly today. She seemed to have a very full crop the last 2 days and this morning she still had some food in there. She didn't rush to eat this morning and her comb was a little floppy.

I administered just under 5ml of olive oil, (Winnie came up and stole the syringe out of my hand. Boy, my reflexes were quick! Winnie is a cheeky girlie), and massaged Lily's crop 3 times today, once after she had settled in for the night. They only had pellets today so were a little upset I think. Weather was bad too, heavy rain last night and heavy showers all day, though they did catch some rays about 9am this morning for an hour or so.

Some amazing success with the dog this evening. I took him out in the garden when they were tucked up in the coop and he was off the lead. He initially went running around and sniffing at the run very excitedly. Then I threw some cheese away from the run and used his cue word to find them and he did. He was very good sniffing around the garden for cheese. I had forgotten his lead so went to go and get it expecting a bit of a fight to get him back on it, but no, he followed me back to the door where I threw 3 pieces of cheese into the hall and in he went, no fuss and no screaming from him.

I suspect it won't be as easy as that in the future, but from little acorns.....

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , Karen ( who must be obeyed ) would frown on bribry . But in my books it works every time except on her ....... One day you will sit in the garden with the dog next to you a couple of chickens on each leg , sun shining and the world at peace. Then all hell will let loose and back to normal . Chickens will be chickens and unfortunately the dog will be a dog . As long as no harm comes about then enjoy the moment when it comes .It will be priceless..Have a good day /night and one day at a time .Bob

[PixieDust]

As a dog trainer, Bob, I believe the best pet corrector is cheese. Often a more time consuming but a more sold correction and a happy dog. Humans, on the other hand, sometimes need something a little harsher than a piece of churned milk to pique their interest

[PixieDust]

Sad to report all 3 are sneezing and Lily doesn't seem herself. Will telephone the vet tomorrow to see if I can get any Tylan. ACV was started yesterday. Lily's face looks a little swollen and she laid a softy yesterday and nothing today.

Really not having a lot of luck with this flock