My attempt to keep chickens.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , flock out in garden . Blue wandering around happy .
She is much like my Penelope of old , got into my heart .
Like Penelope she is / has recovered and all things being equal will look forward to many more months of happiness.
Blue has given me hope for the future that not hens that get sick pass over the bridge .
Rest the flock well and could not get out of the run quick enough today .
Ground drying out so expect the crater operations to get back in action and larger holes to make up for lost time. I think that they would be good for landfill operations.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , well I think the creatures in my care are safer than me at present as putting my house up for sale is on hold , not cancelled but like the govn. boss says delayed till the virus is contained again.
Reason for this is a simple one , I do not want strangers wandering around my home leaving what ever behind when gone.
Sensible action I think.
Work wise looks like for the time being I am a essential worker and cannot work from home ….. First time the company has said my services are such highly rated.
So we lucky few are still fully paid and being protected whilst at work.
My blue hen nr. 3 is getting to be a problem now as she is wandering around the kitchen and lounge as she feels the need.
cats not stopping her or the dog as far as I know.
Will either get the dog cage out for her and let her out when around or get her back in with the flock . Being more active now I suppose she should get back with the flock. A couple more days of strengthening her up will not harm.
Off to Forest of Dean Racing , looks like the first and last race for a good few months.
Hence I am not getting excited about the season this year.
sandy if you read this , not sure I should visit you for your own safety . May just drop some food off for your flock .
Will ring tomorrow when I know what is happening . Leave it outside by your garage if not in. Don't change your plans though .
Keep well everyone as best as possible .
Bob

[KarenE]

Stay safe yourself Bob. It does look like we'll all be moving into lockdown soon enough.

Let's hope we don't desperately need toilet roll and tinned tomatoes whilst we're in lockdown, or we'll all be completely stuffed!

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , if in lockdown , nothing wrong with having a shower save paper .
All good , hens locked up late last night as back from Sandy late , usual lost in London .
Always good to see your flocks , hope they are all well and look forward to seeing the blue eggs again.
Not seen much of the flock my end as out a lot .
Keep safe and well , remember the war spirit keep calm and charge more for your eggs...…
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , Well yesterday I became a hoarder .
I went to my local large super store , I had bought some chips and fancy some bread with it .
Polo the fat Staff was in the van after her walk so did not want to be to long.
I wandered the store and actual found some bread . one 40pence cheap as chips.... and another 1.10 uncut.
I found a few other bits and went to pay . I got to the till and the very nice young lady said sorry only one loaf . I just laughed . As I had not been shopping much and had very little at home and it was the first time I had seen bread in the store.
Needless to say she said which one did I want . I said the value one …..
Weeks shop 3.92pounds.
This is saving me a fortune .
What`s this to do with chickens you may ask .
I now have an extra diet of instead of lots of toast and bread during the day .My flock getting most of it.
Fortunately I have a freezer full of rolls , pies and sausage rolls . From months past .
Blue nr 3 is still in the kitchen and off meds.
I tried yesterday to put her in the garden but a couple of nasty hens made a bee line straight for her and jumped peaked and stomped on her .
Have a problem now as she will have to go out side as now wandering the house like the cats . Probably following them . Eating any thing she can find in the dog/cat bowls ,drinking their water .
she is not house trained either . The front door is open as well as workmen in and she could quite easily wander out on the lawn .
Suprisingly more people are asking for eggs , due to the super markets running out/empty . Even the veg farm shop had a full car park . Lucky I go round the back and get box of oranges and off lettuce and veg .
At least they get plenty of veg at the moment .
Going to buy a couple of bags of pellets and corn to get stocked up .
No dog food in super market yesterday.
Looks like she will be sharing half my diners as well . Might stop at the pizza`s though as I enjoy burnt ones very much.
Well keep well .
Its getting near that time where I will be going home and turning the lights out and not turning them on again till July .
Apart from the money side I could do with a long break .
Bob

[Gwenoakes]

Glad to hear you have at long last got the recognition from work, Bob.
Also very pleased that your little lady is gaining strength by the bucket load, not so sure I could cope with chicken poop all over the house though. LOL
I have not come across bread or anything for that matter being rationed, no doubt it will come though.
Take care of yourself, Bob.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , well will not belong , plants shutting down . last man standing turn the lights off.
Amazing have bought a van load of chicken and rabbit supplies yesterday so they will be feed for a month or two .
This all could be fiction and war of the worlds radio stuff .
I do not know one person that has had / got the virus . Only the tele and radio .
In years to come there will be films and conspiracy theories on all of this .
Last evening I found one of the sisters in the coop sleeping on straw on the ground . Not happy with her so she is now on meds and with blue in kitchen . Will see how she progresses . Have to go and get some more Baytril .
She was a wake before I left for work.
Due to work Sunday morning if we are still working then .
No computer access so if no writing you know I am with the flock . If still no writing by Xmas you can take it from me I will be over the bridge with my goust flock .
Keep well and safe .
Better to have life on hold then ended.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all blue is getting checker by the day . ,Her `sister ` is still with her , on meds and hopefully be like blue.
Going to have to get them back in the garden pretty soon .
Blue is just helping her self to anything she fancies.
Best mat with my cat Indie . She is the boss of the two hens as one would expect.
Going to book the rabbit for a vet visit jabs and get some more meds just in case of lock down and can not get out. Rest of flock well . Scramble fine .Goldie getting vocal so may go brodie again .
Clean out today all things being equal .
Working Sunday and nights next week with Wed -fri and Monday and tue`s the next week holiday (last years) So may not be around much or at least the odd days .(some half shifts )
Looks quite like a London lock down but my dog is a pass to get out.
All the bike rides cancelled for the see able time .
Eggs are getting new customers , I wander why .
Regulars are taken care of first .
Lots of police outside house last night gang trying to do mischief to a lad at the end of the road .
Missed it all but the tail end but told what was going on.
Personally hope they catch the lad and have done with so as peace can be returned . He ain`t the nicest of kids . Sorry not a Liberal minded.
dr-ugs so no more.
His mothers not much better ……
Anyway hope the flock did not get to disturbed . Life in London ay .
Keep well and safe as more people that are not working may lead to my Burglary and robbing.
Bob
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , well still working , flock still ok and noisy this am .
Blue and sister still in kitchen .
So not a lot to say . Rabbit to vets this morning . Cookie is a boy....
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , well the rabbit has had a chip put in HIM , Cookie is now jabbed and hopefully protected from any viruses out there .
Also got a FULL bottle of Baytril so happy that I have med`s for the flock should I need it.
Blue and sister are still in the kitchen though the sister does not look to good. She is eating with blue and water . Comfortable .
I have been told to take holiday from the week before Easter to a week after .
(Forced ) Not to bothered but I did say don`t ring me as on holiday and unavailable ….
That want to contact us but as not laid off they will not get hold of me for sure .
So I will be on here from now till the 3/5th April depending on overtime that weekend . (Ha Ha )
So still alive and enjoying watching the Survivor`s series of 1975 age .
pretty good as to what is happening .
Shopping is a joke .Eggs are in GREAT demand . Have now to worry about people stealing the flock .
Padlocks now on the gates , extra wire going up over the weekend .
Air rifle is being cleaned up for any RATS that may turn up.
I tell you could not this all up . 6months ago everyone plodding along then Wham .
Keep well and safe and be very careful out there .
Bob

[kitla]

A facebook chicken group I follow has advised people to take down chicken signs & check security because of this Bob. Perhaps I should put up a sign saying My chooks are too old to eat or lay eggs!

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , I have people whispering to me out side my house have you any eggs .
SHMBO said yesterday I should have got a few chickens …..
I have had to give 3 eggs at a time to local people .
SHMBO daughter has asked a few old people want they want shopping and she has now asked for eggs for them . JOKE. I said ` I only get so many `. Add to all this my hens have got on strike as they heard the mealworms are being rationed.
Food wise , I got BREAD and Milk and a few other bits . My veg shop in the country side was rammed with cars and parking in the lane blocking a main road way.
Unbelievable . Must get some straw today as gave a bale to chap at work for his garden veg patch.
Blue is doing well but still bullied outside . sister is still poorly . Had a hard crop yesterday so massaged it. Plenty of med`s for her now so hope she can pull through . Probably egg trouble caused them to be ill.
Bully hens I think have gone boy bosses on me . They flatten the lower ranks.
I am keeping my distance.
Stay safe and well .
Maybe the last week a head and then off line till ?
Will ring you Sandy to keep in touch .
Bob

[sandy]

Bob thanks so much for the pellets and mealworms, funds transferring. So nice to see you even if it was for such a short time, unfortunately Bunty was dreadfully poorly monday morning so had to put her out of her misery. I will def be ringing you when you go pc quiet! I wont have that 'luxury' as all three of my jobs are key roles!

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi Sandy they are all free till the next met .
Keep well .
sadly my poorly hen was dead when I got home on Sunday am .
Blue is still in kitchen and sometimes in the garden but bully hens attack with no mercy so withdraw her as I leave them .
She is quite happy with Lexie the cat sun bathing by the door , then Polo the fat Stafie joins and it is quite pleasant to see them all.
Two walks over the field today . Extra grass as veg shop sold out and had to rummage in the bins for cutting`s .
looks pretty close to the day of plug pulling .
Bob
garage of food for hens a bale and hay /straw . 4 bags of saw dust coming hopefully.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , be safe , looks like this will be last writing for at least 3 weeks .
Look after yourselves and your families .
Least we have our flocks to talk too.
Bob