The awning blew off the front side of the run in the morning but luckily it wasn't too wet, just very gusty, and they didn't seem upset. The sand in there is damp even in the covered, supposedly dry, end and seems to be washing away a bit in the most exposed corner. It's also difficult to clean out as the poop mostly just gets raked into the sand rather than off the top It doesn't seem to be quite as sodden as the straw was getting though and the girls like to push the woodchip bedding out of the house on top of the sand which gives a good place to throw scratch for them to get some proper chickeny behaviour. Amusingly, because their food is normally served wet in a bowl, they get all excited going after dry pellets as if they were treats
Angel still sneezes but there is still no sign of it being anything nasty. I got some breathe free herbal thing and put 1ml in each of their food bowls each day and am continuing to add herbs or occasional garlic to their food. Don't know if any of it helps but it doesn't do any harm.
I watched the girls getting ready for bed tonight. Angel and Phoebe went in and out of the coop several times and finally stayed inside then Rainbow went in and out several times. After her final entry there were definite sounds of a scuffle going on inside then one of them was purring for a bit before it all fell silent. For a few days now they've all been sleeping on the perch
~ Annie
Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags lovely bantam girl Phoebe and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown
I love the thought of them purring with happiness at bedtime! What's the chicken equivalent of horlicks?
Hint hint!
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
KarenE wrote:I love the thought of them purring with happiness at bedtime! What's the chicken equivalent of horlicks?
Hint hint!
I really want to get a photo of them all on their perch but I turned the flash off on my camera because it didn't take good photos with it on and I've never managed to turn it on again I need to get a really simple camera designed for people that don't know how to do fancy camera stuff. Might try getting one lit by the torch though.
PixieDust wrote:Excuse my ignorance but what breed are they?
Hehe, you and me both. They are definitely Belgian Bearded Bantams but I originally thought they were Barbu De Watermael and now I think they might be Barbu D'Anvers!
~ Annie
Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags lovely bantam girl Phoebe and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown
Annie, what kind of camera have you got? In the interests of chicky pics, we'll help you figure out how to turn the flash back on!
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
KarenE wrote:Annie, what kind of camera have you got? In the interests of chicky pics, we'll help you figure out how to turn the flash back on!
It's a nikon coolpix although I substitute a different four letter word beginning with "c" in there because it takes such bad photos compared with my late and much lamented (and cheaper!) previous camera. I found something that looks as if it should have turned the flash on but it only resulted in a red light flashing on the top and didn't actually flash for the photos Sadly the lit by torch method didn't work either.
My girls are funny. When I clean the ark I always open both ends (so if a cat were to sneak in unnoticed the girls wouldn't be cornered in there) but they hardly ever want to go out. When I do the coop part Angel comes in to help me and the other two just stay in the run. It's only when I'm actually raking the run that they'll go out of the other end and mill around on the lawn and once I've finished the cleaning they go back in!
~ Annie
Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags lovely bantam girl Phoebe and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown
Here's the photo taken with a torch. Bit of an odd angle and Rainbow is snuggled under the other girls' bottoms but you can *almost* see two ickle chickles on their perch...
~ Annie
Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags lovely bantam girl Phoebe and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown
I've got a new phone that takes photos and it has a flash! I think I'll go and take a photo of the girls on their perch.
~ Annie
Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags lovely bantam girl Phoebe and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown
Well they are lovely photos so far but it would definitely be nice to see some with light!
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
Well I've got the photo as far as Flickr but I don't know how to copy and paste on the phone. I'll have to wait until I get on the computer to put it on here.
~ Annie
Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags lovely bantam girl Phoebe and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown
The girls in bed. Angel and Phoebe on the perch and Rainbow is still sleeping on the floor:
And one from earlier today when I'd just given them their sprouted seeds. I sprinkle the loose ones around and leave the bag in there inside out for them to peck at the ones that have grown little roots though the fabric:
You know, Phoebe wasn't really asleep when I was taking the top photo. She was eyeing my new phone with a very interested expression on her face!
~ Annie
Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags lovely bantam girl Phoebe and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown
What gorgeous girls The three of them look like a luxurious cushion lying in your coop
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/
Happy New Year Annie, Phoebe(the clever girl ) and Angel
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/
It's very quiet when I go out to see the girls now, Rainbow was always the vocal one, shouting when food arrived or leading the others in sounding the alarm when she spotted a cat or noisy child. It's also very dark in their run as I've draped a sheet of astroturf stuff over the coop end of the ark for a bit of extra insulation and it also covers the awnings which let partial light in. I'm trying to remember to give them less food too even though it already seemed like such a tiny amount. Supper is now 1/2 an eggcup of mixed corn with a pinch of sunflower seeds or mealworms and I'm mixing it with a big handful of easibed before throwing it in the run so they have to scratch through it to find them.
I think one of them may have been dustbathing today. I've only seen Rainbow in there before so maybe these two will have an easier life now with nobody telling them not to do things. I'm a little more worried about introducing big girls in the future though.
I've also noticed that they've been rearranging the straw in the nestbox. Hope that means they're just waiting for a bit more daylight to get them started!
Happy new year from Phoebe and Angel!
~ Annie
Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags lovely bantam girl Phoebe and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown