My attempt to keep chickens.

[KarenE]

Right, Bob sent me a load of photos of his babies so here we go - I'll do them in part as I haven't uploaded them all yet!

Chalkie:


Champ & girls:


Morning:


Evil (something about the way she stares at him apparently):


Littulun:

[KarenE]

Bob on holiday - Iceland Blue Lagoon (which one are you Bob?):


Moe & PomPom:


Inside the des res:


Heart:


Lara:


Parker (swoon!):


Marian:

[KarenE]

Ghost (the ghost of Casper!!!):


Quaker:


Smokie:


Chalkie again:


Eagle & Cloud:


Parker again (and why not!):

[sandy]

Oh Bob so wondefrul to see those boys and girls we have gotten to know so well I do hope your sicklys get well very soon and I am so sorry I have not said how sorry I am about the loss of your female duck. Now Bob you need to send Karen a picture of all you family please

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all What a week end and it aint finished yet ....
1 , Marian is putting on weight offically 2.1 kilos at the vets . eye going down back Tues for another and hopefully last one. Still refusing to budge out of the dog cage / window shelf sink top.
Lara has joined her as not well . Baytril and infugi cillain (or some thing like that for sour crop /runny rear end . 1.55 kilos still eating and drinking . Cannot beat them join them brigade.
Sky still pottering around and eating .
Lav has returned to sin bin as lost his fight with Champ and had to black eyes and was being beaten up proper. Still up for a fightb though. washed blood from stuck up eyes .Real bruiser.
My lovely van was stolen last night from outside house with me and my dogs tucked up in bed . waste of time my girls as guard dogs , even Darcy the nut case cat did not even bother telling me.
wasted day with Police and phone calls . Thats my lost no claims again. reason in hear is camera was in car with Sat nav . So pictures taken of the chicks has gone.
The duck that was the female not the drake that was left with the geese has flown the coop and disappeared . No doubt with the boys on the local fishing lake . will come back with a flock of chicks when she hatches them no doubt. out looking for her but no sign todate. keys from work in vn so got no coffee to keep me going .
Girls and boys all locked up before work. 36 eggs over the week end .
Do not know how many eggs are = to a new van......
So not in the best of moods for sure .
Ice land was me taking the picture so none of them .Smokie is deceased .
Marian is a star at the vets and as popular as Penelope was .
Reading to catch up and hope you all have had a better weekend than me.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi ,Karen very rude of me.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PUTTING MY PHOTOS UP.

It is very much appreciated .
Hope you enjoyed them .

I have .
I curse the thievies hourly......
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , Marian is doing well eye is getting better ,not happy with friend in dog cage but getting used to it .Vets 11.20 am tomorrow for last jab.
Lara is eating nad drinking .Baytril 2 a day and infugi med for crop . Going to stop that tomorrow to give her immue system a chance to sort it out . (Kills good and the bad in crop.) poo is clearer and a bit lumper so I think she is getting better , how many times have i said that, Put flea (cat ) protection as well . I think her and Marian are multing as well which is not helping them either .
Lav is bad boy . Champ is running away from him but when cornered they go at it . lav goes looking for him .In the sin bin again today. Put their neck collars on them all today . Parker is so good does not fight (has weight avantage ) and just let me put it on . Normally they run backwards trying to get it off , but Lav and Champ use it as neck armour ....
Sky seems happy and getting about ,eating . Not as swollen as she was , but maybe in time it will get larger . May take her back if it gets larger for another needle extraction of fluid if it helps her . Vets have asked over her .
Put more wire up on back end of run as top part has only 1 piece . Have spare wire so sticking it up for more safety , not needed but my mind is better .
Van not returned . Ordering another to my specification for the dogs and chickens and bikes. Worry being end up with 2 vans and will be getting 2 bills for one tll insurance coffs up . Bang goes my no claims on it again.
Chap that has had the 4 chicks has asked for 6 more same age . Has lost 4 in the space he has them in and wants large girls as well.
So 10 chickens getting a good home in all.
Spoilling them for sure .
Add to that trouble booking holiday . find out more hopefully Thursday .
Bob

[Katiee]

so sorry Bob. So many people have no conscience now. It just doesn't bother them at all. hope things get sorted quickly for you.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi Thank you.
No harm done to animals . Not sure what I would do to those animals for sure.
Either on the sea to Nigeria or cut up for spares....
Ordering a new replacement -more cash up the swanny , insurance back to zero ------ claims bonus.
Hard discission -what colour to get.....
Marian vets to day , back again on Friday evening .Lara is still on Baytril x 2 a day . Likes letuce and in the kitchen. Not happy but she has solid in her crop not fluid so maybe getting better , Be happy when she comes for treats . Think she has had enough of me forcing meds down her beak . Sky still in there getting treats etc . Trouble is I throw it or offer it to her and the mob her and take it out my hand before her beak opens.
Brodie came out all fluffed up and ate some corn in the garden . When I looked in the coop , a white hen , Ghoust was on her nest . Soon as she called out I have laid an egg up she got back on her nest , I thought all the straw in the 2 nest boxes had dropped on the floor ,then realised that she has put it all on her box and she is 6 inches higher . Cleaned out the coops today and covered her with straw /sawdust and DE so she should not get bugs on her .
Lav is mur.der , he got his cllar off last night in the sin bin . Let him out and he goes for Champ . Parker not engaged in anyway . Just those too. In out of sin bib all day . He looks a mess but still goes back for more . Champ is hardly touched . He attacks me boots trousers hand . I win all the time but he is sycho .Way he is going he will be a very lonely boy .or roast dinner.....Halestones today whilst out with dogs .Hurts .
Exeter on Friday and again on Monday doing a lift for some one at work. 3 hours each way .
Hard to believe that.

Need a van as things todo ,may get it by Tuesday .
Consultant Thursday and phisyo
Wwell wishes to all and flocks
Bob
Chap at works girl had a prolapse and the other girls pecked her .Dead when found in the corner . Now only has 13 girls . CHICKENS are nasty little devils .

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all Good day in the garden.Marian is doing well but very reluctant to leave the kitchen . I put her in the garden with Lara and she had a even matched handbag fight with Chops the other one eyed girl . She had her comb bashed , not to bad , then hanged around me for the rest of the time.
Lara had a rear end wash ,up to her wings . Thought a wash and blow dry would help her . She had the same trouble . But as a bit weak still hid .
Had them both on the back of the bench in safety.
Soon ended back by the sink looking out the window.Lara has food in her crop ,likes the ham slice and pecked the corn on the cob.
Baytril still.Still believe a bad moult is main problem with a illness on the side.
Do not know how they will want to go back in the run and coops.
Brodie is still on the nest .Only comes off to let a girl lay eggs .
Lav is taking turns with Champ in the sin bin. Had them noth seperately on my leg well behaved . The other at my feet waiting to start again. Parker is so good , different in everyway.Rabbits still fighting .15 eggs plus , Marian made a fuss so put her in Dog cage and low and behold laid a egg . Second egg since she has been on meds . cannot eat it so she will get a egg treat tomorrow with Lara.Weather not making its mind up Sunny with rain and dark with snow. Warm then freezing . redicalus , what do you wear.
friend and me wating bacular and twa /coffee with 40 girls looking for crumbs and jumping up to help themselves ,UnNEVERING for someone not to happy about birds .Ginger and Harley trying to get most strokes .Ginger moulting .
Consultant tomorrow and phsyio .Mountain biking back in full flow and have not been on a bike for months (XMAS) / Thetford 8th May -no van - not fit and unskilled . Will I get there . Hope so.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , busy boy last couple days . Exeter a nighmare journey.
Traffic
Let the girls out this morning with plenty of food ,they put themselves to bed , found a brown girl in with Pom Pom and Club tonight , no idea which one . Let hwer get on with it . She is sleeping in the opening across it. Pom Pom normally sleeps with her head looking out the door so she will not be to amused . Stop the drafts though.
Left Lara (who is losing wait . ,Tylan . Have to put her back on the Baytril ,Baycox and anything else I may have.) and Marian on the window /sink shelf all day . Came back after dark and Marian had gone back to the dog cage ,Lara stayed up on the shelf bit . Gave her some Tylan and managed to get 1 piece of sweetcorn down her beak. Missed Marians vet appointment , going in the morning 10.30am. getting worried about Lara. All the signs of Penelope and Lilly . Taking her to vets does not help as obvious fix .Managed top grab 12 eggs from the coops without causing to much disturbance .Cats in run watching for furries . More work to be done weekend.
Lots going on new fiesta and now having to get a van as well . Paperwork. Need the van as bags building up in the garden.
Sunday and days next week .
Hope it all settles down soon as life is complicated enough without more rubbish in it.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , Lara my pet girl , has died . Last night 1.05.16 . Gone to the bridge to join her friends Penelope and Red and the rest of the flock before her.
So sad . Done what I could and the vet had nothing much else to offer than the medication I had already.
An illness that you can not define and yesterday it was a kill or cure day . Did not eat . Force fed Tuna water /Tylan even tried vegetable oil mixed in to flush her through ,but she resistance to not opening her beak slowly faded so her will to live was going .
I spent a good few hours before she went to sleep and she cuddled me as she did . Said my good byes and left her to sleep in peace.
I only wish I could have done more , other than killing her sooner as a mercy killing , my hands where tied. Miss much , as much as my Penelope for sure.
Marian is a better story . Another visit Tuesday to vets for the last of her jabs -3 weeks it has taken and she has still a lump/swollen face . But she can see out of her eye . Next thing to do is get back in the garden . Can not eat her eggs (laid 2 in 3 weeks . ) So will have to keep her seperate for 10 days to make sure she does not mix any with the other girls . Wonder if I put her egg under the brodie it woukld hatch .
May then have a chicken with some anti bodies against illness.
If it was true I am sure they would breed them already.
had the girls out the front eating the grass with ginger .
Put some wood over the run which can be took of and put on depending on the weather .
Out in the garden 5.30am and the boys have taken their collars off and noisey with it.
Must admit not the happiest person , lost Lara , Lost my Van and black cloud hopvering in general.
Hopefully I know that just above that ghorrible cloud the sun shiones still and just have to wait for it to re appear.
Bob

[kitla]

Sorry you lost Lara Bob, these "little brown hens" really worm their way into our hearts. It's amazing how they can all be so different.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , They do that . Marian looks like the next `pet` Quaker will be back up .
Summer is coming and hopefully the worst of winter deaths are over and the flocks can go about doing what they do best -sunning ,sunning and more sunning.
Thanks .
Having had so many girls you would think that dieing is a part of having chickens ,but it is as bad as the first girls that went over the bridge , never will get easier. How the farmers do their work I cannot understand . A special breed of people .
Unlike me a townie that dreams of a good life and not the real world of farming....
Bob

[KarenE]

Oh Bob what terribly sad news! I am so sorry to hear that wonderful and special Lara has gone over the Bridge. I know how devastated you must be on losing her - sadly we all know, because we've all been there, and even more sadly know we will again. The loss and worry is the downside of keeping chickens and yes, it should get easier but it never does.

Console yourself with the fact that you gave her a fantastic life (you know Lara would agree!) and a dignified end, where she was loved. How many of her factory friends would have had the chance to lead raiding parties into the house? What all chickens secretly dream of, and you gave her that every day.



And sorry to hear about your van too. Rotten luck you're having lately. It will pick up.