Scratch that

The kittens have got out the front a couple of times, and generally we try and prevent that happening.  There's a road,  a lot of houses,  dogs, other cats, out there.

Today Shelby escaped through the back gate as I was wheeling the bin out.   She hid under DH's car, and eventually came out to see me.

Next Door With the Jack Russell (NDwtJR) was out in their front garden, and went to put their dog away.  I said not to,  because it wasn't fair on Mason (the JR) to have to go in because my cat had escaped.  Mrs  NDwtJR hadn't met the kittens before, so she had a stroke and we chatted.  Mason was a but yappy, but quite well behaved.  All was going well.

Mrs NDwtJR decided to lift Mason up so e could meet Shelby.  All was going well.  The two pets looked at each other and sniffed. 

And then Mason barked in excitement.  Shelby panicked and tried to run away.  I didn't want her to run into the road so I held on. She panicked even more.  I held on. She somersaulted and knocked off my glasses.

I let her go.

I've got deep (and already sore) scratches.  On my hands, on my arms,  on my neck, on my face.

Serves me right.

On the upside, at least Shelby is aware that there is something scary at the front of the house.

 

Bird Baths and the Runs

I bathed Big Bird. She loved it.

She didn't like being picked up and brought in, and she didn't like being stood in the sink.  But when she felt the warm water on her tummy and nether regions,  she sat down and relaxed completely.


It was so successful, that I went round looking for other girls who might appreciate a bath.  Phyllis  also quite liked it, but Fleur did not appreciate it at all.     Everywhere was disinfected with Milton afterwards.


We had an evening where Phyllis, our middle aged gets-on-with-all-groups girl,  decided she wanted to sleep in with the Evacuees.  This resulted in two of the Evacuees, Annie and Katie, refusing to go to bed.  They climbed into the empty GoUp instead.     I'm not having a fourth coop in use (it's there as a potential nest box at the moment),  so I evicted Phyllis, and moved the Evacuees in to the green coop.

The next day,  DH found all the remaining run panels for me and built a tube so he could connect the two runs together.  He moved   They are separated by a guillotine style auto opener, ChickenGuard, which we used to have at the allotment.   We can keep them separate if we wish, but it's permanently open at the moment to allow and encourage the girls to go between pens as they choose.  This morning everyone chose to be in the Evacuees area. 

At some point, I want to move the Evacuees Cube into the Big Run.  We can then use the Evacuee Run as an interim/pretend  "outside" pen..... the idea being that the coops open at x oclock in the morning,  and the access to the "outside" would be  given an hour later, with the auto opener doing it's job.  

And then maybe I won't have to keep getting up at 6/6.30.

But that's in the future.
 

News at Hen

Since Sylvia's untimely death, I've been separating the Girls at night. 

It's not particularly for safety reasons, it'e entirely selfish.  I discovered that if  I make sure that only Phyllis is allowed in with Astrid and Sunshine (the two leghorns), then there is relative peace first thing in the morning.    The noise doesn't start until 6ish.

If I let anyone else join them,  the trouble starts before the coops open at 5.25 am.

For six out of the the last seven mornings,  I've not had to get up until 6am.     Somewhere in the middle I allowed Elizabth to join the orange cube,  and I had to get up at 5.15.

The flocks have been tolerating each other reasonably well,  with a couple of unpleasant incidents.   Four of the five Evacuees have been gradually spending more time down near the house.

Nora,  who is well over 9, blind in one eye,  and has been badly attacked by Fleur,  is a little more reticent.    I hefted her the other day,   and she's lighter than she was.   They've been here for 7 weeks now,  and I'm amazed that the shock of the change o the environment, the regime and the flock composition (and the fights - some of which she has been the winner) didn't kill her.


The recent rain has been very welcome.  The grass was parched,  and the wear caused by last years massive run for the chicks - which we thought had recovered -  came to the surface on our "lawn".   

DH rotovated the old chick area at the allotment, over the course of a few days,  and put grass seed down.  He had removed all the netting which enclosed the allotment,  so I suspect a lot of the seed might have been eaten.    He timed it so that it was down just before the rain came, so he didn't have to water by hand.

I haven't been down to the allotment since we evacuated the girls.

DH was adamant that we won't be putting hens on there again,  but have agreed to see how we feelwhen the Covid situation is under control.      Each morning, when I get up at silly o'clock and later when we have Nest Box Wars, I make a mental note of which girls I'd like to put on the allotment and which girls I'd keep in the garden.

I don't know if we will return to it.    I don't know how many Girls we'll have left  when the time comes.   I have a lot of very OABs in the garden at the moment,  3 of whom are from the same hatch. There are at least 4 that I anticipate may well die of natural old age at any time,  and 3 slightly younger girls that have a not particularly robust conformation and whose sisters/mothers died at around the age these girls are at now.  

So we'll see.

And that reminds me.  It's a sunny-ish morning, and BigBird,  who has the loveliest nature but a brick shaped body,  needs a bath .   




 

Sew, no sew.

Another week draws to a close.

I've found it almost impossible to do anything creative during the lockdown period, which I know is silly.  I keep telling myself I ought to be making good use of the time,  but I just haven't felt the urge.  I made myself clear the cutting table, as the clutter there is often a blockage to my creativity.    It helped, but didn't give me the surge I had been expecting.  

Out of necessity, I made myself make myself a new maxi skirt.  The weather had been so hot, I had to start wearing skirts, and I managed to ruin two of mine on exposed wires on the chicken run. 

It's made from a heavy scuba with a flowery pattern, so I didn't really expect it to drape very well, nor to be particularly pretty.

I absolutely love it.

I decided to make another one, but I then wondered about trying to make a shirred top/dress.  I ordered shirring elastic,   my friend Judith pointed me at a video which seemed easy enough.  Then I decided to makea tank top from a pattern I'd made previously.   The fabric choice wasn't great (and I've put on a bit of weight), but it was useable.  Until I wrecked it trying to do some unpicking.   I binned it.

Then I thought I ought to make some masks,  and then the weather changed before the elastic arrived, and I ended up not trying the shirring after all. 

I also completely failed to make more lemon and lime ice cream,  and I don't really understand why that was so difficult.  I have lemons and limes, I bought cream,  it's one of the easiest ever ice cream recipes (no custard involved).  I just....couldn't...get....round...to...it.

I did make myself make some lemon curd, to use some of the eggs.    I had planned to make lemon curd, lime curd and lemon and lime curd (I've got a lot of lemons and limes, and a lot of eggs).   In some respects, it's better that I didn't - I won't be able to eat it all before it goes off,

I did make myself do something a bit more creative in the kitchen.  I used the new chamber vacuum sealer to marinade some lamb steaks,  and I made 2 kg (potato weight) of Aioli Mashed potato.   Then yesterday I made some bolognese for today (I've been fancying lasagne for 2 weeks now),  and I marinaded some pork in a Belazu Shawarma paste which I'd bought on impulse.  I used Maria Feisty Tapas' pressure cooker method for Chicken Baharat,  and the result was good.  Good enough to be on our "make again" list.

I served it with some home made Rosti, made from the last 500g of potatoes plus a sweet potato.  I pressure cooked the whole potatoes for 1 minute to soften them slightly, then grated them with a coarse grater.  I added salt and pepper for each potato that I grated.     I tried frying in one big thing, but the mid sized pan I used was rubbish and it caught.     I decanted everything to the air fryer, using the recently purchased additional insert... and it worked really well.  So well that I am going to use it as my preferred method from now on.

I've also been using the chamber vacuum to do some instant pickling.  I love lightly pickled cucumber.    I had a bottle of Sarson's 15 minute pickling vinegar,  and OMG it's lovely!    I'm struggling to find it in any of the supermarkets that deliver to me,  and I don't fancy going to the large Tesco in the nearby Big Town.

In other news, I  broke my fabric ban.


Apart from some antimicrobial fabric bought for face masks,  I haven't bought fabric for 6 months.   I've been tempted, many times, but I've always resisted.   Until I didn't.  

I bought a couple of pieces from Miss Cloe, and having broken the ban I gave in and bought a load of stuff from  Textile 9,  who have taken over Tilly Bee Fabrics.      I was obviously in the mood for breaking my ban, as I had also  been looking at Coalville Fabrics with serious intent.


The box from Textile 9 arrived today,  and it's full of really lovely fabric, and it might be enough to encourage me to make something.   I can definitely see fabric for some Heartlight maxi skirts,  and some for tee shirt type tops.   I might even try making some leggings again, as I need a new pair for PIlates.

The picture doesn't do it justice.   


Of course now I've broken my ban, I'm struggling to get back under control.   I might try the reward system.  If I can make myself a shirred top (or dress) then I'll buy some more fabric.

Hm. We'll see.



   

Sylvia's Accidental Death

This morning I got up and went to check on the girls, and I saw a very sad sight.

Sylvia was dead in the doorway of the coop.

I opened the coop from the back, and leaned in to move her.  Rigormortis has set in.  I went back in the house to get a towel to wrap her in,  and to  wake and tell my husband.     Then I went back ouside, looked her over in situ and then lovingly wrapped her in the towel, and carried her in to the house.

Last night, she'd been sitting in the doorway and a couple of girls still hadn't gone to bed.   My first thought was that she had got caught in the doorway when the auto door shut.  This wasn't the case though - I'd gone out last night before bedtime, found Poppy still on the roosting bars, and had had to turn the lights on,  get her off the roosting bar and I carried her round and put her in the pop hole.  The coop door was completely shut, so I know that isn't what happened.

What I guess happened is that one or more of the girls who were outside probably trod on her to get in to the coop,  and unfortunately probably trod on her neck on the edge of the doorway - dislocating or breaking it, and killing her.

Poor gentle little girl.  Poor beauty.

Only one female silver laced barnevelder hatched, the other 4 were  boys.  One,  the beautiful Shy Boy,  went to start a new line with a breeder.  They were all such lovely boys that we kept 2 boys, and were going to run a flock with two cockerels.   Barnevelders are such a gentle breed that it's possible to do this, if the boys are raised together.    And then the b*st*rds came and stole some girls,  and we had to evacuate the rest.  The poor boys couldn't be left on  their own,  so we had to cull them.

It's such a sorry tale.  All that work, all that love,  nothing left to show for it.

I can't help wishing it had been one of the troublemakers who had died instead.

 

Sylvia, Silver Laced Barnevelder, sitting with Astrid & Sunshine

Here's one of the few where she can be better seen, although as she was just starting stand up to ruffle herself,  it's not flattering

A very lucky escape

The coop shenanigans continues.  I've had to start interfering, as it wasn't settling down.

The three youngest (Leghorns Astrid and Sunshine, and Barnevelder Sylvia) and Phyllis are no trouble when left to go to bed on their own.  They only squawk in the morning when the other coops start whingeing.  They sleep in the orange cube.

Fleur doesn't like going in either coop.  In calmer times, I'd leave her to roost in the run if that's what she wants to do.  I can't do that at the moment though, because she wakes up with the dawn, starts moving around,  and then that kicks off a commotion by those who are in coops (and can't bear the thought of someone else being out when they are not).


The rest of the group that live in the main coop tend to try and pile into the other, purple, coop,  but they don't all get on and there is a lot of vying for dominance. Even  2 year old hatchmates Violet and Bott have fights at night, althogh they get on reasonably well during the day.      Whichever of them gets in to the coop first then allows, or does not allow, others to get in.

Left to sort it out for themselves, those who are not allowed in have been going round to the orange coop,  chucking ot the occupants, and then making it difficult for them to regain entry.   The bullies peck at night,  and cause a ruckus in the morning while waiting for the doors to open.


So, each evening as it starts to get dark,  I've been round to the orange cube,  forced out Violet or Bott,  and then herded any Purplers who aren't in bed  the area of the coop, and putting something over the entrance to the run so that they can't get back in and round to the orange coop. I've also been making Fleur join them (she had free choice for a few days, and each time she chose the Purple crowd).

Then I go back in the house until just before I go to bed.    At that point I come out, and see where we are.    Some evenings, everyone is in, and I open the flap ready for the morning.   Some evenings, Fleur is sitting on hte ladder looking at a closed door, and I have to faff around getting her in.    One evening,  Fleur and Poppy were on the ladder looking at a closed door.

Yesterday evening,  I went to eject Violet/Bott from the orange cube to discover that it was Poppy.   Poppy (along with Gloria and Evacuee Kate is nearly 9, and is a lovely-to-people girl).   i hesitate, and decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and left her there. The rest of the Purplers were shepherded into the coop area, flap down, and I went in.

I came out at bedtime to discover Fleur was on hte ladder looking at a closed door (no suprise),  but I also discovered that Phyllis (our 6 year old Allotmenteer, gets on with every group) and Astrid (our 1 year old Leghorn) were roosting on the mezzanine by their coop.     Poppy had not let them in.

So I farted around with Fleur,  and then I attempted to sort out the other two.     They were in a part of the run that is only 1m tall,  and the "door" into the side only opens a fraction.    I squeezed and squozed myself but I couldn't reach them.  Chickens don't see well in the dark, but they do often move towards light.

I tried openeing the nest box and shining a torch so the light came out of the now-open pop hole. .   Fail.   I opened the back of the Cube and put the torch by the pop hole.  Nothing.  I tried all sorts of things, even prodding them with a small pole.  Nothing.

In almer times, I'd have left them,  but this isn't calmer times.  There would be trouble in the morning.  In the end I had to grab whatever bit of them I could, and I pulled a bit to make Astrid move.  She screeched (don't blame her), and luckily for me, she made a run for the light.

Phyllis is a much bigger hen, and is older and not so flexible.  I couldn't do quite the same thing with her.  I grabbed some feathers and did some firm tugs.  She didn't move.  I prodded.  In the end, I had to grap her near her neck, it ww enough to make her shuffle forward, but she struggled finding the ladder in the dark.  I had to put my arm down to make a bridge,  and twisting and leaning really hurt.  Luckily, she made a lunge for the light, and got in.

I then had to untwist myself, and get up in a very small space. I shut the pop hole,  reconnected the auto opener, and realised that I was trapped.   The openeer for the pop hole is a long bar.  There was no way I could get round it.  Even bent ouble, I'd have trouble getting under it.  There was no room to squat and move forwards.   Deep sigh.

Eventually I had freed myself,  I opened the back of the cube, retreived the torch which had falled in between the roosting bars,  shut the back up, and I went back in the house.

...........

At 5.20 this morning, the whingeing started.    I got up, and looked out of the window to see if the openers had opened.    I saw Sylvia in the garden.

But I'd seen Sylvia in the Cibe last night!  Hadn't I?  I had. I had. I was sure I had.    Maybe it was someone else in the garden.  I looked again.  I couldn't see her.  I put on my dressing gown, and went downstairs.  As I opened the back door,  I could see Astrid in the garden.    As I walked across the garden,  I saw Sunshine.   No wonder the other two coops were going nuts.    Even if the orange coop pop hole had opened early, how on earth were they all in the garden?!   I ran.

All the pop holes were closed.

And then I saw it.

I'd left the egg port door off.

Easy access for a fox.

I was so very lucky that the fox had not been.