Bloody mess

DH phoned from the Allotment.

Some of the Dinner Boys had got in with Spike and the Old Ladies. Spike and one of the Dinner Boys had got into a fight, and Spike was badly injured.  DH was bringing him home.

He looked awful and he was starting to go into shock.  I gave him some Nutridrops and then tried to bathe some of the blood off with cotton wool and warm water - I wanted ot try and find out whether it was just a nasty comb injury (which, because they bleed profusely, always look terrible,  or to see whether there were any other injuries).

As I was bathing, I could see that Spike  was slipping into shock again.  I made up some water with some Avipro and a drop of Rescue Remedy. Being designed for birds, the Avipro had the dosage instructions on the tub;   the Rescue Remedy didn't, so I decided one drop in 50ml of water would be more than enough.  I wrapped him in  a towel, I then tried syringing small quantities into his beak.

The first one dribbled out again.   It's best to only syringe very small quantities, and to let the chook swallow themselves. This is because the windpipe is right next to the stomach pipe and if you put too much liquid in - or try and force it down - you can drown the bird by getting fluid into the lung.

He swallowed the second squirt, and the third. These were about 0.2ml each (the syringe happened to have markings). I decided to stop trying to get the blood off him, and to put him somewhere quiet so he could recover from the shock.  I wrapped a second towel around him, and moved him into Tilda's pen.  I covered the pen with a couple of towels so that it was slightly darkened in there. He's currently sitting in there still swaddled in towels.

 Poor lad.

The attacker is currently in solitary cofinement in the cockerel run at the allotment.

I look like an extra in a Reservoir Dogs poster.

Windypops

The wind has been ferocious.  Last night I woke up and couldn't believe just how howling the wind was. We live in Suburbia, but it sounded like we were in some very remote place with no windbreaks.

This morning DH noticed that the felt on one of the sheds had been ripped off.

He's gone to buy some new felt, but we'll have to wait for the rain to stop (and the wind to die down a bit) before he can try re-felting the roof.

Unexpected

Tilda is still living in the kitchen on a B&B basis.    She's started to come out of the dog crate to have a little wander around that end of the kitchen, and so we no longer shut the door.    She gets breakfast (even though she has a pot of pellets, a pot of treats, a pot of grit, a pot of water and a peckablock available ll the time) when DH comes down in the morning to feed the cats. When I come down, she's out of her pen and ready to be taken to her outside run for the day,

In the day, I do treats for everyone - including Tilda.  In the evening, I shut the rest of the Girls away and then collect Tilda and bring her in for the evening.  She has some dinner, and then settles down in her pen to watch us and chat with us during the evening. She eats well, drinks well.  She preens herself. 

This evening, I looked out of the window and decided to put the Girls away a little early.  Tilda was standing by the netting which separates her run from theirs, watching me.   I shut the Girls away, turned round to  go into Tilda's run...and she was collapsed on her side, eyes shut.

I scooped her up, rushed into the house and shouted for DH to bring the drops.  I laid her on the kitchen floor, got some drops into her  beak, and then sat beside her stroking her and talking to her.    In the heat of the moment - in the shock - I had  completely forgotten that we had agreed DNR (do not resuscitate).   

A minute or two of constant stroking and talking dragged past.  She was breathing, but otherwise unresponsive. She was still on her side.  I stroked her feet. They didn't grip my fingers like hens feel normally do.  But she did open her eyes.   I sat up, stroked her for a bit.  Then I told her that I'd leave her be for a while (after all, maybe she didn't really appreciate the stroking, it was perhaps more for my comfort than hers).  I knelt up, getting ready to stand. She rolled over. I stood up: she was now the right way up.  I moved away, and a few seconds later she got, unsteadily, to her feet.   

I put her in her pen. I put some corn in her treat feeder. She ate it. She's looking a bit spaced out at the moment, and I don't know what will happen.

I remembered the DNR.  DH and I discussed it again.  Maybe letting her go was the long-term kinder thing to do.  But it's hard to do nothing when there is something that can be done.  Especially when her last attack was weeks ago.  

If she didn't want to be resuscitated, she should keel over during the night when we aren't there to save her, then I wouldn't have to make the "do nothing" decision,./ 

I guess what I do, or don't do, will depend on what happens over the next few hours.  I've told myself that if she has another attack this evening, I'll let her go.   Beyond that, I can make no promises.

Impatience

Lotti has been crouching for me for weeks now, and still no eggs.
Poppy's allotment sisters have been laying for a couple of weeks - no sign of anything from Poppy.

I think the cold snap has interrupted their development Or they are laying eggs somewhere else.

I' not usually quite  this impatient,  but I have agreed to take a couple of Girls in to do a school talk in a couple of weeks, and I'd really like to take in a china white egg from Lotti.  And a blue one from Milly (but that's even less likely to happen).

I was looking through photos and videos to see what else I could take in to show the children. I have lots of video from 2011 (incubator throught to adults), but apparently none at all from 2012 (Poppy and Lotti).   How did I manage to miss capturing their chickhood on video?  I have some photos, but that's not quite the same.

 My usual first choice of hen for young  children would be Tilda as she's placed and happy to be handled.  However, she still isn't quite right, and I don't think it's fair on her to put her under that sort of stress.

So, I'm currently trying to reacquaint Poppy and Lotti with the joys of being handled,  and it's likely that they will be the ones to accompany me.   I also considered one of the allotment girls, Nora or Batty, who will do anything for a bit of food.    I'll see.  

I've got two weeks to decide.

At last, the truth.

I'm sure you've seen those TV ads for "feminine hygiene" products, showing girls having a great time. And Bodyform's really annoying tag line of "Have a Happy Period".

In October last year, a chap called Richard posted  a comment on Bodyform's facebook page. complaining that he'd been lied to all these years...


Here's the text in case it's cut off in the pic above:

Hi , as a man I must ask why you have lied to us for all these years . As a child I watched your advertisements with interest as to how at this wonderful time of the month that the female gets to enjoy so many things ,I felt a little jealous. I mean bike riding , rollercoasters, dancing, parachuting, why couldn't I get to enjoy this time of joy and 'blue water' and wings !! Dam my penis!! Then I got a girlfriend, was so happy and couldn't wait for this joyous adventurous time of the month to happen .....you lied !! There was no joy , no extreme sports , no blue water spilling over wings and no rocking soundtrack oh no no no. Instead I had to fight against every male urge I had to resist screaming wooaaahhhhh bodddyyyyyyfooorrrmmm bodyformed for youuuuuuu as my lady changed from the loving , gentle, normal skin coloured lady to the little girl from the exorcist with added venom and extra 360 degree head spin. Thanks for setting me up for a fall bodyform , you crafty bugger

Bodyform have now responded.....


Well done Bodyform!

Like many other parts of the country, we've had lots of snow.

The Garden Girls are very vociferous to be let out but, when I open the door to their Run, they see the snow and then hang around in the doorway complain bitterly.  It's as if they blame me personally for covering their free range area with something so horrible.

In previous years we had Lily,  my lovely hybrid White Ranger (White Star), who hated the snow as much as the next hen, but didn't let it stop her going out and exploring.  And because Lily was outside Doing Things, the others would come out and be Doing Things as well.

Sadly, Lily died last year (nothing to do with the snow). And  none of the remaining Girls is brave enough to come out. Not even the loony Lotti.

The cold snap also put paid to any idea Lotti and Poppy ight have had about starting to lay.  Even Roobarb stopped laying.

Instead they get spoiled by having hot porridge,  and mealworms.

Tilda is put into her own run, adjacent to everyone else, during the day,and then brought into the kitchen at night.    Because the other Girls aren't going out, I can't sneak her into the Big Run for a dust bath.  Worried that she might be feeling unclean, I decided that I would brave the snow and make her her own personal  dustbath.    I had to dig out access to the shed to find a spare tub trug,  and then  I was grovelling around on the snowy ground trying to install  it in the covered part of her run.  I even went to the trouble of stealing some of the contents of the dust bath from the main run, so she would smell the same as the others.   Then, still on my knees in the snow,  I realised that she might have trouble stepping into the bath, so  I cut an opening in the side.

Did she use it?  Of course not.

Now the snow has thawed and the other are going out, I've snuck her into their run and shut her in for half an hour so she can dust bathe in there.     She doesn't.

Eggciting!

Norman or her sisters has been laying for a week or so now.  These three lovely little girls (Sarah, they are the offspring of Capt'n Flint x Buffy and Willow) lay very recognisable eggs. Smallish, goos solid shells, very smooth.

Today, we also found an egg in the Littlees' shed!  No idea who laid it. And whoever laid it hadn't discovered the two nestboxes, so maybeit took them by surprise.

At home, Lotti has been crouching for me every day for a week or more now, so hopefully we'll have something from her soon. I'm really looking forward to eggs from her, because they will be china white.

And Roobarb has been laying a few times a week for a couple of weeks!

Home laid eggs, nothing - nothing beats them.

Goodbye, old friend

In 1984 when I was 18, I bought books through Book Club Associates (BCA).  Back then, you joined, got a few books for practically nothing and made a commitment that you would buy so many books over the next year. 

One of my best buys was Delia Smith's Illustrated Cookery Course, in the special (small) BCA format.  It's been one of the best things I ever bought, and I use it all the time.  

Yesterday, my 28 year old copy fell apart. Literally.  It's already been taped together numerous times, and yesterday it fell into pieces. (Spookily, one of the pieces was at the recipe for Ossobuco which was exactly the recipe I was looking for, but I digress.).

I picked the pieces up, and the pieces fell into pieces. I thought about taping it up again, but I realised that I was just putting off the inevitable.

I've ordered a new copy. Paperback this time, and normal sized.

Gosh!

So, last night.  I brought Tilda in, and opened up the flap so that the remaining 6 Girls could access both Cubes.  I hoped, but doubted, that they might all go to bed together in the same Cube.

Once it was dark, I went out to see what had occurred.  And, of course, we had the 4 Oldies in one Cube, and the 2 Littlees in the other Cube.  I left them to it.

Tonight, I brought Tilda in, and opened up the flap so the remaining 6 Girls could access both Cubes. I hoped, but doubted, that they might all go to bed together in the same Cube.

Once it was dark, I went out to see what occurred.  All 6 Girls were in the same Cube.

SURPRISE!

Is it a one-off, or is it now sorted?

Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Spin the Wheel

Another change around.

Tilda, who is still living-in on a Dinner Bed & Breakfast basis, spends most of her time outside hidingunder a shrub.  She moves around the garden during the day, but she's always well away from the two Oldies (Florence and Roobarb) and the two LIttlees (Lotti and Poppy).

Lotti and Poppy continue to try and sleep in with Florence and Roobarb, but the ease with which they gain access to the cube varies from night to night.  I wondered, idly, whether Florence and Roobarb were blaming Lotti and Poppy for the banishment of  the two bullies (Milly and Custard).

We realised a couple of days ago that we were going to have to re0hink our strategy, and that the best thing might be to put Tilda in a safe area on her own, and to let Milly and Custard rejoin the main flock.   She spends most of the time on her own anyway, so it is no worse than she is suffering at the moment. In fact, it should be better - she could at least mooch about without fear of being chased by Florence and Roobarb.We would continue to bring Tilda in at night (as the weather is supposed to get much colder soon).  I decided that it would be best to wait until the Littlees had come into lay, as they may be able to hold their own better when Milly and Custard were reintroduced.

And then there was last night.
 
Last night we were woken up by an alarmed hen. (truthfully, DH was woken up by an alarmed hen, I was woken up by DH).  DH wento to investigate and heard something leaping over the fence.   Investigation showed that Lotti (who had been in the Cube in the evening, I checked) was trying to sleep in the Egg under the Cube.

So, this morning I decided to try putting tilda in the Henitentiary,  and I let the bullies in with the other 4.  I'm keeping an eye on them - any sign of undue nastiness to the Littlees, and the  bullies will be back on their own.

I haven't decided what to do about bedtime.  Apart from bringing Tilda in, of course.   I was thinking I would separate Milly and Custard late afternoon: if Lotti and Poppy are having trouble getting in past two big girls, I can't see them getting past four.  DH suggested that it might not be such a problem, maybe a bit of harmony will be restored by having the four big girls together.   Maybe.  We've decide to see what unfolds naturally for tonight.

Custard and Milly are delighted to be back with their friends.  They've been all over the garden,  and the four oldies are spending a lot of time as a group.

Let's see how it goes.

Milly (and to some extent, Custard) are very much on probation.

Circles

So. A few nights ago, I stopped checking that the Littlees had gone in OK. 

Two nights ago, I watched the chickencam as bed time approached, and saw the usual long drawn out routine.    Florence went in.   After much messing about, Lotti went in...then Poppy started up the steps.  Then, Lotti came fkying out, and Poppy leapt off the steps. Roobarb went up.  Lotti and Poppy were running around in some distress.  Eventually I saw Lotti go into the Egg under the Cube, and I went outside to see what was going on.

I opened the Cube, put a torch in, and made encouraging noises. I pished Florence, who was hogging the entrance, to one side... and Roobarb went down the ladder.  Eventually Lotti rushed in, made for the nest box, and pursued by Poppy. I could see blood.

I ran into the house to get the purple spray.  She had a lot of blood on her oversized comb, and I realised that she must have caught a sharp peck on her way in which is why she ran out so suddenly.  I sprayed her carefully,  which meant that only her and my hand and a bit of the Cube got purpled.

....


Yesterday, I went out to check, and everyone was in OK.

.....

In the meantime, Tilda has been staying in the Pampas at closing time, and I retrive her each evening and bring her to the kitchen door. She then hops up the step and goes to her pen.

DH and I have had discussions about whether Tilda actully likes to come in the kitchen at night.  She makes no effort to go to the Run when I go out with corn, so I am assuming she has chosen to come in.    We don't like it that she's on her own,  but is it worse than being wit the others and being picked on?  She spends her days mostly apart from them anyway.
....

This evening, unusually, Tilda was in the Run at closing time.  I left her in there, hiding under a bench (Tilda was doing the hiding, not me).  I watched the Hencam to make sure that nothing untoward happened.

Everyone else went to bed.  So, I went and let myself into the Run and was greeted with a cheerful burble.  I called her, and she waddled out from underneath the bench and headed towards me.  I took this as a sign that she wanted B&B again, and brought her in.

.....

In the Henitentary (which now has had it's outdoor free ranging area extended even further so is rather palatial),   the inmates seem fine.  Milly and Custard toddle off to bed very happily.

......

This could take some time to resolve.

Festive fare

So the Christmas cake and puddings made for friends have been delivered or collected. I didn't take photos this year, I'm kicking myself.

I've been busy in the kitchen all morning,  getting ready for tomorrow.  The kitchen smells lovely. 

The goose is unwrapped and under a protective net cloche, finishing off its defrosting. It's been out of the freezer but in the fridge ofor 24 hours,  and it needs a bit more defrosting, then 15 hours out of the fridge before stuffing.  

I've made the pear, cranberry and pecan stuffing for the goose. It's in the fridge. NOTE TO SELF: TAKE STUFFING OUT OF FRIDGE BEFORE BEDTIME.  .   I managed to find my onion goggles eventually, after I'd peeled two onions for the stuffing and couldn't see what I was doing for the tears.

The goose stock gravy is bubbling away gently on the hob. 

I've got a huuuuge vat of  red cabbage in the oven:   We only have a small amount over Christmas, I  freeze most of it  in small portions to use over the coming months.

DH and I braved the rain to go and harvest our sad brussels sprouts crop. The crop was very poor, the sprouts  - those that the pigeons had rejected - were like marble, sand we weren't going to bother.  I decided I'd just order sprouts in my Ocado delivery. 

I had a rare misunderstanding with my Ocado delivery.

One of the offers was 3 packs of prepared vegetables for £2.50.  I rarely buy prepped vegetables, but this seemed a good idea.  I picked a bag of spinach,  a bag of sprouts, and a bag of tenderstem broccoli.   The delivery arrived and I started to unpack. I found a bag of sprouts, I did a double take....I searched through the bags.....and when I found the broccoli, I realised what had happened.

They were one-serving sized bags.

Never mind.  We have lots of different vegetables, and only need a taste of each one really.  And DH won't eat them anyway.  And I won't make that mistake again.

The kitchen looks like the proverbial bomb has hit it.  It's the one time of year when using the Magimix is definitely quicker, and I seem to have used four of the discs, two of the 3 bowls, and one blade.  Actually,  I might make the swede and carrot mash now.  It's another thing which reheats really well, and I can use the already-dirty disc to do the cutting.

Then I'll clear up  and then make some of Nigella's cranberry mincemeat.  I just fancy a glass of chilled Alvada and a mince pie.

As usual I bought a pack of mince pies to supplement the home made ones.   I like to make some, but I find that some of the shops make very good ones.   I especially like M&S puff pastry ones, and I liked Heston's Waitrose ones last year.   This year I bought Heston's Waitrose ones, but I don't like them very much. I had to eat 2 to make sure,  and I'm sure.   

I expect my DB1 (Darling Brother, eldest) will be happy to finish them off.

Well, back to the chopping board.

Operation Separation continues

Milly (Cream Legbar and very spiteful chicken) and her sidekick, Custard (Sasso, Tilda's full sister and a big bully) continue to enjoy their new quarters, fenced off from the rest of the flock.   I gave them a paddock area,  which I enlarged today so it encompassed a big shrub. it was pouring with rain, I had on my dressing gown and big coat,  and I had to wrestle a holly bush to get the netting through. I have holly-weals all round my calves,  serves me right for not waiting until I had got dressed.

Anyway. They seem OK in there. They are eating , drinking, and are going to bed without any trouble.  Florence and Roobarb stop by th netting to chat every so often;  the two Littlees and Tilda steer clear.

Tilda is exploring more of the garden now, presumably she is aware that she is safe from the two bullies.  She's still coming in to the kitchen on a B& B basis, and she came in for a quick snack when I had a mass break out yesterday.   I had decided to carry on like this for a few days,   so that the two Littlees can get comfortable going up to bed in the Big Girls Cube. The plan was to wait until they went up to bed withot any messing around,  and then I'd start introducing Tilda back into the Cube.   

That was the plan.  

I may have to rethink my strategy.  I discovered this morning that  Tilda is clearly eating properly now..... my goodness, my nose told me this as soon as I walked into the kitchen. 

The Littlees are still too timid to march into the BG Cube at night, despite there only being Florence (Australorp) in there.  Roobarb (Welsh Black, and very kind) pretends to be busy elsewhre in the Run so that they can get in, but they just can't seem to do it without a lot of dithering.  I'm hoping things improve.  I'm hoping things improve quickly.

I have no plans to reintroduce the two bullies in the short term.  I will have to do it at some point, but not yet.

Oh, I noticed that Lotti's comb has started to fold over.  She looks like a proper Leghorn now.   She was still escaping regularly, by just flying over the netting.  Yesterday I rearranged things so that the taller (non electrifiable) netting was across the small area of grass we used to call a lawn. I don't think she can fly over that.   I do hop it works, otherwise I'll have to clip her wing.  And if I clip her wing, she won't be able to fly up on to my arm - and I would miss that.

Fun and games.

 

Changing rooms

Well, I didn't do it.

Ot at least, I haven't done it yet.

Yesterday I tried to catch Milly to do the deed, and she ran into the Littlees cube (LC) run. The whole arrangement is rot of F shaped, with the two horizontal strokes representing the two Cubes and their runs, which attach to a covered walk-in run.

I put some mesh over the opening so she couldn't get out, and then I made sure she had food and water.   Because our Girls free range most of the time, there is still lots of grass in the Littlees run, so I thought she'd be OK for a while.

As I came back to the house to get the shed keys (to find a suitable broomstick) I saw Custard jump on Tilda.  So, I put Custard in with Milly.  I wasn't ready to despatch both Girls at once,  and I saw an opportunity to try an alternative.... well, for now, anyway.

With the two out of the way, Tilda was happy going into the run, grubbing around, dustbathing etc.  She ate out of the feeders, which I haven't seen her do for some time.

Evening came.  There was a lot of confusion.  Milly (who normally goes to bed first) was running around in the Little Girls run.    Florence was in the other Cube run, waiting for Milly.  The Littlees couldn't get in to their run at all.

It got darker.

Eventually, Florence went up the stairs to the BG Cube.   Milly went upstairs into the LG cube, Custard ran around in confusion.   Roobarb stood with her back to the BG ladder, whistling, pretending not to notice that Lotti was trying to get on to the ladder, Eventually Lotti got on to the ladder and spent ages at the top, apparently unable to go in.  I wondered what Tilda and Florence were doing that was preventing her.  After what seemed like an hour, but was probably three minutes,  she popped in.    Poppy came and eyed up the ladder. Roobarb walked past the bottom of the ladder, and Poppy ran away.   Roob, rather kindly,  walked away and then stood looking out of the Cube in a very obvious  I-can't-see-the-ladder kind of way.  Poppy bobbed up and down and eventually took the leap.  She hesitated at the top, and went in.

Over on the other side, Custard zoomed up the ladder and straight in.

Roobarb calmly went up the ladder. in the BG run.

Fifteen minutes later, when it was properly dark, I went to check on everyone.  I checked that Milly and Custard were actually in the Cube - OK.  I went in to the walk in run, just to check. And I found Tilda sitting under one of the garden benches.

Not sure whether she didn't want to go into the Cube, or whether her recent B&B status had confused her ans she was expecting to come inside.  I decided to bring her into the kitchen for the night.

I think I'll repeat this for a couple of nights until the Littlees are happily going in to the Big Girls Cube of their own accord.  Then I'll start moving Milly back in when it's dark... unless she takes matters into her own claws of course.

This morning I fenced off a bit of outside for Milly and Custard so they can get out of the run of they want to, but are still separated from the others.  Fortunately we put doors in the Cube  run sections on the side and at the bac, gives us a lot of flexibility.

Not sure how long this will carry on. We'll see.  

On the up-side,  we were going to have to remove access to  the Little Girls run at some point, as we'll need the Cube in the spring for next year's hatch.  I guess this is a step on that path.

Third Strike

Milly went beserk at Tilda today, not once but twice.  The second time, I pulled Milly off Tilda and put her in Tilda's pen in the kitchen.   I had to go out, so I put the rest of the girls, including Tilda, in the Run.

When I got back about two hours later, I realised as soon as I walked in the door that there was a problem with this arrangement. Milly isn't ill, so she poos like a regular chicken.  I had to stand the pen outside, covered it in towels, while I thought about what to do.

I didn't want to do the deed without talking to DH first.  However, DH was working. When he eventually finished, and I told him what I was planning to do, he wasn't OK with it (I think he didn't think I meant it when I talked about it the other day).   I explained that I wasn't asking him to do it, I though I should do it...but I couldn't do it if he didn't support me.   DH couldn't decide what to do for the best, so we agreed that tomorrow we would put Milly in the Pen (outside) while Tilda was in the garden, and then we'd talk about it again.

Goodbye boys

It's time to reduce the numbers. 

 

The Boys on the allotment have, naturally, started to fight a bit.  We're been really lucky this year,  23 weeks of happy chooks before there was a "problem".   It's not really a serious problem, but it will be soon and we'd rather take action now than wait and wish we hadn't waited.

On Saturday we identified the 4 boys that are going. 

In some respects, it was easier than in previous years,  as we have a large number of Boys and we have already identified several possible keepers.  For the rest, it's just a matter of time,  so in some respects it made the choice easier.

And the Boys that are going have had a fabulous (and, relatively, long) life.  I know that. I repeat it like a mantra.  

It's still hard. 

Which, I suppose, is a good thing really.

 

Three strikes warning

Our bed&breakfast chicken, Tilda, went out first thing this morning to join her chums for the day.   After about an hour, I couldn't see her anywhere: I went out into the garden and looked for her, calling her.  Eventually she waddled round from wherever she'd been hiding.  I picked her up to check she was oK, and then put her back down.  I started to walk back and I caught Milly launching a really savage attack on her.

It wasn't the normal run-and-chase-you-away,  or peck-on-the-head-because-I-can type thing. It was really vicious.  Milly, a cream legbar hen with the most spectacular spurs, launched at Tilda, landed on her back, grabbed her by the comb, and forced her to fall over. 

I spun round and actually smacked Milly off Tilda.  Milly ran away and I controlled my rage and stopped myself chasing after her.  Tilda was OK.

I came in, and told DH that if Milly had another stroke (she had heat stroke earlier this year and I nursed her back to health) I wouldn't bother trying to save her, she was such a spiteful b****.   

DH and I had just been discussing this years cockerels, and how difficult the choice was going to be because they were all good natured gentle things this year...  and it suddenly occurred to me that if Milly was a cockerel, I wouldn't put up with her behaviour.

I said this to DH, and then (to my own surprise, actually) found myself  adding "Three strikes and she's out.  She's just had strike 1".

I'm more shocked that I actually meant it.  I've realised it is the right attitude for us.  We have limited space in our garden.  I fully understand about the pecking order and the way hens are.... but I've seen the pecking order work in a non-bullying and non-spiteful way and I know that Milly (and, to a lesser extent, Custard) are being the henny equivalent of spiteful rather than assertive.]

(Milly hasn't just been like this since Tilda has been under the weather, she's been like it for a looooong time...so it isn't a case ofhnature trying to deal with a weak flock member..)

I wouldn't tolerate that behaviour from a cockerel, and I will not tolerate it in my hens.

Let's hope Milly doesn't put me to the test.

A little blue

Milly laid an egg!

Milly, our cream legbar, our oldest hen and most spiteful girl ever, visited the nest box and gave us an egg.   She hardly ever lays and, actually, I thought she'd given up for good some time last year. We know its her, because it ias a gorgeous pale blue.

Too COld

The cold snap has put a bit of a spanner in the Tilda rehabilition plans.

She was out with her chums all day yesterday, although she spent the entire day under the rosemary bush.  The others spent most of the day under the same bush (it is a rather large shrub), but they ventured out for a nibble of grass here,  a drink there (I put some water down near to where they ere sheltering),  or a perambulation back to the run for a little smackerel; Tilda didn't do much.

I gave them a small aount of porridge during the day, making sure that the bowls were in one part of the garden, away from the rosemary, so Tilda could have some to herself.  A bit or food later.  And so on.

At going-in time, the Girls ran excitedly to their Run. Tilda didn't. She also didn't come in when I called.   I picked her up and lifted her over the fence, then shepherded her to the back door. She hopped up, and went into her personal pen.

It was too cold last night to risk putting her out with the others.

This morning it was even colder.  I fed Tilda, opened her pen door and she waddled out. I shepherded her to the back door, she jumped down, and then I lifted her and put her in with hher sisters.   I gave then porridge at 9am.      At 9,30 Tilda walked part way to the run, then stopped.  

I was bringing in a log delivery at the time. It took me wuite a while to barrow the logs round to the log store, and Tilda didn't move. IN the end, I went into their enclosure and shepherded her into the Run.  She had something to eat, and tgen settled down.

I don't want her in the house today, it'll be too warm for her.  Looks like she's going to be with us on a B&B basis for a few more days.

Bleeding chicken

Tilda was in excellent form last night when we put her away for the night, and she was very sprightly this morning. She demanded breakfast, had it, and then strolled out into the kitchen.  I shepherded her to the door, she jumped down on to the paving, and  from there I picked hwer up and put her in with her sisters. She spent the morning under the rosemary bush with her sisters around her.

My brother called in.  I checked Tildy was OK, and made us (my brother, DH, and I) a pot of tea. We chatted.  I checked on Tilda. We chatted.  After 3 cups of tea (possibly a personal record), I realised I couldn't see Tilda any more.   I looked around the garden, in the Pampas grass,  all followed by the ther 6 girls. I  couldn't find her.  As I got back to the house I heard her burble, and she stepped out from the rosemary bush.. no idea where she'd been, as she wasn't there when I came out.

I could see something red and glistening on her comb.  I picked her up, it was definitely blood.  There were no obvious wounds and she didn't look too botherered... but blood is a no-no with chickens.  It doesn't look as though she's been attacked, I imagine that Milly (who is by nature a really spiteful chicken) or Custard (who is a real bully) probably gave her a don't-forget-your-place peck on the head.    [Actually, to my surprise and in Milly's defence, she didn't attack Tilda at all when I put Tilda back out.  I watched, and saw Milly even shuffle up to make space for Tilda, which is a first. ]

I whisked Tildy indoors, got out the septiclens and liberally sprayed her comb, my hand (which was shielding her face) and my floor with purple spray.

I put her back outside, scrubbed my hands, and I've yet to start trying to scrub the floor.

She's been sitting quietly under the rosemary since then, almost dozing off a couple of times.  It's very bright and sunny where she is sitting, but everywhere else is very frosty and cold.  Should I bring her back in? Should I leave her out?      I reasoned with myself that if the worst should happen, at least she will die happy and contented.  And she can't live indoors indefinitely.  So, I'm going to leave her out there for now, keeping an eye on things.

And I haven't decided what to do about tonight yet. I'll see what happens at corn time.