The girls are almost integrated. Clarice still gives them a nasty peck if they come too close, the others arent too bad, but when there's food in the offing Clarice chases the youngsters off, especially Bramble who's bottom of the pecking order, everyone has a go at her if they feel like it. She doesnt seem bothered, and comes back time and again.
When I open the gate to give them meal worms, or supper, or just to go in and see them Belle dives out and starts eating grass, and I have to lift her in again. Alice has started joining her, but she's easy at the moment to get back in again.
Bramble is laying again, but I have to withdraw her eggs for a couple more days. Iv'e collected up a lot of them, and Iv'e blown them to be painted for next Easter.
The nights are drawing in, and tonight I think they'll be in bed by 6.30pm.
Friday, 15 October 2010
Sunday, 10 October 2010
11th October
The new girls have been here about 7 weeks now, and they are sort of integrated.
Poor Bramble is bottom of the pecking order, and Clarice is horrible to her.
The older girls chase the newbies off the food, but other wise they all seem to get on ok.
Poor Bramble is bottom of the pecking order, and Clarice is horrible to her.
The older girls chase the newbies off the food, but other wise they all seem to get on ok.
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
5th Oct
Ok, so yesterday Bramble was still rather muddy, so I decided to give her a bath. I ran a bowl of water and took her in the utility room and put her in the water. She was not impressed and clucked and flapped around, and started the others off. The all stood by the run door clucking in sympathy. Any way she started to enjoy her wash, the water was brown when I finished, and I wrapped her in a towel and took her in the kitched and gave her feathers a blow dry. That was when I noticed she has a bald strip on her stomach, and shoulder.
Possibly a partial moult, but she's only about 25 weeks old, a bit young for moulting. Clarice is being a real bully to Bramble, going out of her way to peck her and really jumping on her and pulling feathers.
Today (5th) I rolled back the omlet fence from across the middle of the run. Its nice to see the whole run again. It means no one gets trapped anywhere. Bramble laid a small white egg today, and Ive started collecting hers and Spices eggs and Im going to blow them and paint them to sell next Easter. I wish I'd thought of it before, because Ive thrown away so many eggs! The girls are going to bed before 7pm now.
Possibly a partial moult, but she's only about 25 weeks old, a bit young for moulting. Clarice is being a real bully to Bramble, going out of her way to peck her and really jumping on her and pulling feathers.
Today (5th) I rolled back the omlet fence from across the middle of the run. Its nice to see the whole run again. It means no one gets trapped anywhere. Bramble laid a small white egg today, and Ive started collecting hers and Spices eggs and Im going to blow them and paint them to sell next Easter. I wish I'd thought of it before, because Ive thrown away so many eggs! The girls are going to bed before 7pm now.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
3rd October
Girls are all doing well. Bramble isnt laying at all at the moment. I still shut her behind netting in the morning just in case, cos I wouldnt know her egg and I'd have to get rid of all the eggs. :o(
Spice has one week to go till we can eat her eggs.
They are getting on much better, and are running round together all the time. There is the occasional peck from Clarice or Spice but generally they tolerate each other and I can see the flock taking shape. :o)
Bramble got very muddy today when she got stuck in the omlet fence just where it is like a quagmire. John saw her and released her.
Spice has one week to go till we can eat her eggs.
They are getting on much better, and are running round together all the time. There is the occasional peck from Clarice or Spice but generally they tolerate each other and I can see the flock taking shape. :o)
Bramble got very muddy today when she got stuck in the omlet fence just where it is like a quagmire. John saw her and released her.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
26th,27th and 28th September
Sunday was uneventful, Bramble was a bit better, but I kept the newbies separate so they didnt get harrassed. I got two eggs but I wasnt sure who laid them so I had to throw them away. :o(
Monday 27th I segregated Bramble (who's much better) behind a wire fence so the eggs wouldn't get muddled, but she didn't lay an egg, I got one from both Belle and Alice though. I took the syringe out to give Bramble her jab, and had to chase her round the run, not much wrong with her! I caught her and pulled the lid off and realised the needle was still in the lid, but where was the lid? Id dropped it and it had vanished. So I got another syringe, and used that, then swopped the needle off that one onto the one that now didnt have a needle and cap. I searched every where and couldnt find the origional lid, but the needle is in the lid, so that will be safe, and soon I'll sweep the run out and that will be it gone.
Tuesday 28th. Bramble was behind the wire fence again, and still no egg. I let them all out after lunch, and they all mixed quite well, but every now and again Clarice chases one of the babies and pecks her, so I had the water bottle and squirted the offender. Now they see me with the bottle and look alarmed and ready to run. If I pick it up, they leg it across the run!
Monday 27th I segregated Bramble (who's much better) behind a wire fence so the eggs wouldn't get muddled, but she didn't lay an egg, I got one from both Belle and Alice though. I took the syringe out to give Bramble her jab, and had to chase her round the run, not much wrong with her! I caught her and pulled the lid off and realised the needle was still in the lid, but where was the lid? Id dropped it and it had vanished. So I got another syringe, and used that, then swopped the needle off that one onto the one that now didnt have a needle and cap. I searched every where and couldnt find the origional lid, but the needle is in the lid, so that will be safe, and soon I'll sweep the run out and that will be it gone.
Tuesday 28th. Bramble was behind the wire fence again, and still no egg. I let them all out after lunch, and they all mixed quite well, but every now and again Clarice chases one of the babies and pecks her, so I had the water bottle and squirted the offender. Now they see me with the bottle and look alarmed and ready to run. If I pick it up, they leg it across the run!
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