26th February

The girls are all in good health at the moment.  I decided to worm them properly, Ive usually used Verm-x, but I decided to use Flubenvet which is a more thorough wormer.  Sorting out the dose, and making sure they all had a fair share was interesting, but we got there.  Someone had a few worms, but otherwise they were pretty clean.
One thing that did happen was a huge lump of bloody something that was in one of the soft eggs I found in the poo tray.  I felt quite sick for the morning, it was disgusting.  I posted on the Lane forum and they said it was a meat spot, I hope there arent too many of those!
I put in some perches for them.  The first one they loved, and there would be three or four chickens on it, then I put the second one in, and made it a bit higher.  They werent too keen on this one, I think because the peice of wood was a bit on the thin side, but Bramble likes it, and Ive seen Clara on there too, so there's hope.

Bramble on the higher perch, Alice, Clarice and Henrietta on the lower perch.

11th February 2011

Its mild and damp at the moment.  I had white plastic over two sides of the run to stop snow and rain getting in, but it was almost spring like this week, so I rolled the plastic up and its really nice being able to see to the bottom right and corner of the garden.  The girls seem to enjoy their extended horizon too.
John announced the other evening that there was a rat living under one of the compost bins. So I got the almost empty galvanised dustbin out of the chicken shed and put their food in it at night, and hung the water from a rafter in the run.  He emptied the compost bins today, he was very brave because he hates rats and mice, and found a nest of babies in the bottom.  Poor little things.  They are in rat heaven now, the parents are hopefully long gone, and I have left the food out, though I think I should really go and get it put in the bin.
Ive been getting a lot of soft eggs lately, so now Ive put limestone flour on the food, and the shells have firmed up nicely. Its amazing how quickly it happens. 
I put two perches in for them to use, they like the lower one, but the taller one is a bit wobbly to stand on and they dont use it, so we are going to lower it and find a better log to go on the top.

8th January 2011

Well here we are in a new year.  The girls survived the extremely cold weather of last year, and are enjoying the relative warmth of 8 - 10 degrees.  Sadly while clearing the run roof my OH made holes in it with the rake, so that will have to be mended when the weather picks up. Ive patched it with water proof tape for the moment.
Clara was a bit egg bound on Thursday.  She kept going into the nest box for ages, but not laying anything.
Anyway the next day she was back to normal, and today, so hopefully it was just an off day.  Everyone else is perky and enjoying the wet side of the run.  They have muddy feet and muddy beaks! 
Spice and Clarice have been dropping feathers, Henrietta and Clara have shed a few, but they all look fairly normal.  The egg production goes from 4 - 7 eggs a day, I have 2 doz to sell at church each week which goes towards their food. Roll on spring.

22nd December

We have had the most horrendous weather.  Tempretures of  -19 and lots of snow.  Its gone on for a few weeks now, and everyone is fed up with it.  At least we'll get a white Christmas.
The girls are coping well with the cold and snow.  The omlet cube is warm when I check for eggs first thing, and they all tumble out for their breakfast of porrige in warm water, layers pellets mixed in with a few mealworms on top - yum!
They did sit on top of the dust bath keeping their feet warm a few times.
The tempretures are improving a bit, its just 0 degrees at the moment.  The girls water has frozen a few times, and when that happens they eat the snow! 

11th December.

The girls are all well at the moment.  Clara was a bit down last week, but she's moulting, and has picked up,though I dont thinks shes laying any eggs.
I put up the netting today and let them out on the grass.  They had a lovely time.  I forgot to open the coop door when I'd finished cleaning, and had to help them into bed!  Good night Girls.

Clara enjoying the grass.

Bramble.

Clarice and the girls.

30th November 2010

It snowed this morning, and to my horror when I looked out there was a big fox in the garden!  It ran off when it saw me, but I was quite shaken, because we havent knowingly had a fox for a year.  Poor thing is probably hungry but it can leave my fish and chickens alone. I let my friend up the road know because she has chickens and ducks, and the ducks free range all day.
Clara was a bit down at the weekend, and I was going to the vet with her yesterday,but she had picked up a lot and rather than stress her out taking her the the vet I cancelled.  She came bouncing out this morning so hopefully she's ok, but I'll keep my eye on her.
The girls havent been too fazed by the cold, Ive been giving them extra corn to keep them warm and despite loosing the odd feather they are still laying well.  I get 6 eggs every day.
I think Clara's off lay at the moment but hopefully she'll start again soon.  Having said that she's a pet and I wont worry if she never gives me another egg. They are just an extra.

4th November

I was washing up, and realised the girls were standing stock still, looking at the sky, I thought perhaps there was a bird of prey over head, so I went out to see what was wrong, and realised there was  a squirrel in their run!
It must have got in there through the gap above the gate, and it couldn't remember how it got there.
So I went to get meal worms to get the girls in one area of the run so I could give the squirrel a chance to escape through the gate, but it had found a gap at the back, and was gone.  They had the meal worms, and I filled in the gaps so that wont happen again.

3rd November

Girls are all doing well.  We've got past the egg withdrawal time and they are getting on much better until food appears.  But the three younger ones dodge around and get their fair share.
Belle is funny, because when I go to give them mealworms or supper she dives out and stays out eating grass while the others tuck in.  She's easy to pick up and put inside where she fluffs up her feathers and goes about her business.
Its still surprisingly warm despite the wind, and now the clocks have changed they are in bed about 5o/c.

Alice and Bramble.

Clara, Bramble looking and Clarice.

Bramble, Bell and Spice, with Henrietta at the back.

Clara

15th October

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.

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.

Supper time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6ax2h0nGr8

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.

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.

Pecking order and dust bathing.

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=fspLBWJzwmY

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!

Bramble at the back, and Alice

Spice and Henrietta having a siesta

24th September
Alice, Bramble and Belle were getting fed up with being harrassed by the Older Chickens, so I separated them, and the little ones had a dust bath. The have boxes of earth to do this, but decided to use the floor covering.
A dust bath is a real art, and its lovely watching them.

Belle dust bathing.

Saturday 25th September

Today turned into a stressful, and expensive day.  Bramble had been a bit quiet yesterday, but I thought it was because she was fed up with the older girls pecking her, so I separated the two flocks and she perked up.
We went up to the allotment this morning, and when we got back at lunch time Bramble was sitting in the bushes with her tail down (not a good sign) and when I separated them she just sat on the ground looking miserable.
I should have got her into Arvonia Animal Hospital straight away, but I waited to see if she was going to pick up again like she did yesterday, but she didnt, and I phoned the vets and got Chelvet the night cover vets.
Kirsty the receptionist/nurse was really kind, but warned me there was an extra fee because it was 'out of hours' and because Arvonia had been open in the morning.  I swithered, and spoke to the vet, but decided that as I couldnt purchase Baytril antibiotic without them seeing Bramble then I'd have to bite the bullet and go.
They are based at the Dragon vets on the Racecourse, and Beverley the vet, checked her over, and couldnt find anything wrong, though it was obvious to both of us that she was poorly. So she prescribed Baytril.  The whole experience was £65, included in that was the medicine which cost £9!  If only they could have just sold me that!
Bramble went back to sitting for the evening, and at 7pm I looked out and couldnt see her head and fearing the worst I went out and had a look.  She looked up (phew) and as I left the run got up and had a drink.
When I went back out to put the net down she was waiting with Belle and Alice.  I dropped the net and she walked past me and straight to bed!  Belle and Alice were on her heels, and by the time we were going out at 7.30 they were all in bed so I could shut the door.
The weathers turned a lot cooler, it was 2 deg. this morning, so I'd rather shut the door and help keep the warmth in.
I must clean them out tomorrow.

24th September

The newbies took integration into their own hands, and as they kept  getting out I let them out to mix with the older girls.  There's still a lot of chasing and pecking, and they stay as separate flocks, but Belle comes to the gate with the older girls, and generally gets away with it.  Clarice is the most vicious, occasionally she jumps on the newbies and pulls their neck feathers.  They are all scared of the four, and the four chase the three because they know they'll run.  When the newbies try to dust bath or eat treats they get run off, so in the afternoon I separate them so they get a peaceful siesta.

Tuesday 21st

Cant figure it out, but Bramble keeps getting over or under the net somehow, and I find her in the older girls side.
She's wanting to lay an egg, but the others have a go at her and she sits by the netting.  Belle has got over there a few times, but Alice is just scared of the older hens, and she stays put.  She is very intermittent in her egg laying so she's not too bothered.
The older girls are getting better about the little ones, and only give a peck if they pass them.  Clarice doesn't seem to be going out of her way to attack, and the newbies keep well out of her way because she'll jump on them and bite pull their neck feathers, or grab any bit of passing chicken she can.
It will be nice when I can take the netting down, and let them all flock together.

Sunday 19thI

The girls had been clucking for a while before I heard them. and on a Sunday morning!
I let them out, and left them to it.  There was an egg from Spice and one from Belle in the coop.
I let Bramble in with the big girls so she could lay an egg.  Henrietta was already in there and Bramble was trying to sit on her!  Some hens have no sense.  So I moved Bramble over and shut the door.
Later I saw her out and put her in with the newbies.  There were no eggs in the nest box.
When I got back from church Bramble was in the big girls run, she'd jumped over the fence so she could lay her egg.  There was another egg in the cardboard box in the run.  So a full house on the egg front.
The older girls are still pecking the little ones, but only Clarice is going out of her way to get them.  The others are less aggressive, so there's still hope, another three weeks to go!