So Sandy (or was she Frenchie?) died this morning. She was off colour last night but ate some private mealworms and a drink (we shut the others out in the playground) then Mr Nora put her in the nestbox. We thought she had a softie (same as Sophia and Angie, who were both off-colour in April and recovered) but it seems it might be something more sinister...
Sandy got herself up this morning and down the ladder then just stood in a corner. Mr Nora went off on a first-aid course (oh the irony) and as the hours passed, she slumped lower and lower. I put her in the hospital wing and then she could barely hold her head up :o( I gave her some Nutridrops but she couldn't swallow. So I picked her up (unheard of, the chicks are incredibly flighty!) and brought her outside to stand on the lawn. I tried draining her crop but knew it was useless as her comb was purple and her breathing was already heavy. Then she started flapping and I knew her time was up :o( Not even time to get her to the vets.
So not a softie - maybe something just wrong with her from the beginning (she never laid AND she was a feather puller so maybe a calcium deficiency? Egg peritonitis - she was a very big girl?). I've eliminated regular worms as they were "Flubenveted" just a few weeks ago but... all we can think of is that there's something in the mulch we put down in the garden so we're going to do a massive cleanout. I'd have liked to have had her poo tested at a lab BUT! It's a very long bank holiday weekend so I couldn't post until Wednesday so they wouldn't get it until the end of next week which is way too late - typical.
But the strange thing is, the other 7 are just tickety boo - as was she, even on Thursday when she was dustbathing. I feel sorry for her but she had a happy (albeit short) life. And maybe now her chick-mates will be able to regrow their feathers...
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Day 844: I give up
And for the first time in 844 days, I've BOUGHT some eggs! I only plan on doing it once so went the full hog and bought 15.
Poor girlies haven't laid for... well weeks. I think Sophia's egg from a couple of weeks ago was her swansong LOL
So if you have to buy eggs, what do you look for? Well you know my thoughts on freerange versus barn/battery (barn = battery in my eyes, given the dreadful condition our poor ex-barn girls were in)... so aside from that...
Pick the eggs with the darkest shells you can find - a chicken's eggshells get lighter/paler as she ages and it's a known fact that the egg quality (consistency, shell thickness and possibly flavour) decline with age.
Did you know that if a boiled egg peels really badly (as in, the shell sticks and comes away in tiny fragments, not in one complete piece), then the egg is really FRESH and it'll be worth the effort!!! Eggs that are over 3-4 days old peel in one piece.
Oh and I had a boiled egg this morning (peeled in bits so that was good news!)... and I was really surprised as how pale the yolks were and how the flavour just wasn't like our homemade ones :o)
Come on girls, we're missing your eggs! That's OK, the days start to get longer from Thurs 22nd in the UK - yes it's the winter solstice in a couple of days. YAY!
Poor girlies haven't laid for... well weeks. I think Sophia's egg from a couple of weeks ago was her swansong LOL
So if you have to buy eggs, what do you look for? Well you know my thoughts on freerange versus barn/battery (barn = battery in my eyes, given the dreadful condition our poor ex-barn girls were in)... so aside from that...
Pick the eggs with the darkest shells you can find - a chicken's eggshells get lighter/paler as she ages and it's a known fact that the egg quality (consistency, shell thickness and possibly flavour) decline with age.
Did you know that if a boiled egg peels really badly (as in, the shell sticks and comes away in tiny fragments, not in one complete piece), then the egg is really FRESH and it'll be worth the effort!!! Eggs that are over 3-4 days old peel in one piece.
Oh and I had a boiled egg this morning (peeled in bits so that was good news!)... and I was really surprised as how pale the yolks were and how the flavour just wasn't like our homemade ones :o)
Come on girls, we're missing your eggs! That's OK, the days start to get longer from Thurs 22nd in the UK - yes it's the winter solstice in a couple of days. YAY!
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Day 832: Sophia's laying again!
Oh WOW! At the ripe old age of 2.5 years, about 8 months after she last laid (apart from the odd half dozen between April and June this year), SOPHIA laid an egg today! And boy, didn't she let us know!
We think it's because we've redesigned the run. It now has nice hardwood verticals and a clear insert in the roof so they get a lot more light :o) Not only that though - we've also swapped the feed to a new brand and they seem to be enjoying it :o)
Kittens are enjoying the chickens too! And the chickens are enjoying scaring off the kittens (who are 30 weeks old tomorrow) :oD
We think it's because we've redesigned the run. It now has nice hardwood verticals and a clear insert in the roof so they get a lot more light :o) Not only that though - we've also swapped the feed to a new brand and they seem to be enjoying it :o)
Kittens are enjoying the chickens too! And the chickens are enjoying scaring off the kittens (who are 30 weeks old tomorrow) :oD
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Day 740: And the babies are LAYING!
Pretty little aqua blue-green eggs :o)
I hadn't thought about it though... I can't tell who's laying and when!
On Sunday, I saw Frenchie digging in a frenzy in the dustbath and I casually said to Mr Nora, I wouldn't be surprised if she was nesting and about to lay an egg.
Then just the next day, Mr Nora came in with a bluey-green (or is it greeny blue?) egg!!!
And today? TWO eggs - one the same colour, one slightly bluer!
And just in time as Angie's been laying softies lately. She's probably getting on for 2 years old and past her peak now, whereas the babies are just starting at 24-25 weeks old :o)
So tonight, the girls have fresh, clean Aubiose in their nest and I'm hoping for 3 eggs tomorrow LOL ;o)
I hadn't thought about it though... I can't tell who's laying and when!
On Sunday, I saw Frenchie digging in a frenzy in the dustbath and I casually said to Mr Nora, I wouldn't be surprised if she was nesting and about to lay an egg.
Then just the next day, Mr Nora came in with a bluey-green (or is it greeny blue?) egg!!!
And today? TWO eggs - one the same colour, one slightly bluer!
And just in time as Angie's been laying softies lately. She's probably getting on for 2 years old and past her peak now, whereas the babies are just starting at 24-25 weeks old :o)
So tonight, the girls have fresh, clean Aubiose in their nest and I'm hoping for 3 eggs tomorrow LOL ;o)
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Day 716: Oops. Chickens meet dog
We had a visitor today, the in-laws' dog. Being careful, we made sure the cats were locked in the lounge AND the patio doors firmly shut (this is a clever dog, he can open doors!).
Just as I was about to open the garden gate to welcome the hound, I said to Mr Nora "Are the chickens in the run" and he said, they're in the playground. Uh oh!
WHOOSH! Puppy dog ran in, very excited to see the girls. The girls were horrified at the hound and the sendible ones went into their run. Rizzo, however, is either very dim or really clever. She flew up... up... up... and away over next door's 6ft fence! Next door were out so Mr Nora clambered over the fence (with the help of a handy step-ladder) and next thing I knew, Rizzo was poking her head over the top of the fence. She was quickly back in the playground and then she legged it into the run. Once in the run, there was a little bokking but then they felt safe and just ignored the hound. Who was fascinated by them... until he noticed the tomcat.
Tomcat sat in the kitchen at the patio doors hissing at the dog, who sat on the otherside on the patio wondering why his new friend wouldn't come out to play? I wonder...!!!
So an eventful day but none of us are any the worse for the hairy visitor :o)
Just as I was about to open the garden gate to welcome the hound, I said to Mr Nora "Are the chickens in the run" and he said, they're in the playground. Uh oh!
WHOOSH! Puppy dog ran in, very excited to see the girls. The girls were horrified at the hound and the sendible ones went into their run. Rizzo, however, is either very dim or really clever. She flew up... up... up... and away over next door's 6ft fence! Next door were out so Mr Nora clambered over the fence (with the help of a handy step-ladder) and next thing I knew, Rizzo was poking her head over the top of the fence. She was quickly back in the playground and then she legged it into the run. Once in the run, there was a little bokking but then they felt safe and just ignored the hound. Who was fascinated by them... until he noticed the tomcat.
Tomcat sat in the kitchen at the patio doors hissing at the dog, who sat on the otherside on the patio wondering why his new friend wouldn't come out to play? I wonder...!!!
So an eventful day but none of us are any the worse for the hairy visitor :o)
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Day 684: Room for a little one?
So I've been putting the babies to bed in the cube and then going out later on, just to make sure they were OK and not being picked on. And one evening, I saw this! Room for one more?
Sunday, 3 July 2011
Day 674: Babies all grown up so now in with the big girls!
That's it, decision made. I don't know why it was so sudden and unplanned but, this afternoon, we've moved the chicks (pah! Bigger than Angie now!) into the run with the big girls :o) They were just getting too big for the Eglu run and, also, Sandy's wattles and combs are big and red so it may not be long before she comes into lay! Just in time too as we don't get enough eggs from the other 5 now (1 a day - I'm going to have to start buying them again soon!).
So the day went like this. We dismantled the Eglu and run, dug over the soil that was compacted underneath, then put the balustrade panels in place to double the length of the playground (as per our original plan which fell by the wayside when the chicks arrived).
Wanna see photos? We just need to do a bit of tinkering with some turf (so you can see a spade and fork in the mud) and the tunnel but we're pretty much done.
So that's it. I think these cuties will always be called the babies :o)
If you want to reminisce, visit them at Counting My Chicks :o)
PS Chickens 0; Hens 5; Pullets 3
(pullets are pre-lay... chickens are in their first year of lay... and they become hens after their first moult, which happens at about 18 months old)
So the day went like this. We dismantled the Eglu and run, dug over the soil that was compacted underneath, then put the balustrade panels in place to double the length of the playground (as per our original plan which fell by the wayside when the chicks arrived).
Wanna see photos? We just need to do a bit of tinkering with some turf (so you can see a spade and fork in the mud) and the tunnel but we're pretty much done.
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| "During" with the green lid of the Eglu removed as first step of the dismantling process |
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| After - it's not every garden that has a staircase in it!!! |
If you want to reminisce, visit them at Counting My Chicks :o)
PS Chickens 0; Hens 5; Pullets 3
(pullets are pre-lay... chickens are in their first year of lay... and they become hens after their first moult, which happens at about 18 months old)
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Day 657: It had to happen one day...
It was bucketing down this morning (still is!) so I dug my coat out of the cupboard to wear when I went to check the girls. Sophia had already laid a lovely big egg and I put it in my pocket, thinking "I must remember to take this out before I go to work".
Hmm... Went to work, got through the day, home time came so I put the coat on and CRACK!
It had to happen one day...
Hmm... Went to work, got through the day, home time came so I put the coat on and CRACK!
It had to happen one day...
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Day 653: the playground
We have a massive list of things to do around the house and garden... but yesterday we concentrated on the chickens' playground :o) Well, it was sunny so nice for all of us to be outside in the garden!
We made two proper ends and fitted one. They're removable (like a safety gate, as it's fitted with special clips) so it allows for access for de-pooing and weeding... AND, once the babies are finally in with the big girls and their Eglu and run packed away, we can extend the playground to the right (we'd made the 2nd long front panel at the same time as the first but the babies arrived and took up all the space!). The other end will be fitted once we work out how to connect the tunnel between the main run and the playground!
We raked over the baked, rock-hard topsoil and then covered the earth with cocoa shell. It crossed my mind that it might be too dusty for the girls (they can suffer from respiratory problems so, for example, we make sure we buy dust-extracted bedding) so we left it for a bit before letting the girls out. (And today the rain's cleaned it right off!)
And they had a WHALE of a time! We had to scatter a bit of corn to encourage them out, as they were a bit terrified of the new surface (chickens - always terrified of anything new!). Angelina missed out on all the fun, as she spent about 2 hours laying an egg :o)
Eventually, we plan to make it fox-proof (replace the flimsy plastic strawberry netting with weldmesh and put on a weldmesh roof) so we can let the girls out into it when we're at work. It'll also need a flap of weldmesh at the bottom, either buried into the ground or flapping out onto the grass with slabs on top (all to stop foxes digging in).
Once it's fox-proofed, we'll make a third short panel so we can split the run into two halves and put the Eglu into the right half - useful for a hospital wing or for quarantining/introducing new girls (ahem). Clever eh? Hopefully won't be needed for a while yet - OK Roxy and Sophia are two and a half years old but they're doing well... for hybrids :o)
Spot the decking plank stopping the cocoa shell being flicked out onto the grass!
Oh! Nearly forgot to say but it rained a few hours later, on and off until it got dark, and our girls ALL went in when it rained and only came out when it stopped! Not so bird brained, eh?
We made two proper ends and fitted one. They're removable (like a safety gate, as it's fitted with special clips) so it allows for access for de-pooing and weeding... AND, once the babies are finally in with the big girls and their Eglu and run packed away, we can extend the playground to the right (we'd made the 2nd long front panel at the same time as the first but the babies arrived and took up all the space!). The other end will be fitted once we work out how to connect the tunnel between the main run and the playground!
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| The new end panel, just clipped onto the front so it's removable. |
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| A nice big log from the public footpath and rockery stones that we brought from our old garden! |
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| Spot Roxy, digging in the background! Doesn't it all look neat and tidy? |
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| Sophia, enjoying the new rabbit water bottle - she really got the hang of it very quickly! |
Eventually, we plan to make it fox-proof (replace the flimsy plastic strawberry netting with weldmesh and put on a weldmesh roof) so we can let the girls out into it when we're at work. It'll also need a flap of weldmesh at the bottom, either buried into the ground or flapping out onto the grass with slabs on top (all to stop foxes digging in).
Once it's fox-proofed, we'll make a third short panel so we can split the run into two halves and put the Eglu into the right half - useful for a hospital wing or for quarantining/introducing new girls (ahem). Clever eh? Hopefully won't be needed for a while yet - OK Roxy and Sophia are two and a half years old but they're doing well... for hybrids :o)
Spot the decking plank stopping the cocoa shell being flicked out onto the grass!
Oh! Nearly forgot to say but it rained a few hours later, on and off until it got dark, and our girls ALL went in when it rained and only came out when it stopped! Not so bird brained, eh?
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