Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Anniebee]

I am officially suffering the invasion of Henny Penny.

This morning she was on the lounge - quite carefully not waking me up - my spidy sense went off, alerting me to something not right. When I stormed up, she squatted. 'hug me mum' I chucked her out, all doors definitely SHUT. Then at about 9am I hear a chicken sized crash coming from the cat room. Yep, Henny again. She is definitely coming through the hole in the flyscreen. I'm impressed - its a big jump, and she would have to time a wing flap perfectly to get through the modest hole.
The 'cat room' is a long sunroom down the side of the house. Since we do cat rescue we have a lot of cats and cat accessories and this room is designated 'kid free' it also houses books and bookshelves, an old computer and a box of various art supplies. This is where Hennible was attempting to nest this morning. I should have known, her last spot on top of the saddle blankets (where, if I dont find the eggs in time they gently roll off to smash behind the hay) is no longer in favour.

I rather think your "Henny Penny" needs to be entered into some records book - like Guiness or sumpit. ....

..... the cats you've got don't bother her ? Kids free room, but not chook free ?

She sounds like one of a kind .... you should take some pix of her investigative procedures in your home. Priceless .... LOL ... and from what you say about her, I guess cats wouldn't bother her in the slightest.

Determination and intention - thy name is Henny "Hennible" Penny.

 

[Anniebee]

To everyone who have so kindly replied to my posts, and oddish comments ---

IamSamSam .... I finally found your post about your chicken with wry neck - but I can only hope she is better now and responding well to your care.


To appps, MyHaven, Fancychooklady, satay, and Rodney Rooster .... thank you all for your comments and ovations etc. .... I think I have replied to a few, or done a few ovations. Whatever - a big thanks to all.

Find it difficult to keep up with this thread at times, cannot be long away from the computer these days - eh ?

appps .... your comment about why the alarm may have been going off in the middle of a garden, was interesting. I am not technically minded in such things ... but am reasonable when it comes to computers and TV's.

As for 'beeping' devices ... they drive me nuts. 2 x mobile phones, iPad, microwave, normal oven, other bowl type oven, washing machine, computer, smoke alarms ( for when I burn something ) ... all screech at various times - as though we don't have the brains to know when something is finished, needs attending to - or has new ruddy messages etc. And Miss Ruby doing her protection thing - lots of deep barking when danger might be around ( for which I am very thankful ), and the chooks shrieking their delight at having laid an egg - or about to !! Very noisy here-abouts. !!

 

[Sidhe13]

Sorry satay ... but I simply have to ask .??? .... " the snake is tiny compared to the one's I have in the house "   ....  um - you have red-bellied snakes in your house ?    Do you keep them as pets inside a large glass crate ? and feed them 'things' ?  If so, I respect that - to each her own.    

Am neither one way or the other about snakes myself - am not scared of them, but respect them, that they will defend, seek food, and bite - which can be nasty.   

Although it is not permitted I know --- I would kill a brown or tiger if I found one menacing about my property, looking to kill.    My Narranderra friend is utterly horrified by this thought ... and she's the one with the snake repellent electrical gadgets, to protect her hand raised joeys.  I respect snakes,  admire them - they do what they have to do - but when it comes to them, or me and my animals / chickens ---- its no contest.  Something has to go - permanently.  It would be the snake, if possible. 

Anniebee .... 

Agreed! We live very rural and near grain storage and overgrown yards... snake heaven. One of my cats caught a baby brown snake and was bit. She survived but has never been the same. I have no problems with snakes out and about and if they are just passing through...all good. But if they come in my yard intending to stay or do harm... then we have a problem. But that goes for any and all who enter my yard...

 

[satay]

these are my four new marans chicks, they are about 3 & 4 weeks old. I'm a bit worried that the two single photo chicks are roosters, can I please get some feedback from the marans experts.

Are they meant to be fw marans? They don't look like any marans I have hatched. They look a bit welsummer to me. FW males will have black wing feathers and a round the shoulder blades by that age.

 

[Teila]

Sorry Meeka3 I know nothing about Marans or sexing them, just wanted to say that they are very cute and yep, I thought I was looking at quails for a second there

RodneyRooster Like you, I have one broody who is so placid with me but GodCilla with her flock mates and then I have Blondie the Broodzilla! Blondie was allowed to raise one hatch but never again … she drew blood, she chased people across the garden, she bit, she fought, she scratched. She is usually such a beautiful girl but broody .. nasty!

While I totally understand why and do not blame her, she passed her paranoia on to her chicks. Her raising the alarm every time I went to feed her and the bubs or change their water, spend time with them etc turned them paranoid also. Whereas Cilla’s bubs have grown up to be calm and friendly.

It is cute to see them stealing eggs.

Hey locknest4 even though I am a North Melbourne supporter

.. commiserations on yesterday’s loss and yep, well done to the Hawks!

Anniebee I had a chuckle at your ‘noise’ paragraph .. I hear ya! I also get a little tired of being controlled by the white goods

Our microwave does not just beep when it has finished whatever it is doing, it continues to beep, at intervals, until you open the door; “OK, I heard you, you do not need to keep reminding me!” and our washing machine plays this lovely little musical tune when it has finished .. I get that it is happy it has achieved something but sometimes I just want to punch it for being so cheerful so early in the morning

Working from home, I have the phone ringing, the ‘You have Mail’ beeping, the ‘new message’ beep in the virtual team room we have running .. makes you wonder sometimes just who is in control?

Loving this weather! Had a full day in the garden yesterday, got the front and back lawns mowed, everything swept, paths weeded etc .. it was full on but I do love how it looks when done.

Today I am off to Bunnings to get started on the raised, stealth veggie garden

Oh yeah, talking gardening .. while some (or all) of you might know this; sharing, just in case.

I used to spend many hours pulling weeds from between the cracks in the driveway or from between the rocks on the ornamental path etc. Obviously, with the gals and fish ponds, I do not want to use commercial weed killer and with the paths we have around here, it works out to be very expensive.

I now use this to kill these weeds and it works a treat on a nice sunny day and is so cheap .. in a spray bottle I put about a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent and then fill it with vinegar. Quick spray on the weed and within just a couple of hours, you can see it is working.

 

[Meeka3]

Are they meant to be fw marans? They don't look like any marans I have hatched. They look a bit welsummer to me. FW males will have black wing feathers and a round the shoulder blades by that age.

The man who I bought them from had a dozen marans (supposedly) eggs sent to him from Victoria, and I bought these chickens from him a couple of days ago. When I looked up Marans on the net (because I had no idea what they looked like), there were some that were this colour so I'm hoping they are just a different variety. I guess I won't know for sure until I get my first chocolate brown egg. I'll keep posting photos as they grow so you can keep me informed on what you think. I'll look up welsummer now.

 

[Fancychooklady]

In readiness for my trip away I bought some poultry blocks and put them in the pens. There are different brands on the market, but they are essentially like other stock licks with compressed grains. The birds had completely consumed them in 4 days. At this time of the year I add livamol to their mixed feed , it helps cover any shortfalls that broody hens may encounter from their ' self imposed ' starvation. Brings everyone in from their tatty molts and just gives them a little boost. We buy it in big bags for the horses but it comes in smaller quantities .

http://www.animalhealthstore.com.au/livamol.html

 

[Meeka3]

The man who I bought them from had a dozen marans (supposedly) eggs sent to him from Victoria, and I bought these chickens from him a couple of days ago. When I looked up Marans on the net (because I had no idea what they looked like), there were some that were this colour so I'm hoping they are just a different variety. I guess I won't know for sure until I get my first chocolate brown egg. I'll keep posting photos as they grow so you can keep me informed on what you think. I'll look up welsummer now.

I just looked up welsummer chicks and as you say mine are identical to these chicks, so it looks like I still don't have my marans. Oh well, welsummers sound like nice chooks and maybe I'll get some marans later down the track sometime. Thanks for that information.

 

[IamSamSam]

One rooster in Satays Flock of fw maran

 

[IamSamSam]