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

[appps]

Come on sunshine! Get out of bed! Three whole days to play in my garden and everything is all wet from yesterday's rain :-(

On a positive I realised why my vege garden was failing to thrive, my jacaranda has grown up and is now shading it most of the day. On a negative I'm going to have to cut the top out of my jacaranda. :-(. Unfortunately there is nowhere else for the garden so one of them has to go.

Now I just have to work out if I cat also cut back the tree behind our back fence on the reserve that is growing over the neighbours fence and shading our chook pen. Technically it crosses our yard for about 30cm so can we cut it back in that 30cm? ;-)

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Speaking of gum boots, I think I might have to get myself some .. thongs, wet grass and these cold mornings makes for some very unhappy tootsies!

I am with you Anniebee and I do not think you are certifiable; our animals are way more sensitive to their surroundings than we are.

My dog Charlie-Bear who passed away Christmas Day four and a half years ago (RIP my beautiful girl) battled with epilepsy her whole life; even though it eventually took her from me, she lived to be 13 years old and had a pretty good life I think. Still a dog free home and still not ready to go down that path again.

Anyways, the meds controlled it reasonably well but she still had medication break through seizures. She knew when she was going to have one and would come and get me. I knew by the look on her face what she was telling me and that within minutes she was going to have a seizure.

But, and this is the point I was eventually getting to, Syba (cat) would also come and get me. A few times if she was outside and I was inside, Syba would let me know by pacing up and down and meowing in a particular way that he only did on those occasions.

When he did this, I would go outside and sure enough, Charlie-Bear would come over and then have a seizure or already be having one. He would also wake me up at night just minutes before Charlie-Bear had a seizure.

Fair enough that he would let me know if she was actually having a seizure but he seemed to know beforehand also.

How many times have all of us been comforted by a pet when we are upset? Luckily I do not have cause to cry often and of late, it has only been when I have lost one of my chickens but you can guarantee that when I do cry, one or both of my cats are right there comforting me. “Are you OK Mum?”

If you are certifiable Anniebee I will be keeping you company

I was trying to think what would have freaked out both the cats (inside) and the gals (outside). What I probably should have been thinking is what freaked out the gals that the cats picked up on

appps couldn’t have put it better myself .. bring on the sunshine! I have lawns to mow and chickens to play with!

 

[appps]

We'll it was my girls turn to be freaked out it seems. I'd just let them onto the lawn for a wander when one of them squawked and they all took off for cover. Six of them took off for the back garden and hid under a bush and Carl came and hid under me as I was sitting on the edge of the deck. She kept turning her head sideways and looking at the sky.

And guess what the big scary thing was.......a lost silver helium balloon . Must have been because it sort of hovered in one spot like a hawk would lol

 

[ChristieB]

Good morning folks 


How many times have all of us been comforted by a pet when we are upset?  Luckily I do not have cause to cry often and of late, it has only been when I have lost one of my chickens but you can guarantee that when I do cry, one or both of my cats are right there comforting me.  “Are you OK

The night my husband told me he wasn't coming home my cat barely left my side. While I was crying she insisted on being right up against my back or belly in bed and purred so loudly. Animals are far more intuitive than most give them credit for. Since she had the kittens my cat has even attended to my baby if she's upset, she looks at me like "well are you going to do something about that?"

On the topic of illness, I've been hearing a sneeze or cough in the mornings from the run, just once every now and then, and someone has been going really wet yellowy brown poos, I haven't been able to catch who it is as all look to be healthy, the only one who looks off is the one scruffy isa, she's been laying daily though and comb is red eyes are clear. It's baffling me.

 

[appps]

Wrote a piece about that many many years ago actually Teila in Australasian poultry called chooks as therapy after watching how they comforted my youngest when she was left friendless when both her older siblings went off to school leaving her home alone for the first time. Was quite sweet how she at 3 all sad and lonely went and pulled up her little chair and sat outside their fence and they seemed to know she needed them and kept her company the whole time . When she finally came back in she was her normal bouncy self

Got a photo somewhere, will have to see if I can find it

 

[Sidhe13]

Well the 3 troublemakers left yesterday. The change in the flock is astounding! Even on the first day there was a visible lessening in stress.

Today I withheld food for a few hours to watch the entire flock interact and was so happy to see them all moving together and once I put the food out, yea there was some pecking and shoving, but not the full-out aggression there was before!

Everyone is getting used to being able to sit and laze around, and be in areas that were previously off limits. Noone has to hide in the corners or bushed anymore. Harmony is restored!

In other news, the friend who took the 3 troublemakers wants me to hatch some peacocks for him when he next has fertile eggs, and another friend wants me to hatch and raise some his fancy breed...he hates dealing with babies and I can't wait for more! The peacocks will be a great challange! I already have plans to extend and improve the brooder and nursery area...

I also bought a bag of mixed seeds yesterday and threw out to the flock for scratch. Mixed results: they love all the smaller stuff but the dried peas and corn bits weren't liked so much...i have put some in to soak overnight and we shall see how it goes tomorrow. I know they prefer the wheat and barley soaked. I may also add aome to the bucket of fermented feed...

 

[appps]

Okay tell me is this crazy. Contemplating knitting Carl a chicken jumper.

I'm a little concerned that being so skinny (should be 3kg was 1.4kg last time I weighed her last week) she won't have enough body fat to be keeping warm in this cold weather.

Our coop is very well ventilated to help keep it cool in summer when I renovated. So toying with either knitting her a jumper or covering the large ventilation areas with shade mesh. Thinking will still allow air movement but would be better than the bare wire that is there now.

Thoughts?

As a little update on her, she is locked up with winry and food till lunchtime (as she just eats dirt if I let her wander in the run) and then I let them all out in the backyard for the afternoon. Her poops have finally moved on from none or dark green up digested grass looking to bright yellow soft ones much the same as you get when you change them onto a new type of feed in a hurry. Hoping that is because she is now eating enough of the crumble and other high protien foods to rate as a change in food. Yesterday's was the most solid looking in over a month.

Despite all this she is still full of beans. Hubby pulled some weeds out of the garden bed so I though I'd hose it so they wouldn't scratch up the plants. She of course decided that mud tasted even better than dirt sigh. I'm trying to lay wire over it and she is squeezing under the wire while I'm trying. Had to pull her out about six times before I could get it down lol. The other are all nervous about the sheet of wire I'm waving about but not Carl

 

[satay]

Well the 3 troublemakers left yesterday. The change in the flock is astounding! Even on the first day there was a visible lessening in stress.

Today I withheld food for a few hours to watch the entire flock interact and was so happy to see them all moving together and once I put the food out, yea there was some pecking and shoving, but not the full-out aggression there was before!

Everyone is getting used to being able to sit and laze around, and be in areas that were previously off limits. Noone has to hide in the corners or bushed anymore. Harmony is restored!

In other news, the friend who took the 3 troublemakers wants me to hatch some peacocks for him when he next has fertile eggs, and another friend wants me to hatch and raise some his fancy breed...he hates dealing with babies and I can't wait for more! The peacocks will be a great challange! I already have plans to extend and improve the brooder and nursery area...

I also bought a bag of mixed seeds yesterday and threw out to the flock for scratch. Mixed results: they love all the smaller stuff but the dried peas and corn bits weren't liked so much...i have put some in to soak overnight and we shall see how it goes tomorrow. I know they prefer the wheat and barley soaked. I may also add aome to the bucket of fermented feed...

So glad things are improving

 

[satay]

Wrote a piece about that many many years ago actually Teila in Australasian poultry called chooks as therapy after watching how they comforted my youngest when she was left friendless when both her older siblings went off to school leaving her home alone for the first time. Was quite sweet how she at 3 all sad and lonely went and pulled up her little chair and sat outside their fence and they seemed to know she needed them and kept her company the whole time . When she finally came back in she was her normal bouncy self

Got a photo somewhere, will have to see if I can find it

Animals are indeed incredible. I have a bit of a flu thing at the moment and thor decides he is going to sit on my lap to make sure I'm ok. Imagine a 52kg lap dog? He is pretty sure that's what he is some days but he is so cute it's hard to resist.

 

[satay]

My marans are laying a couple of eggs every two days or so now so no buying eggs for me this week. Let's hope they keep it up.