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

[Fizzybelle]

Fizzybelle My Silkie, Tina [RIP sweet girl] would do Peacock impersonations when she was brooding; she would sit quietly on the nest but whenever she took a break she would stand in the middle of her run and screech like a Peacock.

KiKi [RIP also] and Crystal are Silkie X’s and yep, very loud and duck like. You can not mistake Crystal’s voice. Imagine a duck doing the egg song

Aggie's just driving me spare atm, it's not what you want the neighbours to put up with at 6am. Summer is going to be interesting when it's light just before 5am. On the plus side, I've checked with the neighbours on either side and they're ok, just the neighbours at the back I need to talk to again. I don't recall Agnes being this bad before, I think when she goes broody I'll let her stay like that a while longer as she's usually quieter. Yep Peacock is a good approximation (and I'd love to hear a duck sing the egg song heheh).

I hope you feel better soon Teila

I'm still feeling super lucky that I did not catch the nastiest flu virus that anyone in my family have ever had the misfortune to bring home and share (Dad was responsible this time). Full on aches, chills, vomiting, lethargy, not eating, really bad stuff. I was expecting it to claim me, but I and I alone, escaped it's misery. Everyone else is finally feeling better, and we've been working on the coop a little more, nearly finished the nesting quarters for Ada and Annabelle. It's even got fly screen covered windows for them, so they'll be ready for summer when it hits (next month most likely knowing Brisbane weather

).

 

[Teila]

Thanks Fizzybelle not feeling too bad; the cold night air plays a bit of havoc though.

Do you remember KiKi and all the trouble I went through with her excessive noise before we lost her? One thing that seemed to be working was the radio. Granted, I had to be up early to set up the radio in the coop, but the soft volume classical music seemed to work.

I understand how stressful it can be, especially worrying about the neighbours. Crystal can get a little noisy but at least she is not starting at 5am like KiKi was. Crystal is more vocal in the afternoon when she wants out for free range.

 

[appps]

Doing a happy dance! I've got four eggs in my nesting box today! I honestly can't remember the last time my 8 now 7 chooks gave me more than 2 eggs a day. I'm sure it's been way over a year to 18 months.

 

[Ashburnham]

First Araucana hatch for this season is underway! xxxxx

 

[Fizzybelle]

Ooooh! lots of eggys there! very nice!

 

[Fizzybelle]

Thanks Fizzybelle not feeling too bad; the cold night air plays a bit of havoc though.

Do you remember KiKi and all the trouble I went through with her excessive noise before we lost her? One thing that seemed to be working was the radio. Granted, I had to be up early to set up the radio in the coop, but the soft volume classical music seemed to work.

I understand how stressful it can be, especially worrying about the neighbours. Crystal can get a little noisy but at least she is not starting at 5am like KiKi was. Crystal is more vocal in the afternoon when she wants out for free range.

I do remember the trouble you had with your little KiKi, though I've not tried the radio. The neighbours whose house backs onto ours have a studio at the back of their house that for a while, I wasn't sure what it was. I thought someone might have slept there, but no apparently not. Still, I need to check with them if the noise carries, I've just not seen them lately when I've been outside. On the flip side they have a yappy dog that goes off anytime day or night.

With Agnes a lot of the yelling seems to be in response to something bothering her. She's hungry, she yells. It's nearly bedtime, she yells. She wants out of the pen in the morning, (this is the worst one), she yells. I can pick what she wants generally, but responding is tricky at times. I let them out of the little coop where they sleep and into their pen to eat and stretch out at around about 6 in the morning, then I go back to bed (I'm a night owl). When everyone else gets up say around 8ish, then they can come out of the pen as people are awake to keep an eye out. They've just been getting impatient lately, well mostly Aggie, who sets Beatrice off, who is smaller, and makes an even louder noise like a screaming banshee.

I can try the music in the afternoon when she's yelling, and see if it helps. If it does, I'll try it in the morning. I just hope she's having a bad cycle ( which I empathize with ), and the hormonal rage calms down soon. I hope tomorrow I see the neighbours out in their yard though, and get the chance to speak to them. Those on either side don't mind, one neighbour I did speak to today was from the country and likes the contrast to the city sounds which is good. I owe him and his family a nice selection of eggs. My old neighbourhood, my yard was larger, and the area a little noiser as we were closer to a main road.

Lol at least I don't have guinea fowl

Here's the little monster, and associate monster.

 

[appps]

First Araucana hatch for this season is underway! xxxxx

Exciting! trying to decide if I'm going to hatch this year. If I do I'll be sending you an order so excited to see your chicks when they hatch

 

[Anniebee]

Good morning folks

First up … Shaming Time! So, I have a cold and my voice has developed a rather hoarse/raspy tone. Most loved ones would be offering hugs, chicken soup, hot drink, sympathy etc .. not beloved hubby, he is walking around the house going "squawk" "squawk" whenever I talk to him! LOL

Anyways, that is one of the reasons I have been AWOL for a few days, feeling a little under the weather and of course, with such good timing, work has been really busy.

Anniebee thank you for the clarification.

I have seen that video but thank you for sharing it .. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it again. Such a beautiful mumma cat.

Chucky continues to visit every afternoon and no sign of the adult bird again. It has only been spotted that one time with the carcass.

Because I have been feeling crook and flat out working, I did manage to knock off at 3pm yesterday instead of 4. So, I let the girls out early and Chucky was sitting in the Mango Tree, singing up a storm. He has a beautiful voice. I walked up and talked to him and he kept singing away.

PS. He is not a fan of sardines

appps In answer to the plans for the spring hatching season. I have no plans but I am fairly sure that my broody bunch have some plans of their own

Fizzybelle My Silkie, Tina [RIP sweet girl] would do Peacock impersonations when she was brooding; she would sit quietly on the nest but whenever she took a break she would stand in the middle of her run and screech like a Peacock.

KiKi [RIP also] and Crystal are Silkie X’s and yep, very loud and duck like. You can not mistake Crystal’s voice. Imagine a duck doing the egg song

MyHaven congrats on the Ara egg!

Well Teila ... seems you have a 'pet' wild bird - probably for a long long time.

So narrowing it down even further - as long as you don't sight any adult birds around him - all should be well, do what you like - and he/she likes.

Back off only if a parent bird appears. Easy. .... And Chucky is not a fan of sardines ?

Yes, isn't that Mumma cat and ducklings priceless. A longer version of it, shows the ducklings ( allegedly ) trying to suckle. But that is not their thing, however, in the animal world, anything is possible. And as ducklings grow faster and larger than chickens, Mumma cat had great difficulty in controlling them ... kept picking them up and bringing them back ( by what would be the scruff of the neck ) ... only to find them toddling off again. Poor Mumma cat.

......

Have a problem here with Sonya - the assistant pup / dog ( 18.3 kgs now ) who was speyed yesterday ( Friday ). She is head shy, for what reason no one at all knows, and being a Labrador, cannot be trusted not to pull out stitches, or chew and destroy any possibility. She has had a go at them once. So on went that ghastly plastic "Elizabethan" collar we had from one of our own dogs, which I think is a rotten thing to put on any dog, particularly as there is a bitter deterrent available. We have some of that, but the chosen vets asked that we not use any form of anything on or near the stitches. So poor Sonya is stuck with this horrid thing on her head. And she is crying, whimpering and in continual and obvious frustration at it all. I know they get used to it, but ........ Sonya is not like any other pup / dog we have EVER raised - ( and that's plenty of 'em ).

Mind you, many dogs have to have them on - and they DO get used to them. And it is only day 2 now - 11 days to go before the stitches are taken out. NOT impressed with the choice of vet - who did not bother to mention at all at collection time, that the adhesive bandage ?? over the stitches had to be removed on return home. Have NEVER seen a vet. cover sutures on wounds ( which have to breathe air to heal ), nor has our highly qualified vet nurse niece. Phoned the vets - "ooops, sorry, we meant to mention the bandage to be removed " ????????? NGE ... not good enough.

Anyway, if she cries much more, I am going to phone the Animal Emergency Centre ( who are also a chosen vet by the dog assistance programme ) ... to see if I can administer some ACP or a part Valium to calm her down. She is quite distraught, and despite being on anti-inflammatories ( not outright pain killers ?? ), ... is no doubt very very uncomfortable. I feel so very sorry for her, and we are taking shifts day and night, to sit with her as company. But being she is not our dog, we must 'obey' ...

That's my beef for today.

Teila ... I do hope you are feeling better at this time, and that you get over whatever has attacked you, very quickly. There have been a lot of nasty viruses around this year.

Take care,

Cheers ........

 

[sjturner79]

First Araucana hatch for this season is underway! xxxxx

Nice set. What colour birds are the eggs from? When I get my own place again I will be hunting for lavander Aracuna eggs to hatch.

 

[Anniebee]

Congrats to all who are getting eggs now .... and about time.

Mindy is still producing ... missed one day ( thank heaven - for her sake ) ... and is back on the job today. 6 out of 7 days, beautiful clean hard shell eggs, except for the 1st one which cracked when she landed it from a great height. !!

Mandy is squatting but producing nothing, although I see here, that can happen. Long time getting around to laying - although she is so large, I still wonder if she will ever produce another egg.

Molly simply is NOT interested - in anything. She was the last to moult, so perhaps she is just late getting started. Doesn't even want to know about squatting yet. And her comb, while definitely not pale, is not as red as the other two.

We shall see .... but so pleased that most are now getting eggs, after a long time of being 'eggless'.

Cheers ......