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

[MyHaven]

Good morning folks 

Just on the Queensland temp chat .. a colleague lives in Toowoomba and woke up to -2C the other day.

I think it was 6C this morning when I fed the girls and currently it is only 12C.

Anniebee LuLu has been moulting for a while now also.  She started with the head and neck, then completely lost her tail, which has now grown back.  I figured she was done but this morning, in the coop, she has now decided to drop her wing feathers .. she has been dragging this one out for months.

Dusty seems to be staggering hers this season also. 

+1 on chickens not liking the wind … mine hate it!

sjturner79 and satay congrats on the bubs .. adorable!!

SilkieChickStar I usually start bantam to bantam integration around 12 weeks of age.

We have a local resident who feeds the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos of an afternoon and hundreds of them show up .. I have no idea how they can afford to feed them all and the noise is unbelievable … they still frighten the beejeezus out of the girls every afternoon when they fly over and around.

Cilla was scratching around in the nest box yesterday and I caught her sitting in there at lunch time.  She is not squatting yet but may be, just may be we might be getting an egg soon; that will make a change 

Feeding cockatoos is a problem when you stop. They have been known to eat the houses of people who move away.

It used to be illegal to feed wild birds. You could find information on the Qld government environment website. If your interested.

 

[satay]

All snuggled up in the brooder.

 

[satay]

Miss Frizz has finally decide today to try free ranging with the turkeys. This pic was taken before i let them out this morning. (hanging with her boys )

 

[Fancychooklady]

Feeding cockatoos is a problem when you stop. They have been known to eat the houses of people who move away.

It used to be illegal to feed wild birds. You could find information on the Qld government environment website. If your interested.

Lol , I don't feed the cockatoos but they still hang around by the hundreds. Of late we have flocks of white storks / ibis in mass.

 

[satay]

Good morning folks 

Just on the Queensland temp chat .. a colleague lives in Toowoomba and woke up to -2C the other day.

I think it was 6C this morning when I fed the girls and currently it is only 12C.

Anniebee LuLu has been moulting for a while now also.  She started with the head and neck, then completely lost her tail, which has now grown back.  I figured she was done but this morning, in the coop, she has now decided to drop her wing feathers .. she has been dragging this one out for months.

Dusty seems to be staggering hers this season also. 

+1 on chickens not liking the wind … mine hate it!

sjturner79 and satay congrats on the bubs .. adorable!!

SilkieChickStar I usually start bantam to bantam integration around 12 weeks of age.

We have a local resident who feeds the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos of an afternoon and hundreds of them show up .. I have no idea how they can afford to feed them all and the noise is unbelievable … they still frighten the beejeezus out of the girls every afternoon when they fly over and around.

Cilla was scratching around in the nest box yesterday and I caught her sitting in there at lunch time.  She is not squatting yet but may be, just may be we might be getting an egg soon; that will make a change 

Fingers crossed you get that egg soon. I have two broody non frizzled pekins in the main pen this morning. Really girls did you not get the memo that it is winter

 

[satay]

Lol , I don't feed the cockatoos but they still hang around by the hundreds. Of late we have flocks of white storks / ibis in mass.

Oh i know they can be a pain but i do love ibis.. I must be slipping this morning cause i noticed in this order the horse, then the ibis and then oh look at that grass

 

[Teila]

MyHaven I am so pleased to read that your little SLW is safe; cheeky little girl!

I agree with Fancy it sounds like time to trap that cat.

Gees, if these folks ever stop feeding the number of cockatoos they do, they will not have a house left!

Yeah, I might look up that feeding wild birds thing because they are very annoying every afternoon.

satay your snugly bubbies are too cute! Love the pic of Miss Frizz with her Security Team.

Lol @ your girls not getting the ‘It is winter' memo .. may be Cilla is just going to skip the whole egg laying thing and just go straight to broody

Lol also at you spotting the green grass last

Fancy I am not a fan of Ibis because they are a threat to my goldfish. We do not get many in the garden and luckily Cilla, who is not a fan either, lets me know when one is close

Forgot to mention, remember our little Cuckoo ‘Porter’? He came back for a visit yesterday .. He was quite happy being very close to me until I tried to take his picture.

 

[sjturner79]

Fingers crossed you get that egg soon. I have two broody non frizzled pekins in the main pen this morning. Really girls did you not get the memo that it is winter

Mine really didn't get the idea that winter is not the time for being broody. I have had one hatch last week, one hatch this week, one due next week, one due week after and 2 other hat look like the getting ready to be broody.

They will be moving to a new coop in a week or so so that might shake them up a bit.

 

[Fancychooklady]

MyHaven I am so pleased to read that your little SLW is safe; cheeky little girl!

I agree with Fancy it sounds like time to trap that cat.

Gees, if these folks ever stop feeding the number of cockatoos they do, they will not have a house left! 

Yeah, I might look up that feeding wild birds thing because they are very annoying every afternoon.

satay your snugly bubbies are too cute!  Love the pic of Miss Frizz with her Security Team.

Lol @ your girls not getting the ‘It is winter' memo .. may be Cilla is just going to skip the whole egg laying thing and just go straight to broody 

Lol also at you spotting the green grass last 

Fancy I am not a fan of Ibis because they are a threat to my goldfish.  We do not get many in the garden and luckily Cilla, who is not a fan either, lets me know when one is close 

Forgot to mention, remember our little Cuckoo ‘Porter’?  He came back for a visit yesterday .. He was quite happy being very close to me until I tried to take his picture.

I think they are actually white cranes. Don't know where they came from , this is the first season we have had them here.

 

[Anniebee]

Satay ....

2°C in Esk ? .... I would imagine getting up at 4.30 am it might even be colder. Good luck with that.

Still fascinates me. !!

Love the photo of your Miss Frizz and her special guards. A strange but lovely mixture of poultry there. Especially as she loves to now hang with them most all of the time. Is she still sleeping with them as well ??

MyHaven .

The hessian bag is a good idea. Hot water a no-no. Just bucketfuls of cold water or lukewarm water is the way we have done it. Have used a scraper for ice - with good results.

Definitely agree with all that it is time to trap that feral cat. OR stop its entry into the house ( presume you have a cat flap door ? ) .... and have your cat remain inside for a while, taking her out only on sunny days for a supervised sniff around the garden. Trapping would be best though. Council would have to deal with it then too, I would think.

So glad to know that your thin little hen came out from hiding ( or wherever ) ..... and seems to be on the improve. Hope she gains some weight fairly quickly. Must have made your day.

Teila ...

Feel a little better about Mindy and her staggered moult, after your advice about Lulu. First time Mindy has ever done this, she usually moults fiercely, becomes like a prickly dragon all over, and presto - lovely new feathers - in pretty quick time from go to whoa.

Nice to have had another visit from Porter. If he's around, ( or she ) ... perhaps spring is around the corner ?? ...

and the promise of nests ( magpies nest latish winter ) ... to deposit her one egg in.

Fancy .... inclined to agree they are white cranes. The Aussie white ibis has a black bill, and some ( or a lot ) of dark feathered tail.

Found a 1/4 of a large Japala pumpkin just yesterday $1.69 per kg ( reasonable for here ) - cost me $2.29. Now I have to wait for a decent day to do the oven, cooling and smashing bit. Have NO idea when that might happen. !! Rain predicted for most of the next 5 days

sjturner79 ..... your broody chookies are acting rather weirdly .... but then I think all chickens are this year. It has GOT to be the weather, although in South Australia, I would think it might be a bit warmer ? .... correct me if I am wrong.

..........

It is bitterly cold here today, with the wind blowing a gale. 3.30 pm and is 6° ... but with wind chill, feels like a minus temperature. None of the girls have been out today. The dogs hate the wind too.

Cheers all --- stay warm.