I've never seen it...I'm guessing it's funny
Between the wild flowers and the various herbs and bushes there is some colour all year round.
Great pictures, great stories, as always. Thank you for sharing.Coop cleaning inspector. Had both Treacle and his dad Cillin on inspection duties today.
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This is Fudge. She's from Tribe 1. This year is her first serious moult. I've been a bit worried about her. She isn't eating much of the commercial feed. She spends a good part of the day looking for particular bugs and roosts. It's not unusual for the hens here to cut back on the commercial feed when moulting. They obviously need something the feed doesn't supply. A thought for those who believe a higher protein feed should be used for moulting hens.
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Jenny, an old hand at the moulting business and only as grumpy as normal.
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Solomon, Jenny's son and partner doing the moult too.He's had a bit of feather damage this year from poor flying skills.View attachment 1937143
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Looking South from the sheep field.View attachment 1937144
Looking North up the mountain.View attachment 1937147
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The track heading North. This is the second route out in the event of fire. You can I am told, follow these tracks to France. The anti fascist forces retreated up these mountains in the Spanish Civil War. All fences and gates built by my good self.View attachment 1937152
A slight improvement in the attentiveness on the parts of Punch and Mag, Tribe 2's roosters having lost a chick yesterday. They are still not in my good books.
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Below is a bit of a snapshot of the result of a failed hawk strike.
Notch, giving the general alarm call after an attempted hawk strike up in the sheep field. I think, that a hawk was watching from the one of the ridges and spotted Fudge away from her tribe in the sheep field. It used to be a favorite hawk strike spot, but when I put the fences up it made a hawks life much more difficult to attempt a strike by flying up out of the valley below, a couple of feet off the ground, and suddenly appear in the sheep field. Not only does the hawk have to bank up hard at the fence, it has to allow for the chicken running to the nearest bit of fence. which the chickens can squeeze through but the hawks can't. All the wooden fences have stock net on.
View attachment 1937157 There are five hens in that lot, behind Notch giving the general alarm call.
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Naturally, having heard the general alarm calls, I check on the mums out with chicks first. This is nutter Mel (Tribe 1 and caring for three chicks.) Mel sends the chicks to cover and stands there. She's fought off a Goshawk before. While the bravery is incredible I do wish she would take cover somewhere.
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This is Cillin (Senior rooster, Tribe 1) giving the general alarm call. Fat Bird, Tackle and Treacle are in the bush.
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Mel, still very watchful at supper time.View attachment 1937190
I was reminded just how effectively the chickens blend into varied vegetation while I was checking everyone was okay. I almost trod on Myth doing the check.
Sounds like a great day for you, Queen and her new owner.
I just can't believe this. I have a broody pullet. She's not even 6 months old, the days are getting short and cold and she's full on broody. What is she thinking?
I had just put the broody breaker away last weekend. I just hauled it back out and put it in the coop and shoved a screeching feather pancake in it.
I have heard of them going broody in sub zero winter weather!I just can't believe this. I have a broody pullet. She's not even 6 months old, the days are getting short and cold and she's full on broody. What is she thinking?
I had just put the broody breaker away last weekend. I just hauled it back out and put it in the coop and shoved a screeching feather pancake in it.
I came home to DH telling me we lost power. But then he said I'd want to check the panel because he had been down there. Uh oh. Sure enough, he'd shut off the main breaker. I powered it back on and reset the tripped GFCI receptacles then reminded him (like that's going to do any good) that he's not supposed to touch the panel.
What breeds do you have?
