MJ's little flock

[BY Bob]

I also enjoyed watching grown men in armour hit each other with sticks!

That reminds me. There used to be a show on late night TV here with real jousting. They trained and ran a tournament with real armor etc. It was pretty amazing to watch. I spent many a night up late watching it. I think it was a british show.

 

[MaryJanet]

I wish mine would eat more pellets for the same reasons! I'm glad Ivy is eating them. Have her shoot my girls a message on BeakBook please?

Is Janet moulting a lot? Alice is pretty much covered now thank goodness, though the feathers still need to fluff out more. Just in time too. We are expecting much colder weather on Friday.

I'll give her my mobile later today. Hopefully Mary will show her how to send a DM


I know I'm worrying about Janet with no cause but that knowledge doesn't help. When i see her 8 or 9 lonely back feathers I feel a chill in my own back and want to give her a blanket. It's the old mirror neurons and affective empathy trouncing my rationality. I know it's wrong to warm her up and I won't try to, but that doesn't stop me wanting to.

 

[Shadrach]

Ahoy friends! I've been rather hectic lately and not posting often, but all four hens are happy and healthy.

The most exciting recent event was Ivy realising pellets are yummy and that she can eat as many as she likes from the dispenser. I like it when they eat pellets because there's no risk of a hen selectively omitting this or that grain like they can with the grain mix.

The weather has been cold and wet. I've been worried about Janet with her sparse feathers, but she doesn't appear to be unhealthy.

I make a mash with the powdered feed I buy to make sure they don't just pick out the bits they fancy. It's also handy when worming and for adding extra vitamins.
I just add water each morning, enough to make a paste rather than a slurry.

 

[MaryJanet]

All sounds good. I'm very glad. I'm especially glad Ivy is eating better. That is excellent news and I get why you are pleased you can rely that she is eating a good diet.

When they first arrived they were so small they couldn't manage pellets and that's why I've been giving them mashes in the evenings. The mushy pellets mixed with the grains was maybe a better diet than grains alone. With all the rain, there's a lot more forage than usual too. So Ivy taking to the dry pellets at last provides another layer of certainty that she's eating well. Hopefully Peggy will try the pellets soon too.

 

[MaryJanet]

I make a mash with the powdered feed I buy to make sure they don't just pick out the bits they fancy. It's also handy when worming and for adding extra vitamins.
I just add water each morning, enough to make a paste rather than a slurry.

I think we were posting at the same time Shad. Mashes were my first thought when I realised the little ones couldn't manage dry pellets. The older hens enjoy a mash too, so it's been a good thing for all of them. Once I know for sure Peggy's eating dry pellets too, i may slowly cut back on the mashes.

 

[MaryJanet]

It just dawned on me that I haven't seen Peggy eat a feather for about a month! That's good. I hope she forgets all about feathers as a menu item.

 

[Shadrach]

This is Lock. We are having terrible problems with her legs. She has some scaly leg mite but there is also another problem and I'm not sure what it is. Initially I thought it was straw itch mite but she perches at night. I've been doing her legs every other night much to her disgust.

 

[Ribh]

This is Lock. We are having terrible problems with her legs. She has some scaly leg mite but there is also another problem and I'm not sure what it is. Initially I thought it was straw itch mite but she perches at night. I've been doing her legs every other night much to her disgust.
View attachment 2115167

She's a very pretty girl

 

[Shadrach]

She's a very pretty girl

She isn't sure if she is a girl. She crows a bit and doesn't lay eggs.
She also bosses the youngsters about like a junior rooster would. It's very mild bossing but the style is definitely male.

 

[MaryJanet]

This is Lock. We are having terrible problems with her legs. She has some scaly leg mite but there is also another problem and I'm not sure what it is. Initially I thought it was straw itch mite but she perches at night. I've been doing her legs every other night much to her disgust.
View attachment 2115167

I can see her legs are a bit lumpy bumpy. I hope it's not too sore