Ribh's D'Coopage

[Ribh]

Flock Dynamics

Flock dynamics are so interesting. I’m sure Bridge is still the Alpha, but she is so chill, she doesn’t push her weight around. She is subtle about it and rules the roost with just firm look. I just love that calm confidence in her.

It is really interesting to see how the Littles are coming along. Flo is working hard to establish her place in the pecking order in the main flock. Just in a short amount of time this morning, I saw her challenge Bridge, Buttercup, and Ruby. Bridge just had a stare down with her and eventually Flo backed off. Buttercup, on the other hand, went after her and beat her up a little bit (not really, but she definitely pecked snd chased Flo off). Ruby is pretty chill and still outranks Flo, but she didn’t put up a big fuss about it.

Flo also seems to think that I belong to her. She seems a little confused if one of the higher ranked birds gets in my lap or gets my attention. Poor thing! It’s super cute! Of all the birds, definitely the babies are the happiest to see me.

Ester’s molt is significant. If she fluffs and shakes herself, 20 feathers come flying off! She’s warming herself in the sun at the moment, along with Dorothy. I’m so glad I wired in this little area, which I call their “sun room.” It is the area under the upper level of the coop (upper level was previously the deck of the kids’ redwood play structure). I leave the little pop door open year round for ventilation and so they have access to the sun room. One side is removable for human access (cleaning). I often leave it off when they are free ranging so they have another entry to the safe area. Everything is wet outside, so even though they are free ranging, they are doing their sunning from inside the covered part of the run and/or the sunroom. Those are the only dry spots.View attachment 2466388

After I wrote this post, more girls piled into the sun room, but I didn’t catch it at its fullest. Here are Cashew and Buttercup as Lucky enters the scene:
View attachment 2466398

I love your sun room. I'm sure your girls do too.

I love watching flock dynamics too. So much more subtle & involved than many people imagine. Glad your girls are all safe & sound after your holiday.

 

[Ribh]

My Fatties - Not So Much?

It’s fun to observe the girls with fresh eyes. I picked each one of as a weight estimate (except Ester, of course - worst molt I’ve seen in my flock, I think). I think they are less fat, except maybe Ruby, who is on borrowed time. Little Mill also feels like one of the heaviest (after Buttercup, of course). I am hoping my efforts to lean them down have been paying off. I’ll have to remove the large feeders I left out while being out of town. I haven’t weighed them in over a year! I should do that, too.

While I’m at it, here are more sunning images:
(Bridge, Ester, Dorothy, Minnie, Ruby, Sunshine)
View attachment 2466437

Beautiful girls.

 

[Ribh]

Guy Fawkes missed.......

He did ~ but @ least he tried... & we got bonfire night as a result! Pity they've canned that out here. It was a wonderful night as a kid.

 

[Shadrach]

My Christmas present.

 

[Ribh]

My Christmas present.
View attachment 2466518

Lychees...? We can pick them for free just down the road. There are 2 huge trees generally loaded about this time of the year. And is that Middle East dates...? Walnuts I recognise ~ but do you have to share?

 

[Shadrach]

Lychees...? We can pick them for free just down the road. There are 2 huge trees generally loaded about this time of the year. And is that Middle East dates...? Walnuts I recognise ~ but do you have to share?

Spanish Walnuts and Tunisian dates, Chinese Lychees.

 

[Ribh]

Beautiful. Such a wonderful place where you live. I know it has its issues, ferry and all, but it seems such a beautiful natural place.

lol The ferry is the least of my issues. Try parking. They want us all to use public transport so our parking is always inadequate. The trouble with public transport is multiple:

• It takes forever ~ especially if you are going somewhere that's not a direct route
• There are lots of places you can't get to by public transport
• it's expensive ~ especially if you don't have a concession
• It doesn't get you back to the ferry in time if you've gone to a concert. This is why we 1st got a mainland car again. I just couldn't get the girl to rehearsals & concerts by public transport.
• It's crowded ~ especially @ this time of year. The boat crews have had to cap numbers getting on the boats so people have been forced to wait till another boat arrives.

However this really is a beautiful place to live & the pace is so much slower than the mainland. We don't have the same sort of issues the mainland has ~ we have them, just different ones.

 

[RoyalChick]

My grandies have it sussed: It's a chicken!

Yes, that!!

 

[featherhead007]

lol The ferry is the least of my issues. Try parking. They want us all to use public transport so our parking is always inadequate. The trouble with public transport is multiple:

• It takes forever ~ especially if you are going somewhere that's not a direct route
• There are lots of places you can't get to by public transport
• it's expensive ~ especially if you don't have a concession
• It doesn't get you back to the ferry in time if you've gone to a concert. This is why we 1st got a mainland car again. I just couldn't get the girl to rehearsals & concerts by public transport.
• It's crowded ~ especially @ this time of year. The boat crews have had to cap numbers getting on the boats so people have been forced to wait till another boat arrives.

However this really is a beautiful place to live & the pace is so much slower than the mainland. We don't have the same sort of issues the mainland has ~ we have them, just different ones.

Give me an airport to land on, and I'm there!

 

[Ribh]

Give me an airport to land on, and I'm there!

If you can fly a helicopter the cricket pitch is available as a landing pad.