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While our temps are hovering in single figures [ugh!!! 
]
& the wind has swung round to the west, where all our nasty, ugly wind comes from, the girls have been confined to quarters. Ha'penny, the more dominant of my Campines, was getting a little too brave in her explorations beyond the pen. Unfortunately Pebbles, who is tiny, & Suyin, who is dopey, happily followed her lead so until I can either be out there with them or do something about the run everyone is in the coop run ~ adequate, but not nearly as exciting as the larger run, which has trees & grass tufts & other things of interest. Everyone is taking it quite well but they will be glad to be let out again!
And I think I have lap chickens! How did this happen? As I generally do, because it gives me a chance to monitor flock dynamics & check everyone out, I was sitting with the girls while they hoed into dinner & along everyone came! Lavender likes to eat from my hand. She's still a little shy, being very low on the totem pole, but thrilled that she can eat without being bullied off the food. Pebbles hovered nearby until I picked her up & sat her on my knee, where she happily stayed for several minutes. Suyin got up herself!
Most of the flock hovered nearby until they'd had a scratch & a squat but despite the size of the pen everyone stayed underfoot. Makes it hard to collect the food tubs when they're done but I think I can now go back to my treadle feeder as the main feeder & will set it up in the coop again in the next day or 2. I had to stop using it because the Aussies wouldn't let anyone else feed. Now we will try again. Less food wastage for sure with it!
]& the wind has swung round to the west, where all our nasty, ugly wind comes from, the girls have been confined to quarters. Ha'penny, the more dominant of my Campines, was getting a little too brave in her explorations beyond the pen. Unfortunately Pebbles, who is tiny, & Suyin, who is dopey, happily followed her lead so until I can either be out there with them or do something about the run everyone is in the coop run ~ adequate, but not nearly as exciting as the larger run, which has trees & grass tufts & other things of interest. Everyone is taking it quite well but they will be glad to be let out again!
And I think I have lap chickens!
How did this happen? As I generally do, because it gives me a chance to monitor flock dynamics & check everyone out, I was sitting with the girls while they hoed into dinner & along everyone came! Lavender likes to eat from my hand. She's still a little shy, being very low on the totem pole, but thrilled that she can eat without being bullied off the food. Pebbles hovered nearby until I picked her up & sat her on my knee, where she happily stayed for several minutes. Suyin got up herself! Most of the flock hovered nearby until they'd had a scratch & a squat but despite the size of the pen everyone stayed underfoot. Makes it hard to collect the food tubs when they're done but I think I can now go back to my treadle feeder as the main feeder & will set it up in the coop again in the next day or 2. I had to stop using it because the Aussies wouldn't let anyone else feed. Now we will try again. Less food wastage for sure with it!
If Mary ever hops up with me I'll set off the fireworks and host a chicken party 
Her distrust of humans runs very deep. She doesn't squat, she won't let me pet her, and the few times she let me pick her up was when she was broody and I had to collect the eggs from under her. I imagine her first home was inattentive at best.
