Ribh's D'Coopage

[LozzyR]

Thanks, GdeK. When I clean the coop I toss the leftovers of the bale into the run to amuse them. They were free ranging but when they started eating the profits of our small home nursery they got confined. I blame the Vorwerks. They are incredible stickybeaks & went where no chook ever went before. I broke all Shad's rules for having a calm cohesive flock ~ but not all my fault. I wanted to go with Campines but my breeder is no longer breeding & they are so rare I haven't been able to turn up another breeder yet. Still, it works. I have a very calm flock because they are mostly non dominant breeds.

GdeK… sounds like her rapper name!

 

[Ribh]

Most of my older girls moulted early.
Just the same I wasn't expecting to see eggs from anyone [except maybe the BRs, who aren't laying] until spring.
Days of agitated screaming & pacing announced the Campines were getting close to laying again. Today Ha'penny obliged. She eventually got in with Luna.

I think a Vorwerk [probably Freya] has also started to lay. There has been a medium small creamish egg in the nesting boxes. The bantams are smaller & definitely buff.

 

[Ribh]

I went into the run to snap this pic of Olivia being very cute on the little coop's nesting box roof...

...when there was a sudden whirr of wings & a gentle thump on my back! I would never have guessed! The chicken least likely!!!

Excuse the messy hair. I've lost my hair tie somewhere.

 

[Ribh]

Portia & Desdemona.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Just had the vet out, she essentially said it was nothing. Just a little bit of something had gotten in his eye, no grass seeds nothing.

 

[Ribh]

Just had the vet out, she essentially said it was nothing. Just a little bit of something had gotten in his eye, no grass seeds nothing.

That's good news!

 

[Ribh]

It never ceases to amaze me who ends up on the top roost.
Poor old Beatha has been relegated to the 2nd row unless I intervene but Portia [no surprises there; she is a Wyandotte after all] has been a top rail girl for over a month now. No~one disputes her right to be there. The surprise is Chavi, the smallest & most timid of my Japs. Her right to be there is disputed. She generally seeks Portia's protection but she won't be put of, not even by Wrold's ferocious pecking.

Olivia is allowed to roost on the top rail if she wants but I have noticed she really hates being caught up in the general melee & if there's too much pushing & shoving will seek the quieter 2nd rail While Desdemona roosts, in, on, or under a Vorwerk. They like the bottom rail but I have been moving them all up to roost with the bantams while it remains so cold. I know they'd be fine but I am happier knowing they are all snuggled up.

And Luna, who is Chook of the week this week, buddied up with Ha'penny again. Such an odd friendship! Soda roosted early, thank goodness. If she leaves it too long there's not much room for her bulk & she comes crashing down like a cannon ball plummeting to the bottom of the sea!

 

[MaryJanet]

Portia & Desdemona.
View attachment 2759086​

I don't think I fully appreciated the difference in their size until now

 

[Ribh]

I don't think I fully appreciated the difference in their size until now

And Portia is still growing!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

It's good that you caught it. Bear in mind that sometimes Hattie just sleeps on the floor and it doesn't mean anything. I would give her the once over to be certain though. Keep us posted.

Deana seemed fine today. Eating as usual, no limping.
I picked her up to check her crop and vent. Crop soft and vent clean. She did not like being held.
How does one check the soles of the chicken foot? Her feet seemed fine from what I could see and feel but couldn't figure out how too look at the bottom of them by myself.

She is sleeping on the perch tonight.

She came running to see if I had anything good to eat in my mug.