Ribh's D'Coopage

[Ribh]

Tha is one odd looking little bird... your cat brings them in for you alive? One of my cats will sit on mice, I just thought I’d been watching too many “broody chicken” videos with him. He tucked it back under his belly twice before I finally rescued the poor rodent.

Droughts and heat waves suck, we had 1/2 the hay as usual last year here, and the pastures all got too crispy, too soon. And people say global warming is a myth!

Kirby will bring me the bigger birds like a spaniel; soft mouth & gentle. The little ones he kills if I don't nab him. And I've had to rescue little field mice tucked up under his chin. I can't abide them crying.

Sadly this dry is part of our *El Nino* cycle. We are an inconsistent country. Down south is burning out of control. Up north has flooded. We have a cyclone forming. Parts of the country are in severe drought. Parts are freezing ~ & all in less area than you guys have.... I think. Matter of a couple thousand extra miles.

 

[Ribh]

Due to time on the mainland the girls have been cooped up more than normal & it has been several days since I've been able to spend some quality time with them, so today I collected my mealworms & sat on the verandah step because I was pretty sure Namaste was starting to molt [haven't had an egg from her in several weeks & she looks ratty] but I wanted to get a good look @ her & my BAs, while calm & docile, aren't keen on being handled.

On top of everything else I'm pretty sure she has fowl pox. Noticed the tell~tale black spots on her comb. The mozzies have been atrocious though everyone else seems fine so far.

Anyway I wanted a closer look so I waited till the girls arrived on the verandah, herded her into a corner & made a grab for her. As suspected she is molting. New pin feathers just starting to show but the poor girl is pretty miserable.

I have been making sure she gets her fair share of food & a little extra loving & though she is disinclined to forage as much as she usually does she has stopped isolating herself as she was. Hopefully this will be a soft molt & she will be back to normal shortly.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Kirby will bring me the bigger birds like a spaniel; soft mouth & gentle. The little ones he kills if I don't nab him. And I've had to rescue little field mice tucked up under his chin. I can't abide them crying.

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Sadly this dry is part of our *El Nino* cycle. We are an inconsistent country. Down south is burning out of control. Up north has flooded. We have a cyclone forming. Parts of the country are in severe drought. Parts are freezing ~ & all in less area than you guys have.... I think. Matter of a couple thousand extra miles.

We had a drizzly day today and the night tomorrow will be hot XD

 

[Ribh]

We had a drizzly day today and the night tomorrow will be hot XD

We have been getting a little bit of rain ~ followed by strong winds that immediately dry everything up again.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

We have been getting a little bit of rain ~ followed by strong winds that immediately dry everything up again.

I know. Soooooo annoying

 

[Kris5902]

Weather extremes are always nasty! Stay safe. Your Kirby is such a little cutie, it’s hard to see him as a vicious hunter from that picture. Our last summer was a doozy as well, our hay came in almost a month sooner than normal because of the drought. Are you almost through your summer, or is it just getting started? Time difference usually confuses me enough, NVM the opposite seasons, lol!

 

[Ribh]

Weather extremes are always nasty! Stay safe. Your Kirby is such a little cutie, it’s hard to see him as a vicious hunter from that picture. Our last summer was a doozy as well, our hay came in almost a month sooner than normal because of the drought. Are you almost through your summer, or is it just getting started? Time difference usually confuses me enough, NVM the opposite seasons, lol!

We are in Autumn [fall] ~ not sure which term Canada uses ~ but you would never know it from our temps. Water temp still warm hence the possibility of a cyclone.

I have just planted our garden & everything has sprouted, including my snow peas which are always dodgy here. I should probably pick back my beans. The shadecloth my hubby put up for me has really helped. I'd've lost everything in the heat otherwise.

Yep, Kirby is my hard loving man but he can't be trusted around little things that move. He had one go @ my chooks but that smart girl just rose on her haunches & shook her feathers @ him. He hasn't tried again.

Oh, & my OD has been in Chile for 8 years & I still get muddled with the time difference. It's not just you.

 

[Ribh]

This morning started @ 4am. Put my middle son on the first boat off the island. He has a 2 day drive to spend 10 days with his family in S.A before heading out to sea in the gulf. We have enjoyed having him to ourselves for a little bit.

Now Hubby & I get to pick @ the easier chores: putting shadecloth over the new bush house; sanding back the benches in Hubby's *office* & oiling them so he can move in. I need to burn off all the rubbish that has accumulated around the fire pit so we have a clear run when the chook pen materials arrive. It's a bit out of hand as we've had a complete fire ban & I haven't been able to do a burn in some time & despite the rain everything is so dry I will have to be very careful.

And I need to spend time with my girls. I am getting squwarked @ ~ which is what they do when they feel neglected.

 

[MaryJanet]

I think we've got the same prefab coop, or very similar. Last year, I splashed some of my tax return on a royal rooster chicken palace with a fox proof floor. But I kept the little prefab in case I ever need to integrate a new bird or set up a chook hospital ward. Both coops open onto a run. I can't let them free range because of the hungry foxes and the neighbourhood dogs, most of whom take their walks off the leash.

Can't wait to see your new coop come together!

 

[Ribh]

I think we've got the same prefab coop, or very similar. Last year, I splashed some of my tax return on a royal rooster chicken palace with a fox proof floor. But I kept the little prefab in case I ever need to integrate a new bird or set up a chook hospital ward. Both coops open onto a run. I can't let them free range because of the hungry foxes and the neighbourhood dogs, most of whom take their walks off the leash.
Can't wait to see your new coop come together!

Thanks, MaryJanet. For me the coop is a means to an end: I want more chooks. We are blessed not to be overly troubled with predators like foxes & even the hawks haven't investigated though where I have the pen has lots of overhead shrubbery. I would keep the little coop like you but sadly it is starting to fall apart & I'm not sure it will survive a move.