Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[ManueB]

Today was abnormally warm and I think it's going to be warmer tomorrow : 3 in the morning and up to 18 during the day.
The chickens had a nice morning. Nougat and Cannelle both laid after a lot of time spent in and out of various nests. Brune is still spending a lot of time in the nest but not laying. Merle laid where she had yesterday, in the old barn, and I think Léa still didn't lay.
We gave them some lentils with scrambled eggs for lunch.

In the afternoon however they were all very scared and subdued. I'm not sure if it was because my partner was making a lot of noise replacing the rafters of the wood shed with longer ones, or if they saw some raptor we did not see. Blanche was utterly terrified and she looked very unwell. Théo's team did not want to come out of the run at all, and Gaston's team went to bed earlier than usual, when I was thinking they would stay later to enjoy the weather.

It's difficult to take photo of Chipie because she's afraid and doesn't stand still, but she's such a pretty chicken. I hope she's not laying because she's getting older and not because of health issues!

Gaston's team really wanted to eat the snow but they didn't remember how to get to the other side.

Merle seemed to think that the length testing branches were cool new perches.

Work inspectors.

Lunch time. Chipie got an individual serving.

And the chickens tried and approved their new umbrella.

Rooster challenge

 

[RoyalChick]

Today was abnormally warm and I think it's going to be warmer tomorrow : 3 in the morning and up to 18 during the day.
The chickens had a nice morning. Nougat and Cannelle both laid after a lot of time spent in and out of various nests. Brune is still spending a lot of time in the nest but not laying. Merle laid where she had yesterday, in the old barn, and I think Léa still didn't lay.
We gave them some lentils with scrambled eggs for lunch.

In the afternoon however they were all very scared and subdued. I'm not sure if it was because my partner was making a lot of noise replacing the rafters of the wood shed with longer ones, or if they saw some raptor we did not see. Blanche was utterly terrified and she looked very unwell. Théo's team did not want to come out of the run at all, and Gaston's team went to bed earlier than usual, when I was thinking they would stay later to enjoy the weather.

It's difficult to take photo of Chipie because she's afraid and doesn't stand still, but she's such a pretty chicken. I hope she's not laying because she's getting older and not because of health issues!
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Gaston's team really wanted to eat the snow but they didn't remember how to get to the other side.
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Merle seemed to think that the length testing branches were cool new perches.
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Work inspectors.
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Lunch time. Chipie got an individual serving.
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And the chickens tried and approved their new umbrella.
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Rooster challenge
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View attachment 3402852View attachment 3402854View attachment 3402856

Chipie really is gorgeous and Merle is right about the cool new perches. I am very glad that they are not slacking on building inspection - you can never be too sure that it is being build correctly!

 

[ManueB]

Another beautiful warm day. Blanche had laid before I opened the coop and Piou-piou ran to lay in the old barn. In the afternoon Merle turned around for a long time before finally going to lay in the old barn as well. She was unfortunately scared by my partner's father, who came to collect some hay for his coop.
The couple of eagles came by very close this morning, but we scared them away. Léa spent most of the day inside the netting, hanging out with Chipie or on her own. I don't know if she was scared by the raptors, if she is bullied by Piou-piou, or if she wants some rest from Gaston mating her. He is so heavy for his small pullets. And Chipie was bullied again at roost time and this time Théo attacked her, joining Blanche and Nougat. I think he doesn't like it when she hangs out with Léa.
My partner has finished changing the rafters for the wood stack. Tomorrow if we have time we can begin cementing them but we have four trailers of manure to unload before .

Blanche was still not well today.

Gaston is a motivated helper.

Not even Gaston crowing will wake the dude having a nap.

 

[MaryJanet]

I notice your partner's napping chair is very near the chickens' new umbrella. For apres-nap conversation, I guess?

 

[ManueB]

I notice your partner's napping chair is very near the chickens' new umbrella. For apres-nap conversation, I guess?

The new umbrella is moving all around the place for now, I'm still not sure where it's best placed. When we eat outside the chickens are right under the table in our legs, and they like to dustbathe and nap close by as well, but if we're not there they have other favorite places to hang out.
******
Dawn is at seven now and Cannelle was already up, she had laid from the roost. Nougat laid soon after and Blanche also did, looking rather unwell in the nest though she was quite active the rest of the morning.
Théo was a real pain today, so much that I caught him and held him to the ground for a minute, after that he was very scared of me and ran making his angry sound whenever he saw me.
Léa did not want to hang out with Gaston for all morning and most of the afternoon. She stayed with Chipie inside the netting. First I thought she was sick because she was sleeping inside the laurel tree but then she acted normal, so I think she is tired of being bullied by the two other pullets.

We poured concrete on the ends of the five rafters placed on the stonewall, stuck in cement tubes to make sure the wind won't rip the roof off. It was hard keeping Merle out of the wheelbarrow where we mixed the concrete . Thursday we will go to Nice to buy some more rafters and polycarbonate sheets as we are making it bigger than my partner initially thought.
In the afternoon the chickens were also very helpful spreading the manure around the garden. I think we've brought back about two thirds to the house so we should be able to finish tomorrow.

It was another warm and beautiful day and the chickens stayed out until 5.30, the night falls toward 6.20 now. It's amazing how it changes quickly when during the whole month of January the day seem so short.

Funky hair!

Merle being a busybody.

 

[Perris]

It was hard keeping Merle out of the wheelbarrow where we mixed the concrete .

we had some new concrete last year where a water main had had to be dug up and a leak fixed, and though the guys put fencing round, one or other bird got through and left a trail of footprints right across it Actually I find it's a nice memento; I just haven't got round to taking footprint casts to establish who exactly was responsible for it

 

[Shadrach]

I was discussing with the eldests husband whether super heroes had become the latest get out clause for our species. For some it's a god but in modern Western society the allure of god will sort it and ever lasting life and in some kind of heaven isn't hacking it any more.

Three things this species needs to addresse imo.
The belief that we are some how special and above other species needs to go.
That would free up some think space about what we are in fact like.
The belief that at some point in time in our lives and deaths there is some kind of salvation for how we are. We seem to have a terrible problem in that we hope some super being is going to show up and sort us all out.

Get over that lot and we may be in with a shout.
It would mean an inconvienent amount of responsibility though.

 

[Perris]

A neighbour with chickens stopped by yesterday and reported that he's down to 3 (from 12) mostly because of predation by the goshawk that has been hanging around here for a while now, and has surely swooped through my garden more often than the couple of times that I witnessed it. Horrible for him, worrying for me; and in hindsight, it is the obvious explanation for the unusually tight flocking behaviour I've been witnessing, since that's continued long after the dog attack, and they usually get over traumas quite quickly.

 

[Perris]

we had some new concrete last year where a water main had had to be dug up and a leak fixed, and though the guys put fencing round, one or other bird got through and left a trail of footprints right across it Actually I find it's a nice memento; I just haven't got round to taking footprint casts to establish who exactly was responsible for it

here we are, fresh as the day they were made

 

[Shadrach]