UK ONLY Contest - Best Bird Pics - 1st Prize Cream Legbar Eggs - 2nd Prize 6 Months GFM

[Heffer Nite]

Iv only just seen this thead, i shall definatly be getting my camera out and i shall let me chicken keeper friends know to have a go too

 

[wolfpup]

picture story of my getting ready for my girls. This is the area near my back door where we decided to put the coop and run (I have no grassy areas unfortunately). I picked this spot as the girls will have constant stimulation with the dogs and cats coming in and out of the kitchen (so I thought - the cats are terrified of them and one cat flatly refuses to leave the house now).



This area cleared and ready for cleaning - my Ute is wondering what is going on and is determined to investigate



The area cleaned and the coop and run built - waiting to have the flooring (hardwood woodchip) the girls arrived the next day



Their first day in their new home.



Been with us a week - and you will notice the addition of another run extension to give them more room - and again my Ute is checking all is well. These small extensions cost £40.00 each (fox proof) and money is tight but we wanted them to have more space.



We had high winds which blew down a fence panel between us and a neighbour - whilst chatting to them through the gap, I noticed a greenhouse frame standing in his garden, evidently the high winds had destroyed the cover - on asking what they were going to do with the frame, and hearing it was going to the tip, I offered to take it off his hands (wombled it in other words). For a cost of £13.00 I then ordered some chicken wire. I could nearly double their run size - as well as giving them a change of scenery by using it as a chicken tractor to give them access to the top of the garden and fish pond (already covered over with wire as we have lots of hungry seagulls around us) as well as a small bare soil area for dust baths etc - the other side of the pond has lots of dandelions which they enjoy.



The wombled greenhouse frame covered with chicken wire, I thought the girls would be nervous of coming out - but as soon as I opened the door they ran out so quickly I could not get the camera ready in time! They spend most of their time out in this section as it allows them to see the whole garden and is next to our outdoor table and chairs and we spend sunny afternoons together. Lunar, my Ute is still interested in them - but has learned that their beaks are sharp when he gets too close. Whenever the dogs go out the girls run up to them.









Two of my girls spotted the patch of grass at the same time and ran to it ...... Penny on the right, got there first by a beak and Bossy was not pleased about that.



Lunar spends a lot of time just watching them and often one or two of them will come and sit next to him , although just after the next photo was taken he moved when they started pecking at his tail fur







One of their favourite games is trying to grab the dog's tails - and if they do manage to get some fur they run around with it in their beaks proudly showing off



You can see they have absolutely no respect for the dogs,







This is stumpy - so called because she has no tail



And this is Bossy - deciding to check out what all the clicking is about. Penny is camera shy and will go in the main run if she hears the camera.

Sorry I could not get any funny pictures - I never seem to have a camera ready when they decide to lark around. The wombled run extension is only for use during the day - the girls go into their fox-proof run in the evenings, the extension is moved and the area cleaned down for the next day. We walk the girls inside this when we are going to be in the garden for some time up to the pond - near my greenhouse so they can see what is going on as well as enjoying the ever growing dandelions and a little bit of grass.

However at the same time as I got the greenhouse frame from my neighbour I agreed to swap two fresh eggs for his lawn clippings, I get three carrier bags full, put two in the animal's freezer and give them the other bag over the next few days. The grass keeps amazingly well when frozen, thaws very quickly so they get a couple of handfulls every day - its a lot cheaper than buying three lettuce and two cabbage a week for them !

With the addition of the extra run the three girls now have around 100 sq ft of run space, and we are thinking of adding another two girls. Bearing in mind they are ex-batts, they now have a much better life than they did - and have quickly worked their way into our hearts.

 

[eggbut]

My large fowl Hamburg girls deciding its much more exciting to drink from the gutter than their drinker inside the house!

 

[eggbut]

Lucky Bertie has some pretty pekins to clear up his crumbs

 

[chesterbarton78]

Name : Goldy Age : 8 Months Breed : Wyandotte
Name : Olive Age : 6 months Breed : Campbell

Name : Little white Age : 7 months Breed : Leghorn X

Name : Sugar Age : 4 days Breed : Silver spangled polish

Name : Ernie Age : 7 months Breed : Black mottled pekin

Name : Colourful cockerel Age : 8 months Breed : Pekin X silkie (pilkie)


Names : Derek & Doodle Age: 5 months Breed : Chamios polish

Name : Cluck Age : 7 months Breed : Lavender pekin

Name : Buffy Age : 8 months Breed : Buff orpington

Name : Roody Age : 8 months Breed : Silkie X leghorn

Name : Blackrock Age : 3 weeks Breed : Black rock ( hybrid)

Name : Silks Age: 6 months Breed : silkie

Name : Colourful cockerel ( when he was younger ) Age : 4 months Breed : Silkie X pekin ( pilkie)

Name : Neville Age : 10 months Breed : Leghorn


Name : Sussex Age : 3 weeks Breed : light sussex

 

[chesterbarton78]

Name : Skittles
Age : 3 months
Breed : Pekin
Colour : Lavender

 

[chesterbarton78]

This is my lemon pekin bantams running away from the mess SHE made by digging in the plant pots

Name : Lemons
Age : 5 months
Breed : Pekin
colour : lemon

 

[chesterbarton78]

Name : Sussex
Age : 2 weeks
Breed : light sussex
Colour : black & white

 

[Heffer Nite]

These are my entries
First one is some rescue ducklings given to me by my local vet. They were left in a cardboard box on there doorstep with a note saying the mother was killed by a fox. As im know very well at the vets they asked if i could rear them and set them free on our lake.


The second is my Golden Campine Rooster 'Prince'


Third is the very first chick's i ever hatched, my pekin ladys 'Amy & Lou'


And finally my frizzle pekin cross 'Rizzo' hanging out with the micro piglets

 

[Habibs Hens]

Contest Ended no more entries

quite sad that considering the amount of UK users not many entries came in

Sumi was our special Guest Judge with me

Thanks Sumi

Winners will be announced when I get up in the Morning