Henry trains the chooks

Henry spent the morning trying to train the chooks to jump for a worm!!!! Babette wasn't playing up to the camera though, as soon as i'd put the camera down she was jumping like a maniac as usual!

Secretly I think she was gloating as Penny now has a bumper bit on......

More bald botties

Well just thought i'd show you all how the girls botties are not getting any better!

As a result we emptied the run AGAIN in case it's the compost that's making their bums sore! We are tearing our hair out to be honest. We are frantically trying to organise building a new walk in run to give them more space, and also in readiness for the new girls in the summer.

Nick spent the morning relining as the little monsters had dug the other one up!! This one is supposed to be super strong and chicken proof!

Hazel on drugs!

So, how do you give antibiotics to a chicken? It's an olympic sport! The theory is you wrap her in a towel, tuck her under your arm or inbetween your knees, prise open her beak and squirt it down!!! Nice and easy............... Ha!

An average the first 2 doses took about 30mins as she DIDN'T want to be caught, I think that she could see that towel under my arm! So the 1st day I was at work there I was in the run at 6am trying to catch her...... I tried to coax her with corn, which work eventually. But if I carry on like that they'll all be the size of a house! It wasn't so bad while they were having their afternoon mash, so maybe i'll try porridge for breakfast as the last 2 doses are tomorrow, so wish me luck!

Hazel goes to the vets

Well. Hazel has been unwell :-( After sitting in the nest box most of the day she made it out onto her favorite perch and stayed there. She was not to be temped with any yummy food and would not socialize with the others....... So as we were under the pressure of time as Nick was away for the next few days, off we went to the vets!

She was a lovely vet and was great with Hazel...... Poor hazel though, she was brill even when the nasty lady stuck her finger up her bottom!!!!! Luckily she couldn't find anything wrong. She now has antibiotics........... Great.

basting the chooks!!!

In a nice way of Course!!!!! After Harriets trip to the vet, he advised removing the garden lime from the run as he thought that it may be scorching their little tums.... he gave us some flamazine to apply, but with 6 girls it doesn't go far!!! And at £17 a tube we soon found either sudocreme or a tea tree & lavender alternative....

Now we have to creep down their in the dead of night wearing thermals, wellies, hats scarves and gloves, take each girl by surprise ( as if) swing them upside down and baste them with cream by torch light!!!!

Lets hope we see some improvements soon...............

dustbath

here are the girls loving their new bed!!! I think it's their own version of clean sheets!!!!

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!

Well, the snow came!!!! We are not sure if the girls are impressed or not to be honest... We went out and opened their door to see if they wanted to come out and play, but they were VERY reluctant to say the least.... They did venture out, but only into the outer run.... Penny just stood with one leg in the air shaking it vigourously, then they tried to strip my poor honeysuckle AGAIN and then promptly put themselves back in - now that's a first!!!!