Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[Glutton4...]

Are you ready?!!!!My son's 'lakenvelders' both came 3rd in the rare breeds section against fierce competition, his salmon faverolle was first in the faverolle section- he can't enter the juniors anymore so its more difficult for him.. my little girl got best junior handler with her buff orpington boy, her home bred white call duck gained her best junior entry(and there were LOADS!!) her pekin frizzles were both first in their sections, her chamois thuringian was first as junior bantam, her slightly young tbh rouen drake (the mean, ill tempered b****r) was first and best waterfowl in show and her gold brahmas were first in large fowl trio- not as a junior entry. I am bushed!

Waaaaayhaaaaay! Well done Petal - and Kids! That's great news - and very encouraging for the kids too! Very happy for you!

[Feral007]

WTG Petal - bet they were happy with the results. Lovely when they do good things and get recognition for it.

[scorpius]

Awww, great results Petal & family really happy for you

Are you doing Reading next weekend?

[petal]

ha! the thought of another poultry show right now fills me with horror- its exhausting!!!!!!!!

[Feral007]

My chooks were very quiet today. When I went to clean the house they were all in it. Frank up on the roost, the Tic Tacs in one nesting box pretending they weren't there, and Shirl on the nest. Hope they are all right and it was just the heat that sent them inside.

[jessmorris]

Does anyone know if you can pull out big feathers from a live bird safely? My Orloff boy has an untidy and straggly big tail feather that I'd like to remove.

[jessmorris]

My chooks were very quiet today. When I went to clean the house they were all in it. Frank up on the roost, the Tic Tacs in one nesting box pretending they weren't there, and Shirl on the nest. Hope they are all right and it was just the heat that sent them inside.

I love hearing about other folk's weather. Its been wet, windy and cold here for so long I've forgotten what HEAT is!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Amen to that

[RichmondHens]

Does anyone know if you can pull out big feathers from a live bird safely? My Orloff boy has an untidy and straggly big tail feather that I'd like to remove.

Yes you can pull it out. He will squeak and it will probably bleed a bit unless it is straggly because he is going to moult it anyway, but it won't do him any harm. I know what you mean, if I see someone with an untidy feather I feel I have to get rid of it!

[Feral007]

Remind me to stay away from you two if I have any untidy feathers

[elizajay]

On 22nd January I posted about Victoria Plum, my Japanese bantam living in a big conifer down the road. She is still there, I go down once a day to feed her, usually in the afternoon so she gets a meal before bed time, she waits near the hutch under the edge of the holly hedge for me. If she is up in the tree when I go down she has started to come down and will eat out of my hand but keeps an eye on my other hand and won't be caught. That is progress because if she doesn't want to be seen she stays absolutely still and silent until I spot her.

I also leave pellets and water in the rabbit hutch. She has outfoxed me at all turns and seems happy and healthy.

I have watched her going into the tree, she flies up onto one of the lower branches close to the trunk and hops up the branches until she is high enough and then runs along the chosen branch away from the trunk so that she sleeps on a small branch that wouldn't support a cat and she has shelter from the bunches of leaves/needles above her.
She isn't silly.

[frias]

So glad she's OK. Can't think why she likes living in a tree all on her own though. My 6 move around everwhere together as if they were one.

[Feral007]

Sounds like she's a real adventurer elizajay. I guess some chooks, just like some people, are like that!

I'm getting 4 ex batt's in 2 weeks. Woohooo! Getting excited. Hope they're not as hard to train as G4's last lot

[petal]

i have 3 hybrids that cannot be contained and their wings have been clipped - they are becoming a real problem as they can access the veg plot so may have to be sold on if they continue.

[Glutton4...]

Sounds like Victoria Plum is now officially wild. As you say, she's not daft, and she is obviously enjoying herself or she would be happy to go back home. I would worry about the cold weather, which must be difficult, but they are tough little things, and she can obviously cope. (I bet you're still trying to catch her, though!? I would be!)

One of mine got out yesterday - spent all her 'free' time trying to get back in! Stoopid Dawg didn't even notice her.