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Saturday 22 December 2012

Gratuitous Chicken Post

I got up nice and early today, to attempt a bike ride with the dog.  I got dressed and ready and then went to get my bike out of the shed and only then noticed it was pouring with rain!  What a fool, I coulda, shoulda, woulda stayed in bed with my book!  Make note to self:  Checka da Wevver before getting dressed!
       It has been a while since I have mentioned these girls.  All is well in the coop.  I appear to have four healthy hens.  In spite of the weather they are still happy and bursting to come out to play rain or shine or frost or fog.  Their half of the garden in looking far from pretty.  It is wet and muddy with not much grass and plenty of puddles.  I am beginning to worry that it won't come back in the Spring.  These girls positively 'bowl' out of their coop in the mornings.  They were hungry girls this morning.
Poppy, Daisy and Rose were all tucking in and poor old Lavender could not squeeze in...to her dismay.  She had a right little panic.
That is better, I don't have to worry about Lavender, she somehow sorts things out and end up at the front or in the middle of everything.  This girl is certainly not backward in coming forward.  I am getting three lovely eggs a day again for the moment.  I do have to work for the 3rd though as someone has taken to laying in a very awkward spot of the garden right behind a large tree.  I nearly fall over each time I crawl for this egg.  There is a hidden little nest.  Somebody prefers peace and quiet.  I am trying to get the fourth egg by addressing the diet of these girls.  Less Kitchen scraps and top quality 'Organic' layers pellets.  Even their corn in take has been reduced.  They also have Oyster shell available at all times for Calcium.  Calcium is needed for egg production and to produce eggs the calcium is leeched from the Chicken's bones rather than obtained directly from their food.  It is important to make sure they have calcium.  I also save all the eggs shell and bake them to kill bugs then grind them and scatter them as a food supplement.  Chickens need shell and grit to break down food in their gizzard.  As we know Hens to not have teeth!
    I am very tempted to make a Christmas Treat for them, especially after I saw this:  Scratch and Nut Edible Wreath.
Isn't it beautiful.  I am sure it would not last long.  I could almost be tempted to have a little pick at it myself!
XXX

10 comments:

  1. Glad to hear the girls are doing well, that wreath sure looks tasty!

    Helenxx

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  2. Hello Lucy

    I thoroughly enjoy hearing about your girls. You should write a book about them...have I already told you that!!! Maybe but all the same you should! I mean if Barbara Cartland could write the drivel that she did and become a Dame I'm pretty sure you can do better than that!
    Anyhow .....don't you just treat those girls so well....I remember my Aunty May down on her farm at Langley March,Wiveliscome,Somerset (my summer hols were spent there year after year)used to keep all the egg shells and leave them between the grill and burner of her old cooker so they'd dry out and become crisp and it was my job to mush them up and scatter them for the hens to eat. Thats the old way to give them back the grit they need she told me. I think thats a smashing idea giving them a Christmas wreath...go for it!!! What happened about the dog?

    keep well and Merry Merry Christmas

    Amanda :-)

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  3. Glad to hear the girls are doing well...merry christmas xx

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  4. Lovely to catch up with life in the coop. oo! I'm sure the nut wreath would be appreciated.And it is very pretty.
    xox

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  5. Oh, I love your hen stories! You are the best chickie mom ever! I'm so glad Lavender has a good sense of self to hang out with those 3 that were together since they were eggs. I saw that wreath too.. goodness, what a nice thing!

    ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉
    *M*E*R*R*Y* *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S*!*
    ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉

    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  6. Wonderful chicks! The wreath is amazing.
    Happy Christmas to you and yours.
    Carol. Xx

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  7. I can well imagine your hens loving that wreath...but you...maybe not so much...and WW would probably not encourage you to try it either, right?
    Merry Christmas, Lucy :) xx from Gracie

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  8. What a pretty wreath! I bet your girls would love it. Thanks for posting about them again. Love reading about your chicks! Merry Christmas! ♥Jen

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  9. Popped over from ravelry -- gratuitous chicken posts are always a must-read! :-)
    Happy happy to you and yours, Anne

    p.s. my own gratuitous chicken thought: I pull the membrane out of the eggshell and it's ready to crumble, no drying necessary. Just grab the edge of the shell where it's shattered from breaking it, snap off the broken bit and pull the membrane with it. With a little practice it all comes off in one piece. Repeat with other half of shell. Make sure no one's watching -- they'll think you're nuts.

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  10. I've been seeing those bird feeders on pinterest and have been dying to make one. I'm sure the little ones left here would love a little treat!

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