Hanging in there

We weren't at all optimistic about the poorly hen. We've had a discussion about at what stage he should be put out of his misery . But he must have overheard  us.
From being very placid and not even trying to evade being picked up and  not eating much  , he has perked up a bit.  The eye that was closed and yukky is opening a bit and he's getting around and eating




So watch this space.

Still not dreadfully positive about it though .

A poorly hen

so we moved the bantams from the barn where they have been hiding eggs  to the field where hey have lots of space . But the  pekin bantam cockerel is not well.

Hes moping round the henhouse , not pecking at things as vigorously as he usually does.
A closed eye ( ? conjunctivitis) , off food and empty crop, and not as lively as usual and with a bit of a cough.

The  pekin hen we got at the same time has faithfully been staying in the henhouse with him







Meanwhile the other bantams have been off exploring their new environment , seemingly with scant regard for the cockerel








I'm afarid this may not end very well.

Homing hen

We've hatched quite a few  chicks this year. they stay with their mother for the first few weeks whilst they grow, learn to scratch and forage and when the chicks start  to be independent   the mother is returned to  the flock  and the chicks are moved to  a field where they can eat, grow and lay eggs. 

But this one  hasn't quite grasped  what's happening. She was moved  back to the flock  she came from , but is clearly missing the chicks. 

She is putting strenuous (unsuccessful) efforts into getting under or through the gate , trying to squeeze through the fencing we have put up with aim of stopping the hens wandering and exploring  and getting stuck. 

  

and despite our best efforts she has managed to get out either through round or over the gate , across the lawn and back to where she was with the chicks. 

All a bit sad readlly because her babies, the chicks aren't there any more.  they are out exploring the big wide world

The latest Arrivals

A generous benefactor  donated some money after we lost the ducks to the otters as described here, here and here. As we didn't think we were otter-proof, we didn't at the time replace the ones that had gone  with more ducks, but instead got a couple of Pekin bantams, a male and a female  and named them  after our generous benefactors.

And a month or so ago, the female became broody and was sat on some eggs and stayed in the box for a month

 
And this came to fruition a couple of days ago.
The first two hatched ,

And after a couple of days inside they have been moved outside to the chick run. Enclosed and netted so they don't wander off or are predated by the local hoodies , or hen harriers or even a rat that might carry one off. It will allow them to grow on a bit have shleter with their mother and access to the grass and food, and when a bit bigger they will be moved to join the other chicks that we have hatched this year.

Anne and Andrew

The sorry tale of the ducks  is related here  and then here and then here and finally In Memoriam for our 2 ducks .

A kind benefactor felt sorry for me and offered to pay for any  replacements. We aren't replacing the ducks just yet   -there may be  some fencing to do around the pond, and they may need to be moved, the duck house needs a bit of a sortout.

But we have got some new chickens - Bantams  because they regularly go broody so can sit on clutches of eggs and we can have a more reliable supply of home-hatched chicks.
And so I welcome our new Pekin Bantams, named after the generous benefactor

 

 

Andrew

Anne