The lovely Blossom.

The lovely Blossom two years on.

Blossom was owned by my friend Carol . Blossom never really settled in with her when she got some new girls, not only was she bullying them but she was being bullied also.

She was very vocal and had a voice on her that never seemed to stop because she was so unhappy. One day down Carols I mentioned  I felt sorry for her and the next thing I had adopted a chicken. I went home to my husband and he rolled his eyes and said “as long as it’s the last ” ..Some words just fall on deaf ears !

They always say never add one chicken to a group so I was very wary of where this was going to go. I kept her separate for a few days and let her out a few minutes at a time to mix ..I was amazed as she just slotted in like she had always been there. She is a  star !

Blossom is now four.

Two years on she is a great girl and such a character. She is not top chick but great friends with my shy girl Bluebell. They dust bath together and sleep together squashed together in one nest box ,I know people say they shouldn’t but they have a choice. I poo pick each morning so they have clean space to lay. Chelsea sleeps on a perch all on her own.

Moulting and laying again.

Blossom when she is laying lays lovely blue eggs .They are a stunning colour and never cease to amaze me .This winter though she has stopped laying as she had a really bad moult and looked like a scarecrow. A very sad and sorry state.

She is now fully feathered and looking gorgeous and ready to lay. The last few days she has started to squat again and loves a cuddle. so I reckon in a few days the lovely blue eggs will be on the way again.

Bluebell and Chelsea.

See the #fireworks I created by blogging on #WordPressDotCom. My 2015 annual report.

See the fireworks Chicken Pickings created by blogging on WordPress.com. Check out their 2015 annual report.

Source: See the #fireworks I created by blogging on #WordPressDotCom. My 2015 annual report.

2015 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 670 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 11 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

The ups and downs.

It has been a sad year for me so it has been a while  since I have posted on here and really I should have done it a while ago but it is nearing the end of 2015 so time to make a new start. Some of you will have read about my girls before so forgive me for going over old times.

2016 will be a better year ..New girls ? I am not sure yet ,I’m still making up my mind . I have 3 girls who get on really well together ,do I upset the apple cart ?

Of my  6 lovely feathered girls I am now down to three…All for very different reasons .

Firstly there was Ruby who had only been with me a few months and she had a prolapse which the vet could not sort.

Ruby

She was such a lovely girl and she was one of a pair who I brought with the lovely Chelsea.

Secondly was Bonny who was over 4 years old and had been unwell for a while. Nothing you could put your finger on but she was slow, pecking at her food and not being the greedy girl she used to be. I could have taken her to the vet but she did not seem in pain .I am a firm believer in letting them see their lives out with their friends.

Bonny

One morning she slowly came out of the coup and hid under a bush where she felt safe. It was later that morning I found her lieing on her side. At the bottom of my garden is a wood so that is where I laid her.

Last but not least is the beautiful Clover who was always my husband Ian and my favourite. She was the last of our old girls .She was 5 years + and she was a stunner . Always top chick  and how ever many chicken came and went she always stayed fast and was top. Sorting squabbles out and making sure they were all looked after.

Clover

Rest in peace girls.

I have three girls now to love to and care for who are

Blossom

I thought Blossom was poorly earlier in the year but it was me panicking ..She was going through a moult ..She now has most of her beautiful feathers back and I am looking forward to her laying her lovely blue eggs again.

Bluebell

My shy girl.. I have had her 3 years and she runs a mile when she sees me out side. She will stand by the other side of my patio doors and listen to me talking to her but as soon as I am the otherside she runs a mile .The other thing is she never makes a noise. She is beautiful and hangs about with the other 2 easily.

Chelsea

Chelsea is the new girl on the block and is the friendliest chucken ever .She follows me everywhere, loves being picked up , loves a cuddle and chats away giving me all the gossip. Chelsea is the only one laying at the moment and lays beautiful eggs.

Chelsea with her friend Ruby.

From six to four.

FROM SIX TO FOUR

In January I got two new girls who I called Ruby and Chelsea they were only about 20 weeks old and had all their chicken lives ahead of them but sadly 6 weeks ago at the very young age of only about a year Ruby had a prolapse. After a lot of thought the lovely Ruby had an appointment at the vets and did not come home. That was so sad but I could not let her suffer and had not enough know how to deal with it my self.

The lovely Ruby.

Earlier in the day she was perfect running around and doing chicken things and then laid an egg that was just not right. by mid afternoon I could tell she had a problem as she was all hunched up and sitting under a prickly bush for protection. Chickens are very good at hiding things that are wrong as they realise that if they are looking and feeling ill other chickens or preditars will get them.

BONNY.

The never to be forgotten Bonny.

I only wrote about Bonny a few weeks ago saying that she was getting old and was poorly but that she was a fighter. She was improving I thought eating and drinking and although slow managed to get to the worms when dug up. Sadly it was not to be she was getting slower and moving less and one morning she was walking about on the patio and after hanging the washing out I went in then heard a terrific din all the girls were making such a racket that I rushed out and she was laid on the patio.

……

There are various views on what to do with chickens that have gone and putting them in my green recycling bin double wrapped was not an option .This is what advised on many sites but not for me.

The idea of recycling is a good one and at the bottom of my garden is a wood so there she went buried under a pile of leaves to join all other nature.

I am now down to four which is a nice round number . I have Clover who is now getting on for six years old and looking good but not likely to last years.

Clover. Still laying two eggs a week.

Blossom who I adopted from my friend Carol, I think she is three.

Blossom AKA Elvis.

Bluebell who is as shy now as when I got her two years ago and thinks I am the wicked witch. She is two and a half and lays blue eggs.

Bluebell , I only have to breath and she hides.

Last but not least new girl on the block Chelsea who is now about a year and I have January. She is friendly , chatty, follows me everywhere and tells me all the gossip.

Chelsea with the departed Ruby.

Bonny the surviver.

I have had Bonny now for four years and she has always been second in command after Clover. She is a lovely girl and if there is a favourite she is one of mine. I got her along with another girl from a farm in West Wycombe and she has never let me down . Chatty, full of life , a great egg layer in her time and always one of the flock sitting on the old tyre or log with the other girls.

……

Moving on three months and everything has changed. She is now slow , sleepy and on her own. She is not with the rest of the flock and many  a time she is stood in the middle of the patio with her eyes closed in a world of her own. I never could easily pick her up but now I can  scoop her up as easy as anything. I have  examined her as much as possible but there are no visible lumps or bumps. On the bright side she is eating and drinking and suddenly finds a spring in her step when  worms being dug.

……

I have considered taking her to the vet a few times but unless she is in visible pain I am reluctant to do so as the trauma would be too much for me or her . I did take Ruby to the vet the other week and she had to be put to sleep with a very severe prolapse and was in pain. Bonny on the other hand I hope is just getting old . She is first to bed to find the best spot and is last out in the morning .Everyday I expect her not to come out but she always does and goes straight for the pellets.

……

After being second in command she is now bottom chick. It does not take long for new girls especially to make the most of the situation and up their game and go up the pecking order. Chelsea in particular makes the most of this and makes sure sadly that Bonny stays below her . Nothing serious just chicken pecks  but something to keep an eye on . Everything time though that I think she is on her last legs she springs back but it is not long before her head is in her neck and she is asleep on the patio again .

Wonder girl Clover.

Wonder girl Clover.

I have had Clover for over  5 years and she is a trouper. She was my first chicken from Omlet and is like a Black Rock but they call them Miss Pepperpots. Clover has always laid huge eggs much bigger than any of my other girls and until a year ago laid regularly at least 4 days a week ..

Last year Clover had a really bad moult and ended up with hardly any feathers at all .She was very poorly and it took ages for her to become beautiful again. After the moult except for a couple of soft eggs she never laid again .That did not bother me as she was part of the family and never caused me a moments bother. she  hs never been sick and has always tolerated me getting new girls .When new girls were being  sorted out she has never made a fuss but welcomed them all, sorting them out and keeping them in check.

A few weeks ago Clover moulted again ,this time not to bad and has just got all her lovely new feathers back. Four days ago she went into the nest box and laid her first egg for a year. I was so chuffed and excited as I thought she had finished laying and ending her life as an old lady should. Imagine my surprise when 2 days later she laid another and again this morning…What a star.