Friday, June 08, 2007

Outwitting chickens

The chooks are all tucked up nicely in bed (inside the coop). The reason being that at 4pm yesterday we removed the perch from the run, which meant that when it was time for the United Poultry Front of Netley (UPFN) to congregate, they had nowhere to perch! Ah-ha! We are smarter than our chickens!

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Stubborn solidarity!


Feeling sorry for Kiev in her Sin Bin and on the advice of Chicken Guru II, I let Kiev back in with the others today and she seemed recovered, no heading off to nest box at all. In fact, none of them are heading off to the nest box............at all. It is now 09.30pm and the three of them are sitting on the perch in the run (it is no coincidence that they are all facing the house I'm sure) staring defiantly (with one eye each) towards the back door of the house. I just tried to lift them from the perch into the coop (so they don't get eaten by a fox in the night) but the three of them ganged up on me and all hell broke loose in the run, three fat chickens flapping and shrieking (Molly actually went for me) and me, crouched down, shuffling around the run trying to catch them. I retreated in defeat and will leave them to their stubborn fate tonight.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Kiev in Sin Bin


So here she is in her Sin Bin, she's not very happy about it but I guess that's the idea. She was particularly unhappy when Guinness (the cat) came and had a close look, so we have banned him from visiting. Need to check how long we are supposed to confine Kiev to the Sin Bin...............

Cosy Kiev


Here is Kiev, firmly ensconced in her nest box, without intervention, she would stay in here all day and night, for weeks on end.............so we intervened....

Tough love


Yesterday we were introduced to a new friend who has become Chicken Guru II, he advised that the only way to deal with the broody Kiev was to assign her to a few days in the Sin Bin. Over the course of a BBQ we considered the various Sin Bin options available (milk crate, cat basket etc.). The idea is that the Sin Bin is not a comfortable place to be, separate from the other chickens and does not offer any possibility of roosting on a nest. One option presented itself which might be considered a little inappropriate but the size and layout offers many advantages (easy access for topping up food and water, not very comfortable floor, ventilated etc.) so this morning we have braced ourselves and put Kiev in the Sin Bin............

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Kiev still broody

Kiev is still broody, taking every opportunity to sit in the nest box (whether there is an egg there or not). Every day we take her from the nest box several time a day and encourage her outside. She stays out for about 20 minutes before heading straight back into the nest box. Yesterday at about 4pm I closed the door into the run so that she couldn't get back into the coop. After about an hour she seemed quite upset, pacing round and round the outside of the run trying to figure out how to get into the coop. This broodiness has been going on for some time now, I fear drastic measures are necessary.......

Wire protection


Alan has fixed some chicken wire on the the inside of Stalag Chicken Run, at the bottom, in attempt to stop Molly from rubbing her feathers from her neck. Fingers crossed.....

Molly's neck


Poor Molly, she pushes her head between the wooden stakes of Stalag Chicken Run to reach the fresh turf grass, unfortunately, this has led to the feathers around her neck being rubbed away, revealing the "bumpy" chicken skin beneath.