Chickens

Little Lovely - a survivor.

At bedtime last night we managed to get back together fourteen of our thirty girls. We have lost 2 White Stars (Cappachino and Milly), 1 Welsummer (Coco), 5 Speckledys and 8 Red Girls.

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So of our original 30 we have left 5 Speckledys, 4 Reds, 3 White Stars (Molly, Little Lovely and Jemima) and 2 Welsummers (Fudge and Bourneville).

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They are now all living temporarily during the day in the old chicken enclosure and coming out at night under supervision to go back to their house. This will continue until the electric poultry fencing arrives. The new girls are confined to the other chicken house until then too, it's not a perfect solution but a safe one. 13 of them in a house designed for 24 gives them enough room to cope for a couple of days.

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The Lavender Pekin Bantams have been safe all the time in their Eglu, and are now sharing it temporarily with the 2 new New Hampshire Reds, who at just 6 weeks old were being bullied by the new big girls. At least they are the same size as the bantams at the moment.

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Life here on the farm is subdued but going on. The pigs (thanks to Butch) have discovered a liking for jam doughnuts!! They are all currently basking, with full tummys in their various mud wallows in the orchard enjoying this lovely sunshine. I'm off to the polytunnel to give everything a drink before it gets too hot in there and Lovely Hubby is busily constructing his worm beds, ready for the arrival next week of the main bulk of our worm empire.

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Thank you SO much for all your words of sympathy left yesterday either in the form of comments or the numerous private emails I have had from lovely blogging pals. It helps when folk understand.

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Have a lovely day.

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Sue xx