Unfortunately a couple of days ago we discovered an unhappy occurrence. Dillon, our gorgeous blue self French Lop had escaped from his run, in the stable where all the bunnies live, during the night and had had a fight with Ben. Benjamin is our very grumpy, un-bunny-friendly, red French Lop; he is a lovely people friendly bunny but is solitary and is unwilling to be sociable with the others at all at the moment. Ben didn't have a scratch on him as he was behind the safe bars of his cage, unfortunately Dillon did not come off as well and has lost a portion of his ear. Other than looking quite rugged Dillon is fine; he lost quite a lot of blood but it clotted on it's own through the night, he is keeping it clean himself and it seems to be healing well so no human interference has been required so far. We have all been so sad about this having happened, as we have tried so hard and spent many hours with the rabbits to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Unfortunately fighting is just rabbit nature and nothing could have been done to prevent it.
Ben has now been moved into solitary confinement so he cannot hurt any of the others and we are drawing up plans for his own hutch; Ben is not an aggressive rabbit he is just a loner who does not take well to others. Maybe in a couple of years we can try to introduce him again but for now we all feel he would be happier and the others safer if he lived on his own. Dillon is now living in the giant hutch on his own for recovery; he was in shock for a day but has been enjoying his food, laying in the sun and running in the garden so I think he is absolutely fine, we have been more troubled by the last couple of days than he has!
Here's to more rabbitty success in the near future.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Moult...
Over the last few weeks i've noticed my egg numbers dwindling. I've checked under the house, looked for signs of broken eggs from crows, rat runs etc. nothing. I've given the girls extra nest boxes although they all keep insisting on using the same solitary two. I've been finding this all very puzzling; before I got my new girls some days I got 11 eggs from 11 chickens, now I have 21 chickens and im getting between 7 and 10 eggs a day :/
Yesterday Mum purchased this month's copy of the Country Smallholding magazine, when I saw the article on lack of laying I thought 'excellent, an answer'. The conclusion -- moult.
This is the first time i've had chickens and havent had them for four seasons yet so I have been totally oblivious to what's happening. They have all been shedding like crazy (although to my intense relief not going bald!). Mum's chicken run, being home to the bigger fluffier birds, has a daily feathery carpet that's impossible to get on top of. Aparently at this time of year laying decreases and chickens are also prone to sniffs and sneezes. That explains a lot; so now the girls are having herban/oregano in their water daily and as of tomorrow i'm also going to be putting poultry spice on their food to help them through the stress of moult. Will be relieved when it is all over and I can get a true indication of how well all my girls are going to lay.
I must say though I am very proud of young Lois, the second of my White Leghorns, who has started laying a wonderful tiny pure white egg, she is quite young so i'm impressed and have great hopes for her in the future. Thought she deserved a mention.
Yesterday a number of fiddly task were finally completed. For the past few months Bridget, Mum's Gold Laced Orpington, has had an unpleasant toilet issue. Bridget has pretty bad personal hygiene and it finally got so out of control we had to cut a bald patch into her fluffy knickers! Unfortunately this didnt totally get rid of the issue as she had a large lump of poo still attached to her skin. We left it in the hope that when her new feather shafts grew through we could cut it off. Today that became a reality; with a pair of latex gloves, some olive oil, nail scissors and a very patient bird we finally relieved poor Bridget of her ongoing problem. She is very pink and very bald but very happy, the feathers will be back in no time and she'll be as good as new; I just hope she picks up some good cleaning habits from the others!
The other fiddly task was removing stitches from the bunnies. Although the vets always say they put in dissolvable stitches I always think once it's healed up it's better to remove them. Duke and Toby had nibbled some of theirs off, but all the others came out quite easily; the bunnies were star patients. I would have been a vet if I wasn't so terrible with blood! Now we just need Flynn's balls to finally drop and the rabbit situation will be golden!
The last few days i've been a bit of an indoor hermit. I've desperately been trying to get my website up and noticed by google so I can get listed. It's not so much that I need it listed, it's just more of a personal vendetta and it would make me really happy. So if you are reading this it would really mean a lot to me if you can comment on my blog, post it on facebook, or visit my website www.eggyeggdevon.co.uk and comment on the site. It's got photos, recipes and more so please give it a look.
Thanks guys, speak soon x
Yesterday Mum purchased this month's copy of the Country Smallholding magazine, when I saw the article on lack of laying I thought 'excellent, an answer'. The conclusion -- moult.
This is the first time i've had chickens and havent had them for four seasons yet so I have been totally oblivious to what's happening. They have all been shedding like crazy (although to my intense relief not going bald!). Mum's chicken run, being home to the bigger fluffier birds, has a daily feathery carpet that's impossible to get on top of. Aparently at this time of year laying decreases and chickens are also prone to sniffs and sneezes. That explains a lot; so now the girls are having herban/oregano in their water daily and as of tomorrow i'm also going to be putting poultry spice on their food to help them through the stress of moult. Will be relieved when it is all over and I can get a true indication of how well all my girls are going to lay.
I must say though I am very proud of young Lois, the second of my White Leghorns, who has started laying a wonderful tiny pure white egg, she is quite young so i'm impressed and have great hopes for her in the future. Thought she deserved a mention.
Yesterday a number of fiddly task were finally completed. For the past few months Bridget, Mum's Gold Laced Orpington, has had an unpleasant toilet issue. Bridget has pretty bad personal hygiene and it finally got so out of control we had to cut a bald patch into her fluffy knickers! Unfortunately this didnt totally get rid of the issue as she had a large lump of poo still attached to her skin. We left it in the hope that when her new feather shafts grew through we could cut it off. Today that became a reality; with a pair of latex gloves, some olive oil, nail scissors and a very patient bird we finally relieved poor Bridget of her ongoing problem. She is very pink and very bald but very happy, the feathers will be back in no time and she'll be as good as new; I just hope she picks up some good cleaning habits from the others!
The other fiddly task was removing stitches from the bunnies. Although the vets always say they put in dissolvable stitches I always think once it's healed up it's better to remove them. Duke and Toby had nibbled some of theirs off, but all the others came out quite easily; the bunnies were star patients. I would have been a vet if I wasn't so terrible with blood! Now we just need Flynn's balls to finally drop and the rabbit situation will be golden!
The last few days i've been a bit of an indoor hermit. I've desperately been trying to get my website up and noticed by google so I can get listed. It's not so much that I need it listed, it's just more of a personal vendetta and it would make me really happy. So if you are reading this it would really mean a lot to me if you can comment on my blog, post it on facebook, or visit my website www.eggyeggdevon.co.uk and comment on the site. It's got photos, recipes and more so please give it a look.
Thanks guys, speak soon x
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Duckie Drama
I feel the time has come to move my girls again. My brilliant four compartment run is working spectacularly with removable panels and now that my chicken house is on wheels it only takes Mum and I to move it in 10 minutes; considering that the shed is a 5x6x7 foot I think that's pretty good and the best that can be achieved!
One of my other compartments currently has my three chicks in it, Sapphie and Topaz my two Cream Crested Legbars and Ruby my Rhode Island Red, hopefully these guys will be ready to integrate with the big girls soon, possibly even with this pending move. In another compartment, temporarily on loan, are Mum's girls; her youngest have just been integrated with her eldest, which went very well, but obviously they haven't stayed the youngest for long! In a sectioned off area are four little dots!
We now have Daisy a white Orpington bantam who is the biggest (although still small); Martha a gorgeous glossy black and white mottled Pekin with a hell of a voice on her; Lizzy a teeny little eight week old silver laced Wyandotte large fowl; finally we have incy-wincy Lacey, a stunning nine week old blue silver pencilled Wyandotte bantam. They are all fabulous but I still have my heart set on a buff laced and blue laced large fowl Wyandotte, a special Cochin and possibly a porcelain millefleur Sablepoot to throw into the mix since little Milly is so great and spunky. Unfortunately due to space, money and time constraints they will have to wait until next year.
We really do have to stop with the chickens now as there is still so much to do with the farm! We are still reeling from the aftermath of the rain on our very soggy hay and still trying to clear the lot. Plus, Dad has two weeks holiday now in order to get the stable renovated in preparation for the DONKEYS!!! It's getting so close to having them now that it seems surreal, I don't think I'll believe it until they arrive. They are almost fully weaned so ready when we are, once the stables are complete they'll be here!
Not much has happened on the bunny front, they are all still separated at the moment but once the stitches are out (this weeks task!) we can hopefully begin the slow, painful process of peaceful introduction (ha, will let you know how that goes with grumpy Benjamin bunny!)
We have had an interesting duck day today though. Unfortunately yesterday Mum noticed a curl on Geraldine our chocolate Indian Runner duck. For those of you who keep, or aim to keep female ducks you will know this is not a good sign. On closer inspection we discovered 'her' newly changed quiet raspy whispering call. Fearing the worst I decided to have a go at vent sexing. Now, I've done the research, been shown how it's done, but I can openly say it is totally different and quite unpleasant in practice. Although I wasn't totally successful in my findings, I am, sadly, 87% sure our cutie pie Geraldine is a boy. 'Her' future with us is now uncertain, whether we try and find her a new home :( or try to segregate her I just don't know; I will let you know when we come to any kind of decision.
One of my other compartments currently has my three chicks in it, Sapphie and Topaz my two Cream Crested Legbars and Ruby my Rhode Island Red, hopefully these guys will be ready to integrate with the big girls soon, possibly even with this pending move. In another compartment, temporarily on loan, are Mum's girls; her youngest have just been integrated with her eldest, which went very well, but obviously they haven't stayed the youngest for long! In a sectioned off area are four little dots!
We now have Daisy a white Orpington bantam who is the biggest (although still small); Martha a gorgeous glossy black and white mottled Pekin with a hell of a voice on her; Lizzy a teeny little eight week old silver laced Wyandotte large fowl; finally we have incy-wincy Lacey, a stunning nine week old blue silver pencilled Wyandotte bantam. They are all fabulous but I still have my heart set on a buff laced and blue laced large fowl Wyandotte, a special Cochin and possibly a porcelain millefleur Sablepoot to throw into the mix since little Milly is so great and spunky. Unfortunately due to space, money and time constraints they will have to wait until next year.
We really do have to stop with the chickens now as there is still so much to do with the farm! We are still reeling from the aftermath of the rain on our very soggy hay and still trying to clear the lot. Plus, Dad has two weeks holiday now in order to get the stable renovated in preparation for the DONKEYS!!! It's getting so close to having them now that it seems surreal, I don't think I'll believe it until they arrive. They are almost fully weaned so ready when we are, once the stables are complete they'll be here!
Not much has happened on the bunny front, they are all still separated at the moment but once the stitches are out (this weeks task!) we can hopefully begin the slow, painful process of peaceful introduction (ha, will let you know how that goes with grumpy Benjamin bunny!)
We have had an interesting duck day today though. Unfortunately yesterday Mum noticed a curl on Geraldine our chocolate Indian Runner duck. For those of you who keep, or aim to keep female ducks you will know this is not a good sign. On closer inspection we discovered 'her' newly changed quiet raspy whispering call. Fearing the worst I decided to have a go at vent sexing. Now, I've done the research, been shown how it's done, but I can openly say it is totally different and quite unpleasant in practice. Although I wasn't totally successful in my findings, I am, sadly, 87% sure our cutie pie Geraldine is a boy. 'Her' future with us is now uncertain, whether we try and find her a new home :( or try to segregate her I just don't know; I will let you know when we come to any kind of decision.
Friday, 5 August 2011
Mizzle
The weather over the last few days has not been bad but really not good enough to commit to being outside all day. As a result of the incessant mizzle that has been plaguing us our newly cut hay is ruined. We still have one field left to cut, and we have learnt a lot from our many failures in haymaking so far, but this lot is definitely destined for the tip or the ash pile. Although probably not advisable, burning seems the fastest way to dispose of the numerous grass piles scattered over the field, however, the rain is making even this difficult.
I promised to keep you updated on Roxanne's progress. The good news is our beautiful gold brahma is still with us, the bad news is that despite a 10 day course of strong antibiotics for all the fancy girls she is still rattling somewhat and still has the large lump on the side of her face. Her spirits despite this seem high, she is quite happy in herself and is now more active than she was prior to the medication, we have not yet however decided our next course of action.
With regards to my lay-dees, they have not had a very good last couple of laying days. Blanche, my older light sussex, is broody; as a result of this every morning she is being moved to another pen and then transferred back in the evening to go to roost. This doesn't seem to be breaking her of the habit of sitting but at least I can rest easy in the knowledge that she is eating and drinking. Because of this Blanche related disruption yesterday the nest boxes were not put in the house (oops my bad!) and today not only was the pop hole shut until after lunch, denying the girls access to the nest boxes, but poor Treacle was trapped inside all morning (oops Mum's bad!). As a result of this mis-management on our part, today I discovered that the girls have retaliated in the form of laying eggs UNDER the shed!! Luckily I discovered this and hopefully it will not happen again in the future.
The girls also all seem to have developed a sneeze. At the moment Ronnie is the worst with a bit of a raspiness on top, but they all seem to be sneezing intermittently. They all now have Herban in their water and I am desperately hoping nothing comes of it.
Well that's all for now, oh and p.s. we have sunflowers growing on the chimney breast! :)
NOTE: Eggs are not currently being supplied on the back gate at the trust box due to thefts; as soon as I can remedy this sales will resume. Thank You.
I promised to keep you updated on Roxanne's progress. The good news is our beautiful gold brahma is still with us, the bad news is that despite a 10 day course of strong antibiotics for all the fancy girls she is still rattling somewhat and still has the large lump on the side of her face. Her spirits despite this seem high, she is quite happy in herself and is now more active than she was prior to the medication, we have not yet however decided our next course of action.
With regards to my lay-dees, they have not had a very good last couple of laying days. Blanche, my older light sussex, is broody; as a result of this every morning she is being moved to another pen and then transferred back in the evening to go to roost. This doesn't seem to be breaking her of the habit of sitting but at least I can rest easy in the knowledge that she is eating and drinking. Because of this Blanche related disruption yesterday the nest boxes were not put in the house (oops my bad!) and today not only was the pop hole shut until after lunch, denying the girls access to the nest boxes, but poor Treacle was trapped inside all morning (oops Mum's bad!). As a result of this mis-management on our part, today I discovered that the girls have retaliated in the form of laying eggs UNDER the shed!! Luckily I discovered this and hopefully it will not happen again in the future.
The girls also all seem to have developed a sneeze. At the moment Ronnie is the worst with a bit of a raspiness on top, but they all seem to be sneezing intermittently. They all now have Herban in their water and I am desperately hoping nothing comes of it.
Well that's all for now, oh and p.s. we have sunflowers growing on the chimney breast! :)
NOTE: Eggs are not currently being supplied on the back gate at the trust box due to thefts; as soon as I can remedy this sales will resume. Thank You.
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