Its arrived

Yep the snow is here, although it is no where near as bad up north, but my poor poor girls. still only half feathered they are really beginning to feel the cold. During the day we have a heater pointing out of the garage door at the garden and the girls almost take it in turns to warm up, except for Lottie who would charge for the privilege if she could.
I am feeding them a pellet porridge three times a day to get some warm food in them.
The recipe is
take half a pint of boiling water, add pellets gradually until mixture resembles a watery yoghurt mixture, then add a treat, ( I add a handful of corn and meal worm). it will thicken slightly.
it will have cooled down by the time you have reached the top of the garden and they will love it.
In between the porridge they have a feeder filled with normal ex bat pellet food which they eat as well as the porridge.
today the wind was bitter and the girls certainly didnt like it. They were either in the run which is covered with heavy plastic, or darting to the area which is heated.
The local weather has predicted that temperatures will drop to -10 or -12 tomorrow night so have gone into panic mode. Although I cover the run with a rubber mat on the roof of the coop, followed by cardboard which covers all sides of the coop then a thick plastic I am still worried that this will not be enough to keep them warm.
I think tomorow I will have to rearrange the garage so that I can move the coop into the garage for a bit more protection. unfortunately my husband, stuart, is at work so I will have to do it my self.
If I get the coop itself in the garage with the run through the door I think I might be able to cope. We'll see.

Brrrrr!!!

Being in the midlands we havent had the snow yet, but by gum its cold. I can tell its cold as the three doves, the wren, Mr Robin and the tits have all started to feast on chicken food too. I totally love watching them from the kitchen window whilst chained to the sink and cooker, but its all so nice to see.
The grils are ok, Aggi is still limping and I noticed they had drawn her blood again. So she thoroughly enjoyed a cuddle this morning whilst having her bottom neck and wings sprayed purple. I was amazed at juts how warm she is in this weather, so can happily assume the others are the same.
Lily, lottie and Ada have only to hear the door open and come running to get food, they'll happily eat out of anyones hand. Roxie, Ronnie, and Aggi are still very timid, but are never very far away. I still have to make sure they get their bit of food but all their crops are nice and full.
I had delivery of the compost bin the other evening and put it in position this morning. I clean the coop totally on a Saturday morning and put all the old stuff in the bin together with what I had saved over the week. Needless to say I think I should have got a bigger compost bin as this one is more or less full. lets hope it breaks down quickly or I'll be back to putting it in the wheelie bin and trying to disguise it with other rubbish so that it gets taken on the normal bin day.
Now its sooooo cold I take great care in ensuring the coop is as warm as I can get it at night. The run gets covered in a thick plastic, held down with batons of wood, and the coop is surrounded with thick cardbpoard and then covered with plastic. It seems to be working really well at the moment. I just hope the cold doesnt hang around for too long.
They have to put themselves to bed again tonight as Santa is switching on the town lights. It will be a mad rush to get home and cover up the coop before the frost settles. At least they do go in on there own and I dont have to try and find them in the dark.
bring on spring is what I say. Til the next time shut your curtains and have a cup of hot chocolate.

A mummy at last

Its been a great day today. Although the weather is very cold, we havent had any snow and the girls have spent the day chasing the winter sunshine around the garden. I can see a future when the dog and chickens race for that special patch of sunshine .
With the threat of snow growing day by day, it was time to weatherproof the run. We have put wooden batons on the ends a large piece of plastic which fits over the run. The girls werent to sure to begin with but come bedtime of they trotted. And with layers of cardboard over the coop with extra bedding, snug as bugs in a rug.
Its taken nearly too weeks but they have at last begun to recognise mummy. When I go outside they come running and Ada and Lily are now happy to eat out of my hand. Ada is going to be a very cheeky hen already putting her head in the tub of corn I take out to sprinkle around. She wont yet let me pick  her up, but I'm sure she will get to that point. Ity really made my day, the cat around my legs and a chicken eating out of my hand. I am really looking forward to warmer weather when I can spend more time outside. Roll on spring.

reflective moment

I happened to drive past a battery chicken farm today, and really felt sorry for the girls in there. Have driven past it before but to be honest havent really thought about it, but since having the girls I can say my outlook has totally changed.
Here at home the girls are great, Aggi is still limping, and has a very purple bottom along with Ronnie, but Lottie has certainly calmed down since she was reprimanded. I went out an bought them a new feeder that was recommended and its amazing, you really do not get any spills, so the pellets are lasting much longer. The only thing is the white part of it shows some smears of blood. This is a total mystery, I have checked each girl for signs of fresh blood but none anywhere. I can only think at some point one of them has had a peck on her comb which has bled. I dont think I will ever know where it came from.
The cats and Dog are now settling down. The cats pay no attention to the girls, and the dog just goes and sniffs around. All one big happy family. I just wish the compost bin would arrive as I am chucking so much poo away and I know it would be so good for the garden.

Lottie is being sent to detention tomorrow.

The CD obviously hasnt worked. I've just been watching the girls and Lottie is simply horrific. Every bird is being bullied. Poor Aggi, has a very sore purple bottom, (the purple spray doesnt deter Lottie) and her limp isnt improving as she is having to run away from Lottie. Even Roxie, the big girl with more or less all her feathers, is getting got at. The result is that tomorrow I am removing the extension from the run and will use it to seperate Lottie from the others. Hopefully she will fall off her high and mighty perch and the others can have a stress free day, especially Aggi who really needs it.
Its such a shame its come to this, and Lottie is such a sweet and innocent sounding name. Should have called her Roxie.

The invasion of the CD

I have had to try and stop Lottie picking on the others, so I hung a CD in the garden. The effect is great, and has been very entertaining. Roxie was first up and was very intimidated by the hen that was looking back at her. She backed of and then each girl has taken it in turns to visit the new neighbour, but only from a distance. I hope this has some effect with Lottie and maybe she will think the CD is another chicken when she looks at it or she will simply decide to peck at it, and as its red on the one side maybe she might show more interest in bullying the CD rather than the other girls.

Lottie is a bully

Lottie is the smaller, fairer coloured of the girls and was the least inquisitive when i first got them. Angelic you could almost say. Now I have two purple bottomed girls because of her, she is a persistent bully, following Ronnie and Aggi around picking on them.
Poor Aggi has a nasty sore patch where she has been got at which I will have to keep an eye on, and Ronnie I have to spray with purple spray reguarly to try and ward Lottie away. I think I will have to sit down and give her a good talking to, maybe threaten the barn again.