Babs the broody hen is now back to normal, after I sorted her out. I tried everything from chucking her off the nest, to dunking her in cold water. It got to the stage where none of them where laying, and I thought to myself drastic action is needed. So went to the omlet forum to read up on what I should do. So I made an enclosure, with the chicken netting at the end of the run, used an old plastic table to give her shelter, gave her food and water and turned a plastic box on its side for bedtime shelter and put her in there for 2 days! This cooled her down and she is fine now! Funnily enough, the Omlet forum seems to think this is the cruel way to deal with broodiness. To be honest I think its far better than dunking them in water and forever chucking them out of the nesting box!
We have a pair of thrushes, we haven't had any for years you can just see the back end of Mrs Thrush in this pic behind the terracota pot
I sadly must admit to using slug pellets, but they are now in the bin, fortunately I haven't used any since all of the rain so Mr & Mrs Thrush should be fine, I must find something to save my lettuce and beans though! I also found a toad in the compost heap, how the heck he got in there I don't know but I left the lid off and hope he got out. We haven't had toads either for years and years, so I must be doing something right! Or was it all the rain we had this winter??
There is a rare plant sale at Lackham College today, so guess where we will be going??
The veg plot is struggling this year, I can't believe how long things are taking to come through or even grow. The amount of compost and stuff that have been put on three of the beds, should have things romping away, but sadly not!
The onions are all top and no bulb!
The victorian peas are pathetic
The trail of tears beans are............. well take a look
and these where the ones the escaping chicken didn't get!!!
The sweetcorn and gem squash are being eaten
On gardening programs they say you can plant and eat things within 6 weeks, well not in this garden!! All hedges are trimmed right back, there is nothing that is overhanging and since we have had the apple tree in the neighbours garden trimmed back I thought things would be on the up!!
Maybe I'm just too impatient, I mean it is only just June!
11 comments:
Glad Babs is back! My, I've learned alot about chickens from bloggers! Think I'll leave it at cats for now though. I'm soon off to visit family (as you know, with the good and the bad of it all). Enjoy your Sunday.
Oh I'd like to go to that sale...bet you'll come back with some goodies. Sadly Thrushes aren't often seen now; I did read one article that said the shells of their eggs are getting thinner and so their numbers are diminishing. Bet that toad will enjoy your slugs...what a great garden helper you found there. Enjoy your day
Rx
You have had your hands full!I don't think that was so bad for the brooding chicken separating her and giving her time alone..I can't imagaine the cold water method..how cruel..but I don't know how to raise chickens.I am learning from you just in case natureboy and I move to the country with wide open space and room to raise farm animals..oh what a dreamer I am!!
I am finding everything in my garden is ~FAST FORWARD~ with the late Spring we have experienced. I cannot keep up with the chores or the blossoms..no sooner one open its time for another..little time to enjoy but I suppose it is better than the cold days of winter freeze!I will count my blessings! Hugs NG
Great to see you back!
Know what you mean about havung visitors!
Is it the heat that has got to your garden? Or the rain?
Take care
Gill
Hi honeybunch, nice to have you back. Not been on PC much due to Jon's birthday and our Wedding Anniversary......catch up soon.
Dxx
Hope you are just being impatient. :-) Good luck with further progress.
Hugs,
Mari-Nanci
My seedlings are slow too, Libby! It's cold here still...13 here today, 23 in London...big difference.
BTW, a new post about Chris Beardshaw's garden at Chelsea this year...or photos of our garden ponds at Barleycorn, on my photo blog.
Hi Libby, it's prity much the same here, do you think the cold and the rain has made a difference and knocked everything back?
I have a great image of the chickens being dunked into cold water, that could be a good remedy for my daughter to make sure she tidies up her room...mmmmm
Cheers Mark
About half of my crops are not thriving too.The spuds. beetroot, cabbage and onions are fine, as are the lettuces. But the beans are pathetic, the tomatoes are sick, the courgettes are sulking, the sweetcorn is thinking about it, and the broad beans didn't do as well as I'd hoped.
I'm hoping a few days of sun will perk everything up.....I think they all caught colds over Whitsun!
Nice to see you back and looking forward to your plant sale bargains as I am sure there are lots.
Dunking them in cool water isn't at all cruel and it does cool them down, and they do get overheated which stresses them out.
Separating them too is not cruel either - and ensures that they get food and water.
If they do not have eggs to hatch out - they broodiness, overheating etc, can cause them stress making them prone to get lice or parasites.
I think sometimes that people can get too sentimental about their chickens, and sometime 'impose' human feelings or reactions onto their chickens, when in fact they are literally bird brained so do not get 'upset' about being isolated - they don't think that deeply.
At the moment, with just the two, I shut them out of the Eglu all day, and they just forget about being broody, and go about their 'normal' business of eating, drinking and scratching about!
When I get my little flock - then in future the older ones which will go broody, will go in a broody cage too - unless I decided to let them sit on some eggs
I wish I could go to that sale with you! ;-)
My onions look about the same as yours, and my beans look worse (slug victims). Patience is a virtue they say. ;-)
One of my squashes was being eaten by slugs so I put crushed eggshells around it and it is recovering now. Coffee grounds also help.
cheerio!
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