R.I.P. Gozzie

My dearest and oldest little bantam Gozzie, passed away in her sleep overnight.

It came as rather a shock - only last week she was tapping at the back door because I was a bit later than usual putting them to bed with their evening meal - only 30 minutes late - it was 6pm instead of 5.30pm

Yesterday she spent almost all day sunbathing in the brilliant spring sunshine, scratching around in the gravel paths and getting lots of insects - and she even pulled a really big worm out of the lawn at 7am!

I am not sure of her age - she was at least 12+years old as she was one of my original bantams, together with Daisy who is still alive.  I am not sure of their age when I  bought them.

She gave us lots of pleasure, captivated us with her antics, and was the tamest, funniest teeniest little bantam you could ever wish for!  She fitted in the palm of my hand!

I am sad that she has passed away, but I am absolutely joyous that she has lived to such a grand age, and packed every single day free-ranging and enjoying the very best life and living conditions, in the company of a contented flock.

We are NOT amused!

Friday I turned a weed infested flower bed at the front

Into something smarter - and it should be a riot of colour in the summer.

I will need to pressure wash the slabs again to spruce it up even more!

But today these limp looking plants are all standing proud after a weekend of rain.

The day I did this work, a dear friend of mine living in France called me and we had a lovely long chat early evening.  The time flew past!

But some ladies were not amused!

They staged a door step protest because  I had completely forgotten that it was

way past the time for their evening meal!

They went on egg laying strike the next day!

Bantams in the garden

My flock of bantams have really been enjoying the lovely sunny weather - so I took a few photos of them helping me out.  Click on the photos to enlarge.

 I was working in the fruit cage so they just had to see what I was up to.

Daisy and Dolly were the first to realise that there were delicasies to be had

 Henrientta postively squeaked with delight as she frantically scratched in the Hemcore

 But Zola Buddy Bantam is the absolute champion at finding worms!

 They spent a pleasant hour in the sunshine doing a thorough job

Freckles is like me and doesn't care much to having her photo taken

Wherever she sat, if  she saw me with the camera, she made sure that she turned her face away!

After the fruit cage was done - we all headed out to the garden

Rhubarb leaves are deadly poisonous to chickens, and must be avoided at all cost.

And all of my chickens do so with the exception  of  Daisy.  She is a nightmare.  Year in, year out, she 

eats them early in the season.  She is over 8 years old now - the oldest of the flock

so perhaps that is her secret of a long life!

It's only this one on the raised bed that she eats - none of the others dotted around the garden!

Talking of which, they spent another happy hour or so dustbathing and dozing

 Scratching about and chatting

And generally chilling out - what a life huh?

Spring clean day at Peckingham Palace

 Regular readers will know that each week I clean out the chooks litter trays - just a five minute job - and as they are at waist height it doesn't hurt my back!  So today after yesterday's digging etc my back was shouting at me - but I decided to Spring Clean Peckingham Palace.

(Btw you do know that you can click on any photo for  a better look don't you)

POPPY SEABRIGHT

The sun came out just when I had finished, so I sat on the edge of a flower border to just enjoy the garden, and marvel at the sudden burst of life and leaves.

 

From back to the front.

MAUDIE MARAN

POPPY SEABRIGHT

DAISY PEKIN 

As usual, some of the girls who happened to spot me enjoying a rest, came over to 'talk' to me ant to see what I was doing, and if I had any treats.

 Daisy Pekin is my oldest bantam - and she is beautiful, I just love to see her petticoats getting blown about in the wind - and it was a windy day today.

DOPEY DOLLY SILKIE  

who never likes to miss out on anything, so she soon comes charging up to see what is going on!

 I just love to sit and listen to them 'chattering' away to each other in lovely soft soothing tones

You can see how tiny my bantams are against the yellow daffodils.

 Dolly is huge compared to the others even though she's a bantam Silkie

 They are clucking away to each other having found some tasty morsels

FRECKLES 

She's gone  broody so hogging one of the nest boxes - but it's not a problem as I have another one in here and two more at the back of the run - and FIVE eggs today!

I have eight little bantams - all different breeds - so those not appearing on here today are all scratching around in the garden, or dust bathing, or just flying around enjoying the afternoon Spring sunshine.

Chicken Fix

Here is a quick chicken 'fix' for those who have contacted me suffering from withdrawal symptoms

I haven't been on the internet much - but have been out and about here there and everywhere - nothing of interest unless you like DIY stores!

 

It's raining really hard today, but that doesn't stop the girls from having fun 

At the back from L-R you can see Mary, Daisy, Poppy and Maudie.

Daisy and Maudie have been moulting lately so do not look their fluffiest best.

Below them on the right is Bluebell on her own.

Then there is dolly with her back to us, Freckles with a side on portrait posing, and Zola Buddy Bantam

At  the front as always is Gozzie Rosecomb, and Willow - who does a perfect impression of Charlie Chaplain when she walks and runs.

 

Henrietta on the right, the old English Game bird she's gorgeous

 

Dolly's decided to face the camera for a change!

Snowy the silver Sebright is in Peckingham Palace laying and egg!

Chicken heaven

I ran out of chicken food over the weekend so paid a visit to a friend of mine who buys in bulk and lets me get a sack from him.  He lives locally so no trips to the nearest town which stocks it.

 

I just adore visiting him, a he has so many chickens - these are baby Seabrights

 

And here are some more - they are so cute.  My two came from this breeder

 

Look at the size of the baby turkeys compared to the Seabrights the same age.

My friend hatches these out in incubators - a very clever man

 Some people think turkeys are ugly, but I do not - they make a sweet little noise

 

Yet more Seabrights

  

He has chickens, here, there, and everywhere, and all sorts of breeds.

I just love seeing them freeranging around his huge garden - these are too young yet.

I am not going to post any more about the garden room until it is finished.

I write about the saga with the builder - but decided against posting it - I wouldn't want to be reminded of all the hassle when I look back on it in a years' time.

It is still a work in progress, but hopefully it will be finished by the end of next week - fingers and toes crossed!

New day, new life - and a nice rest

It's a new day - Sunday - so I am having a day of rest.  It is truly hot and sunny outside without a breath of air.   I had a most wonderful time this morning visiting a friend of mine, who very kindly lets me buy a sack of food off him for my chickens. 

He is top quality breeder of fowl, and generously let me buy two Seabright bantams off him a couple of years ago - Snowy and Poppy.

I was really privileged to get to see the following.

Above first of all - one of his many incubators with golden Seabrights just hatching out.  Can you make out the eggs pipping and the newly hatched chicks in the bottom and right hand side of the photo?

Yet another of his incubators - each egg named, dated, and recorded.

Can you see the turkey egg in the top left hand corner?

This is a broody hen with her clutch of Silver Seabright chicks - their markings are developing already.  She is a brilliant 'mother' - they have a big bright shed all to themselves

It is such a treat to visit my friends garden. In the winter there were turkeys, chickens of all breeds and sizes, here, there, and everywhere.  Lots freeranging - just perfect

Of  course it is not safe to let a mother hen out with her tiny chicks - there are foxes about.  Those 'confined to barracks' have the most wonderful accommodation - lots of space, and lots of natural light.

This fine Ixworth male is a very energetic beau - so his young ladies are wearing saddles to protect them - keeping them in tip top condition too.  I would love Ixworth in my garden, but they are big birds and would make big dustbaths in my lawns in no time!

This young lady caught my eye, she's sat on a pile of eggs, one was poking out, so my friend popped it back under her.  She was happily dozing in the sunshine, a picture of contentment.

Another clutch of older Ixsworth popped out from the undergrowth - they are having a lovely time rummaging around. 

On my 'tour' a beautiful black Pekin bantam 'appeared' from behind some pots - she was absolutely stunning - and so tame and friendly - someone gave it to my friend - she couldn't have asked for a better adoptive owner - it's chicken heaven where they live.

More Ixsworth with a bantam surrogate mother

And yet more

Just a few snatched photos!

Oh if only I were years younger and had the chance to have a small holding which was always my dream.

Never mind - I have my big allotment and my lovely bantam flock - and can enjoy friends chickens and lifestyles without all the hard work.

And best of all - I have had the pleasure today of seeing new life.

Off to put my feet up - before cooking Sunday lunch

Guess what is on the menu

Roast chicken

Not one of mine though of course - but one another friend 'grew' for me - and had a lovely freerange life all last summer.

Where or where has she gone?

Zola did a disappearing act again. It's not possible to keep your 'eye' on all eleven bantams all at once and they disappear in all directions around the garden,

First thing in the morning they all charge out - and last thing at night they all congregate ready for their evening meal - and we see them during the day too of course.

Zola stopped turning up in the evening for her night time meal - but would appear in the morning before we got up. The egg count went down - so it meant that she had 'gone native' again and was hiding someone laying her eggs and sitting on them.

I hunted in all the usual places but couldn't find her. Under the hedges, and pots, in sneaky hideaway places like behind the compost bins - without any luck.

Then yesterday, after spying on her having her breakfast - she sneakily looked around to see if anyone was looking, then jumped up on the wall and disappeared!

I kept meaning to clear out this corner - and now was the time to do it!

I pulled away all the compost sacks and weeding bags

Then I got down to the stacked garden tools (we are awaiting help to put up a shed). Nothing could possibly get into this corner - there's a tray and an empty cage.

Or could it?

She was hard to see with the naked eye - but by enlarging the photo I could just make her out underneathe the cage!

How she managed to get through all those bags and sacks and squeeze herself under there I do not know!

Once I had carefully removed gardening shears, spades, forks, brooms, bags, sacks, and finally the cage she was exposed - and not best pleased I can tell you. She pecked me like a demon - but as she is so little her pecks did not hurt in the slightest!

She was sitting on 9 eggs!

I did the float test - they all sank, so were all fresh - the result of going awol for ten days!

We had them for lunch with potato wedges - yes we are still eating the spuds I grew last year - and they were delicious!

I had a really good sort out under there and found another egg behind the big metal chest - it had been there for so long that is was as light as a feather! So it was composted.

Zola has decided not to bother going broody now that I have found her hiding place, bless her, and she is much happier for it too!

Oh, talking about composting, I must make the time to tell you about my new pets