Poorly Polly

Last Thursday our Pollyanna had a bad tummy.  Without wanting to get too graphic, you know those little currenty type poos that sheep normally do?  Well she was doing full on cow pats!  Not nice.  Also, she had no interest in food and was very lethargic.  Just wanted to come in and lie down in the kitchen and feel sorry for herself.

Unfortunately we were due to be going away for a couple of nights but I wasn't happy leaving her until we knew she was going to be ok.  We had Ranger Tam O'Shanter round to give her the once over.  He won't like to admit it but I think he still feels rather responsible for her as he's the very gent that foisted her on us in the first place.

We're lucky enough to have a very good friend who's a vet but Ranger Tam O'Shanter is always our first port of call.  He's done all her vaccinations and ear tagging.  Who better to shove a thermomiter up her bottom?  He tried his best to get me to do it but to my shame I went abit squeamish and had to get the Kiwi to take charge.  He did it without upsetting Polly too much and as it turned out her temperature was fine anyway.

The next day she was very much improved.  Her appetite was a little better and she was munching away at her favourite things, she was even licking the radiators with gusto!

We'd lined up a hole host of people to keep a check on her so felt it was ok to take our little trip away.  We couldn't take Buffy with us and she'd got a reservation in a lovely place down the road known as her Grandparents home.  They love having her and she loves to be there but as soon as she got the vibes that a trip was afoot she climbed firmly in the driving seat and wouldn't get out!

On our return we found out that our girls had indeed been looked after very well by my friend's son who is to be known as HYM as he is a very handsome young man. There was one blip when he very kindly took her down to his garden for a little chomp on their grass.  I often take her there myself and barricade the fence with chairs so she can't get out.  Well, HYM did exactly that, then when he wasn't looking she bolted!  Yes, she wanted to come home so she pushed her way through the offending obstacles and left their premises.  Thankfully we only live a few doors away and as she was trotting happily home another neighbour managed to get hold of her and brought her back to our front garden where she tied her up.

So, a big thank you to all concerned (and you know who you are).  Without Godparents, Grandparents, Rangers, Neighbours and HYM it would be a very different matter if we wanted to have a little break.

Every Girl Should Have One

Last night Buffy had some friends for yet another sleepover.  We had Fudge who regularly stays, then another two new friends.  They are Molly and Gracie, the most adorable King Charles Cavs I have ever seen.  Gracie is a rescue dog and she had been kept outside and was very underweight and covered in mud when she was found.  She's such a delicate and loving little creature, how could anyone do that?  Molly, has a shiny black coat and just wants to roll over and be tickled.  The two of them were perfect house guests.

Thankfully The Kiwi was away for the night because the homestead was full to overflowing.  There were 4 dogs, 6 chooks, a lamb (now the size of a chocolate lab), my VBF, her friend and me. VBF's friend has just sent me a text asking why there has been no mention of him, his cooking or his marvelous gay presence.  He shall therefore be known as His Royal Gayness.

VBF has gone through a little bit of a bad patch recently and while I have obviously been there for her she is also lucky enough to have the very dear friendship of His Royal Gayness.  We decided last night that every girl should have one.  He is a wonderful cook, has a whitty turn of phrase, is pleasing on the eye and I'm sure he will want me to mention that for a man he is very flexible too.

This morning we all sat together (two girls, one gayness and four furry friends) on my bed eating millionaires shortbread with freshly brewed coffee and we put the world to rights. 

Thank you VBF and His Royal Gayness for your company, your laughter, your caring and above all your friendship.  Every girl most certainly should have one!

Moulting Time

The place is a mess!  After Feathers Lodge was so beautifully decorated a couple of months moulting season is upon us and feathers are all over the place.  Doris is looking scruffier than ever but anyone worried about her please believe me she is ab fab.  She even had a go at Polly this morning when there was a scuffle over breakfast.

Penny and Hetty have lost their tail feathers and it looks so strange because normally they are the strong beautiful ones but like Doris they're looking a bit scraggy at the moment.  When their moult starts they stop laying eggs but it soon starts again.

They're Welsummers and the lay the most delicious dark brown eggs with golden yolks. 

The ex batt girls however are showing no signs of loosing feathers and are still laying nice and regularly.

Helen even had a go on the trampoline the other day!  She'd seen Buffy on there and was flapping about wanting to see what was going on up there so I lifted her on.  She had a little trot around on it then decided it was much more exciting at ground level.

Buffy on the other hand was perfectly happy to spend the aftternoon up there away from all the other girls.  She likes a bit of alone time.

Dish of the day

A very good friend called round today to see the girls and check on their progress. She shall be known as "The Dish". This name is twofold as she is firstly the most amazing cook, and secondly she's a little bit gorgeous.  She is also my Guru in many ways, and I in turn try to be a good little protege.

Last time The Dish saw the girls Doris was at her best and Helen and Joan were at their worst. Now Doris is poorly and going through her annual moult so she isn't looking great. The little ones however were a bit of a shock to see in all their glory. The Dish was amazed at the difference in them and put their wonderful recovery down to the love that has been lavished on them. In no time at all Helen settled down in The Dish's arms and went straight off to sleep.

I don't know who got more satisfaction from this cuddle, Helen was clearly in her element but The Dish enjoyed every moment of it.  When an ex battery girl puts her trust in you it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Polly Woz Ere

Our garden used to be very green.  Actually, it was a bit overgrown and once a year we would do a big chop and trim everything.  This year though we've hardly had to do any work as Polly has been solely responsible for all trimming.  The thing is though, we did like having some greenery around and she has systematically gone round eating anything she has taken a fancy to.

This was a beautiful plant that only just made it throuh our hard winter of 2010.  Half of it just died with the cold weather but with a lot of TLC we brought it round.

We were so pleased when Polly decided to leave this one alone as she worked her way around the rest of the garden.  Obviously she saved the best til last.  She set to work early one morning and after a long hard session she managed to destroy it and then had a well deserved rest!

These two photos are taken at the back of our garden.  It was covered and I mean TOTALLY covered in ivy.  You couldn't see anything behind it.  One day The Kiwi suggested I gave it a bit of a trim "I'm sure we've got a sandstone wall behind there somewhere" he said.  I started on it and then Polly thought she'd help me.  It was much harder work for her than the one above but she dutifully did her best and within a few days this was what we were left with. 

I've known for some time that rhodedendrons are toxic to sheep so I trimmed it and hoped she couldn't reach it.  Then seeing her climb up on her hind legs to get at things I decided it was time to take it down.  I was worried that as I was chopping it Polly would be trying to eat it so I put her on her lead in the front garden.  She loves it out there and she's on a long rope so she can move around plenty.  I was literally minutes in the back chopping down the offending bush.  Then as I dragged it round to the front to put in our brown bin Polly came charging at me.  She'd bitten right through her lead, had wandered into next doors garden and then decided to come home again!

This is one very determined lady with a mind of her own.  She's strong too - gentle as ever when she wants to be but my goodness she's powerful.  I sure feel safe with her and Buffy around - Beware of the Menagerie!

There's a Moggy after Our Girls

Yes, there's a cat been snooping around.  They've done a lot of standing to attention over the last couple of days and yesterday I saw why.  I wasn't quick enough with my camera to get it but it's a moggy that has been bothering them.  She's beautiful actually, very pretty face, white tummy and striped back and head.  Just because she's beautiful doesn't mean that she can come to our garden and prey on my girls though.

Polly saw her a few days ago and it was quite funny seeing her reaction.  Both Moggy and Polly just stared eachother out.  It went on for ages, a real pistols at dawn sort of looks.  Polly made the first move towards Moggy and Moggy shot over the fence.

Then yesterday I had to chase Moggy off twice.  In the end the girls all came into the kitchen and settled by the door for their afternoon nap while Penny stood guard on the dance floor (yes, it's still no closer to becoming a conservatory).  After a while Penny came to join the rest of them and perched on the foot of the door.

I'm not bothered about four of the girls but Joan and Helen really aren't much bigger than a pigeon so if a bird was hungry enough they could be in danger.  Suffice it to say I've been with them all the time they've been in the garden and if I've had to go upstairs I've made sure Buffy is with them.  She's out there now barking so I'd better see what's going on - Oh the joys of motherhood!

Birds of a Feather .......

I look back at each time I've introduced new chooks to the brood and remember how hard it can be.  It was OK when Doris came along because I hadn't had Penny & Hetty for very long and they were only young so they accepted her quite easily.

With Mary and Tess it was harder because the pecking order had already been established.  Penny was firmly in charge of Hetty and then Doris just kind of did her own thing.  If you read the notes on Mary & Tess you'll see that I did everything possible to make their first night the success it was but it wasn't easy.  Oh how it rained and how I worried.  They were so out of touch with their natural instincts that the next day Tess laid an egg while she was walking along.  She had no idea she was supposed to snuggle down and find the right spot.  It just popped out and she hardly noticed.  It was heartbreaking to see.

Then of course it was time for the little ones - Helen and Joan.  Here they are in deepest winter with their sweatshirts on.  Joan is in the main picture and there's Helen's bottom on the right - red raw.  It's now full of feathers and she loves to show them of.  Again, you can read up on their arrival on their page but it was a very long drawn out process getting them integrated with the others because they slept inside for a few months as the weather was so bitterly cold (remember the winter of 2010).  Mary was the worst one.  She would litterally jump on them and peck feathers out of their heads.  Sometimes I even had to pull her off. 

When it was warm enough for them to sleep outside I would leave them in the run hoping they'd go into the bedroom but as dark fell I'd creep outside to check on them and they'd be standing at the gate waiting to come in.  I'd take them into the bedroom, put them on the perch and settle them down then make my own way out.  By the time I reached the gate there they were behind me.  "We don't like it here mum - they bully us".

Eventually they realised that was where they slept but Helen steadfastly refused to go with the others.  She settled down in the Play House (see article on Feathers Lodge, 6 August).  Once she was asleep I'd carry her into the bedroom with the other girls and eventually she got the hang of it.

Now they work as a team.  There was a shot the other week of them all resting in the sun while Penny stood guard.  She's the biggest one and still leader of the pack.





After all the traumas just look at them now, a real team.  When there's a strange noise they all stand bolt upright and check out what's going on. Then they have their afternoon nap and preen together.