Action Down at CHH

Apologies for not updating for some time but life is getting busy with The Kiwi, The Menagerie, oh and that other little thing called work that just gets in the way of life sometimes.

On another trip to Chestnut House Hotel we saw Buffy back on Cat watch.  Polly had ramraided her way successfully onto the veg patch and the feathered girls were all happy clucking around outside so The Buff and I went inside to watch some TV.

Cat was in her usual position on the chair, and Buffy took her usual pose staring in at her.

There was much eyeballing from one to the other and then Buffy spotted the gap.

Oh how she tried to squeeze herself through but to no avail.  Every which way she tried and all the while Cat just kept a steady gaze knowing she was safe.  Can't blame a girl for trying though!

We ventured back outside and the feathered girls were ever so active, they were all over the place!

Camilla was quite happy standing on top of their home but Grace and Lizzie weren't so confident. 

One of them managed to fly off quite successfully but you will see here the other wanted to take her time and check out every option before crouching down to take her leap of faith.

After much fuss and nonsense she took flight and dived to the ground with her wings flapping and legs spread wide open.  You'd think she'd jumped out of a plane the way she carried on.  After a safe landing she glanced around and waited for her applause.  Didn't she do well!

 

Girls are Taking Over

Where are all the boys in this world?  Our six cooks, Polly and Buffy to start with then Godparents to Buffy have Lottie, Bess, Sophie and 5 girl cats, my VBF has her own girl dog Fudge, His Royal Gayness has his two girls Molly and Gracie then there are the five girls belonging to Polly's Godparents at Chestnut House Hotel, oops, make that six, there's a pussy cat too! 

We've been down for our usual trip today and I decided to sit inside and watch a Big Brother episode that I missed last night.  Polly was outside socialising and eying up the food containers but  Buffy came inside with me.  She sat looking into the conservatory where cat was.  The door was ajar so cat could come in and out but Buffy's slightly rotund figure wouldn't fit through.  She sat staring in, she was in hunting mode and didn't move for about 20 mins.  Then she decided she'd try and get through the gap.  There wasn't a chance she'd do it but oh how she tried.  First it was a front paw and shoulder followed by the other paw but her other shoulder wouldn't fit so she tried it the other side first.  She has an iron will and kept on trying but to no avail.  She stood back, had a think and then tried opening the door with her head.  No good either.  A temper tantrum ensued followed by much barking and cat just sat on the chair looking at her.  She knew she was safe.

So off Buffy went outside.  Back last week the chooks weren't sure what to make of her.  She's their size but doesn't look anything like them.  She likes to eat their food though and they (particularly Grace and Lizzie) weren't having any of it.  Grace won't have any messing from Buffy and regularly puts her in her place but Buffy's used to being part of a lively menagerie and keeps going in to see them.

They're getting used to me too, they even untied my shoelace today. 

They still fight off any affection I might want to bestow on them but they recognise me now and start making a big fuss when they see me.  They know freedom is on it's way and as I open their door they charge out.  The problem comes when I want to put them back in.  A bit like my own girls they have minds of their own and it's like a Benny Hill sketch with me running after them all in a line.  It was taking so long I had to devise a fail safe system. Their favourite treat is mealworms so I rattle the container and they all come running to me then I drop them into the run from the top.  They all dash in to gobble them up and before they know it I've done a head check and locked them back in.

I took Polly down in her new halter today and while she wasn't thrilled about it I think she'll get used to it, she didn't like the lead at first.  There were a couple of times today when she just lay down and refused to move - not easy, you try shoving a 4 stone lump along!  Then on the way home she really dragged her feet.  I'll get my dad to take a photo of the three of us tomorrow as it does make rather a lovely sight!

What a bit of TLC can do

In September we went through the 12 month barrier with Mary.  They say if an ex bat survives a year with you you've done well.  Unfortunately her counterpart Tess only made 10 days but Mary was much stronger when we got them.  She did have a week were I thought we were going to loose her - coughing, difficulty breathing, listless etc.  We brought her inside and treated her with antibiotics, anti-inflamatories and we de-wormed her.  She pulled through and hadsn't shown any signs of illness since.  Here she is tucking into some apple that Polly also had her eye on.

When December comes we'll have had Helen and Joan for a year.  It was heartbreaking to see the condition they were in.  Dirty, featherless (apart from their heads) and their combs (red bit on top of their heads) were enlarged, floppy and pale.

Joan is on the left with her foot in the food bowl and Helen is on the right with just a few more feathers down her front.  It was months before they resembled anything like a proper chicken.  You can hardly tell with Helen now, her body is covered in beautiful honey gold plumage.  Joan still looks a bit scrawny,  her tail feathers never grew back properly and she is tiny but there has been a wonderful change in her face.  You see on the photo above that both of them are very pale, they look absolutely washed out.

Look at how she's changed.  It's a total transformation.  A lovely bright red healthy comb standing upright and lots of colour in her other features.  Whenever food is put out she grabs some and runs away to eat it by herself because the others just grab it off her if she doesn't.  She's happy to be picked up but has never been one for a cuddle.  She used to climb frantically onto my shoulder and then jump off but now she grudgingly lets me hang onto her for a while and is even starting to relax and take in the moment.

And here is Helen.  Look at that beautiful feathered body.  The only evidence of her harsh treatment are those two bottom feathers on her wing which simply refuse to grow. 

How they have flourished with a little bit of tender loving care.

Tuckin' In

We've been taking daily trips to Chestnut House Hotel recently to get Polly used to getting walked on a lead.  It's much more interesting if you actually have somewhere to go.  Each day I show Polly her lead and she trots to the back gate and up comes the hoof to tap on it.  She waits patiently while I put her lead on and the three of us (Buffy, Polly and I) head off for our stroll.

Now this should only take me about 8 mins.  Picture this though.  Polly loves to eat, Buffy loves to sniff, and everybody seeing this strange spectacle loves to talk.  30 mins later we usually arrive at our destination.  If Lady J is there it's cup of T or gin and T depending on what time of day it is, if she isn't there we make ourselves at home in the garden.  Lady J's chooks have a bit of a mosey round outside their run, Polly checks out the veg patch and Buffy stares into the conservatory window where she knows the cat usually rests.  If the cat isn't there her food always is so either way, there's something in there that Buffy wants.

Polly is certainly getting used to this new place, she litterally stormed her way into the section of garden that she now considers to be hers.  She loves those veggies!

Today, when we were coming home there was a group of people doing a sponsored cycle and they were taking photos of their trip out.  What better photo to get than a lamb and a jack russell walking beside eachother on leads!  I'm hoping my head was out of the shot as it isn't one of my best days today!



Reservation at Chestnut House

We're very lucky to have wonderful friends and family to help out with the brood from time to time but one particularly kind friend (to be known as Lady J) has said that if we ever go away for a couple of weeks and are worried about Polly she is more than welcome to stay with them at Chestnut House.

I've said I'll muck in with their beautiful chickens when they need help so yesterday Buffy, Polly and I trotted down to Chestnut House for Polly to check out her Hotel.  The walk should have taken 10 mins maximum but by the time Buffy had sniffed at everything and Polly had stopped to eat everything time was cruising on by.  Coupled with the fact that passers by were asking a lot of questions and obviously I had a lot of explaining to do, 25 minutes later we arrived at Chestnut House.

Lady J was so lovely with Polly,  I have a feeling that if Polly does go for a short visit I'll have trouble getting her back!  They have a wonderful vegetable patch for her to tuck into and lots of bushes to have a go at.  Five gorgeous chickens named Katie, Poppy, Lizzie, Grace and Camilla, two huge (and I mean huge) brown labradors and a cat complete Lady J's own brood so I don't need to worry about Polly missing out on her usual friends for company.

Polly was a bit unsure at first, she was just like a dog and stayed by my side wanting her head sroked.  She was quite reserved and unsure about her surroundings.  When we went inside she bleated mercilessly and that's when Lady J brought her inside.  How lovely was that of her?  I have a feeling that Lady J may well even invite Polly upstairs when Sir A  isn't around!  Polly soon made herself at home as you can see here (although for some reason I can't get it facing the right way).

She even tried to have a sip of our g'n't's and a mouthful of crisps but we weren't having any of that.  We're going to be making a few trips up there in the next few days to get her used to the walk and the "hotel".

I have a feeling she'll be quite happy trotting down to Chestnut House Hotel each day with me!