Hello there ...
Just thought I would introduce you to the new Chap ...
Say Hello to George .. the cockerel .. isn't he rugged and handsome ..!
Yes George is his name .. short for Chicken George ... or (I think more fitting) George Clooney ...
he has that handsome suave silver look about him.
The weather has been fairly mild for an hour or two mid mornings ..
although colder.. and dark as the day progresses. Still no real heavy frosts ..
I can still find some pretty colours in the garden.
We gave the chicken shed a good clear out .. raked all the deep bedding (shavings).. out into the run .. it will beak down nicely into good compost for spring.
We find this system works really well ... deep bed with an outdoor run .. for the chickens ..
Hubby P is free range.
We used a large bag/bale of shavings over the last 8 mths or so .. just topping up once or twice with a smaller bag.
It has stayed dry and friable .. very 'scratchable' .. it absorbs all soil from the hens and there is little smell in the house.
We don't over stock .. we have four hens .. they give us enough eggs and we so enjoy having them just outside our door ...
I can hear them chatting to each other as they go about their daily scratchings.
Once cleaned out we put down new litter ..
Rather than shavings Hubby P bought this chopped oilseed rape straw .. its supposed to be super absorbent .. and cheaper than shavings.
The 'Girls' seemed to find it all rather interesting .. giving it a good old scratch about.
We introduced George to the Girls yesterday ..
I think they were a bit taken aback by his rugged manliness at first ...
they were a bit wary ..
mind you they had only ever known Rocky ( a bumbling little bantam cock).
They settled on the perches for the night .. poor George was one end and the Girls cuddled up together at the other end.
We checked again an hour later and one of the Girls had cuddled up to George ...
And today.. Oh yes! .. he has won them over ...
All was peace and harmony with George keeping a wary eye over them.
And he has a wonderful ... robust crow!
Such a show off!
Take care x bye for now x
