animal update

I'm going to try keep blogging in here, have had a big absence but plan to get back.

I havent got recent pics but figured I'd update ont he animals anyway.

Did I post to tell you all we lost poor Marg our chook to a fox a little while back? It was so sad and all our own fault also. I thought Joey had put them away, he thought I had put them away for the night, they had put themselves away but alas the door was open to their house. Thankfully the fox took only the one chook, as it had access to all 6.
We buried Marg in the backyard under the worm farm. the kids were so upset by it all, a lesson in life and death.

So a few weeks on and I went to Myuna childrens farm wiht my kids. They had loads of 10 week old chickens. I was tempted but didnt.
I then went back a few days later and just to bring home 2 of the australorps. They were so pecked and plucked form being picked on by the other chickens that I just had to take care of them. They cost $7 each.

I housed them in the old large rabbit hutch I have so that they were seperate form the other choolks to recover. I used the old rabbit run to give them grass/scratchign time each day also.
After 3 or so weeks and when they had grown alittle and were look healthier I let them start to have short supervised free ranging time with the other bigger girls. At first they were getting very picked on so we kept time together short.
It only took another week or so before they worked themselves out.
The australorps are now 17 weeks old or so and still sleep seperately from the others and may always will but they all spend their days together without fuss.

Egg counting stopped as we get 5 eggs every day from our others. Each chook lays every day, even our now 4 year old white leghorn! I reckon the australorps will be at least another 6-8 weeks before we start seeing eggs, their combs are still black and nt changing to red at all yet.

The rabbits are incredibly happy buns who live almost permanently free ranging outside. At night they often wont come in so instead over night they live under the house (the front is blocked so they cant get out there) The hay bail is always accessable to them so they are quite happy big bunnies!

The guineas are well, just guineas! LOL. They are the simplest pet to have and the kids love them.

our dog has some sort of irritation on her back and back legs. Her fur has actually chnaged colour from grey to brown, its very strange and I think she needs a trip to the vet for a check up. She is getting on now and would be around 14 yrs old.



So there, a bit of an update!