Hens dustbathing (pics)

[mrsj]

Hi, Oola I loved the pics of your hens in the sun. Here are a couple of pics of mine who have taken to dustbathing in my greenhouse which I cleared in a nesting fit last week.

Not great quality because I used my phone!

[mrsj]

next pic!

:)

[franbee]

They're lovely mrsj. I can't imagine anywhere dry in the UK today!

[Oola]

they are so FLUFFY mrsj! ours dustbath in the greenhouse too, there's a bit of fleece that's protecting the non-hardy potted plants in there and it falls down in one part like a curtain. They go behind there and dustbath to their heart's content! We've also got them sheltering in the greenhouse, I put straw down and they sit under the garden chair in there - nice and snug when it's too wet and windy to stroll about outside.

Yours are fantastic - what breeds are they?

Also, isn't the baby due yet???? I was thinking about that today funnily enough.

[mrsj]

Hello!
Thanks both, yes they are super cute and sooo fluffy. They are all bantams so smaller than your ladies, Oola!
We have three silkies - two white and one black miniature. Then there are three pekins - one golden partridge, one cuckoo and one lavender. Finally we have my favourite girl and best pal, a columbian brahma - she's the white one with the pretty black necklace on. When I first saw her it was love at first sight! She is the brainiest one and mothers the little pekins and the tiniest silkie. They are all about two and a half years old, apart from the partridge & cuckoo pekins who are 9 months old, awwwwww.

This forum world is full of spoilt hens and I am very glad about it!

Baby is due in 3 weeks, thanks for asking - not sure if he will wait though. I have a feeling he'll be earlier, but I don't mind as he reaches "full term" today so he won't be classed as premature if he's born from anytime now. I will be so glad not to be a) getting up to pee every hour and a half and b) being sick (it is still ongoing).

Will make sure I get on here to post asap after he appears!

[magic cochin]

They're gorgeous MrsJ!!!!

I love your Pekins! soooooooh pretty!

My "under-gardeners" have been excavating a brand new bath area under a rosemary bush against the house wall where the sun shines. I could hear them purring contentedly and eventually discovered what had been keeping them so quiet! How girlie - a rosemary scented dust-bath!


Celia :)

[Oola]

I thought I recognised the silkie - well, hard to miss really! They do make me laugh. I have a book of chicken breeds here...I've often wondered what it'd be like to have the pure breeds as well as my ex-batts (I think they're called ISA Browns - cross between rhode island red and rhode island white).

I was watching Jaime at Home last night, and he was talking about his hens. I think it's before he adopted 150 ex-batts from his Fowl Dinners programme! Anyhow, he was showing the eggs from one of his Legbars - it was the most beautiful subtle green colour.

magic cochin - oh how very, I say! Your girls are VERY posh. Last year my girls made hollow pods in the (still under design) border with the hardy geraniums. It gets very dry there under the apple tree, so it was perfect for them. We planted some lavenders in last year, so you never know, I might have lavender scented girlies this year!!!! I wonder if it helps keep the bugs away like peppermint?

[mrsj]

Hi all!

magic cochin they sound like proper ladies! I took them in again today and they had great fun. They've now turned over about half the greenhouse soil (and manured it for me) and it's great for me because I can sit in the dry and watch them, I am getting a bit too tired to walk around for very long at the moment.

My favourite thing is listening to the cute little noises and purrs - it's so lovely to see them so content!

We are thinking of getting some ex-batts too but have to wait until we've had the baby and got a bit sorted . . . but watch this space!

[sunflower]

MrsJ, your hens are lovely and sooo pretty. Hopefully, I will be collecting my ex. bats in a few weeks time. It feels like a looong wait. All the best with the forthcoming birth. Hope you have an easy time. Just think, no more sickness!! and one beautiful baby to cuddle. I expect you're very excited.....and fed up with being pregnant at the same time!