6 eggs today & Rita has joined the flock

Our hens laid 6 eggs today for us taking the total to 35 in 5 days.

Hubby and Mini delivered some as freebies to 3 of our neighbours so that makes us feel like we're doing our bit to promote eggs from happy hens.

A chap called Declan from West Norfolk M.I.N.D came to collect all our sacks of duck and chook manure for some allotments they are starting for their group members so that's gone to a worthy cause and should help them. Sadly he didn't knock on the door or we'd have given him some eggs too! (If you read this Declan, knock or ring the bell next time)

I'm concerned about the weather forecast saying it will be minus 5 in places tonight as Rita has joined the flock in the old playhouse (now known as Duckingham Palace as the Aylesbury's reside in there too) I do think they will all keep each other warm though and we've put really deep bedding down and there's plenty of space to get up from the ground on either the ladder, old toyboxes or in the tyres full of bedding. I do worry about her though and hope she will be warm enough and maybe snuggle with the other white hens who seem to stick together.

Newton is eagerly awaiting a new wife or two tomorrow. I just know we'll get two.....and I was telling my mum on the 'phone and she said "you must have a trio" and she's been brought up with poultry and every other animal under the sun so I tend to listen to her advice, so it looks as though the lavender lady will have a friend coming with her too. I just have to show you the website of where the wives will be coming from http://www.powerpoultry.co.uk/ They're not far from us and we have to go to Bearts anyway to load up with supplies.

Trying to think of some lovely names for them (see I'm pluralising it already) The ex batts & rescues all have old lady names but I don't think Pekin ladies will suit old lady names and posh names would be more appropriate. No doubt Mark and I will decide before the kids come home from school....or Chloe & Mini will call them Piglet & Tigger!!!! I have noticed that a couple of hens I had my eye on, on the Power Poultry website now say sold so we'll just have to wait and see what the lady has for sale tomorrow.

I'll update this blog tomorrow, no doubt with pictures of 1 or 2 spoilt rotten ladies with the new man in their life.

Today- just 3 eggs :-(

Rita was going to go outside today to join the flock in the hen house overnight but she's still not 100% and when I put her on the lawn earlier she was shivering. We're going to try tomorrow evening if it's not icy cold. We noticed she had longer feathers this morning so she's quickly getting a full coverage but I do worry about her especially as she sleeps so much and just nods off wherever she is. Hopefully she'll be fit to go tomorrow.
We only got 3 eggs today from all our ladies. Suppose it was so cold they were clenched, lol


Mini Newton Mini


Mini & Newton Rita


PS We're getting Newton a wife or two this week. Can hardly wait. I'm so excited. Hoping to get a Lavender Pekin hen and possibly another too, see what catches our eyes, lol

A few pictures....and the egg count

We're now up to 26 eggs since the 1st Jan so not bad going. Rita laid 2 today- sadly the second one broke as she did it out of the box and it hit the pottery water bowl in the dog crate.
It is planned that she is joining the flock in one of the hen houses tomorrow night, now her feathers are growing thru so well. She will be outside, but separated tomorrow daytime to acclimatise to the temperature then put in the hen house after dark which seems to work for us when introducing anyone new.

Olive
the porridge munchers

Inside the playhouse (before a muck-out, oops)
the table "mezzanine", the hens seem to like it.

Mini with Newton
Chloe with Newton
The kids old converted playhouse (Duckingham Palace)
The proper hen house (Cluckingham Palace)

The kennel (Pekin Palace), formerly the ducklings were in here (before they out grew it) but it will be used for the new bantam(s) instead.

Fundraising for RoSAH Guinea Pigs

To all our supporters,
Please use our webshop by visiting http://www.buy.at/rosahrescue

Rogavi – the charity raffle is now available at www.buy.at/RoSAHRESCUE Rogavi is an exciting new way to help charities raise money. It's simple, for as little as £2.50 you can win prizes ranging from a celebrity date to a ten day adventure for two in Borneo. There are a number of exclusive prizes to be won including a rare collectors Mini. There are only three of these in existence and this one was owned by Bernie Ecclestone! This is also a fantastic diamond-mounted cooker to be won – this raffle is drawn on the 1st January. When you register with Rogavi RoSAH Guinea Pigs will receive 50p. You can find out more here. Visit www.buy.at/RoSAHRESCUE for more great offers from over 150 top retailers.

Forward this mail on to help RoSAH Guinea Pigs raise funds. Please forward this mail on if you think that you know people who would like to receive it. Responsible emailing Remember if someone receives this mail from you, then tells you they don't want to receive a similar one again you must not send them future messages. If you are considering forwarding it on you must do so only to people who you consider would like to receive it and to whom the content is relevant. If you have a formally-managed list you must only send it to those who have expressed that they wish to receive such mail from you. Purchases made through www.buy.at/RoSAHRESCUE are made according to the information and terms provided by the company making the sale to you. Further details on using the buy.at shop are provided on the site.

--

The chooks have a mezzanine!

Mark made it from an old table and put a ladder up to it which seems quite effective in the playhouse as there seemed too much wasted space with the height.
The table has gone in there whole and it has a base where chairs used to be stored underneath, the nest boxes have been put there and the two tyres which are used as nest boxes have been placed to the side.
Lyn has promised a photo tomorrow but she's not up to doing much today.
Lizzy and Rita went for a wander outside until Mark accidentally let all the rabble out when taking the table into the hen pen area. Lizzy was fine. Rita just "played dead" she's not right. Mark reckons it's chicken narcolepsy. As soon as he picked her up she was asleep in his arms, yet when she is wandering in the house she looks bright eyed and perky.....just a bit bald. She does fall asleep anywhere though in the position in which you would buy a dead one from the shops!
The ducks and white hens put themselves to bed tonight in the playhouse. I think it's the first time the ducks have taken themselves in at nightfall. The brown hens always take themselves in the smaller hen house. Lyn just wishes they'd spread out a little more and use the playhouse too. Lizzy does but she was confused and snuggled outside next to a straw bale....probably because Lyn had her in the house last night, it confused her.
Hopefully Lyn will be back online tomorrow with pictures and more information and chatter.....reading this blog, I think she talks to herself, lol.

Rita & Lizzy- our special needs chookies

Today having been oustside with the hens I noticed Lizzy wasn't looking too well again.....she seemed huddled and with mucky feathers under her bum so I brought her in again (and clipped off the mucky bum feathers- the jobs I get!!, lol)
Rita isn't too fond of her and earned herself the nickname of Rita the Beater (after Rita Connors on Prisoner Cell Block H) Well after the initial squabbles where Edward and myself were having to hold Rita back from attacking Lizzy they have settled ok together for the night. Rita is "Top Dog"

Here are a few photo's taken tonight of the pair. We've threatened to get a roasting tin to let Rita sleep in as she really gets in that "oven ready" position when she just falls asleep on the floor.
Anyone who keeps up to date on the blog will know that Rita & Lizzy both have deformed necks either from accident or birth deformity before we got them.
Rita just has a lump on the left side of her neck and Lizzy is a "no neck" although she manages to stretch it more later in the day. We're going to start and add a bit of cod liver oil to their mash.

Rita is the white hen. Lizzy is the brown one. Rita came from the recent Amber-Link rescue. You wouldn't think she was a free ranger if you saw how bald she was when we got her. She then grew spikes but they're now growing lovely tufts out of the ends. enlarge the "oven ready" pic to see.

10 eggs to start off the New Year with.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL SUPPORTERS of RoSAH RESCUE

Here is just a basic update of the day. It was just the usual happenings at Rosah Rescue today.

Lyn's not feeling too well, that Fibromyalgia is making her life hell so I've volunteered to help with the blog until she's more up to it. Mark's busy enough without sorting the computer too.
From what I can gather the hens laid 10 eggs today including one by Rita who is getting a nice covering of feathers now- the spikes now have tufts.
Mark and Mini emptied the duck "pond" and refilled it once they had thawed the hose pipe out.
They also sorted the guinea pigs and all the other animals out before going off to sort Dolly (the pony) out. She needs mucking out, bringing in from the field and feeding.
Lyn has currently taken Lizzy back into the house as "she didn't look happy" and also Rita is still in until she has a little more feather growth. Lizzy and Rita are the two with crooked necks.

I've been asked to post that we urgently need homes for the young Giant African Land Snails. Please get in touch asap if you'd like some.

We still also need donations of animal food. Veg & fruit for guinea pigs, rabbits and snails, tinned & dried cat food, hen layers meal , pellets and mixed corn for the resident ex battery hens and also tinned sweetcorn etc...Anything you donate helps the rescued animals out and also Lyn & Mark who fund everything themselves.