Joe's been in charge today

It was a really sharp frost this morning and never really thawed out all day.

Joe's done all the hard work today.
Defrosted water bottles, mucked the chooks n ducks out (although not as good as I would so I sent him back again) I told him, if he's be happy to sleep there, it's done correctly.
He's chased Rita around scooping her poops up and been an all round good teenager. He's hardly complained at all, except that his back ached but he had a bath to soothe it (he had a bath yesterday too, very strange, maybe there's a girl on the horizon as he's usually aquaphobic)
The family got back around 9.30pm from the children visiting Grandma & Grandad in Nottinghamshire, to be greeted by the collie chorus who heard the car pull up..

5 eggs today although one broke in Joe's hand.

Our pet Pekin Bantams & Dolly

The Pekins have settled in really well and the kids adore them.
They make such nice pets and are only about 9 inches tall and they have the most delightful feathered feet.
Amber and Fenella haven't laid any eggs yet but we're hoping they will be fertile if they do, then we'll have our own little family of them as Amber is broody.







Dolly the pony had her booster jabs today for flu and tetanus and also had her teeth done this morning. She was really well behaved but I suppose at her age she's had it done a fair few times in the past and knows what to expect. Ruth had also put on her quilted leg warmers to keep her joints nice and toasty warm in this bitter cold weather and also held Dolly while Eve, the vet filed away at Dollys teeth. I propped myself up on the barn as I'm on both crutches and in a crappy way today.

We've moved a large guinea pig cage that has a run below it next to the hen pen for when Rita's feathers are back. She will be able to associate with the flock without being menaced and replucked. I've posted a wanted message on Lincs-Pets4Life if anyone has a hen saddle I could have or borrow. It may protect her from the vicious mob.

Our ex batts, ex barn hens and free rangers managed to lay they grand total of 2 eggs today!

Some of the guinea pigs in our care & rabbits for rehoming

We have a black buck rabbit (Jack) awaiting a new experienced home. He doesn't much like people and certainly not our hands going into his cage.
He was found on the road in Spalding a long time ago and has been with us since but I am allergic to rabbits and have to wear a dust mask with them and would love someone else to have him who could get him friendly. I would say he is NOT suitable as a child's pet.
We also have a (2 year old approx) white buck rabbit awaiting a home. (Sparky) He was born here, his family went to new homes but he was left behind and has been here since. He isn't getting handled as much as he should do, due to my asthma.
Contact us for more details.












All our cavies are in same sex pairs, even the males. We have found that there is ALWAYS a compatible friend for company and if the animals are introduced correctly, there is no need for unnecessary neutering (which is a major operation in a guinea pig when you compare it to neutering a dog and the anaesthetic risk is high too). We usually pair an older boar with a baby boar and there seem to be no squabbles even when the baby reaches adolescence as he will assume that the other is "boss"
The ONLY guinea pigs we ever had a problem pairing up were some satins that we rescued from a breeder who was giving them up, a long time ago (of which almost all had osteodystrophy) Even the female satins had attitude problems and were the worst guinea pigs we have ever rescued regarding health & temperament which was such a shame as they looked stunning.

Some of our ladies are in pairs or trio's.
Most cavies we have in our care at present are elderly and have been gifted to us to care for for life. Some are for rehoming though so if interested, please let us know.

YET ANOTHER URGENT APPEAL FOR SNAIL HOMES!

We have lots of baby Giant African Land Snails for rehoming. They're only fingernail sized at present (and growing rapidly) but will grow to the size whereby they will sit on your palm. They grow very fast too.

Ours live in plastic toyboxes with holes in the lid and have compost in the base but if you look on ebay for snail stuff, there are many different substrates that people use in theirs.
Snails eat leaves, salad and pretty much what garden snails will eat. We mist ours daily with a plant mister to keep them moist. They also need a cuttlefish bone to maintain a healthy shell.

If you are interested in rehoming some, we recommend this website for information- http://www.freewebs.com/worldofsnails/giantafricansnails.htm

We are happy to rehome these free of charge although any donations are always welcome (even if in fruit and veg, lol) Rehomers must be over 16 years old and responsible enough so that if for ANY reason you cannot keep them at any point in their lives, you MUST return them to us in a suitable container which they can live in.

These snails are in Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire. Please email rosahrescue@aol.com if you are interested in rehoming any.

The Pekins have gone outside now

The Pekins have gone outside today and they're all having fun scratting in the straw on the ground.
When I gave the ex batts their warm oats around 3.30pm, I added tinned sweetcorn & a little garlic powder and popped a bowl over for the Pekins and they swooped on it.
Mark has put 2 nest boxes in the "Pekin Palace" (former duck house) and lovely deep sundown bedding so they'll be cosy tonight.

Rita is inside (as expected) looking rather jaundiced from the iodine on her back. She seems to be herself though and is now freeranging the lounge and will be sleeping in the dog crate (well she sleeps anywhere, bloomin' narcoleptic chook)














Look at these lot, crowding around as half past 3 is porridge time and I get mugged until I put the troughs down. Quite nice to get a picture of them close enough together though rather than one here and 2 there.

PS The hens only laid 3 eggs today. I think it was due to the work going on in their pen, they were too nosey to dash off and lay an egg. I imagine the nest boxes in the morning will be full with early morning eggs.

Poor Rita the beater!

Mark let the hens out this morning and said that Rita seemed more settled and not as picked on so I was horrified to go out this afternoon with the mealworm porridge and see that all her lovely new feathers have been plucked out to the point of her bleeding.
I am so upset. I scooped her up and brought her in, putting iodine on her wounds and put her down in the lounge....only for her to immediately start running the Pekins around and trying to bully them.
I caught her and put her in a carrybox, resprayed her wound and she is now feeling very sorry for herself in an indoor guinea pig cage.
I'm heartbroken, her feathers were looking lovely. She won't get along with any bird, even Lizzy when she was being nursed- that's where the term Rita the Beater stemmed from (Rita Connors, former "Top Dog" on Prisoner cell block H) Rita and Lizzy although both unwell, had to argue and attack each other.
1st January- feathers just regrowing

4th January- About ready to join the flock, lovely feathers regrown

7th January- After the attack by the other hens (the staining is iodine, sprayed on as a disinfectant)

As the Pekins outdoor house & run is prepared, unsociable Rita will now end up in a rabbit hutch and run but I've got her in again now until her skin heals and feathers regrow. I cannot risk her being near the other hens until there are no scabs or sight of blood as hens swoop in on it. They can be vicious little sods.
Someone has suggested a "stab vest" aka a saddle like people use to stop the cockerels pulling feathers when mounting the hens- I shall have to look into getting one maybe.

PS Another 5 eggs today (added to the total in the right hand column)

Newton & his wives

We're so pleased to have bought 2 wives today for Newton, our Pekin bantam.
Here are some pictures of them all....we couldn't get them all on one shot so took a few. You'll need to click them to enlarge them.
Anyway the Lavender lady is called Fenella (Ella from the fens) and Mark named his Gold Birchen one Amber as she looks like she has flames.
The kids were thrilled when they came home and saw them.....in fact they never got put in their coop and are still here with me now at almost 9.30pm so it looks like they'll be overnighting in the dog crate.
We just want to say a huge thankyou to Karen & Simon at Power Poultry for the hens and the introduction to all the breeds.

Fenella Newton


Fenella Amber


Our main flock also laid 5 eggs today taking our total this year to 40.

We went to Bearts to get the animal feeds and supplies and OMG it cost us over £100! (and we go fortnightly and still have fresh stuff to buy)
Fair enough though, we did buy a kids boiler suit for Mini (for £14) when she comes on the next hen rescue as her legs had grown too long for her current overalls. She's such a star when it comes to the chickens though and was thrilled with her bright blue Dickies boiler suit, lol.