Single hen

[buffie]

Well we're back!! Hey come back........I can see you hiding

 

We did have a lovely time, Barton Court Cottages in Buckley Brewer http://www.barton-court.co.uk/ were really nice, not so posh you can't sit down or walk the dog but very nice. The added bonus was it's spa. Daisie had a boyfriend, their dog Mickey, who called for her twice a day to run round their 5 acres.

 

I didn't realise they did treatments but it turned out that the owner, Mike, was an holistic therapist and taking one look at me knew just what I needed. I had an aqua detox (just through the feet) and then a treatment that included some regression It was a treratment he developed. Well I am more relaxed, not without cares or a new woman but feel it all benefited. Mikey also had treatments and he reported back that he felt improvements, so great news! More to be posted in my blog.

 

Lovely scenery, great pubs (good ale and the wine was very good too!), lovely people and fresh produce everywhere.

 

How 3 became 5...

 

Well I called my parents, who baby sit, and all was well first evening. Did call AM day two and still fine....I am relaxing now as Mikey went at me feeling it was necessary to call on a daily basis

 

So I let my hair down and then call 36 hours later Mum tells me Lottie went missing the previous lunchtime and then Charlie went walk about in the next field, so they blocked the hole they had seen but this was Lotties way back home I hold the tears back and suggest they unblock hole and see what happens. Dusk, no sign of Lottie again. Call early the next morning and she has come back, well AM she wanders back into the garden and amazingly survived 2 nights roosting outside. I couldn't believe it.

 

Now, you know me...I had practical poultry with me soooooo thinking Buff would be alone called Rachael in Bideford and she had a couple of 10 week old cuckoo pekins We had planned to go and see and perhaps take them home . I am in a predicament now...what can I do

 

I could call her and say it's fine Lottie is thankfully back

 

OR

 

I can suggest to Mikey that we have them anyway. OF COURSE I did this!!!!!

 

I asked him and he decided on the 'say nothing' approach. So we went, we saw them and we arranged to collect on the way home. I sat all the journey with a cardboard box on my knee with 2 tweeting chicks inside.

 

Well we now have 2 full size eglu areas in the garden and the big girls have moved into mark 2 with extra run arriving today. The bantams have a full size run on mark 1 and are already introduced and sleeping together and spending late afternoon in the run. Willow and Flo are living alone in the day as they have to eat growers pellets until they get to 18 weeks.

 

SORTED

 

So that's how 3 became 5 and we have a flock of 6!!!

 

Post pics later

 

Lovely to be back...need to catch up

 

BBx

Edited October 2, 2006 by Guest

[Popcorn]

Buffie, that's great. Sounds like a lovely holiday with an extra, very happy ending.

 

Sometime decisons like that are best made on the spot, otherwise you mull things over and over and over and over......and look how happy you sound now! Good old Lottie - what a brave girl. I wonder what she got up to in the big wide world. "If Mummy can have a holiday, then so can I"

 

Good to see you back Buffie with such good news.

[buffie]

Hey Gina, yes it's a happy ending. I didn't tell mum how upset I was at the time. They couldn't help what happened.

 

I'll pop out soon and get some pics and post them.

 

BBx

[Cinnamon]

Hi,

Congrats on the new arrivals

We have 3 little cuckoo Pekins (lemon, blue & millefleur) & they are just adorable.

Mine are a bit older that yours,but we got them at 10 weeks, & I can remember how tiny they were

 

Looking forward to some piccys!

[buffie]

I may move into this specialist area myself Dan, good idea If I can cure myself of the addiction...chances of that....ZERO

 

Nice to be back and ta Dan

 

BBx

[The Dogmother]

It was meant to be Buff can't wait to see them

 

Dan, if you get bantams, they don't wreck the garden - you'll see mine at the weekend.

[buffie]

Think mikey has the camera , they are grey with lemon on their necks. Pretty and tweeting away happily. Have to get the camera later

 

BBx

[The Dogmother]

They sound lovely Buffie, can't wait to see the pictures.

[Mel (& Paul)]

Dan, if you get bantams, they don't wreck the garden -

 

 

 

Arggghhhh - DONT tempt me

[The Dogmother]

Go on Mel, you know you want to

[Mel (& Paul)]

I know

I think that we better wait till next spring though - give ourselves a rest from all the stress we have had recently

But then I think we will get at least 3 chooks to replace our dearly departed (hope its not any more than that )

[buffie]

Good idea Mel, Mikey says I jump straight in and then go later but this time it's been an easy intro so I am officially off the ' ' list.

 

 

Spring will be a good time to start again, just enjoy your flock now

BBx

[Cate in NZ]

Glad to hear that you had a restful holiday, although the concerns about Lottie must have added anxiety that you didn't really need. She's obviously a resourceful girl to be able to survive outside for so long.

Great news about the new additions to the flock... I'm looking forward to seeing the pics

[buffie]

Thanks Kate. She is a clever girl and I reckon she lived under our deck, foraging for 2 days. No roaming over the ballistrade since...she may have learnt her lesson.

 

The new run we extended has branches and all sorts for the bantams so hopefully she thinks it's a better option to remain housed in her bantam palace. It would have been awful to lose her as that's why I had the mark 2 and we went on a real adventure together, the intro and her living in a cat box for 2 weeks in our bedroom with me taking her out every morning to live in an improvised run . I have lgot alot wiser about hen keeping since then and would not adopt 1 and certainly not try to have a light sussex and a bantam and add harrie and charlie

 

I cried my eyes out when I thought she had gone but I felt there was still a glimmer of hope

 

Oh happy days

BBx

[Martin B]

Congrats on the new arrivals!

[buffie]

Thanks Martin

 

BBx

[Karen & co.]

Glad you had a lovely time, and gained a couple of new additions

 

karen x

[AnnieP]

Sounds like it was the perfect holiday!

[Lesley]

Excellent news Jayne- the newbies sound lovely, can't wait for the photos!

[Linda]

What a lovely happy ending, Buff! Hope the new additions to your family are settling in well.

[buffie]

Hunky dory but posteriors I forgot to get the camera TOMORROW!!!!

 

Got the new section of the run though Mikey got me going last night...devil! I was all relaxed and asked if Omlet Hq had any news when he picked up the run and bits. He said yes and then went on about Hanns telling him to keep quiet about mark 3...bla....bla....bla. How he'd liked the design changes etc. I indignantly said 'I have to keep confidentiality all the time' and was most put out. I saw the spark in his eye and had to laugh! So no news but he saw the inflatable egg cups and they had a long chat about why this would be useful

 

BBx

[The Dogmother]

Grrrr, I'd love to know more about the mark 3. I am considering getting one to replace my mark 2, but it depends on a lot of criteria