The umbrella in the chickens garden area has been a great success. It did take them three days to get used to it which was longer than I expected, but it has now improved the quality of their enclosure. I have looked out several times recently when it has been raining and they have been happily scratching about underneath the umbrella instead of being confined to the patio area. The umbrella also keeps the big perch dry. It took the girls four days after the umbrella was installed before they returned to the big perch but I have now seen them all on it while it was raining, keeping dry. The umbrella acts like a tree, allowing the girls fresh air and shelter at the same time. Although there is an apple tree in their enclosure, it’s branches are very vertical and it offers no shelter. This was my husbands idea and was a very good solution to the problem. I wonder if anyone else has an umbrella for their chickens?
The chickens have also been going to bed each night with no further problems. It seems that roosting on the coop roof was just a glitch and they have been going into the coop between quarter and half past six each night and the automatic door has been closing at about ten to seven so I am happy with this. I still can’t resist checking each night though.
On a different subject completely, this afternoon I went in with some lettuce and tomato for the girls. They all came running except Bluebell who was having such a lovely dust bath that she didn’t move. I went to get my camera and came back to get a snap. Even though I have seen them dust bath many times, the fact that she didn’t move and looked really dishevelled, started to worry me. I started to think that maybe she had injured herself. I decide to use the trusty lure of dried meal worms to check that she was okay. She came running up to the patio area then shook herself just like a dog coming out of the rain. She sprayed a layer of dirt around and her feathers then settled back to their usual position and she happily hoovered up some meal worms. I should know better by now! The photo is spoiled a bit by a branch in front of her but I thought that I would include it anyway.
Bluebell in her dust bath
Note to self, tomorrow I will prune that branch off and I should know by now that however strange they look while dust bathing, they are fine.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Oh, those dust baths can feel soooooo good. Have you heard them trill while dust bathing. They make this purring sound that is just the sweetest sound of sheer bliss. I love that sound.
Treacle always purrs while dust bathing. There is usually much writhing around and purring. That’s why I worried as Bluebell was still and quiet and didn’t come out for treats, but she had obviously finished with all that and was just resting.
They unearth all sorts of things when making a dust bath. I had cleared this area but you can see to the left of Bluebell a little green plastic bottle. I retrieved it afterwards and it is a miniature champagne bottle. We have children next door and things have probably come over the fence in the past. Long buried things come to light when the chickens are digging.