Yesterday we took a trip to Whitehouse Farm. This is where we get our disposables and is also is where we have rehomed some of our girls in the past.
We rehomed Peaches and Barley at the farm last spring, one and a half years ago. We have visited them in between and I went along yesterday to see if they were still around.
Moira, the farmer, wasn’t around so I just wandered through the orchard where the chickens hang out. I know that she is happy for me to visit them when we are collecting disposables.
I soon spotted Peaches but there was no sign of Barley. As the two were inseparable I can only conclude that sadly she may have been taken by a fox. I know that Moira has a problem with foxes being quite bold even during the daytime.
There was also no sign of Claude, the huge cockerel, that had been resident for many years but he may well have passed to old age. Without seeing Moira I can only speculate so perhaps shouldn’t make too many guesses.
I spotted a new set up of an enclosed run and large coup and went to investigate. It was a breeding pen for silkies. I know Moira likes to take on new projects. There was one cockerel, possibly a replacement for Claude and three adult hens. There was another smaller hen which I would consider was at the “teenage” stage and there were seven chicks.
There was another empty smaller run and coup nearby so I would assume the mother and chicks had been in there until the chicks were big enough to integrate with the other silkies. They were all getting along happily.
Peaches hangs out with a friend
I am only able to identify Peaches because her comb flops to the left and Barley’s comb flopped to the right. She is moulting and the pair of them always looked very shabby when they were moulting and their combs would be very reduced in size.
Silkies and their chicks
The chicks are in the food dish
A selection of hens
A moulting Peaches
A few bantams in the mix
It was sad that Barley was no longer there but good to see that Peaches was still around. A free range life is always with it’s risks but I feel leghorns need a free range life and I would never consider having them again in my contained set up.
They are zippy birds and being contained made them bullying and caused them to pluck the other flock members. I know rehoming them was the right thing to do because they were in a more suitable environment for them and my flock has flourished without the bullying.
Integrations have been so much easier since Peaches and Barley left the flock and I now have a happy flock. I was pleased to see Peaches again.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
So nice to see Peaches again and sad about Barley but as you said they’re a breed happier being free-range. Also sad about Claude – I remember remarking how handsome he was!! xx
I had never before been to the farm and not seen Claude strutting his stuff. As you say he was a handsome guy. When we took Pepper and Dotty to Moira she told us that she had taken Claude from someone who couldn’t keep a cockerel and he was the only one of her birds that had a name. It was odd not seeing him and I even had a peek in the barn but it was empty.
Nice for you to see Peaches, shame Barley was not there.
It was a shame but good to see one of them.
Some superb pics, Carol, Peaches having lost most tail feathers and sporting the “I’m far from looking my best” look. Lovely silkies, too.
Peaches didn’t look her best but I have past photos of her looking much worse. Lovely silkies but not great photos through the mesh but captured the essence of them. I think I captured a bit of the overall atmosphere even though no great close ups. Should have taken some corn which I forgot to do. Some photos better than none though and showed that Peaches was still happy with the flock even during her moult.