[blossom1044]

wow it's been a while.

All four chooks are laying an egg a day and occasionally we seem to have a 2nd one from the Balti.

So each week we're over ru with eggs.  I'm selling them at work.  15p to 20p per egg.  It's paying for the chooks food and up keep.  

All 4 are devils and go mad for strawberries, tomatoes and any greens we give them.

Having the run nearer the house has stopped Mr Fox coming back, but cleaning sweeping shavings that are kicked out of pen is nightmare.  they have eaten most of the plants in my backyard when they are free ranging, so it looks a bit scruffy.  I've nicknamed them the crowborough 4.  

They are very partial to pansy's.  I don't think they are poisonous to hens, but they do go a little mad/loopy afterwards and pansy's when added to alcohol can make humans go "giddy" and a little "spaced".  May be they have an effect on chickens?

How do I know about Pansy's interesting properties you may ask - I am interested in religion and rituals pagan or otherwise - history and origins, spells and how the rituals are acted on normal life.  I'm not a practiciioner just have an interest, so I read lots of books.  I'm very interested in the natural world and how it works interacts with what we do and don't know.  A few years ago whilst having a read of a very old medicine book, I came accross a spell for divination to the moon.  It came up with pansy and red wine infusion.  I was intrigued and read up more which led to a study that showed pansy leaves in red wine can give halucinagetic effects.  Never tried it, but it tickled me.  You can eat the flowers ion salads and they have no effect, but the leaves have different properties.

Also We've had no red mite.  after the infestation before chooks arrived I thought we had a good chance of getting the mite back, but no.  It stayed away in the very SE warm weather which is great news.  long may that continue.

anyhew - rambling.

Hope all are well.  will upload recent pic of the crowborough 4!

T

[FCG]

Sounds like you are having a whale of a time with your chickens. Glad you've not had a repeat fox visit.

[agapanthus]

It's nice you are now able to enjoy your choox without the fear of Raynard creeping around!