A Sunday Snapshot.

Courtney & Pearl chatting on the sofa

.....

My What? Hen

This is Violet.
She's a mauve Orpington bantam.

She is my 'What?' hen.

What's in here?

What's in the bag?

What's down there?

What's behind your arm?

What's that in your hair?

What's in your bag?

What are you doing with that tree?

During my much too brief time with Hattie, I fell in love with the Orpington breed and decided I wanted to add another to my flock.  

Following a bit of a search, I found an Orpington breeder not too far away. He said he had a very friendly pullet, who followed him all over his yard.  So off I set to Herefordshire, and Violet joined our family just before Christmas.

Violet is such a lovely colour, a sort of pale chocolate/blue/grey and she has one noise, a questioning noise, she makes it all the time (I think its chicken for 'what?').  The only time she ceases this noise, apart from when she's asleep, is when she's having a cuddle.  

Then she says, Ooooooooooooo.

Since we lost Betty, Violet and Mabel have become each others 'very best friend'.  Mabel was Bet's sidekick, even though Mabel is top hen.  

Mabel misses her friend, so I'm glad she has Violet to wander the garden with.

She's such a lovely girl =)

.....

Goodbye lovely girl xx

I lost Betty a couple of weeks ago.

I was incredibly upset, which is why it's taken a while for me to mention it.
I threw myself into sorting out the new coop, pushing away thoughts that she was never going to be in it.  
I struggle with her not being in the garden, as she has been here almost from the beginning.

My husband buried her next to Hattie during a snow storm.  
He said now she was up there, Hattie could continue to get her daily peck.

It made me smile x

Fly high over Rainbow Bridge wonderful girl xxxx






.....

It's beginning to feel a lot like home.

.....

New Coop Day!!!

It took an absolute age to paint, but it was worth it.  I am super stoked with it.

The coop was built by Andrew Fuller.  He has a working farm in Gloucestershire, U.K and also builds the most amazing summerhouses/playhouses and now coops, in his 200 year old barn.  He is a really nice chap and his houses are top quality.  He will happily try and meet any requests.  This was his first chicken coop and chimney!

http://www.birdwoodplayhouses.co.uk/default.html

Yesterday, I introduced my ladies to their new home.

At bedtime I had to gather them all from the determined queue they had made outside the rabbit hutch, which has been relocated to the spot vacated by their old coop.
The ladies, well, they prefer their old coop.  Mabel is convinced I've locked her in the chicken version of Alcatraz and Bridie isn't talking to me.

 They just stood around and stared and absolutely nobody wanted to be first on a perch.

...but, just before lights out, Violet was brave.  Hurrah!

I'm sure they'll soon love it and enjoy living there, but today, I have no idea where Mabel laid her egg...!

Night, night ladies, sleep tight x

.....

The sky is falling!!!

Oh wait....no, it's snow.

.....

One step forward...

...quite a few back!

The coop has arrived. It is as brilliant as I hoped it was going to be.

I collected it on Saturday, and started painting it straight away, eager for the ladies to move in to their new home.  

Sunday dawned and with it, an unpleasant stomach bug.  It's now Wednesday and painting is still on hold.  This is one nasty virus.

It is very frustrating. 

.....