Welcome Home

The welcome committee - new members x 12 - when I came home this evening.

Fourth Set of Pieces for Exhibition

Something a little different - I really love my hens, so had to have some pictures of them included. This idea I saw in a book on digital imagery for fabric and although it was used in a landscape situation, I thought it would be fun to try.
Here we have the Blue Andalusian rooster (Blue), some of the hens (a mixture of Blues and Bantams), and a stash of hidden eggs I found. Covered with the florist's gauze, quilted in a grid and then some of the gauze cut away. Fun!

Hurrah for Me!

I've had the new chook house for 2+ weeks now and everyday have been trying to entice the Blue Andalusians into it. At least they were allowing me to get reasonably close to them!
Well, last night I managed to catch all 4 of them - rounding them up, using the badminton net to throw over their flapping wings, putting my hand over their heads to stop them letting the whole valley know something 'bad' was happening, and finally letting them loose in their new home.
This morning the body aches in a few places, from the bending and hunkering down to catch them. But, I'm so pleased it is done and was relatively easy.
This is 'Blue', he's such a beautiful rooster and very gentle.

Here are 2 of the girls.

New Chickens and an Unwelcome Guest

Yesterday I got to see my first chickens for the year. One of my younger black Bantam hens has been such a good mum and hatched 3 little bundles of down. There are still 3 eggs, so I'll have to wait another day to see if they are going to hatch.
Unfortunately I've been battling with an unwelcome guest. A rat has been digging under the maternity unit and helping itself to the food. That is why this mother has been so good - she's had to contend with this blighter of a pest. I have carefully laid poison and traps, but to no avail. So today I tried another tact by jambing in stones and surrounding the unit with large pieces of wood - perhaps having it's holes unavailable may just divert it. I still have a trap and cake of poison out there and the other chooks can't get to it.
One of these roosters is the father (father and son, here) and the chicken with the dark markings will look like one of these hens.