Untidy Mr Flowers

Mr Flowers tail drags a bit. I know this sounds like an unusual concern but the feathers underneath his tail have been dragging in the mud. I have never seen this happen in any other peacock.

He is a very shy bird so there is no way to catch him that would not traumatise him and endanger him. But it is a concern.  He seems to spend more time in the barn that out of it but it is also midwinter and who wouldn’t. I will keep a weather eye open, note any changes.

As I write I see a sunrise gathering itself at the horizon. It seems an age since we saw a sunrise. The colour is very welcome.

I have decided that this years layers will be the Lonhorns.  I bought a flock of Leghorns years ago (the chicken in the foreground of this image is not a Legorn by the way but the others are)  and they are still laying big white eggs, plus they are small so they don’t eat as much and their combs do not get frostbite.  They are also terrible escape artists,  lay anywhere they please, are hard to catch and frankly not pretty with bottoms that are not always clean. But they are a very old fashioned breed, originally from Italy actually and don’t mind the extra heat or the extra cold. Hardy. They seem to thrive in our conditions. Even the old birds are still laying all this winter.

So this spring – soon actually –  all my new chicks will be the Italians.

I am stalking Sheila in the night trying to record her snoring for you but all I got last night was the sight of two calves cuddled right up against her straw wall and Sheila breathing deeply and slowly and almost silently. I will try again tonight.

Tia is still not quite 100%. I took  her for a walk yesterday afternoon, pushing her all around the field while the others ran and gamboled. Maybe she is still in recovery but she seems very sluggish. I am watching her closely. She is  eating slowly and everything seems to be working but her attitude is still way too calm and slow.  Maybe she will be a bit better today.

You can see from the shot above – her head is still down.But her ears are up.  She is the one in the middle of our wee herd.  Today when I go to the vet to pay the bill I will discuss some kind of tonic for her.

At least the weather is being kind. For the foreseeable ten days we are hovering in and around freezing point with wind and a few snowy variations but nothing dramatic forecast yet. This is good for  the animals especially Our Tia. Though this morning is 13f/-10C but it is calm and there will be a little sun to start with a high today of 33f/0c.  Some wind though if I remember correctly. I will leave all the big doors open until the wind comes up.

I need to investigate those long heavy strips of plastic they hang in refrigerated  doorways in the pack houses. They drive straight through them on fork lifts, pushing them apart. I could hang those in their doorways?  I think a cow or pig would push through. Unless the pigs chew them. These strips would be great for two of the big doors that have to remain open for pigs. Then at night (if it is calm) they will drop shut.  and they are heavy enough to keep out much of the night breeze. I have seen big truck mud flaps hung above low doors for pigs – it is the same idea just bigger. Hmm – thinking out loud here.

OK. Time for me to get moving. I hope you have a lovely day.

Love celi