From bad to worse

Why the Araucanas have chosen to adopt Mad Irene as a role model and mother substitute is quite beyond me.   But judging from the scene in the coop at bedtime last night, that's what seems to have happened.

Back in June (26 June - Double-Decker Rebecca) this picture appeared, showing Rebecca snuggled up under Irene.

Last night Rebecca had snuggled so far under Irene, she was able to tuck her head into Irene's chest feathers.   As if that wasn't enough, Punk decided that what was good enough for her sister, was good enough for her.

There was no more room beneath Irene, so Punk made herself comfy in front of the perch, then tucked her head under Irene's wing!

I wonder if our poor Light Sussex got any sleep at all last night?

Pitter patter raindrops

It's pouring with rain in my bit of North Yorkshire.   But I have been doing my duty, periodically slithering and sliding down to the chicken run to check that all is well.

This time Rebecca and Irene were convinced I'd come to let them play out on the lawn, despite the deluge!  They were slightly mollified by the fact that I had brought a little corn with me.   The others were all being sensible and had gathered under the cover of the caged area.    Fizz, however, had gone upstairs to bed.

They all looked so bored, that I scattered the corn on the cage floor instead of just leaving the dish for them.   Looking for it would at least give them something to do.

As I left, I did a spectacular mud slide just outside the cage, barely managing to stay upright.   Titian watched this with interest, before turning to rummage for her share of corn.

Down and out

Fizz was so excited when the coop was opened up this morning.   He went charging around the run, but just couldn’t catch Rebecca.   Then he spotted Punk in the cage area and raced in to grab her before she could escape.   Unfortunately, he didn’t see Pom-Pom coming out and ran into her, flattening the pair of them!  

 Pom-Pom, as usual, didn’t notice and continued on to get her breakfast.  

Onwards and upwards

I’m just about convinced that Maggie has quietly moved to the top of the pecking order.   She’s standing much taller than she used to for one thing.   She also seems to spend a good deal of time in what I can only describe as “watchful mode”.    She’s chased trespassing birds out of the garden and successfully fought off a double-pronged attack by the Araucanas.  And there’s an aura about her that was never apparent before.

The clincher came this morning when everyone was let out.   Fizz, as usual, was looking for someone to love and he picked on Punk.   She’s normally very compliant – just lets him get on, do his thing and then off she goes;  she’s such a laid-back little bird I’m surprised she’s not horizontal.

Today was different.   Today she was having none of it!   She fluffed her neck feathers out, then chested him.  She jumped really high and chested him again. This behaviour is totally out of character for the little Araucana.  

Maggie looked as if she was about to join in, but decided against it when Punk turned and hid her head in Maggie’s abundant chest feathers.   At bedtime Punk has always had the habit of tucking her head into the chest feathers of whichever chicken is next to her.  But it’s the first time it’s happened in broad daylight.   

It seemed that Maggie’s chest provided Punk with a safe haven.   Is this a sign that it’s not only me who thinks Maggie has promoted herself to leader, but the perhaps the flock does too?

Waltzing round the garden

It was a perfect summer afternoon.   A light breeze wafted the smell of newmown hay across the fields and into my garden.   The sun was still nice and warm, but not too fierce.  

Some of the flock were wandering round the garden or eating the lettuce I'd put out for them.   Titian and Maggie had settled down for a nice afternoon snooze.

And then that lovely peace was shattered!   Fizz decided to take advantage of Maggie's torpor and give her a quick bonk before she could stop him.   He leapt on her back, she shrieked, he fell off.

She leapt up, still groggy from sleep, and faced her assailant - who was a bit surprised at his situation himself.   She gathered herself together and took a step towards him.   He took one step back.   Again she moved one step forward and he took another step back.   When they performed the same sequence a third time, I was listening out for the strains of a Strauss waltz to come drifting across the garden.

But Fizz must have seen something in Maggie's eyes that told him this was no dancing matter.   So he tootled off to see what Pom-Pom was doing.

The tail end

It's finally happened, Fizz has lost his very last tail feather!   Just to remind you what he used to look like, in all his former glory

Fizz in his Sunday best outfit

And this is what he looks like now

To make matters worse, he's acting even dafter than usual!   When he got up this morning he chased Rebecca round the run as usual, then she scooted between the cage and the fence to try to get away.   He thought he'd "head her off at the pass" and took a short cut by running into the cage.   The pair of them were running up and down on either side of the cage wire, with Fizz trying hard to work out why he couldn't get to his girl!

I like my mornings to start off quietly and gently, not with tears running down my cheeks from laughing so much!

Jumping Jiminy!!!

Mad Irene gave us a fright yesterday evening by jumping onto the barbecue!   Luckily she landed on the rim of the bowl ..............

Our barbecue

........ which only gets slightly warm, and didn’t try to join the lamb steaks which were cooking nicely in the middle. 

 

She’d seen me bring a dish of lovely, home-grown new potatoes down to the garden and had already done a spectacular bounce to try to get at them.   When I sat down, she jumped on my lap to see if I’d got them up my T-shirt.   When that failed, she thought she’d look on the barbecue to see if I’d hidden them there.

It’s no wonder I’m going grey!