Monday 30 March 2009

You Use To Be A Beautiful Baby - And - By The Skin Of His Teeth

Ok...... well everyone that knows me knows how much I love me chickens.... it drives me maties here crazy, cos, to be honest, they DONT DO animals of any description.... and me matie Ann, well, she has this fear of birds, daft cow lol....

My chickens are wellabit spoilt, I buy them lavendar or lemon scented sawdust for the bottom of their bedroom in the coop and then I fill it up with warm snuggly herby scented hay LOL..... my chickens come out of their coop in the morning smelling like they have spent a night in a brothel.....

They all bring me such joy, I could sit in me garden and just watch them for hours, when Im stressed out, which has been a lot of late, I take me cuppa tea and go sit on the bench in the garden and me chickens bring me back down to earth....... no 'shop ya stress away' for me.... just sitting amongst the chicken poo and sharing me marmite toast with them, see how low maintenance I really am LOL

Do you remember the hatching of Marble back in October, when it was bitter cold and still I let mother nature run its course and let Mabel the mum warm and protect the chick instead of bringing them both into the warm kitchen in a box......

Well, little Marble is no longer a cute little fluffy chick...... he/she, but we are thinking more a he as the weeks go on... is now a big as its mum...its a tad crazy and skitsie and gets a right proper peck from its Auntie Janet when it gets to greedy....

It use to be a beautiful baby, but it sure is one ugly teenager LOL



And and even ugly looking young adult..



But ya see, no matter if Marble does turn out to be a cockeral, which I think it might be, cos it has shiney feathers like Cedric and has the beginnings of those purplely/green tail feathers, I will still keep him and Marble and Cedric will just have to learn to get on with each other, cos I loves my little Marble, its like me first born LOL

My chickens hang around together all day, they are never more then a few feet apart, sometimes they can be a pain in the arse, like NOW for instances, they have dug up all me perennials which I will have to replace, so I thought I would have to pen them down in the bottom half of me garden, still a large area for free chickens, so I went to B&Q and bought the most lovely picket gate and the hinges and thought I would put a gate up near the shed to stop them coming this end of the garden and destroying the rest of me plants....... So, last week I let them out of their coop and shut the new gate which is about 4 foot high and went out for the morning, happy in the knowledge that I could buy some new plants and they would not be dug up and scratched out by me chickens........



This is us buying the picket gate, thats Sprite, D and J... who says shopping with 3 under 3s is hard :)

WRONG..... when I came back home I opened me side gate and there was Cedric and Janet sitting on me back door step THIS SIDE OF THE GATE..... boy, did I tell them off, they must of missed me so much that they made a mad escape and must of fluttered up onto the gate (which must of been hard cos they are fatties) and where sitting there waiting for my return with a smug look on their faces...... after checking and opening the new gate I walked back up the garden talking to the pair of them in a cross voice....LOL and was explaining to them that they are NOT allowed this end of the garden and to bloody well get their arse back down the garden and through the gate, as they started to waddle off I quickened me step and made shooing noises, much to Cedrics annoyance lol he started with the back chat and noise at me as he picked up pace.... again I was giving him a piece of me mind when he decided to hop onto the gate and then onto the bloody 6 foot fence.... LMFAO..... little sod, he was determined to state his case and not go back without a fight LMFAO....

So I shooed Janet in through the gate and shut it and then went to pick Cedric off the fence.....



He was having none of it..... he fluttered down into me twat neighbours garden LOL.....dam and bugger, time for reinforcements..... I ran, well hobbled back to the house and shouted for Sam and Jacob to come quick.... Sam easily climbed over the fence and then from his side said, dammit, mum, Cedric's hopped over into the next garden........... and with that, we heard the most scariest noise that I have ever heard a chicken make and the growling of the little terrier dog that lives there..... Cedric was being attacked..... but he was putting up a good fight, boy could that cockeral run.... I screamed real loud from my side of the fence and both Sam and Jacob leapt over the other fence into the garden where Max the terrier lives and who by now had Cedric in his mouth...... the lady that lives there came rushing out, she to was screaming cos she could hear me screaming, I felt helpless this side of the fence..... Sam apparently without fear grab Max the dog by his neck and bashed him on the nose with the palm of his hand and the dog dropped Cedric, who at first lay there where he was dropped..... I by then had run/hobbled down me garden and in through the bottom of me neighbours garden (2 gardens along) thinking that my Cedric had been ripped to pieces, already the tears were rolling down me face...... the dog had been shut in the house and I could see feathers everywhere..... Jacob said, its ok mum, he is still alive, go get a towel, so I hobbled back through the gardens in floods of tears.... wishing I had clipped the chickens wings which would of stopped their ability of fluttering up over the fence in the first place..... as I hobbled back down the garden with towel in hand I heard my Sam in the twat neighbours garden saying, mum I'll pass Cedric over the fence and then climb over....



I dont know why this photo has come out so dark (ok photo swapped fanks LadyStyx for making me photo lighter) that thats our Sam climbing back over the fence and Jacob who had come the sensible way and through the back gate LOL


I heard me twat neighbour shuffling down his garden, just as Sam jumped back over the fence into our garden.......whats going on he said from his side of the fence....... nuffin we said in unison lol.... was you in my garden, he said.... nope we all said in unison..... with that we quietly tiptoed back up our garden and left the loon talking to himself LOL

I checked Cedric all over.... he was missing all his tail feathers and his bum was bare with a couple of bite marks on his arse.... so not knowing what to do I just put antiseptic cream on the bites and hugged him and give him a kiss and a right proper telling off and put him to bed.... hoping against all hope that he would not die of shock during the night.....



This is Cedric before, with his beautiful tail feathers.....

and, yes Cedric did survive the night..... by the skin of his teeth he survived....



This is Cedric now with what is left of his tail feathers...LMFAO.. I know they will grow back, I know he had a lucky escape... I know now I need to think about clipping his and the others wings..... and now I know just how much I love him.... aint I bloody pathetic lmfao....



As a treat the following day.... I gave them all a slice of chocolate cake.... one of their favourites lol..... note Cedrics tail-less bum lmfao.....



Oh, and cheese, did I mention they love cheese for their breakfast some mornings....

I could go on and on and show hundreds of photos and tell stories about me chickens, but I will save them for another day.....

Its bright and sunny here today with a nippy start.... looks like its gonna be a lovely spring day..... I need to make the most of it......

Enough boring Twaddle for one morning...

x

ps...... Fanks (((((Starr))))) you know what for.... feet - earth - ground.. oxo

Addition - a couple of other photos that I couldnt find this morning....

75 comments:

LadyStyx said...

Yep, definitely time to trim the wings down so this doesnt happen again. Those chickens aren't spoilt, they're just very well loved *smiles*.

none said...

That was a close call!
Glad he made it out alive.

I used to love feeding the Chickens at my reltives house and gathering eggs. I found they loved green beans for some reason.

buffalodick said...

Your story was timely- I'm making chicken salad to go into muskmelon for tonight's dinner.. and my terrier will want some too! Marmy, I could never eat a pet- it's why I stick to dogs and cats...

Deanna said...

LMAO what a nail biter! I chewed all fingernails and started on the toes. Clip those wings and do it fast! I have to wonder how traumatized the dog is...

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm still laughing over the chickens smelling like they came out of a brothel.

Unknown said...

That was a close call! Geez. I would have been screaming my ass off, too.

And hey, I don't think Marble is ugly at all. He is a little cutie, but Cedric is just beautiful!!!

And dang, I didn't even know you could buy Lavendar scented hay. Heck, even I would sleep on that!

Intense Guy said...

A brothel smelling, bald bummed, Rooster... I just have to think I've gotten reincarnated wrong, I want to be Cedric or even ugly like Marble. Gosh that would be the life!

Marble doesn't look ugly to me, but if you say so I'll take your word on it.

I love those hats your boys wear...do they ever take 'em off? And I'm impressed - Sam and Jacob being able to leap 6 foot high fences in a single bound. :)

Have you ever heard of "invisible fences"? they put a wire under the ground and collar on the animal that makes a warning noise when they get to close to the wire and if they persist it gives them a little electrical shock. I'm no fan of them - but jeebus, you got me wondering a couple things here... would they work on chickens and how would you put a collar on 'em and keep it on 'em?

*Hugs* I'm glad none of your precious chickens were harmed in the filming of this blog (as they say on the television)...

*goes off grinning, thinking about the twat neighbor who is gonna get a surprise some summer day when a snowball hits him*

Jen said...

I completely understand about watching the chickens helping you relax. My parents used to have a bunch of chickens and I loved to sit in their back yard and watch them scratch around. They gave them away when they moved. Your story made me miss them. So glad Cedric is okay.

Dumdad said...

Crikey, it's all go round your way. Chicken Run is pedestrian by comparison.

Flowerpot said...

What wonderful chickens Marmie! I dont have any but a friend does and she adores hers, goes to sit n the hen house with them!

Akelamalu said...

This made me laugh so much Marmie but the following really started me off...

my chickens come out of their coop in the morning smelling like they have spent a night in a brothel.....

You're mad you are but I love you. xx

Jeanie said...

I love your chickens, Marmie! I would be frantic if I had been in your shoes. And Marble is beautiful! IMHO. :)

Unknown said...

i'm so relieved that Cedric survived his escape attempt...what a willful lad he is!...does it hurt much to clip the wings?...i know that you Brits are a bit more enlightened about surgically modifying your critters, no de-claws, ear and tail cropping and the like...it infuriates me that many Doodles think nothing of ripping out their kitties claws just for the sofa's sake...
...but i digress...hope your monday was a lovely one...

ChicagoLady said...

Yep, that's us Doodles, just rippin' out those claws mercilessly.

I'm glad Cedric survived mostly intact. Maybe he learned his lesson and won't go over that fence again?

You probably have the bestest smelling, most well-fed chickens in all of England, lol. Chocolate? Really?? You learn something new every day...

I agree with Iggy, Marble is a fine looking chicken/cockeral. But then, what do I know?

Toriz said...

I'm glad your Cedric is OK.

And I'm glad to hear Marble is doing well. I was wondering about him just yesterday.

I don't think it's silly to be that way about your chickens. But then I buy birthday cards for my animals, so I'm probably not the best one to judge sanity - especially when it comes to animals. LOL!

Carol Woolum Roberts said...

The more I read about your chickens, the more I think it would be fun to have them. But between the neighbors, our dogs, our cats, and possible city code violations, I'll have to save pet chickens for another day. I'm so glad Cedric is okay. Inland Empire Girl used to have chickens, and we were visiting one time, and my dog Peaches got a hold of one of the chicken's tail feathers. I think she got rid of the chickens shortly after that incident.

Cindy said...

My friend Kim has a bunch of chickens- you'd love her- she thinks of them as pets, too. She laughs at me because I won't get out of my car at her house if they are on the loose. We did have pet turkeys once though and I bawled my eyes out when John killed the last one. We also had a pair of pet parakeets once too. Ricky had one of them for an afternoon snack. I had to make an emergency run to the pet store and find another one that looked just like it before the kids got home from school.
Anyway, I'm glad your Cedric is okay- even if does have a bald butt now.

JBelle said...

P33t went to town once; it was horrid. Animal control labeled him as a ferocious dog. Boy were they surprised when I whirled into the pound, having come back from vacation for the express purpose of rescuing P33t from the gas chambers, fetched P33t from his incarceration as they watched this big bully dog meekly trot ahead of me, down the hall and out to the truck without a lease, on voice commands only. Ferocious indeed. He doesn't get a hug and kiss everyday he gets downright irate!

rebel said...

I'm glad he is okay. I've lost chickens to dogs before and it's sad. Do you clip their wing feathers so they can't fly up on the fences?
I like chickens too, they have a lot of character.

Christy Woolum said...

If I ever come back to earth again I want to be one of your chickens!! lol

Lulda Casadaga said...

I'm so glad you gave us an update on Marble! They are all lovely...with or without a few feathers. I just heard a local news report that some cities around here do not have chicken laws. So, who knows, maybe more of de boids will be crooning around the local gardens soon! I do enjoy the sound of the rooster.

I could not own any though...my dogs would kill!
Right now my Lab rushes out to chase even the lovely morning doves. :( and don't even mention the word squirrel!

MarmiteToasty said...

~((((LadyStyx)))~ yep me thinks its time for a bit of pruning lol I will admit they are sooooooo spoilt lol.... they have fresh sweetcorn every morning and then couscous for lunch and then all manner of treats besides their usual grub :) they come into the kitchen and sit with the cats when its raining lmfao...... fanks for lightening the photo for me....xxxxxx

~(((((Hammer))))~ welcome back matie :) - yeah by the skin of his teeth he lived lol.... well, if he had teeth and then if teeth actually had skin... where the hell did that saying come from lol....buying green beans for me chickens to sample :)..xxxxx

~(((((((((((Buff))))))))))~ I will admit that we eat a large amount of chicken, I just dont let Janet see the packaging lol... buff, I so could not eat a pet, me neighbour sliced and BBQ'd yes, but a pet NO :)..xxxxxxxx

~(((((Punkn)))))~ the little dog is actually such a sweetie, but it was doing what terriers do, and thats hunting small creatures lol..... it already had 2 of Black Patricks chickens last summer that hopped into his garden...xxxxxxxx

~(((((Charles))))))~ honest, that what they smell like in the mornings when I let them out, not that I would know what a brothel smelt like lmfao....do you? LOL...xxxxxxxx


~((((((Bina)))))~ well, sometimes ugly is beautiful, I tell myself that every morning when I dare to look in the mirror lmfao... yep, you can buy all sort of sweet smelling sawdusts and hay :)... we dont do pongie pets lol.....xxxxxx

~((((((Intense)))))))~ you are so funny with your description lol... if another chicken turns up and its ginger then I will name it Iggy after you lmfao....

Can you imagine an electric fence in this garden with all the nippers.... omg, now that is an option actually lol

giggling at you grinning about me neighbour :)...xxxxxxxxx

~(((((Jen))))~ if I had a bit of land I would keep so many different chickens.... I just love all the breeds.... but alas I dont have the land no more, me tosser X got our land.... but I am gonna make a proper pen down the bottom and get some more but they will be penned in (large area) so that we can get more eggs....xxxxxx

~((((Dumdad))))~ LOL@chicken run.... sometimes it feels like that, like this morning when Sprites parents arrived and opened me back door and the chickens just followed them straight in LMFAO....xxxxxxx

~(((((Flowerpot))))~ I cant imagine life now without chickens... its been about 2 years since I found Janet and tucked her under me arm and walked home with her :).... life has never been the same since lol....xxxxxxx

~(((((Ake)))))))~ tiz true on both accounts, they do smell like that and I am mad :) - love you to...xxxxxx

~(((((JeanieS)))))~ I know I shouldnt get to attached to dam chickens lol... ugly is beautiful sometimes lol.... you should see one of my ugly cats :)...xxxxx

~(((((((((((((((Soul)))))))))))~ me to, or you would of had me crying for weeks, I would of been an emotional wreck lol....

You dont actually clip their wings but you spread the wing out and then snip off about 4-5 inches of the feathers on just on wing, it puts them off balance :).... I will try NOT to actuallly cut off its arm lmfao....

Over here its unheard of to rip out a poor cats claws.... we train our cats NOT to scratch the furniture when they are kittens.... Im disgusted by the practises you have over there...... cats need their claws out in the garden for climbing fences and for catching mice etc... its dam wicked to declaw....xxxxxxxx

~(((((ChicagoLady)))))~ yep they really LOVE cake of any description lol....xxxxxxx

~((((ToriZ)))))~ LOL@birthday cards :).....xxxxxxx

~((((((SilverValleyGirl)))))~ oh it is such fun, my cats dont bother with them and many dogs dont, you have to train animals to live with each other.... my home now would not be a home without me chickens lol.......xxxxxxx

Bugger, I have to get these nippers to school before we are late...bbl :)

MarmiteToasty said...

~(((Cindy)))~ LOL@bunch of chickens :) technically known as a flock lol.... your as bad as my matie Ann, she hates birds of any shape or size.... I almost had a turkey chick last year, Geoff up at the farm asked me if I wanted on to raise for crimble... I said yes please, but I would of just kept it as a pet :).. but the fox got in his barn the following week and killed the lot.... I fancied a wobbly nosed turkey running around me tiny garden lmfao...

LOL@you swapping a parrot :) you daft sod lol....xxxxxxx

~(((JBelle))))~ your big soft teddy bear of a dog was labeled ferocious LOL.... what to? an ant?.... I do kiss me pets but I dont snog them lmfao.....xxxxxxxxx

~(((((Rebel)))))~ it certainly is a sad way to go, but Cedrics time was not up this time lol.....

I will be clipping their wings as and when I get round to it.... xxxxxxxx

~((((InlandEmpireGirl)))))~ I will admit they are pampered lol.... or is it your just after the chocolate cake :).....xxxxxxx

~(((((Lulda)))))~ its been great watching our first ever hatched chick grow and change from a little cute fluff ball.... I cant believe people aint allowed to keep chickens in the states.... I aint never heard the likes of that before...... I would say 'sod you' and keep them anyways lol.....xxxxxxx

Annie Wan said...

clip their wings and treat them to more choc cake - those chickens have the life of riley!

anya said...

Geez! Poor guy! Well thank goodness he made it. I'd hate to think of the mess you'd be if he hadn't.

Really, Marmy, your chickens are beautiful. They look like the fancy ones I see at the Stock Show in Denver every year, but yours somehow seem much more.....mmm, cognizant might be the word I'm looking for here. A great group of fellas.

I hope you are getting along alright with the loss of your b&b kids. I know that's gotta be tough. We're all tightening up everything we can here too.

Listen thanks for your comment today. I loved it and honestly, yours and some of the others have helped me with a turn around. Truly.

Go Figure said...

MT: I like chickens too! Chicken a la king, chicken fried steak, chicken under glass, chicken under plastic, chicken shake and baked, chicken chow mein, chicken noodle soup, chicken with stuffing, chicken on the barbeque,...but I especially loves DUCK, and I am going to shoot that dang dancing duck of yours yet.

Pamela said...

a terrier is a terror to all small beasts --

I don't know anything about clipping wings - but I've heard the term applied to many a situation. Sounds like it might "lengthen" the cock a doodle's life.

Winifred said...

That was a great story and thankfully it has a happy ending.

I'd love to have chickens but I'm sure we're not allowed to. Heck they wouldn't even let us have TV aerials when we first moved here forty years ago. That's the wonder of New Towns!

Lisa said...

So Cedric got a little "cocky", did he? And it bit him in the ass? LOL

Love, love, love the chickens!

Toriz said...

Terriers can be taught not to hurt small animals if they grow up with them. My Kero can be trusted with hamsters and rabbits, because he grew up with them and was taught they were family not food.

MarmiteToasty said...

~((Mei Del))~ their most favourite treat is Ansley Harriets mexican couscous LOL.... and I make up a batch just for them :)....xxxxxxxx

~(((((anya))))~ I do know these things happen but I would of been more sadder if it had been my Janet LOL....

My B&B nippers are back for the time being, their father secured another job, dont know how long for though... so fingers crossed.... Ive gonna put as much as I can away though...

As regards me comment, it was just said from me heart, and your most welcome, you are such a dear lady....xxxxxxx

~(((((((((Starr)))))))))~ ok, how many times do I have to tell you IT AINT NO DUCK ITS A DANCING CHICKEN.... rolling me eyes... and, shhhhhh dont tell me chickens but I love all the above to :), we eat loads of chicken in this house.... we dont have a freezer full of mooses or elks or racoons or beavers like you doodles do...xxxxxxxxxx

~(((Pamela))))~ yep Im gonna be doing it this weekend you just have to be careful not to clip the feathers where the veins are or they bleed to death...xxxxxxx

~(((((Winifred)))))~ welcome :) - I cant imagine me life now without me chickens, I use to keep a few when I was married to the tosser X, but that was on our nursery land so they was never so tame.... he got custody of me chickens and I got 4 kids and a mortgage :).....xxxxxx

~((((Lisa))))~ LMFAO@you....xxxxxx

~((((ToriZ))))~ I know they can be taught young, we might be getting a rescue dog this year, but its finding one that is chicken friendly...xxxxxxx

ChrisB said...

You love your chickens like I love my tortoises. I also talk to them, I got really cross with Tom yesterday because he was pestering Topsy who has not been well- I was rather glad no one was listening to me.
My friend is trying to get someone to make her a hen house and run to get 4/4 hens. I'll tell her the type of treats hens like LOL.

LadyStyx said...

No problems. I'm prone to doing things like that for my friends ;)

Robin said...

I think Marble is cute! I so wish I could have chickens. Maybe in my next life (sigh).....

P.S. Sprite is getting BIG!

Lee Harris said...

We had a chicken escape from one of the "yards" in our neighborhood just the other day. When I heard the commotion, I discovered 6 or more folks wrestling with the poor bird right in my own front yard. What nonsense. I think that most of them jumped the fence to get in my yard because Tio Tomas was just then opening my front gate to let them all out of the yard. Smiles all around. I love this neighborhood.

Hmmmm. Would marmite taste any better served with chicken?

Thanks for the smiles today.

goatman said...

A fellow I buy duck eggs from (to hatch) tells of Japanese chicken sexers coming around in the old days to determine the hens for better sale; he mainly sold chicken chicks through the mail til he died last year.
I bet you never butcher your chickens, better to get them already fixed from the butcher? My feelings exactly. I could never think of killing any of my ducks. They have enough time of it staying away from the coyotes and coons!

Just a comment from one of these doodles from across the pond.

Happy spring

Jeanie said...

((((Marmie)))) - where are you? You haven't posted to HBO in a long while. Everything ok? Do I need to come over there?

Unknown said...

Wow, I know you love your chickens! They are so much fun, huh? I have a dog and a cat that give me so much joy. I used to have chickens and I loved to watch them. The rooster used to take such good care of the hens. He used to break up fights and tell them off.

Glad to hear that you did not climb the fence...lol! Take care, M

Toriz said...

Yeah, most dogs don't have contact with chickens, so getting a rescue dog that's chicken friendly isn't the easiest of tasks. Still, I'm sure you'll find one somewhere. :)

I certainly don't have one. Most small animals Kero is friendly with. But if they have feathers it's different. All because of a budgie we had when he was a puppy (it's actually a funny story, though Kero doesn't think so. LOL!)

Anonymous said...

What a terrible nightmare with Cedric. I feel for you girl. I love all critters too. And I even think that Marble is beautiful. So glad your sons were there and able to save Cedric's life.

basicliving@backtobasicliving.com said...

Cedric is such a good looking boy! And I'm happy all he came away with was a few less feathers. I would have been having a heart attack through all that.

Special treats makes for happy chickens - and there's just nothing like a happy chicken ;-)

Intense Guy said...

Ut-oh. Did you cut your Internet connection for reasons of budgeting?

If so, I hope things get better soon - I miss you.

MarmiteToasty said...

~((((Crispy))))~ oh my, you have tortoises.... we use to have one and I adored it... yep, you are as crazy as me :)....xxxxxx

~((((LadyStyx))))~ fanks... xxxxx

~((((Robin))))~ he is cute, but he is a pickle lol.... I could now never not ever keep chickens...and yep, Sprite whom I have had since a tiny baby will be 3 in May...xxxxxx

~((((((((((Lee)))))))))))~ always such a pleasure to see you here :) - gotta love where ya live.... marmite is great with everything :)...xxxxxx

~(((((((((Goatman))))))))~oh my I could NEVER kill me chickens, not even if we was on the bare bones of our arses... me twat neighbour would be the first for the chop :)... I love ducks to.... and when I use to be married and we had a plant nursery with a bit of land, I had to wellabit proper white ducks with yellow beaks lol Alsbury ducks.... they are a bit messy though with their poos so no good for me little garden....xxxxxxx

~(((((((((((((JeanieS))))))))))))~ hey you....Im hear, just had some not good news though, so I tend to button up me cardigan and keep meself to meself and try and works things out... so, no, everything aint ok..... and yes you can come over and take me home with you lol...xxxxxx

~(((((Marguerite))))))~ welcome to you..... and where did you come from lol...landed here out of the blue like me chickens did? ... you're right, the cockeral flaps and fusses around the chickens and they follow him everywhere.... Im just hoping that both he and marbel whom we now know is also a cockeral dont get into to many scraps with each other.. gone are the days alas when I could of just jumped over the fence...xxxxxx

~((((TorZ)))))~ I know, and we dont really wanna get a puppy.... but I have relented a little and if the right dog comes along then I will let my Jacob have one.... knowing probably that one wont come along that is suitable LOL..xxxxxx

~((((Helen)))))~ Yeah, fank heavens for fence jumping sons aye LOL..... it would of been sad, but I would of got over it... thats life right?...xxxxxxx

~((((((basicliving))))))))~ oh my, what an honour, how I love your blob, welcome.... I think of you as queen of the chickens LOL.... you live the life I would so dearly love yet know I never will, so I live it through your blob lmfao.... happy chickens are just the best :).... just wish I had room for more..... dam my tosser X for having our land lol....xxxxxx

~((((((((((((((Iggy))))))))))))~ nah nuffin like that... dosh is just fine... Sprites father is back in work, for now, so all is well......

Just trying to cope on me own with something thats come up and I dont know which way to turn, so I dont, I stand still and button up me cardigan and I cry on me own....

I miss you to.........very much.....xxxxxx

basicliving@backtobasicliving.com said...

You are sweet to pay me such high compliments. They are undeserved, I can assure you. We just bumble along here and do the best we can.

I do have a question for you - do you scent the shavings in the coop, or do you buy them that way? I have all sorts of essential oils - your post made me wonder if I could spray the chicken shavings with some of it?

I know you worry that Cedric will "fly the coop" again, but I wonder if you have many predators over there where you are? I would worry that clipping Cedric's wings may keep him in the yard, but diminish his ability to escape danger if there is any in his yard? But my concerns are based on what we deal with here on our property - so many predators that my poor chickens need every method of defense or quick retreat that they can get! But maybe you don't have those issues. If not, lucky you!

Cedar Street Kid said...

Try raising Tofurkeys instead, The are cleaner, neater, and never run away.

Cedar Street Kid said...

Try raising Tofurkeys instead, The are cleaner, neater, and never run away.

Scots said...

jeez ... I wanna be a chook at your place ... chocy cake and cheese, my god!

... and as for the scented coop ... no comment

Casdok said...

So glad Cedric survived the night!

MarmiteToasty said...

~((((basicliving))))~ well me words were truely meant.... I would love to be bumbling doing what I really wanted to do with my life....

I dont scent the sawdust, the lavendar sawdust has little flowers in it for the smell, but the lemon one I think must be oils...... I did grate some lemon zest when I ran out of scented sawdust and I only had the plain stuff from up the mill... that smelled gorgeous for a couple of days....

As regards predators here, we do get the occasional fox, but even though I have fields opposite me me garden is sorta enclosed with me neighbours on each side, so the fox aint really a problem..... but I do know they are about cos Ive found fox poo in me garden before.... Im worried that the birds will get over the fence, one side is ok, but the other side has an open garden and me chickens would escape and if they, like they did in me story, jumped the next fence then the dog would get them....

Mable actually just arrived in me garden one sunday morning, we never did know where she came from, as non of me neighbours, except for black patrick 3 doors along, and he only has 2 birds, keeps chickens, so she was a real mystery as to how she came to be in me garden... I know they have only gotten out twice in the time Ive had them..... but Im scared that next time, they might not make it back lol.... we dont have things like skunks or chicken eagles here.... we do have worms though and slugs, but i do not think they are a threat lol.......

If I lived somewhere with a bit of land, I would keep so so many different chickens.... I would be known as the crazy chicken woman lol....

I still love your blob and your way of life LOL..... hey, ya dont want live in help do ya? lol.....xxxxxx

~(((((Cedar)))))~ ok ok, I'll take the bait, what is a tofurkey? :) - waiting with baited breath...xxxxx

~(((((((((Scottie))))))))))~ now YOU aint trying to tell me you dont know what the inside of a brothel smells like? come on man, ya scottish lmfao hehehehehe....... you can come and be one of me chickens if ya like :).... only you would NOT be sleeping out in no coop LOL....xxxxxxx

~(((((((((((Casdok))))))))))~ I was everso happy when I hobbled down to the coop in the morning and opened the door and Cedric came bounding out...... xxxxxxx

NEWS ON MARBLE...... IT IS DEFINETELY A COCKERAL..... COS THIS AFTERNOON HE WAS TRYING TO BONK HIS AUNTIE JANET.... SHE WAS NOT TO HAPPY WITH HIS ATTEMPTS AT BONKING...... IT WAS FUNNY TO WATCH THOUGH lmfao..... OK OK, its been a long time for me :)....

x

Intense Guy said...

WOOOO HOOOOO! Marble is shagging the ladies already?

LMAO!!

Pam said...

((((mel and anyone's for a little bite on her bum)))) poor cedric lol you prob should get them clipped. i'm so glad he's ok. they are well spoiled chickens for sure!

MarmiteToasty said...

~((((Intense))))~ yep, Marble is being quite a shagnasty lmfao.... Janet ought to throw her legs in the air and think herself lucky that someone wants her LOL.... Im dam envious lmfao...xxxxxxxxx

~(((((ciara anyones for a sniff of their cockeral))))~ knowing my luck I would end up cutting off their bloody wings LOL.... BUT waste not want not, I could do those BBQ chicken wings :)... oye, shut it, there is a recession on ya know..xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Marmie,

I'm finally getting over to visit. What a terrific post. I love your chickens too. I think little Marble is a beauty and I kind of always think of him/her as a miracle baby since the other chick didn't survive.

I think they are all beautiful and I love their spunky attitudes. For sure they would be sassy and rather goofy what with being your chicks..LMAO

Clip them wings soon. Spring and summer will give them more energy to fly and eat the garden plants. Heck they all ready eat better then most chicks...the little piglets...the lot of them. Probably all in on the great escape together. Plotting and planning revenge for being gated up.

Your' boys look so tall. Did they get their height from you? How tall are you, anyway? And don't tell me in metrics. Inches is what I understand. Me being a doodle and all...right outta the dark ages. Older than dirt.

Yeo too funny...those little shits...trying to out fox you the old mama hen.

Smelling like a brothel..LMAO

I thought I was the only one to talk and argue with animals. Ah that twin sister thing again.

Love you Mel. your' stories make my heart sing and give me a good chuckle.

Jolie

P.SSSSSSSSSSSssssss. Can you plunk plants in the ground already? It'll be at least another 6 weeks here before I dare plant. Too cold and we still have mega frost in the ground. Lucky you.

PinkAcorn said...

I was thinking of you this morning at 2AM when the neighbors roosters, all 13 of them, started cocka doodle doing....I had nice thoughts...well, not at first , but I did think of all the chickens and roosters we've had over the years and I do miss the dad-blamed birds....even if they do poop a lot.

el chupacabra said...

Doodles? You can learn something new everyday!

That's cool I like that: poppycocks and bollywocks to you all.

Very interesting blob here Marmi- can't read any part of the animal stuff without thinking of animals whom I have declawed, dismembered or otherwise disemboweled for my petting pleasure!

Very fun read. Talk to you later

el chupacabra said...

Update this hornswaggling, woonsocket blob girl! Need more.

Pip pip cheerio.

Crumpets

MarmiteToasty said...

Sorry, I aint been ignoring ya - only its end of term here so the schools are shut for a fortnight and been overloaded with bucketfuls of nippers and the weather has, until today, been glorious so have dragged with me maties the nippers all over the place, and then come home to do more course work, AND had to go to Sparsholt College last Friday with our Jacob AND had consultant appointments and Xrays and bad news.......

But, Im here now....

~(((((Jolie))))))~ first off HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU OLD COW :) term of endearment you do understand, I cant believe I have such old maties lmfao....

Marble is lovely except Janet is getting right pissed off lately cos he keeps leaping on her for a bit of rumpy pumpy lOL... my lads are tall and my Tom is 6'4 and it is his birthday tomorrow.... my first born is the shortest and he hates it, even Jacob is taller then him now lol

Smells like a brothel, not that I would now LOL but hey there is a recession on, maybe its an opportunity to earn some extra cash LOL

Jolie Ive been planting bits and bobs all week and have tried to keep the chickens penned down the bottom or Im gonna wring their bleedin necks.... not soft stuff out yet though will wait til May to do me hanging baskets...xxxxxxxx

~(((((PinkAcorn))))~ thats right think of me when a skanky cockeral crows LOL.... and hey chicken poop is good the the garden :) or so I keep telling meself, its when the girls wander in the back door and sit in me kitchen and do the odd plop that I have to shout at them lol...xxxxxxx

~((((((chupacabra))))))~ jebus, honoured or what to find you here :) - another doodle is always welcome lol - I wouldnt say Twaddle was interesting, but its just notes from me heart and me lost soul and snippets of my crazy life lol...slater you...xxxxx

ps....... oh shut it with 'update this hornswaggling' LOL..... I aint had time to scratch me bum this week, to much to do and so little time......

I had buttered crumpets around 4ish LMFAO...... and for your information its toodle pip :) LMFAO xxxxx

basicliving@backtobasicliving.com said...

I hope your bad news wasn't too bad and that you're doing ok. And I hope Cedric doesn't get too testy with Marble stealing some of his "action". I don't know how your two girls handle the two boys - my poor hens' back are a mess from all the "love" of the two roos I've got! And I made need some sort of translation dictionary. I thought I was doing pretty well figuring out most of it until the "toodle pip" was thrown in there.....

4 Life said...

Cute chickens! Okay, I LOVE the idea of having chickens. My mom always said she'd have them when they retired to the Texas Hill Country....but she still hasn't gotten any.

The Lemon or Lavender scented hay? Where do you get that? Or do you just put drops of esssential oil on the hay yourself. LOVE that idea & will share it with my mom if she ever gets any chicks of her own. ;)

Denney Crane said...

Fertility is a blessing...but chickens...they are not for those who don't do mornings...even in Texas.

Your blog makes me smile... alot!

Denney Crane

Intense Guy said...

Happy Easter Marmy!!

Hope you find some colored eggs in amongst the regular ones.

...and hope Marble is practicing safe "rumpy pumpy" which one would think would be the thing to do if ya lived in a brothel.

Jana said...

Oh, Mel, Thals for your kind words and hugs on my post today.... you are such a prize, and I count you as a friend.... wish you wern't so far away. T appreciate you so because you are there for all of us...even when your'e life is bumpy. I think Marmite is the glue that holds the Blogsphere together!!

Kathleen... said...

Marmy....the before and after pics of your Cedric's tailfeathers are great. Real life whimsy!

Ran across you at the Chup's place. =)

Lora said...

Happy Easter Mel !!!

MarmiteToasty said...

~(((basicliving)))~ the news is something I will sort out no worries - well Marble is bonking Auntie Janet as if its going out of fashion.... I dont know if she is lucky or not lmfao....

I tell her, throw ya legs in the air girl and give up lol

oh shut it, its you lot that are hard to understand :)..xxxxxx

~((((Playwright))))~ welcome to the house of loons :) - I use to have a few chickens up our land when I was married to the tosser, but its different having them around in the garden, I cant imagine me life now without them...... and each have come with such different stories, ya see, I never bought any of them lol :)...xxxxxx

~((((Denney))))~ welcome to you to Sir :) - I was so fertile I only had to look at it and I got preggers LOL....oh, lol, you was talking about chickens ;)....

This blob makes you smile?? LOL what? me serious issues on world peace and global warming and politics makes you smile LOL ...xxxxxx

~((((((((Intense)))))))))~ and a happy chocolate egg day to you to dear you.... Im stuff with curry and chocolate lol tomorrow I fast..... Marble might have to have his nuts crushed with two house bricks if he dont pack it in lol..... do chickens have nuts?...xxxxxxxx

~(((((((((((Jana))))))))))~ you my dear friend are most welcome.... your post so touched me today, fank you for sharing...

As regards the rest of your comment lol you must of course be talking about someone else, you cant possibly be talking about me.... :)....xxxxxxx

~(((AnObiter))))~ Welcome to you.... yeah poor Cedric, he was dropping feathers for days, so much so that I gathered them all up and our infant school used them for making sparrow masks for the little show they put on last week :)......aint Chups blob just the bestest....xxxxx

~((((((((((((((((Lora))))))))))))~ HAPPY EASTER dear friend..... love you.....xxxxxxxx

el chupacabra said...

Marmsie- my blog as lost it's bleedin mind and I had to sideline the post with your Uncle Dave comment. I tried to correct a minor error and the picture and half the text of my posts disappeared and I cant put it back-yet. I've laughed every time it's crossed my mind though- what a picture!
I'm going to borrow that one for my going away. One of my friends has already said he may pass on my funeral so he doesn't bust out in the service and get in trouble thinking of some ridiculous thing I said or did while we were together OR by something I pull out of my hat during the service.

MarmiteToasty said...

~(((Chup)))~ :) you so dont wanna know what happened at me best maties funeral 3 and a bit years ago...... I have never cried and laffed so much in me life.... we was almost thrown out of the church, which would of been a bit of an embarrassment infront of over 200 people lol..... maybe I will do a Twaddle blob about it when I have a bit of time..... me matie (((Wendy))) knows the story though incase I snuff it before its told lol....

Sorry you lost ya stuff...... I need to print some more of me posts off and file for me lads one day to read... just incase something happens and my posts disappear...xxxxx

basicliving@backtobasicliving.com said...

And I still don't know what the heck "toodle pip" means. But I will tell you a little story about not knowing these things. And I hope I'm right that it won't be offensive to your readers..... I had a business trip to England once - many years ago. It was to an American military base - Chicksands. I don't even know if it still exists. At any rate, I went shopping for a coat while I was there. And while the ladies in the shop were helping me try one on in front of a mirror, I said "Oh, I don't know. I think it makes my fanny look too big. Do you think it makes my fanny look big?" Maybe it's a regional thing, but apparently "fanny" meant something all together different to those English ladies than it did to me. I was talking about my "bum", as you say. They didn't quite take it that way. They were on the other side of the map with that term. And I turned all shades of red when it was explained to me - the next day by someone I worked wiht. And it was then that I wondered........ why don't y'all just speak English???? ;-)

MarmiteToasty said...

~((((basicliving)))~ 'toodle pip' mean ... ok then, bye, cheerio.. its usually what the upper class posh Brits would say..... where as the likes of me would actually say... slater then, mean seeyoulater then :)...

oh and the fanny thing is just the funniest... let me tell you, when I first started commenting on the Dingleberries newspaper sight, I commented on a thread where someone was talking about a 'fanny pack' oh my how I laffed, I was thinking of all sorts of things like sanitary towels etc LOL.... I mentioned that we use the word fanny for the front bits, ya know, the 'landing flaps' as I would say LOL how was I to know you doodles was talking about a bumbag lmfao... I got a bit of a hard time by a certain young reporter that was there then and was even accused of being some doodle mucking around, I had to eventually ring Davieboy the editor and have a quiet chat with him to make sure he know I was for real, I even sent a little 'I am real parcel' to him with our local newspaper enclosed lol..... but it all came out in the wash and they seem to like me over there now :).... and now I know that when you doodles say fanny, you aint talking about ya 'landing flaps' LOL.......xxxx

ok... Im off to bed.. nite nite x

basicliving@backtobasicliving.com said...

Nite nite. Keep your landing flaps down. ;-)

Flowerpot said...

Those chickens are just wonderful - and I love their names!!

MarmiteToasty said...

~(((basic living)))~ I think my land flaps have healed over through lack of use LMFAO......xxxxxx

~((((Flowerpot)))))~ I will swap Cedric for you dear beautiful little Molly :)..... xxxxxxx

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Ut-oh. Did you cut your Internet connection for reasons of budgeting? If so, I hope things get better soon - I miss you.

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