We are going through a bit of a heat wave at the moment and yesterday was particularly hot and sunny all day.
A few times I checked on the girls and found Rusty like this.
Rusty in the sun
It would be easy to be quite alarmed because that open beak would usually be a sign that they are overheating and trying to cool themselves through their beak but the thing with Rusty is that every time I moved her to the shade she would spring back to a patch of sun and do this again. She is spreading her wings to the sun. There is plenty of shade in the run but she is choosing to sit in a patch of sun.
I have to remind myself that seramas originate from Malaysia where their breed were used to heat and surely she would know if she was getting too hot. However I decided to distract her and cool all the girls down by offering them a dish of peas.
I put frozen peas in a dish of water so that they were defrosted but the peas and the water were still cold. I have done this in the past to cool the girls in hot weather. They get cold peas and some cold water with them.
This is the first time I have done this since I have had the little girls though and new things can be a bit scary.
Rusty stretched her neck to examine the peas
She was plucking up the courage to try one
She takes one I put on the patio
Speckles also takes one from the patio
Only Emerald took the peas from the dish
Emerald was happy to take the peas from the dish
Freckles takes a look but was also only happy to take them from the patio
Apricot takes them from the patio too
Apricot taking peas from the patio
Dandelion and Cinnamon take peas from the patio too
My previous girls were happy to take the peas from a dish of water but it seems not these girls. As only Emerald was happy with this I wonder if it is because she remembers this from before.
I emptied out the water from the dish but the little girls still didn’t want to take the peas from the dish. I gave in and tipped the peas on to the patio and gradually they all got eaten.
These girls are so funny about how they like things. In future I will just sprinkle the peas on the patio. I think it helped cool them down a bit though.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
I love their stance when given something new! It’s a really good idea; mine love peas, if ever we have any left over, I always let them have them, and they gobble them up pronto. Perhaps they’ll be less mistrusting next time, and follow Emerald’s lead?
Yes, I had kind of forgotten how distrusting they are of anything new. The old girls loved peas and I hadn’t thought that the newer girls would be so dubious about them. I do think Emerald must have remembered them. I am sure next time they will take to them more quickly.
Emerald has just started to moult. I have been picking up feathers all day. You and I both thought that moulting season may be just round the corner.
Love the picture of Ruster with her neck out, thinking , what have we got here.
They are funny little girls, can see why you love them so much.
It’s as if she stretches her neck, to keep her body away, in case the pea suddenly jumps at her. They have such curiosity and yet also caution at the same time with something new. Rusty is usually so round but her neck reminded me of Emerald’s in the first photo. That is the most stretched I have ever seen it. They are funny.
In the first photo Rusty was sunbathing. Our large girls are sat in the sun doing it right now. It’s a lovely sight.
I have often seen our girls sunbathing and in fact Emerald was with Rusty, with her wings spread, earlier but I missed that shot. What slightly concerned me though was Rusty having her beak open which Emerald didn’t. I love to see them sunbathing but just feel a little concerned when I see the open beak. I guess she must know what she is doing though.
oh too funny!
It’s always funny when you see how cautious they are with a new treat.