![\"Sparkle](\"http:\/\/www.carolschickens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/sparkle_pecks_at_the_roots.jpg\")
<\/a>Sparkle pecks at the roots<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Barley pecks at the roots<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Emerald and Peaches join in the fun<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The girls congregate in a patch of sun<\/p><\/div>\n
What I love about this photo is that it looks as if the dividing wire is a mirror and the girls on the other side look like reflections.<\/p>\n
Only Sparkle is missing from this photo as she is still pecking at the plant which is just beyond the foreground of this photo. The other thing about this photo is that the flock very often sit together but are never bothered if some of them are on the other side of the wire. It seems that as long as they are close and can see each other they feel together and a wire between them makes no difference.<\/p>\n
The other small change I made yesterday was to move one of the wooden blocks. I originally placed the two wooden blocks beyond the chicken’s patio area for me to use as stepping stones when it was muddy. Yesterday it suddenly occurred to me (I have no idea why this didn’t occur to me sooner) that this was the driest part of the run and that not only did I not need a stepping stone but it was taking up dry dust bathing and scratching space.<\/p>\n
I decided to leave the first block as it is a handy step down from the patio but to move the other block to a different position as the girls do like to sit on it at times.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The block in it’s new position<\/p><\/div>\n
The second block was where Sparkle is in this photo. It is now behind the log on the left of the photo. This gives a bigger dry area (where Sparkle is) for dust bathing and scratching. It’s such a simple improvement that I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Synchronised drinking<\/p><\/div>\n
It always amuses me how as soon as one girl goes for a drink another will join her.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Synchronised eating<\/p><\/div>\n
At the same time one girl went to the food bowl and was immediately joined by a couple more girls.<\/p>\n
The girls are such a tight flock and everything must be done together.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Topaz<\/p><\/div>\n
My final photo is of Topaz looking so good with her red comb and wattles. She laid her fourth egg this year a few days ago which compared to her total of six last year is quite amazing. I really think this is going to be her year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I recently realised that the small rosemary bush that I had planted in the chicken run last summer had died. The large rosemary bush in our garden is a vivid green whereas the chicken’s rosemary bush was grey. I decided … Continue reading