Jungle Curry, Jungle Giblet

 Curry stalking through the green, grassy "jungle".



Giblet stands tall and peeps through the grass.

Curry sits low trying to camoflague in the "jungle".

Curry has no fear and takes a nap in the grassy "jungle".



The 2 Happy Hens chill out.

Giblet watches over her sister Curry.

Giblet looks through the grass whilst Curry sleeps.

  Giblet gives the camera "the look" whilst Curry lazes in a dirt bath hole.

  Curry looks like a fat "Curry puff" in this photo!

I really like this photo of Curry.

Giblet's Giant Egg

 Can you guess which egg was laid by Giblet?

It is as big as a duck egg!

Miss Giblet laid this huge egg during the "Eat My Bed"

 event in the coop on 7th July.

Curry went crazy and did 3 "egg songs" in excitment over her

 sister's egg laying efforts. 

Refer to a previous blog posted in April 2012 titled "Easter Egg Song"

 to see Curry in egg song action!

These photos compare Giblet's light coloured egg with shop brought

 60 gram "free range" eggs. 
Nothing can be as fresh or free range as eggs from the 2 Happy Hens!

Eat My Bed

The 2 Happy Hens have had a mini "bedding crisis" lately as the only straw supplier in town sold the business and the new owners don't stock bales of straw any more - bugger!  Everyone told us to use hay instead but after much research, hay is not recommended for lining the nesting boxes as it can breed a fungus that is detrimental to hens health.  "Aspergillosis" is a respiratory disease (brooder pneunomia) that can be prevented by using straw instead of hay. 

We were running very low on straw and didn't have enough to fully line the 2 Happy Hens' nesting boxes which also doubles as their bed.  Lydia got some shredded paper from work and put that in the bottom of the two boxes and placed the remaining straw on top.  Lydia thought she was doing a great job recycling shredded paper using it for bedding for her pets. The light straw topping gradually disappeared as Curry and Giblet nested and played with it. 

Last Saturday when Lydia was at work, Gerard phoned her to tell her that the 2 Happy Hens were eating their bed – YES - they were eating the shredded paper in huge mouthfuls!  Giblet laid a huge egg (as big as a duck egg!) and then stood up and started eating the shredded paper in her nesting box!  She was literally eating her bed!  Curry came along and started scoffing the shredded paper as well!  Gerard quickly came to the rescue and stopped the feeding frenzy!

We have temporarily resorted to using hay chaff whilst we wait for more straw supplies to be delivered to the feed supplier due to popular demand.

We knew chickens ate polystyrene foam boxes but not shredded paper!

 They are the funniest pets ever!

Unfortunately Gerard never took any photos of the "Eat My Bed" event which certainly won't be repeated.  Lydia wishes she was at home that day to capture the classic moment on camera.....

  

Photo of Miss Giblet

(who is still moulting a little bit in the picture)

Pet Shop Comp

Last Christmas I posted this photo of Curry scratching

her head standing on one leg upside down.

I visited my local pet shop in May to find that they

were holding a pet photo competition.

The competition theme was: "Is your pet an Angel, Crazy or Devil?"

I instantly submitted the photo of Curry above and was eager to win

a pet shop gift voucher (to buy seed/breakfast supplies for the 2 Happy Hens).

I was the first person to enter the pet photo competition.



Unfortunately Curry's photo never won the competition,

however she did make top of the "Crazy" photo list!!

Chicken Training

My favourite Australian chicken website

http://www.citychicks.com.au/

City Chicks Newsletter June 2012

Chicken Chatter with the City Chicks

Brisbane, Can You Help? We Need Some Calm Chickens for our Chicken Training Camp

Terry Ryan - a world authority on chicken training - is coming to Brisbane this month from 19 June to 21 June and City Chicks is helping out. Terry will be working with a group to teach chickens how to do obstacle courses with a click reward system. It is absolutely fascinating to watch and stops the thought that chickens cannot think (Mind you I have met a few ...)

We have been training a large group of chickens since day old to get ready for this event but some, just like training children, are just not up to par. CAN YOU HELP?!  We need about 12 Isabrown chickens that are around 1 year old that can go to Terry's workshop and be used as training chickens. It means 3 days away from home but will be well looked after. You should be able to watch a bit of the show as well to encourage your chicken's efforts. It will be just like a Saturday soccer morning. They will be banded so can't get misplaced. There is a little bit of homework involved beforehand for the girls but nothing arduous. Venue is at the Mt Gravatt Showgrounds. This is such a cool event and something we are so excited to be involved with.

 

Lift Wings and Laugh

This is the first movie ever taken of the 2 Happy Hens.

In less than 30 seconds Curry did something funny.

You can see Curry in the background lift her wings and do a poo.

I have seen both Happy Hens do the funny action simultaneously,

however I am yet to catch the rare event on film!

Moulting Curry

 Who's been moulting and leaving feathers behind in the dirt?

 Curry's rear is most unattractive during her first full moult in autumn!

The spines coming out of the pink skin is where new feathers are growing.

The new feathers grow very fast - about an inch a week! 

Curry quickly turned fluffy again about 3 weeks after "baring all"!

Curry lost her tail feathers and some feathers on her legs (drumsticks!)

Curry went a bit bald during moulting and looked really

old and grey on top of her head.

This photo shows Curry's lovely new feathers on the front half

 of her body compared to her sparse, scruffy, old rear feathers.

Curry's overall colour has lightened a lot since her first full moult.

She really has turned a Curry colour!!