Snowy Sunday

Eight year old Kerys has named the Silver Sebright 'Snowy', and I promised to put photos of her on my blog tonight - of Snowy that is, not Kerys

So here are a few snaps of them out and about in the snow today

It was the first time the new girls have experienced snow- and their reactions were quite funny

At first they did their usual and ran out like children at playtime.

Then they looked rather puzzled and kept lifting up their feet

They started pecking it and eating it - then they moved off onto the gravel

I think they must have found some insects amongst the gravel as they spent ages scratching about on there

Lola, Twiggy and Zola  spent at lot of time lifting up their feet.

Soon after I took this photo, they were charging around the garden one after another in a game of chase.  Up on the raised beds, across the flower beds, on the strawberry pots - they looked like a gang of delinquents chasing around - but not doing any damage.  They didn't want to go into their run this evening, so I left them playing until they went in at dusk.  They were out all day and had a great time - and it's lovely to see so many little starfish footprints everywhere!

Meanwhile

The older girls stayed in the sunshine, pecking at the gaps in the paving slabs, and NOT eating my newly appeared bulbs all along in front of the patio door!

Chick Flicks............ Egg Total:2

Scrabble and Gozzie - the old girls looking at me looking at them

All the new bantams- yet to be named, seem to be happy in their

new surroundings.  Daisy the old lady and top of the pecking order

and bigger than all of them - even though she is a small Pekin

seems to be very tolerant of them all.  Perhaps it is because

there are five new birds - too many to chase around or boss.

The Sebrights make my heart melt- look at those ink dot eyes

Darling Daisy showing off her petticoates, as she is scratching around

like the rest - for some dried meal worms I threw in.

Almost identical but not quite. The new girl on the left and Scrabble on the right

Getting on well together.

These have found a quiet corner where there are more meal worms

Hello Scrabble, Gozzie and Daisy - it's no good looking at me

with those pleading eyes.  Honestly I do want to let you out and

hate seeing you 'caged' in your run, but it's all for the best.

As soon as the new girls get to know where to come home to roost

I can let you all out.

Don't sulk- you are old enough to know better.  If it's any consolation

I am upset too - as I love to see you all running around the garden.

Daisy has gone off in a sulk - no doubt to complain to the new ones

Who don't seem at all bothered and don't have a clue what she is

clucking about as they have never free ranged before. They are all

show girls, so never got filthy scratching around in the soil on a wet day.

 Never had a tug of war over a juicy worm, or run helter skelter from the other end

 of the garden to the kitchen door, to see what delights are in store from the humans

For now they can just listen - not having a clue what I am talking about

or of the delights in store for them next Thursday.

The right to roam!

But for now - they are happily sitting quite contentedly on the perch,

watching the world go by and the rain pattering on the patio

Today's update - more new arrivals

I have always wanted Sebright bantams, but they are so hard to get hold of and so expensive.   I have been looking for some for years. 

Yesterday I had a stroke of luck.  I was talking to the breeder from whom I bought my gorgeous modern game birds, and he remembered the name of a top breeder of Sebrights. 

I managed to find him in the phone book, spoke to his son - and went to see him last night.

And here is what I came home with

A gorgeous golden Sebright bantam

And a silver one. She has her tail down as she is eating.  She has a couple of

feathers missing as the cockerel she was with got a bit enthusiastic.

Spring must be in the air!  The feathers will soon grow back.

These photos were taken at 8am this morning - when I let them out - so are a bit dull.

The bantams are all happily scratching away at their breakfast

At the moment there is no chasing around sorting out the pecking order

But I am sure there

 is bound to be at some point

Can you see the cabbage hanging up ?

They have eaten half of it since the weekend.

With all the snow around I have been substituting their diet with plenty of greens

Daisy conveniently decides to show you how she eats it!

Normally they would be out freeranging from dawn until dusk

At the moment they are confined to barracks until Wednesday

so that the new bantam babes get used to where they live and

will know where in the garden their home is to go to roost.

Sebrights on the ground, Partridge Modern Game bird on the ladder

Cute - aren't they!

I just have to choose five names for the new bantam babes now!

Thank you Phillip for letting me buy the Sebrights - and for such a bargain price.