2010 YES!!! The "I'm so happy" thread.

[Lesley Cox]

Cloan House is truly beautiful, exactly what the perfect Scottish house should be. Pity it isn't Clone House though.

To my deep shame (considering I used to have to compost it in large bucketsful) I lost Corydalis flexuosa a couple of years ago in yet another east coast drought. Replaced it yesterday though, at a nursery north of the city, and I have a cooler place for it now alond with a very large Camellia 'Cornish Snow.' It is so big it totally filled the car, with the passenger and two back seats laid flat and smaller branches brushing ears and eyebrows and in my hair. It was the only plant left so I didn't have a choice.

[Susan Band]

Hi Maggie just pointed me to this thread.
I am sorry I missed you Angie, we had just left to go and see the horses and check on the field (it is about 12mls from the house) It was great to see everyone on the day although it was wet and windy, Monday was such a perfect day - pity.
The corydalis is flexuosa China Blue, it does really well in this place even although it must be dry under the Rhodos.
Susan

[angie]

Hi Susan... we had a lovely walk around the garden I just loved the layout and so many exciting plants. We came late on in the afternoon and the sun was shinning a beautiful afternoon. I said to your mum l bet you get up at the crack of dawn and get out in this lovely garden, she just smiled. I asked how the garden was started as l couldn't get over all the different levels that they had managed to achieve. l loved the different levels and how they new where to put the stone walls.. your mum told us how they achieved all of this, I found it really intersting.
We were made so welcome with tea and cakes they must have been tired by the time we left so please say thank you very much to them. I came away with lots of ideas.
The corydalis was stunning.


Angie

[WimB]

Today we had some newborns 

Here are some pictures of the mother (who was ready to attack the camera on the last pic) and the little ones. They are four 'Belgian Bearded d'Uccle' (in Dutch this breed has the nickname 'living flower of our gardens' since it is a very calm breed which doesn't harm the plants) and one 'Cochin Bantam'.

[Maggi Young]

Always exciting to have new "family members", Wim! 
 These chicks are very cute.... is it usual to have each with a different colour?

[Ragged Robin]

Wim, no wonder you're happy with a  healthy clutch of chicks - Mum looks happy too but very occupied!  I love their feather leggings 

[WimB]

Always exciting to have new "family members", Wim!  
 These chicks are very cute.... is it usual to have each with a different colour?

Maggi,

within the breed there are a lot of recognised colours...
The one which is almost white is the 'Cochin Bantam'.
The other four are 'Belgian Bearded d'Uccle' which exist in the following colours: Mille Fleur, Porcelain, Black, White, Gold Neck, Mottled and Self Blue. The colour of the chick represents the colour it will be later in life. Since I bought these eggs from a breeder who has almost all recognized colours it could be I have four different colours.

[WimB]

Wim, no wonder you're happy with a  healthy clutch of chicks - Mum looks happy too but very occupied!  I love their feather leggings 

Robin, it's always nice to have some new life in the garden.
Mum is mostly tired, every time she closes here eyes for a bit one of the chicks starts to cheep and she has to change the way she was sitting... so no rest for mommy.
I love the breeds with feathered legs and feet. It's interesting to see they have them from day one.

[Paddy Tobin]

Wim,

Lovely chicks. Is the hen the mother or did she simply sit on the eggs for you? The chicks seem to have very different marks to her. I must get a  photograph of our girls in a moment.

Paddy

[WimB]

Wim,

Lovely chicks. Is the hen the mother or did she simply sit on the eggs for you? The chicks seem to have very different marks to her. I must get a  photograph of our girls in a moment.

Paddy

Thanks Paddy,

the hen is not the biological mother  The eggs were bought from a breeder who has some special breeds and I wanted to see if I can keep 'Belgian Bearded d'Uccle' free in the garden. They say they do not touch the plants, so i'm curious.

[Gail]

Lovely birds Wim & Paddy.  I've kept many different breeds although I'm currently down to just 5 chickens (3 Sultans, a Egyptian Fayoumi and my elder statesman Cochin cockerel) and 4 ducks (a pair of chocolate muscovys, a Cayuga drake and Black East Indian female).  I've not tried the Belgian bantams although they are very popular show birds over here.  I went a bit mad in 2008 and hatched lots in the incubator but I ended up with far too many cockerels and a grumpy husband so I've not got the incubator out this year!

[Maggi Young]

My goodness, the cuteness scale has just broken under the strain! 

[WimB]

Very beautiful chickens Paddy and Gail.
Love the Poland breed, although I can't help to wonder, after looking at some pictures of them on the net, how it is possible for them to see?  Do they run into things alot? 

[angie]

Oh aren't they all so cute

Angie

[Gail]

Love the Poland breed, although I can't help to wonder, after looking at some pictures of them on the net, how it is possible for them to see?  Do they run into things alot? 

They can usually see down and forward okay so they don't run into things and can feed fine but they don't have much peripheral vision so wouldn't notice predators and can be a bit jumpy.  If you keep them in a mixed flock they can be bullied by other birds who can't resist pecking the crest.  Some of them with the very big crests do have problems seeing forward and have to have the feathers trimmed - responsible breeders try to keep to a sensible sized crest.

It is a fascinating breed with a long history and the birds tend to be really tame and affectionate but I have to say that I don't think I shall hatch anymore.  When the three pictured above first hatched you could clearly see that the skull is actually deformed and I do worry about the ethics of breeding such birds.