I just wanted to say you are a more caring breeder than many CF! Your lad sounds quite a catch. I no longer have chooks but I used to keep sussex and jubilee orps which are pretty close to SS in colouring, and the nicest boys in the world were the sussex. I can just imagine a small flock of bantam SS!

Once again I am impressed with all of your bird knowledge! On a walk last week we came across a guard crow or raven (not a jackdaw, no grey). It was sat on a car at a small garage, watching the mechanics at work. Then it flew over us as we walked past. Then when we lingered too long it flew at us an...

not svart hona? or a silkie?

A bit late to all this, but just wanted to record sorrow for those poor people in France, coming on top of the pictures from the US (twice) and Spain, it certainly has been a mad, bad and dangerous to know few weeks. Like you Chris, the weather has been topsy turvy. We've had the hottest September o...

I will show my ignorance - what is it? Very lovely in any case.

On the news there was a story about a cat bird, blown to Cornwall from the US. It sounds like a cat (if you have a bit of imagination)!

That's reassuring as well LadyA. I'd keep on monitoring her Rick, orps do tend to suffer through and after the moult as they have so much feather, I think it really takes it out of them. Giving her a tonic is an excellent idea, it should give her a boost. The thing I'd really keep an eye on is wheth...

Yes, it is. I know several people with knee issues and calf issues as they have done too much too soon. My SIL seems to have been free of these problems, she's been running 5 or 6 years now, maybe longer. Its not fast, just gentle, but she belongs to a club, as does another friend of mine who went f...

You are right, Marigold; as usual you are the voice of common sense. No offence taken!

Can you hear me....slinking off......

Apparently my Nan had a miniscule waist as a young woman (b1909), my Mum has seen a photo of her. However, throughout my life Nan was as wide as she was tall (about 5ft). Slight exaggeration but you get my drift! I was a skinny child, put on weight as a student (we seem to live on starchy carbs as t...