Hello and welcome to The Compost Bin. I'm Compostwoman and I live with my family in rural Herefordshire. We have nearly four acres of garden and woodland, all managed organically and to Permaculture principles, which we share with Chickens, Cats and assorted wildlife. We also grow a lot of our own food, run courses in all sorts of things and make a lot of compost!

I am a Master Composter and have spent more than a decade as a volunteer Community Compost adviser with Garden Organic and my local Council.
I'm a self employed Environmental Educator so I run workshops and events where I talk about compost, veg growing, chicken keeping, cooking, preserving and sustainable living. I also run crafts workshops and Forest School/outdoor play sessions in our wood.

We try to live a more self sufficient lifestyle here, as best we can, while still having a comfortable life and lots of fun.


To learn more about us click on the About Compostwoman tab and remember to click on the photos to make them full size!


Friday 26 June 2009

Ginger - good news so far!

Ginger has perked up a lot :-)


We have moved her and the Broody Ark into the small paddock attached to the main Orchard chicken paddock. This means Ginger can see everyone else, but not get hassled by the cockerels.



Having Ginger in a separate place also means I can keep track of her eggs. This is important as she is on antibiotics for another 5 days and then there will be a further 21 day egg withdrawal period. Any eggs she lays will be thrown away during this time, as they will contain traces of antibiotic.

I am so pleased Ginger seems on the mend, I really was worried she would go downhill fast like Genghis and Cathy did and die on us; I guess not being an ex battery hen has given Ginger a much stronger constitution and better powers of recovery. She really looks much better today, she has been looking around, taking an interest in things, snapping at flies and suchlike and her tail is now perked up, as opposed to drooping down - always a bad sign in a chicken, is a droopy tail!

Ginger is NOT impressed to be separated from her pals at all though and was constantly trying to get through the fence to get back to them.



Henny was delighted to see her pal again and came charging over to the fence to say hello :-) and there was much clucking and crooning and mutual preening going on between them through the fence :-)

11 comments:

  1. I am so pleased to see Ginger improving!! and I am glad that Henny and Ginger managed to have a little girly hen get together! Happy girls tonight!!
    Bless your heart Ginger!
    Love Jane xxx

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  2. Am a much happier Cw as well tonigh Jane!

    S xx

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  3. Since you are so good at identifying eggs, could you let Henny into the small paddock with Ginger? Asking because I'm such a softy I hate to see her alone.

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  4. I'm glad she's feeling better enough to be grumpy!

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  5. @tpals
    What a good idea! As Henny lays big very dark brown eggs, I would easily be able to tell the eggs apart!

    The confusion comes with Babs, Goldie and Ginger...they all lay similar coloured eggs so I have to go on shape, texture etc...

    I was going to let her mingle with the others after they had all laid anyway. They have all finished by about 5 pm at the moment so she could go out with them after that.

    I am going to leave doing that another few days though, because of the cockerels - I don't want them jumping on her.

    BUT I shall put Henny in with Ginger right now, and thanks for the brainwave....

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  6. @ Daisy

    She was very grumpy indeed about it all!

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  7. Glad to hear Ginger is improving and that the environment suits :-) I'll keep thinking good thoughts....

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  8. Hope Ginger is continuing to make good progress.

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  9. Hooray! I'm so glad Ginger seems to be on the mend - I'll send lots of good thoughts her way.

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  10. How's Ginger these days? Over a week since her shock, does she look like she's over the worst, or . . . ?

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  11. See latest post Karin, I was writing it as you commented!

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Hello! Thank you for reading my blog and for commenting. I try to reply as quickly as I can and I really appreciate your interest in my life and doings here in The Compost Bin.

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