Bath Time!

A skinny Mini!

Poor Mabel, looking more like a drowned rat than top hen!

It's not pretty, is it?

We're having a heat wave here at the moment, and the girls are suffering. They lie listlessly in their compound, wings aloft in an effort to keep cool. Pekins have a lot of 'fluff' feathers, which is lovely and cosy in the winter, but a bit like wearing several jumpers in the summer. They are grumpy and obnoxious, pecking at each other and the hand that feeds, to show their discomfort. I decided to cool them down.

As I filled the bucket, Mini set about trying to hide behind the greenhouse. Obviously, chickens have memories. The others watched her, looked at me, and tried to work out what was going on. My first victim was Mabel.

She took it quite well, considering. When I first dunked her, she froze in shock. Then she dug her powerful talons into my wrist and tried to peck my hand to bits. All the while, I was trying to clean her knickers and stop her from escaping. Eventually, through a mutual agreement, bird and bucket parted company. She shook herself off, and then threw me a look of pure malice. Head down and bum up, she charged at me and delivered a smart peck to my ankle. That was me told.

Maude had cannily hid herself behind the greenhouse, and wouldn't even come out for raisins. Doris's greed got the better of her, and she also found herself with soggy drawers. Mini made an attempt to sneak past me to the nest box (I suspect another broody episode is looming), but I grabbed her on route. Belinda and Maeve joined Maude behind the greenhouse.

Three down, three to go....