Sunday

so tired

been to panto, not as good as others I've seen

only two chicks hatched out of 11 eggs, didnt think 2nd one would make it but it got stronger overnight and seems ok now

dumpling is behaving badly and i dont know why, being difficult, cheeky, interupts every sentence I say, winds his sister and anyone else up, I dont know what he thinks he is achieving?

Going to bed, need sleep x

Meet Fwankie..

The chickens are no more. Sunday morning was spent clearing up the remains of one and sunday afternoon was spent at the vets having last one put down after the fox broke into the pen at 2 pm in front of us, kids kicking and screaming, Lolly even crawled under the wendy house on stilts to try and rescue the chicken and kick away the fox. The chicken was too badly injured and I had her put to sleep.

Am looking into electric fencing, have a couple of months before the chicks are old enough to go outside so may buy the things I need bit by bit, cant believe I need to do this just to keep a few chickens safe!

Tired and grumpy and no patience to blog properly, I think of wonderful ideas and stories to blog about when I'm in the shower or about to fall asleep but when I'm actually sat at the pc, the dog is barking to go out, the chickens need feeding, the children need me to fix something or find something and I just cant think straight!

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Still bah-humbugging about Christmas, told a customer services rep that just because its states in their terms and conditions that they can advertise a product on the web at one price and you can reserve it and then find its exactly twice the price when you get to the shop to collect, doesn't mean it right, fair, moral or good business practice, this was two seconds before I slammed the phone down. Have found the same thing on eBay and put a large first bid on it, I'd better win!

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Poorly chicken is laying tiny eggs that probably don't have a yolk in, don't know yet haven't cracked it and the other laid another shell-less egg this morning, no idea why, they have a better diet than most kids I know! Have candled the eggs in the incubator, only one has an obvious embryo but that doesn't mean the others don't, they may just have thicker shells, I can see shadows in there, just not sure what to make of them. If I have the finances I will buy some point of lay chickens in the new year, I wish you could ship day olds like you can in the US, not allowed in the UK and very difficult to buy here.

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I nearly knocked Lolly's head off last night in fright, I was cleaning the lounge with music playing and couldn't hear her, apparently she had been calling from upstairs and then from the kitchen and when I still didn't hear her, she stood right behind me and shouted "MUM!" I swung round with the vacuum pipe absolutely terrified, so was she as I screamed! I've told both kids many times not to creep up on me on jump out on me, it freaks me out beyond reason, I don't know why!

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Dumpling's nativity was lovely, he doesn't like getting up on stage so was a 'Bethlehem child' something like an extra! Trouble was the head teacher kept referring to the 'Bethlehem children' as the 'village people', snigger's all round from the parents and I swear I heard humming to the tune of YMCA.....

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Lolly is in a dance show on Sunday evening and tomorrow we have to travel a 12 mile round trip on an expensive bus route for a half hour rehearsal that isn't at where she trains nor is the hotel where the show will be! But apparently its imperative that she attend, grrrrr....

Dumpling is home from school still but just sneezing and coughing, no more barfing I hope. Lolly has been to school all week too, she's a little under the weather but coping with it, I have the cough and an upset stomach, cant stray to far from the bathroom...!

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The injured chicken is making it worse by scratching her healing neck and drawing blood, she also just paces her pen all day, I think she wants to be with the other chicken in the other pen but chickens are notorious for pecking at any sore bit on another. I'm considering having her put down but the local vets are interested in chickens, even just putting one to sleep.

We do however have an incubator and 11 fertalised eggs! Day 1 is tomorrow and in 21 days, New year, we should have some baby chicks! We are giving away some to the friend who lent us the incubator if enough hatch, they want between 3 and 6 and so do we so heres hoping for a good hatch rate!

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Bleauughhh!

Dumpling threw up sick with blood in it yesterday afternoon, rang to GP who said take him to to A&E at the hospital, who said take him straight to the ward where after an hour of laying in a bed , he threw up all over the floor, again with streaks of blood. He also blew the blood vessels in his eyes which became bloodshot. He didnt look a pretty sight, grey, sunken bloodshot eyes and generally miserable. Temp was 102 again, so they kept us in overnight to be monitored. He wasnt sick again and his temp came down so we are home, I am zombie-like from staying up most of the nigth to watch him, was terrified he might be sick in his sleep. I havnt showered in over 24 hours, cant decide whether to nap first or not! Lolly has this bug too, more days off school, which they will not be happy about, already had a letter home that she has been absent a lot, yes I know, she isnt truenting, she is home sick under my care!

I have put my back out something crazy, I'm typing this very stiffly and Dumpling has a fever of 102, he made a very nice hot water bottle last night, I think he hasnt been out of my arms since about 4pm yesterday, he wants to be held when ill but is lovely but at six years old, he's a little heavy on a back thats already seen better days! Plus I had to keep pulling my dead arms out from under him all night which only caused him to fling himslef sleepily back around me and set me up for another body part to recieve no blood and turn heavy and painful! I think its a chest infection, he's coughing and sniffing and his breath could kill at 10 paces, but I will wait till the GPs surgery opens tomorrow morning rather than take him to the out of hours surgery at the hospital, with the state of the towns health at the moment, he's likely to come home with more illness that he arrived with!

Horrible morning, fox attacked our chickens again, one dead, one injured, and one stressed and off her food, have been to the hardware store and bought metal locks to secure the coop better and have put as many bricks as I can on the lid, I really thought they were safe and fell sick with guilt at myself and anger at the fox, I know, circle of life but go and catch wildlife fox, leave my pets alone.

RIP Penny and thanks for the eggs x