Today was very hot and for a good proportion of the day, most of the animals sought out the shade. For the poultry that meant retreating to their stable or hiding amongst the nettles. There is not as much shade or cover as we would like in the poultry paddock and the plan this winter is to cut a few branches from some of our willow trees and then plant them out. willow is very fast growing. We planted some back at Lamorna in Minions during our first winter there and within three/four years, some were as tall as our neighbour’s house.
When not seeking shade, dustbathing was very popular today. There is a very extensive area of ‘dust’ (i.e. bare ground) just outside the stable block and as Katherine is so beautifully demonstrating, it is perfect for dustbathing. We wondered whether it was a nicer experience because the ground was warm??? It certainly is a very effective thing to do as it is rare we ever see lice or similar nasties on our birds.
Other activities included sunbathing – yes birds do sunbathe – and it is thought this is another way of getting rid of lice etc as the excessive warmth gets too much for them!! We also saw a fair bit of ‘panting’ going on, birds stood with mouths wide open. This is a behaviour birds share with dogs: panting in order to keep cool.
In other news, Fern’s poo sample came back completely clear so it looks as though her sloppy poo IS as a result of eating new/different grass since we moved her here. She is just taking a tad longer than the others to dry up!!!