We humans don't enjoy a little bit of sea sand sticking to our bodies or inside our swimsuits, but to our feathered friends sand is pure heaven
Two species of chicken plus a guinea fowl who seems to have settled in for the day . . .
This a Buff Orpington rooster and rejoices in the name of Colonel Kentucky
Charley, the leader of the Rockliff pack and totally oblivious of all his fawning, fabulous, female fans!!
Excuse me ladies but there IS a que here!!
Sand bathes have many benefits;
The sand and soil cools birds during the summer months and discourages parasites, especially bird mites
It is eaten by them, helping to break down the seed in their crops which aids digestion and also contains beneficial minerals and microscopic plant matter
Boredom, is one of the factors that contributes to infertility, especially in caged birds. A sand bath helps to combat this in no small way!
Put a wide container of sand or soil into your cages a few times a week
Birds really enjoy it and remember, a happy bird is a healthy and productive bird!
Guinea fowl chicks, unlike domestic chickens, need a parent to teach them how to eat. I hatched these guineas in an incubator and took the Australorp chicks and added them to the newly hatched keet's brooder
They all grew and bonded together in no time
When about half grown I introduced the Colonel to their cage
Alas, this lad was certainly NOT an officer and gentleman!
Within the first few minutes he made an inappropriate pass at one of the guinea hens!
I have never seen any bird act with such ferocity and rage. The guinea cock, less than half his size, attacked at blinding speed and totally demolished the colonel! I ran into the cage and grabbed him off the floor, stunned, battered and confused but seemingly unharmed
A week later my assistant unintentionally left the cage door open early one morning and Kentucky had free range outside
I returned from town that afternoon to find them, to my supprise all together outside happily eating and relaxed in each others company
The Colonel had been forgiven
A few top models recently flew in to the farmyard to parade the latest Polish dress creations and hats
And finally . . .
My wildcard
This beauty was about the size of my thumb fingernail and his web must have been about 3 meters +- 10 foot in diameter!
Hmmm - I hope The colonel doesn't fly into this lot !