[Porffor]

Congrat's! look forward to the pictures (hint hint)

They sound wonderful and amazing that some went to bed alone!! mine took 3 days to do that and even now they leave it till it's really getting very dark.  

My sister is off to NZ in a couple of weeks, she lived out there for a couple of years when she was younger so it going back visiting Needless to say she's no kids or chooks, one dog who has a 'second mum' for when she's galavanting She is planning on getting chooks when she gets home though.

[blossom1044]

Their home.

DH is going to help me resize photos to show you.

We didn't get 4 sussex in the end.  DH wanted a Blue Haze Belle and a Rhode Island Blacktail hybrid as well as 2 sussex.

They are lovely.  3 went in the coup with the encouragement of corn and a red light.  The smallest sussex wanted to sleep on the ladder instead.  Luckily this was just by the coup door, so she went in with a gentle push on the bottom.

They do seem to pefer under the coup for their daily rest though.  We'd had to encourage them out this morning to get some food and water.  I think the wind howling around our garden is making them cautious today.

The Blue Haze Belle has spent nearly all morning in the coup. either scratching in the nest boxes or on a perch.  Encouraging news for the egg production we hope.

We think 1 sussex and the Blue Haze Belle are at point of lay and the others a week or two behind.

We've lost time yesterday, but I think our 2 year old got bored of sitting chicken watching.

The dogs were the funniest thing.  The cocker didn't bother with them, but the labrador wants to play with them.  Not in a vicious sense, just in that they run and move about and he thinks it is fun.  He does the same with the Rabbit and when their on the grass together dog and rabbit have a run about and then end up curled up in a sunny spot together.  I don't think the chooks will do that.

pics to follow shortly - promise.

[blossom1044]

Well here are some pics from yesterday which are not of them running around the garden which won't happen until they are settled in properly.

[blossom1044]

Lets try again









If any problems try http://www.flickr.com/photos/27874888@N02/page4/

fingers crossed!

[Porffor]

Wasn't sure which ones you wanted, but right clicked on the images in the link to view the page, copied the URL from the properties, and then pasted here after clicking IMG button.

Great names.. we almost named ours after curries!

Oh and we have the same make feeder (enamel hanging one) I got mine yesterday.

Lovely looking hens.

[Vember]

Lovely photo's they look well happy

[blossom1044]

Thank you.  I tried doing that, but must have missed something!

They are happy.  I want to let them out around the garden, but patience must prevail as they need to get used to their surroundings first.  They've been living in open fields and barns, so semi rural and dogs is a bit of a novelty to them.  

I didn't choose the names.  DH did.  I wanted to call them other names, but DH has been prepping DS which means 2 against 1 - no fun.

Oh well.

Madras (Rhode Hybrid) is a spritely bird and the smalest.  She loves a good forage and has been telling the others to keep off her patch though she doesn't always win.

Balti (Blue Haze Belle) is very docile and quite friendly.  She's the oldest & bigest and I think she'll lay first as she's making a nest in coup!

Korma (Sussex) is the smallest and quite timid witht he others.  I think she is the youngest.  She doesn't have as many black feathers on her neck cape as the other sussex.

Jalfezi (Sussex) is the larger of the two sussex birds.  She's in charge.  She is has been "pecking" the others to keep them in line.  She's got a bit of light brown poo today because she has eaten too much corn.  We had to take the corn away because she wasn't letting anyone else near the feeder & we didn't want her eating too much.  Instead we've thrown some corn on the ground and Balti and Madras have scavenged for it instead.  It looks like her poop is starting to firm up now!

Was a little worried about Korma as she does like to sleep alot.  Actually they all do.  They like the coup very much and holed up in there for 2 hours at lunch!  We decided to drop the coup hatch for a while and they became a lot more friendly and animated.  They like to huddle under the coup too, but they seem to use this as their loo area a lot.  I've never seen potty trained chooks before!  :?  :shock:  

The weirdest thing was the rabbit took offence to them.  She thumped and thumped her cage for 3 hours.  I had to sit with her and stroke her to calm her down.  Of course when I stopped the stroking she'd thump!  me thinks she just wanted attention!  :?  

Last night was an interesting occurance.  Madras decided that she wanted to get out of the pen.  This was just before bed time.  Dh had opening the roof to remove the feeder and Madras decided it was time to escape.  She didn't get out, but was pacing up and down and stalking DH and I to see if we opened the roof again.  We didn't.  We waited till they were in the coup.  This was fun in itself.  Having been in barns they were very cagey about the coup yesterday.  eventually 3 except Korma went in.  Korma refused, so she got a gentle push.  She loves it in their now!

anyway rambling.  I could go on for hours.
time to put them to bed and depoop the pen!

[FCG]

Seems like you are really getting into the swing of things, spent time chicken watching yet? I spent a whole hour in the morning just sat there watching them and dozing.

I nearly got a sussex instead of my amberlink. They really didn't like coming out at first and now they won't go in.

How are they with the family? Associating you with food yet? Mine are scoffing me out of house and home. I'm sure they are eating far too much, but i'll spoil them as they have never had pellets before so they'll get used and then i'll reduce it. Mind they don't scoff all the grass.

[blossom1044]

Freecycle gardener

I do seem to be lossing hours of time!  Dh spent all of Saturday glue to the seat next to the pen!  This did grate as I had chores that needed doing!

Well they have been a lot more active this morning.  Yesterday they stayed in the coup until 8am even after DH opened coup at 6am.  As I said lazy chooks!   :oops:   They were and about this morning scratching and pecking food as soon as DH opened the coup.  They know the sound of the feeders being filled which what dragged them out apparently.

They was a bit of bolstering for top perch position last night at bed time.  DH opened the lid and told them to cut it out.  all went quiet after that - My hubby the "chicken whisprer"   they also became more active about 6pm, so maybe we have nocternal birds!

It's nice to hear that low gentle noice of chooks again!

[Aunt Rhody]

Kia ora Aunt Rhody here again. We couldn't believe it. Got home from work and the 8 year old (8YO) found an egg in the laying box!!!We weren't xpectin that! She had it for T and said themost delish ever> Bought a digital camera 2day and took some photos this evening of chooks around the punga. They look bedraggled as it rained all day. Haven't worked out how to upload them(don't even know if this is the terminology.  Hens very very happy. They have eaten a ton of vege scraps (raw) bread and some layers pellets. Tomorrow they have a big fruit salad and stale pita breads. I'm working 2 moro but day off on Wednesday. Will try and sort out camera. It's on overnight charge now. Dont know what chook laid- probably a shaver. They are like egg factories (apparantly) Boy who sold me them breeds all kinds of hens and has a wall of trophies for them. He's only 15. He's amazing
Ka kite
Aunt Rhody      :?