Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: tosca100 on February 12, 2014, 09:56
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Went to market this morning and we now have another three hens. They are ex-commercials, but not too bald though very pale. They have lots of new feathers coming through. One has a touch of frostbite but apart from that are not in such bad shape for just over two quid each.
Just caused them big worry when I chucked a couple of broccoli leaves in there, very frightening!
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/millymollymandy009_zpsaa332c6f.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/millymollymandy009_zpsaa332c6f.jpg.html)
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/millymollymandy011_zpsae11307e.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/millymollymandy011_zpsae11307e.jpg.html)
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Well done :D keep taking pictures it's amazing how quickly they feather up :nowink:
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Bless them...there is too much Space in this room, there is too much Light, too much Green and Blue on the other side of the door. There are Hens Totally Overderessed out there. And there is a very noisy Man! So we will stay Safe in our little box.
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/a94b3bf0-9124-4363-bec3-f53e671393ae_zpsac11fb5e.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/a94b3bf0-9124-4363-bec3-f53e671393ae_zpsac11fb5e.jpg.html)
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aww a rescue story - I love it :D
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Lovely story :)
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aww are they any braver yet?
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D'you know, they just wander about doing their own thing. Mandy has rather strange action and is a bit wobbly but gets about ok. The four young cockerels have gone to their new homes now along with two of the pullets, so all the doors and gates have been opened so that they can all mix when they want. Sevi the man did try sidling up to them but soon lost interest with all the nubile young things getting to egg laying age (he has been sitting by the nest box while the oldest girl squawks and wonders what is happening) The pullets and one of our last year's hen spend time with the 'scrawnies' as OH flatteringly calls the. They all go to their respective sheds at bed time and the new girls tried perching, but they are still happier piling into one box once it's dark. They'll get there, and they are a pleasure to have around, very chatty.
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/987305cf-502a-4efa-971a-ce64e8832f54_zpsad65d074.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/987305cf-502a-4efa-971a-ce64e8832f54_zpsad65d074.jpg.html)
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aw there lovely and good on you for taking the on, bet you will have loads of fun watching them change and getting more confident x
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thanks for the update - I love happy endings x
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Aaaaawwwww they'll soon feather up nicely and you'll have them eating out of your hand :D
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They have discovered the joys of dustbathing now, though when Mandy shakes she tends to fall over! One or two of the ten have had a bit of a peck at them, but they don't react or run away so they are no fun to bully. So all is harmony for the moment but we are looking forward to the day when they don't need chivvying outside but are waiting for the door to open like the others.
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They still have a lot of adjusting to do, but I'm sure they will waiting at the door to go out soon :) If they have discovered dust bathing, free ranging will be next on the list :lol:
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They still have a lot of adjusting to do, but I'm sure they will waiting at the door to go out soon :) If they have discovered dust bathing, free ranging will be next on the list :lol:
How are they all doing now you have had them some time?
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They still have a lot of adjusting to do, but I'm sure they will waiting at the door to go out soon :) If they have discovered dust bathing, free ranging will be next on the list :lol:
How are they all doing now you have had them some time?
Thanks for asking, they are brilliant. They are feathering up nicely and have now got fairly fluffy bottoms.They all walking well now, even Mandy who we were quite worried about. They are all laying, chatty, voracious hunters, eat like I have never seen a hen eat, chatter away and follow us around, into everything.
And don't want to go out? Can't get the little darlings in! They still sleep in a box, but in the morning they literally hammer on the door to be let out! The others are still on their perches when you let them out.
I think they are happy hens. :D
Milly
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/af696958-4de5-4de5-bd68-295618d2da89_zpsfe36ad9a.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/af696958-4de5-4de5-bd68-295618d2da89_zpsfe36ad9a.jpg.html)
Molly
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/f9a48016-e466-40e9-9c50-682227f04464_zpsc24e5a6c.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/f9a48016-e466-40e9-9c50-682227f04464_zpsc24e5a6c.jpg.html)
And Mandy, whos comb is nearly upright now.
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/2709221c-3259-4ec9-a275-31f7cc23fd1a_zps8a55ee6b.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/2709221c-3259-4ec9-a275-31f7cc23fd1a_zps8a55ee6b.jpg.html)
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So great :)
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goodness Tosca they look so much healthier :D
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Thats great news. Thanks for the pics too they do look happy hens!!!
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They look great really happy, credit to you ;)
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Just come back from the market where Dave was looking for a couple of goslings. No goslings as it is raining heavily and there were not many traders, but he came out with three new ex-commercials. So meet Tulip, Tilly and Tansy, well feathered but stinky, one heavy, one medium and one skinny.
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/4976152e-f858-4831-833a-b7a6923ee8be_zps9b38d313.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/4976152e-f858-4831-833a-b7a6923ee8be_zps9b38d313.jpg.html)
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/d6272e36-2e3b-447d-8d44-2bbc806f959e_zps9847529b.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/d6272e36-2e3b-447d-8d44-2bbc806f959e_zps9847529b.jpg.html)
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/39600e16-a5f3-4704-8d5d-7801648a24c1_zps60523c89.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/39600e16-a5f3-4704-8d5d-7801648a24c1_zps60523c89.jpg.html)
We are presuming that they are either barn or 'free range' as are strong on their legs and can perch....Milly Molly and Mandy haven't got there yet.
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/e93a11ba-6163-4c3a-aa5e-82f7ecf738ee_zps1490d28b.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/e93a11ba-6163-4c3a-aa5e-82f7ecf738ee_zps1490d28b.jpg.html)
And water dishes are obviously new to them. One was so light it perched on the side of the dish before paddling in it, bless her
(http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv100/tosca100-dog/5a02dde2-c4de-4e2a-bc99-56575bd8c34e_zps07aace7b.jpg) (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/tosca100-dog/media/5a02dde2-c4de-4e2a-bc99-56575bd8c34e_zps07aace7b.jpg.html)
They are settling into their temporary isolation unit on the other side of our land, the garage, till we know they are healthy, as we have chicks in the nursery.
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Awwwww well done you. I am sure they will come on great now.
Keep the post up with info about them.
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Ditto - will want to see how they progress :nowink:
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Will take some new pics later. The Ms continue to look good and lay well, and Molly is still keeping the Ts in line with the help of Mandy occasionally. The Ts are not laying yet, they are too busy learning all the chickeny things. To see grown hens tentatively scratching for the first time, next to chicks who have done it from birth, is quite an emotional experience. But they are experts already as they are with dust baths and hunting the mass of small cranefly type flies. Their colour is getting better but they are still pale around the eyes. I don't know why but I have the feeling that (ex) bully, Tulip, is older than the other two. She tried jumping on the back of our hen with chicks.....once! Cagney is chief hen and is going to stay so!