Picked up my 6 ex-battery hens yesterday.
They are well feathered though moulting - seen worse on hen rescue site :!:
Got home to find that they had already laid 2 nice big eggs in the crate
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They did cluck back whilst i drove home - hubby thinks im bonkers as im one of those that 'moo' to the cows and 'baaaa' to the sheep. Dr Doolittle has nothing on me
Well it worked with these girls anyway.
We did wing clip due to the fence being under 5' and I know that they are weak on thier legs and moulting but they are very skittish and very frightened girls. So thought it best to clip so when they get fitter - I wasnt chasing em through the countryside :oops: .
Anyway I put em straight in the chook shed where they started to feed and water.
The four girls (2 black rocks and 2 speckeldys) came to investigate and did some deep rosey but soon went back outside in the run.
I always leave the food and water in the shed so as not to attract vermin - though that is hard when you live with huge wheat fields just across the lane.
I stayed around all day to keep an eye on em all.
Let the 4 original girls out of the run for the very first time - enticing them past the kennels - rottie went potty but the girls didnt batter an eyelid.
Doris one of the speckeldys even stopped at each dog bowl to check out for anything nice to eat
Anyway they helped me with the borders - I dug and they scratched about - they loved it. Then we all had a drink together then I just sat and watched them scratting. Oh what bliss.
Looking forward to the ex-battery girls to overcome thier fear. Though today the odd one keeps emerging from the shed and having a good look round.
Yesterday 2 of the ex-batteries were fighting but to my amazement, Dora the other speckeldy came running to break them up - she did this a few times - one of which I actually called for her assistance :? :? But it worked and she came running over yet again , and gave one a peck on the head and stood between them both until they went seperate ways.
Im sure Dora would knock thier heads together if she could
Last night I went to close pop hole on shed and went in shed to do my usual head count - usual 4 girls up on perches. Other girls were in 2 groups of 3's. 3 in one nest box so I moved 2 into the other nest boxes and left the other 3 huddled up in a corner.
I did try putting one on a perch yesterday but they are not strong enough yet - though one was balancing quite well on a perch today.
Other than that I have left them to get on with it and sort out a pecking order.
This morning we got 5 eggs - some of them are whoppers compared to the 4 girls.
Shall let you know on thier progress.
