Hi folks, today got 3 new chucks to join Daisy & Polly (Polly now back to normal after a few very worrying days and 2 trips to vet). Picked them up from our local co-ordinator only wanted 2 due to small garden but can never say no, so came away with 3.
2 look a bit moth eaten and bare bummed but seem generally in good health, the other looks like a normal chuck in good state.
Anyway when I got home it was a beautiful day so I thought well i'll open the carrier I brought them home in and give them the choice of staying there or coming out and enjoying the sunshine.
No contest the new hens out straight away and grubbing around garden happily. The odd game of chase between new chucks & daisy & polly but nothing serious. So went in to do something in the house.
A little while later there was a terrible squawking, I thought either a cat or dog had got one of the chucks.
What I found had me in stitches, sarah (one of the new hens, named by my 3 yr old after a dinosaur in LBT), was perching/hanging on for dear life, to a lenghth of string i'd strung across the greenhouse eaves (for toms) wobbling backwards & forwards like an inept trapeze artist 4 ft off the ground.
Oh! b**gger they can fly.
Rest of day enjoyed watching new chucks investigate garden and trying new things to eat including :- a wasp (one of the few i've seen this yr), maggots, grass, cabbage and other good stuff.
Didn't seem to want to go to bed at bed time though. Congregated by french windows in light from back room. Put them in house complaining (not me, them).
One perched on perch. Other two took up residence perching on dividers between nest boxes (not particularly comfortable).
Looking forward to seeing what tommorrow brings, wish i'd the day off!
Also thingking might have to clip wings, though since the trapeze incident none have shown the urge to fly.