[Cluckyclaire]

Hello! Have been absent for a week or so... thought of trying chicken rehab but hey its too late I am hooked!

Here are some pics of my lovely hens! I cannot remember the last time I was awake at 6am on a Sunday (ok my old raving days hehe)!! but somehow its happening and I cant wait to see them every morning, and I cant wait for the weekend as I work full time so dont get the time I would like with the girls! I did let them out of their run into half of the garden at the weekend for the first time after a week here and it was brilliant, they are so funny their little ways are so much more apparent when they are pottering about, ah!  I am so happy I got them and I cannot wait til we have some eggs too that will be great, they are 19 weeks old now so maybe in a few weeks?

I am in a good routine every morning before work i clean the coop tray under the perches, and rake the droppings out of the run, though the coop and run need moving every week as they trash the lawn hehe and they are chicken jcb's in the flower beds! was so funny watching them in their new dustbath spot they were covered in soil and seemed in a daze! I gave them some grapes cut in half and they squabbled and nicked them off each other! Martha (gold lace) keep them in check, Ella (crele) chases after me and is quite curious and Frances (white) well she is just a chilled babe, quite a snob hehe .

I know I need to be more confident picking the hens up, any advice would be really appreciated, i have had them for 10 days but have only picked them up twice, just need to feel confident when i may need to do so, especially applying diatom whilst holding them how do i do that?? hehe :blink:

They are eating approx 2 large cups of pellets between them a day, they are growing well and look healthy, have the poultry cider vinegar occasionally, and mixed grit etc. I know the pellets are complete food, they freaked when i put broccoli in the run hehe and didnt touch it all day, nor cabbage! though they do love grapes! gonna give them some melon as i read on this forum that a favouite so will see

anyway, time for some dinner so bye for now!

Claire 

[snowdrops]

They're lovely Cluckyclaire,it seems that you are really enjoying them.

[joyfull]

to gain your confidence try holding a treat in your open palm and get them used to eating from you. Then try stroking them working up to picking them up 

[Lewjam]

Yea i would just get used to picking them up in general.

Every time you give them a treat, make a specific sound (what ever that may be)

I have a little tune i whistle, after a while when you whistle the tune, treat or other wise they all come charging over. 

Makes it much easier to catch and pick them up if you can get them really tame!

Lew

[kegs]

Wait till you give them some fresh corn on the cob.  You'd better stand well out of the way for that one! 

[henamoured]

When you pick them up try and keep one hand over their wings so they can't flap - and get you in a flap. Then tuck them up under an arm to keep those wings in and hold their legs underneath. If they feel held quite firmly they seem to panic less.

PS My call is 'chuck chuck' whenever I give them food. Because I haven't been in the garden with them much over the winter I decided they needed some extra training last weekend so I got them following me all over the garden with some mealworm treats. Must have just confirmed to the neighbours how strange I am! (They're in their 20's and very serious)

[ANHBUC]

Before they start to lay they are more difficult to catch and handle.  Once they are ready to lay and start to curtsey it will be easier for you.  They revert to being difficult when not laying due to molting so they keep you on your toes!

Mine are all back in lay so easy to catch and handle.  The 2 newbies are a different matter, they are bantams and quite skittish.  Don't think they had been handled by their previous owner.  Just letting them get used to me around them in the garden.  I'm sure they will be friendlier in time.

Lovely girls by the way.   

[ManicMum]

I have a pot that's always used to scoop their grain out of the sack - one rattle of that and they come running ready for their treat.

You have some beautiful girls there!

[hen-night]

Your not joking, they go loopy for sweet corn...

[Cluckyclaire]

Ah thanks everyone, your advice on getting them tame will help i am sure, I have a pot with some mixed corn and they seem to know the sound when i shake that and call them and they ran over to me last weekend, i only give them a very small amount and do it close to where i am standing, they went loopy for the corn it was great

Sometimes I read on the forum that people look down the chickens throat etc oh my :blink: i am hopeful my confidence will grow, hoping we have some sunshine this weekend, actually if it is raining can they go outside? or is it better they stay in their run in the dry?

Will let you know how things go!

Hope you are your hens are all well!

Claire 

[hen-night]

You will be fine, happy hen keeping...Aden...

[Mrs Bee]

Ah thanks everyone, your advice on getting them tame will help i am sure, I have a pot with some mixed corn and they seem to know the sound when i shake that and call them and they ran over to me last weekend, i only give them a very small amount and do it close to where i am standing, they went loopy for the corn it was great

Sometimes I read on the forum that people look down the chickens throat etc oh my :blink: i am hopeful my confidence will grow, hoping we have some sunshine this weekend, actually if it is raining can they go outside? or is it better they stay in their run in the dry?

Will let you know how things go!

Hope you are your hens are all well!

Claire 

Your girls are gorgeous, Claire.  Chickens are not keen on getting wet so will find somewhere to keep dry if it does rain. Ours are perfectly happy in the snow but rain, Oh no thank you very much. They even look at me accusingly if it rains as if it is my fault

To get more confident about picking them up, go out to them once a day and pick each of them up in turn and stroke them until your confidence increases. EVeryone feels nervous with the chickens when you start keeping them. Just don't worry so much. They are pretty robust and the more you handle them the  better and more confident you will feel. Very important to get them used to feeding from your hands in case you need to round them up quickly if you have to go out in a hurry.  ALthough I fin dthat if I am in a real rush to get out and have to do a fast round up, throwing a handful of their favourite treats in their pen will usually do it.

Mine love sorrel and we have a patch growing which we share with the chickens. They go mad for it!

[ANHBUC]

Mine like the rain, plenty of tasty worms surface for them. 

[Cluckyclaire]

I gave mine the lid off one of the composters as there were a few worms on there, they liked that! Room service! 

Can't wait til tomorrow and time with them

[Mrs Bee]

Mine like the rain, plenty of tasty worms surface for them. 

Obviously I have delicate girls who, like the Eliabethan ladies, 'are feared to go out in the  rain lest their colours do run.'

Or as we say in our house, 'Ah, they're  special!