[westie]

Well, until we get some pickies on here, Azie is a grey araucana(can't remember what her official colour is!), Minty is a leghorn (?blue), Scarlet is a cuckoo Maran and Sunset is a Welsummer. Minty is the bossiest of them all and puts the others in their place if they go where she wants to be. Sunset, although the biggest in size is the least confident and is definitely at the bottom of the pecking order. The other two just get on with life in the run (and garden when let out) and don't bother too much about Minty.
We have almost convinced ourselves that there will be no eggs until next year now, but still look hopefully each morning! we all agree though...chickens is fun  

[muntjac]

try searching in the site for photobucket  westie it has all instructions on how to upload pics to the site  

[lucyeff]

Wey hey! I hope I've done that right. Pics taken one handed with daughter tugging at lens cap so apologies for naff quality. You can probably see that the house house has taken up all of the tiny garden, and yet they're hardly in it!!  :roll:

All comments/advice on the chicken sleeping/living quarters appreciated, the nest boxes are accessed up a ramp, they haven't used those or the perches yet. The roof comes off completely and the back is split into two doors - a larger one at the bottom for easy access to the bottom of the coop, and one at the top that lets us get the eggs from the nesting boxes (as yet unused...).

The run was knocked up in a day and so Si is working on doing another when he's finished his million and ones things he has to do, in between trying to get work in/instructing... poor him  :shock:

Luce

ps notice ours prefer pinot noir to chardonnay...  

pps SORRY pics are so huge  :shock: Rushing to do it before baby wakes up on numb arm...

[Selkie]

hi!

great photos  

[Aunt Sally]

Their home looks lovely Lucy, and they are getting on so well with your daughter  

Th only comment I would make is that you should round off the edges on their roostiing perches - much kinder to the feet  

[muntjac]

Their home looks lovely Lucy, and they are getting on so well with your daughter  

Th only comment I would make is that you should round off the edges on their roostiing perches - much kinder to the feet  

 ditto ... take a half inch of each corner ,, fantastic pics and a great job of the coop  

[WG.]

I always thought the chickens went inside the coop.  Ah well, shows how little I know about chooks  

[Bodger]

Great piccies, put a roof on the run and that straw will stay much dryer and less smelly

[Aunt Sally]

Great piccies, put a roof on the run and that straw will stay much dryer and less smelly

A bit of novalux or equivalent will keep the winter light levels up  

[slowef]

Wow cutting out the process of cooking with wine, getting them pickled first on red wine    

[Aunt Sally]

Wow cutting out the process of cooking with wine, getting them pickled first on red wine    

      I had to scroll up to see what you meant  :roll:

[Lost in France]

Well, well, well...Last night Munty suggested that we might give our "girls" chardonnay but looks as though yours prefer the red stuff! They look very well on it so maybe will give it a try!!!?

Judi

[lucyeff]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

We'd ummed and arred about perches, I wasn't sure at all what they'd prefer, so we'll get those changed. We've put a plastic covering over the roof for the time being - you're right about the straw being stinky!

I'm waiting for Misery Chops next door to complain, but then his entire family seem to have a pomeranian each, they are constantly yapping (stick a match up their bum and they're good for cotton buds, that's about it imo... ), at least the chickens are quiet and eat the hundreds of snails we seem to have!    

I think we'll try bark chippings when we're a bit more flush to see if it's a bit tidier. The problem we're having is that the straw is getting eveywhere and the run is not far from the kitchen door - I'm not OCD about cleaning, but with Lilian just crawling and eating stuff she finds on the floor, I'm a bit stressed out with it..we're probably going to have to have a rethink about where to put the chickens. They're spending a lot of time begging outside the kitchen patio door - Lilian sits watching them, they seem to be bonding through the glass   I must admit, chicken poo is much more massive than I ever imagined, but now we know, we can try and encourage them to a bit of the garden that's not bang outside the kitchen door...

Two eggs again this morning, so I think that means two of them out of the three are still happy, anyway   They out themselves in their coop last night too which was lovely to watch. The tv is mostly off since they arrived, which is all good!

Thanks again for your advice - I noticed Aunt Sally mentioned golf balls in the nesting bit to encourage them to use them, so we're trying that tonight.

[Aunt Sally]

I noticed Aunt Sally mentioned golf balls in the nesting bit to encourage them to use them, so we're trying that tonight.

Leave them in there (the golf balls, not the hens) until they start laying there  

[tallulah]

I'm waiting for Misery Chops next door to complain, but then his entire family seem to have a pomeranian each, they are constantly yapping (stick a match up their bum and they're good for cotton buds, that's about it imo...

I say steady on!    I have my very own yapper - she's nothing like a 'real' dog, but everyone loves her - she's like an animated Teddy Bear.  I am the living proof that you can be a chook- lover AND a pom lover!