Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

tracyk

blushingbride wrote: »

anyone elses chicken run look like a sea of sludge? i.e. liquid poop? how do you all keep your ladies clean & fragrant? my garden smells like a farm yard!:(

Count yourself lucky, I've got ducks too & my garden looks like something from Glastonbury! We just need a stage & a sound system :rotfl:

ginnyknit

I collect my 3 ex battery hens on saturday and thanks to you guys I hope I know what to expect to a point. As with all animals theres a learning curve so I guess the next few weeks are going to be interesting! Think I am all prepared, they certainly have a fab house and run and if nothing else Im sure they will find it a great releif from their old life. At least I know I can call on you all when a problem arises.

jexygirl

Hey Ginny thats great news
Congrats on becoming a mommy, and the fun you are about to have will be second to none! Don't be put off if they look a little thread bare and don't really use the space, within 3 or 4 days, they will meet you at the fence when you go out to feed them, and be happily taking a look around The previous rescue hen link by blushing bride I think its www.littlehenrescue.co.uk has LOADS of great info about them when they are rescued, what they will be like etc. it reassured me alot, as did the advice i got here.

The same congrats to Gigervamp! You are lucky, it took me 10 years to persuade him, but although he wont touch the hens, and "feigns" disinterest, he volunteers daily to feed / put them away / egg check for me! He also seems alot more enthused about my beginners planting and growing of veg!

Ok WAFFLE WARNING WITH PICS!!!!! feel free to move to a new thread I wont be offended!

I have to say, you know when you are sitting next to an open fire, and you cant help but stare at it, its the same with my girls! They are so amusing and entertaining I can just watch them for AGES!

We built a new outdoor shelter on Monday, just something for them to go under in our dodgey climate if they dont want to go into the house. The top of it also doubles as my feed sorting area and medical centre! The feed sorting area is fine pre letting them out in the morning, however its less successful in the afternoon... the designer ladder I put up to it so that they could use it as a platform to sunbathe on is not required... 14 hens just jump up to help you sort their feeds out!

Same with cleaning out... why oh why when I sweep up all the old stuff, is it suddenly so interesting... I know they are trying to help, but honestly, its been in their house for a week, why could they not scratch around and kick it about then BEFORE I swept it up!

They are also just as helpful when raking over their outdoor space, it suddenly becomes interesting when you make a neat pile, either that or they liked it as it was, so endeavour to re spread it for me!

This was today
As you can see from the feed one, they are all getting much better feathers Tho one of them decided she didnt like them or they irritated her and pulled one out, hence use of the medical area for a quick bum wash

They are all waiting in the corner for me, they saw me hiding trying to get a pic of them all running around!


using the new shelter top was a bad place to sort the feeds!


Buster likes to supervise, and cannot understand why he isn't allowed in to play too!


The "new" shelter as it should be used! complete with "designer ladder... whose idea was that!


and... you are doing what exactly????


as you can see, we are settling in nicely and getting some new feathers!

Sorry for waffle and pics, I am soooo proud and loving every second of having the girls! I dont have kids, and feel like I am one of those new parents who can talk of nothing else but their new baby!

Jex

Gigervamp

The pics are great Jexygirl. Is that a lake in the background of the first pic?

jexygirl

hey Giger
I live on the edge of a loch, surrounded by mountains, it has its downfalls honest! But my girls have the best view of all hens Im sure!







im not biased! honest! and bear in mind it rains ALOT! today was a dry day!
A rarity!
jex

Gigervamp

Ooh, it looks lovely! The view from my house is pretty good, fields, woods and hills, but it's not a patch on your view!

jexygirl

I am sure yours is equally as good if not better - you get to see it more mine is a buisness, so I work more than I play, tho the hens are changing that

Cant wait to see your pics too!

Jex

Frugaldom

Brilliant photos! Looks just like what that couple on TV were searching for last night on 'Relocation, Relocation'.

Congratulations Ginny, and anyone else who has decided to take the plunge.

Mud & sludge wise I'm quite lucky at the moment, as we sit in a frost pocket. The ground here is frozen solid for now but there's still not much grass left. Thanks to Mr Mole digging and creating hills everywhere, my chickens and ducks have spent the past month or two digging and scraping the soil everywhere! Not looking forward to all this lot thawing - I fear the garden may sink 6" before the raking several times per day begins. :rotfl:

I've candled my eggs - looks like the Pekin and Silkie ones may be fertile, not so sure about the other 4, though, as they're the freerangers.

Edited in - Thought I best add in that my freerangers include a Silkie cockerel, just in case anone thought I was daft enough to assume fertile eggs without his help.:rotfl:

oystercatcher

Ohhhh keep the chicken chat and pictures going. I am loving it. We are still thinking and planning and maybe in a few months will be ready for some girls. I hope they won't feel deprived if they haven't got a lovely view though.

Gigervamp

Anyone have any experience of poultry auctions? In my search for breeders in my area, I saw that there's an auction on nearby on Sunday.
I've never been to an auction of any kind, let alone a poultry one, so I was wondering if anyone here has bought chickens at auction and could give me some advice.