Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Frugaldom

My marauding flock managed to see off a hawk that swooped and landed in the hedge yesterday. I just heard the horrendous squawking din as they all joined in for frenzied attack and then stood screaching up at the tree where hawk landed after its gangland style attack. Not so sure they'd see off a buzzard if that came too close but they'd certainly let us know it was there.

Got a blue egg from my free ranging Araucana yesterday, hoping it's the start of a regular occurance so I can get some of those into the incubator.

downshifted

Thought you guys would appreciate this - it is a small ad in this week's North Devon Journal

WANTED Hard of hearing person with no neighbours. Enthusiastic rooster seeks a loving isolated home. Call anytime after 3am

I won't put the telephone number here - it just occurred to me it might be the rooster owner's current neighbour who placed the ad!!

diluvsdiscounts

I have just put a mirror that hasn't been in use for a while into the chicken coop. Well you should hear the racket out of them clucking and they are all walking up and down looking at themselves!!
I read in a book that a mirror is good for them and I'm glad I did.
DD keeps promising to show me how to download the photos so I can post them but hasn't yet.

poohbear59

Does anyone in the North of England have any news of any ex battery hens needing homes? My three are all laying but I have room for another ten or so.

diluvsdiscounts I had never thought of a mirror for the hens. Next time we have an old one to get rid of I will give it to the hens. They do like the new French doors!

Gigervamp

Talking of giving the chickens things to amuse them, we got ours a treat ball today. It's a small animal one and it has an adjustable slot to put the treats in. When they move it about, the treats fall out of the slot. We filled ours with dried mealworms. It took them a while to realise there was anything in the ball, but it looks like they've figured it out now and they really love the mealworms!

Anyway, I've got to go and shoo a sheep out of the garden now! (I think someone must have left the gate at the cattle grid over the road open.)

ginnyknit

poohbear59 wrote: »

Does anyone in the North of England have any news of any ex battery hens needing homes? My three are all laying but I have room for another ten or so.

diluvsdiscounts I had never thought of a mirror for the hens. Next time we have an old one to get rid of I will give it to the hens. They do like the new French doors!

Go to the battery hen welfare site and there are names of people in each region who rehome ex batts, I got mine from Haslingden with excellent directions how to get there and have 3 great hens who have settle din very well.

Gigervamp

Finally, I've got pics on my pc!

Meet Daisy, the matriarch. (on the left)


Amelia, second in command


And Gracie, the quiet, hen-pecked one.

oystercatcher

Oh Gingervamp they are lovely........ am so jealous of you...

Husband having his op this week so we are moving towards him being well enough to let us have some girls too!

diluvsdiscounts

Gigervamp they are beautiful.
I remember when our garden had grass!!
They are lovely how many eggs are you getting each day? At the moment we are getting three from four hens so I am trying to decide which one isn't laying which is very difficult to do without moving in with them for a week! They are all warren's and I presume all of a similar age so I don't think it's an age thing and they all seem perfectly happy even more so now they can look at themselves.

Gigervamp

They haven't started laying yet, so we're still eagerly awaiting the first egg!