Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Cheery_Daff

Hope you were a happy free ranging one pyxis! :rotfl:

Thanks edwink :kisses3: (what were you doing posting at 3am anyway?!) :eek:

I did catch her and have a good look this morning, both feet seem the same, can't see anything untoward. Rang rhe charity I got them from and they said it's quite common for them to develop a linp after a few days - either bruising from being caught and transported from the farm, or from landing awkwardly when they're not really used to doing it She said just to keep an eye on her and ring again on Monday if I'm still worried.

There are so many things that can go wrong! :eek:

I've spent over an hour sitting in there with them today (in fact every day since I got them :rotfl: ) Maud is still eating properly, and I think is limping a little bit less (but that might just be wishful thinking). They all very much enjoyed the handfuls of grass & clover I took them, and the runner beans :rotfl: they loved the brambles I took yesterday, but haven't touched my home grown cucumber - a shame really as that's the only thing I have an overabundance of! :rotfl:

edwink

Pyxis wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl: I do love hearing about all their little quirks....... so much like kiddywinks. I've now got visions of hens a-running to you and skidding to a halt and peering up at you expectantly, like little puppies! :rotfl: Do they then cluck "Sweeties, mum, have you got sweeties?":rotfl:

Talking of running and skidding to a halt one of mine did the complete opposite once when it has been icy. I was so pleased none of them hurt themselves because I went up to check on them and as per usual they came running down to see me. But, as it was icy some slipped in front of me but one actually skidded past me and slid along the ground on her feathered knickers. She looked so shocked once she managed to get back on to her feet. I was happy that she was ok obviously but I have to confess to laughing so much and nearly slipping over myself. I just could not help myself and still giggle about it now :rotfl:


ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE talking of icy conditions. DO NOT put salt on the ground to stop them slipping if it is icy but use something like sand if the ground is really awkward for them. Salt is BAD for hens and can actually kill them. So never give your girls things like salted crisps as treats. I give mine the odd cream cracker or a little bread between them which they love. Just be aware of the salt content of extras given to them as treats.

Edwink

edwink

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Mine stand and look at me intently, really close up, when I'm eating breakfast in there with them :rotfl: :rotfl:

Two of them were kind of purring this morning... Not heard them doing that before. They were kind of standing next to each other and it almost seemed like they were singing, but barely moving at all. Did it for at least two minutes as I took a video :rotfl: Any idea why?! Cheerful? Or frightened of something? There was nothing unusual! I was walking about picking poop and collecting eggs but they've not bothered about me doing that before.

CAFCGirl, are all your hens eating eggs, or just one of them eating ALL the eggs? :eek: Found this, which (among many other, more sensible things) suggests putting little curtains up on the nest boxes :rotfl:

https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/stop-hen-eating-their-own-eggs/ No idea if that will work or not! Sounds like it might be a difficult thing to stop them doing, good luck...

My girls do that to me too Cheery. They are always much more interested in what I am eating than eating their own food. You will find once you have finished yours they will go off and find some of their own.

Thanks for the link on the subject of eating their own eggs. I've never heard of some of those idea before so it was really interesting to read.

Talking of eating their own eggs. If you have a surplus of eggs you can scramble some up for them to eat. They absolutely love it. I mix mine with some cooked rice to give them a bit more variety for their treat food.

Pyxis wrote: »

Cheery, I found this.......

"Among the many fascinating discoveries I’ve made in the process of raising a flock of adopted hens is the lovely and soothing sound of a chicken purr. Yes, you heard right. Chickens purr like cats when they’re happy. "

And there's a video of Doris (the hen) purring here....
https://freefromharm.org/farm-animal-intelligence/did-you-know-that-chickens-purr-when-theyre-content/

Very well spotted Pyxis thank you. Yes that's right they can and do purr bless them!! Its lovely watching them quietly doing this especially if they are rescue hens. Just shows how happy and relaxed they really are.

Edwink

Pyxis

I might have been a free-range hen, Cheery, but I doubt I'd have been a Mildred! Probably a Hermione! :rotfl: at least to start with!




Feathered knickers! :T
They are a bit like knickerbockers, aren't they? :rotfl:

suki1964

We collected our new hens last night, 7 in total, a real mix of breeds

We dug out the duck pond and filled that up with loose soil and they are happily learning how to scratch. Theres already a grassy area there so they are tasting that for the first time as well. We have put them in the old duck enclosure for now so they can see the other hens but not get pecked. We will give it a day or two then let them in together and teach them how to perch

I said we kept 3 of the originals, but we have four. One done a runner over the field and hid overnight lol So she got to stay

Will post some pictures when I get a chance

edwink

Yay!!! I have finally caught up with all the posts and hopefully not missed any. If anyone needed an answer to something and I have missed it please let me know.

Sadly today I have 2 rather quiet very, very elderly rescue girls. Both are around 5 and a half years old which is really good for rescue girls. I'll just keep going out and checking on them to make sure they are ok. Both have not come out of their hotel this morning. One of them was slow coming down the their ladder yesterday which they often are when they are very old so I was not worried about her. I just waited for her to get to the bottom in case she fell as she looked half a sleep. But, today she has stayed up on the perches and hasn't come down at all. The other one spent her second night in the nesting box which is not a good sign at all but she did come out yesterday but not today

Some hens will sleep in a nesting box just for the sake of it but that is quite rare or will sleep in there if they are getting picked on just to get a good nights sleep. But, others will sleep in there if poorly or on their way to hen heaven as I am sure my one is, bless her. She is much safer in there away from the others in case another one decides to pick on her. They are so old for rescue girls so is to be expected I suppose

Edwink

Pyxis

Such mixed emotions.......

suki1964 wrote: »

We collected our new hens last night, 7 in total, a real mix of breeds

We dug out the duck pond and filled that up with loose soil and they are happily learning how to scratch. Theres already a grassy area there so they are tasting that for the first time as well. We have put them in the old duck enclosure for now so they can see the other hens but not get pecked. We will give it a day or two then let them in together and teach them how to perch

I said we kept 3 of the originals, but we have four. One done a runner over the field and hid overnight lol So she got to stay

Will post some pictures when I get a chance

New hens left right and centre!
A positive new-hen cornucopia!

edwink wrote: »

Yay!!! I have finally caught up with all the posts and hopefully not missed any. If anyone needed an answer to something and I have missed it please let me know.

Sadly today I have 2 rather quiet very, very elderly rescue girls. They are around 5 and a half years old which is really good for rescue girls. I'll just keep going out and checking on them both to make sure they are ok. Both have not come out of their hotel this morning. One of them was slow yesterday coming down the their ladder which they often are when they are very old so I was not worried about her. I just waited for her to get to the bottom in case she fell as she looked half a sleep. But, today she has stayed up on the perches and hasn't come down at all. The other one spent her second night in the nesting box which is not a good sign but she did come out in the morning yesterday but not today


Some hens will sleep in a nesting box just for the sake of it but that is quite rare or will sleep in there if they are getting picked on just to get a good nights sleep. But, others will sleep in there if poorly or on their way to hen heaven as I am sure my one is, bless her. They are so old for rescue girls so is to be expected I suppose


Edwink

And old hens reaching their time.

suki1964

Oh and something I forgot to add, our old girls that we gave to John, all bar one went to a residential home for special needs children.

Apparently the hens are good pets for the children to care for, especially when hand tame as ours were

Pyxis

suki1964 wrote: »

Oh and something I forgot to add, our old girls that we gave to John, all bar one went to a residential home for special needs children.

Apparently the hens are good pets for the children to care for, especially when hand tame as ours were

That's really good! :T

Cheery_Daff

Aw, that's lovely Suki! Hope they have a long and happy retirement

Sorry to hear about your old girls Edwink Five and a half years seems rather old, I'm impressed they've been around for so long! They've had a good life with you lass xx