Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

Sorry I've not been on our thread everyone. I've got a nasty Virus that I am struggling to get rid of so feeling totally rubbish right now and so tired with it.

Still reading the posts on here though when I can and keeping up to date with all your hen news.

Hopefully be back in to full swing soon

Edwink

Pyxis

edwink wrote: »

Sorry I've not been on our thread everyone. I've got a nasty Virus that I am struggling to get rid of so feeling totally rubbish right now and so tired with it.

Still reading the posts on here though when I can and keeping up to date with all your hen news.

Hopefully be back in to full swing soon

Edwink

Aw, sorry to hear that, Edwink. I was wondering where you were. :A


I hope you feel better soon.

jac99

Sorry to hear you have been unwell Edwink, hope you are feeling better soon.

I have been drying some of the herbs I have grown to try and provide a supply to the hens over Christmas. I had looked at buying some of the herb supplements sold specifically for hens and thought I could do it cheaper myself...hopefully the hens will still like them!

vjm63

I've been overwhelmed with work lately so have only just caught up with things here.


Just an update firstly on my hen that possibly fell off the perch overnight back in September. She got a bit better, as in less wobbly first thing and walking around fine by lunchtime usually, but did seem to have a habit change in that she sometimes avoided the others, spent her time wandering around their grassy area alone, and seemed to mostly eat grass not their pellets. She survived until 15th October, when she died overnight. Sad she did die, but although she was coping, I could see that she was not right - but I felt a vet trip would just be the inevitable - what can you do for a stroke?? (or something similar). She was lighter, but could still move when she wanted to (!), got herself on and off the perch daily etc - plus would come for treats with them all. Sad, but...

On the other hand, after several attempts including a Broody girl who just did not manage it, we have got chicks! :T Three weeks old now, 4 Welsumers including one we had to help out of the shell - but that one is nicknamed Speedy so I think she (I hope) is none the worse for it. Noisy, chirruping most of the day, scuffling around, eating, with a large box that is getting all mod cons including perches that they love ... totally spoilt! Fascinating to see them almost daily changing from fluffballs to lanky pullet shape, with wings and feathers and tails appearing... I am not obsessed, honest!

I am hoping we have 2 of each, 3 pullets and 1 male would be ideal - but I do not know, that is a waiting game. Anyone who has hatched this time of year - obviously after they are fully feathered but when would you put them outside with no heat? We have a portable coop/run into which they will go, but it is when.

Pyxis

How exciting to have your own chicks! :j


On Retir mint Home for Four-year-Olds, they had some eggs hatch in an incubator for the old folk and the children to watch and marvel over.
It's fascinating to watch them peck their way out of the egg.
There was the inevitable one that didn't hatch, but they explained to the children that that happens, can't be helped.

Am in Italy at the moment, but in a city, so no hens in sight!

Cheery_Daff

Sorry to hear about your older lady vjm, how sad But as you said, you did all you could and it sounds like she had a great life and wasn't in pain xxx Exciting news about chicks!

Ooh, Italy Pyxis? How exciting! :j

Nowt much to report here. Hens being super pesky while I was at work yesterday - Mr Cheery was trying to put a roof on their run, and they were milling round the bottom of the ladder like sharks :rotfl: Went bonkers when he tried to drill anything, squarking and creating, and scattering to the four winds :eek: He put everything down and went to retrieve them before they got scared/lost, and in the processs of trying to grab Hermione managed to trip over something and fall flat on his face :eek: (she just looked at him :rotfl: :rotfl: ) So now he's nursing a massive graze on his leg, and the run still has no roof :rotfl:

I gave them their first taste of warm mash yesterday though, and I suspect I'll be expected to provide it every morning from now on :rotfl: Just mixed some of their pellets with hot water and a small handful of porridge oats (and a bit of chopped apple this morning because I had a bit spare :rotfl: ) They loved it! Sadly I think it was a bit early for them today as it was still dark when I left so it might have cooled down a bit...

Not enjoying the darker evenings as it means I get NO time with my cheery girls during the week They're not deprived - Mr Cheery is usually at home to let them out of the run to maraud around for a couple of hours a day, and obviously we still open and shut the house each day. But I don't see much of them at all. Yesterday was my only chance this week to get home before dark, and a combination of THREE different road closures meant I had a 15 mile detour and it took me nearly 2 hours to do 40 miles (when it really should have been only 25 miles anyway). Gah!

Still plenty of eggs though

edwink

vjm63 wrote: »

She survived until 15th October, when she died overnight. Sad she did die, but although she was coping, I could see that she was not right - but I felt a vet trip would just be the inevitable - what can you do for a stroke?? (or something similar). She was lighter, but could still move when she wanted to (!), got herself on and off the perch daily etc - plus would come for treats with them all. Sad, but...

On the other hand, after several attempts including a Broody girl who just did not manage it, we have got chicks! :T Three weeks old now, 4 Welsumers including one we had to help out of the shell - but that one is nicknamed Speedy so I think she (I hope) is none the worse for it. Noisy, chirruping most of the day, scuffling around, eating, with a large box that is getting all mod cons including perches that they love ... totally spoilt! Fascinating to see them almost daily changing from fluffballs to lanky pullet shape, with wings and feathers and tails appearing... I am not obsessed, honest!

I am hoping we have 2 of each, 3 pullets and 1 male would be ideal - but I do not know, that is a waiting game. Anyone who has hatched this time of year - obviously after they are fully feathered but when would you put them outside with no heat? We have a portable coop/run into which they will go, but it is when.

How sad that you lost one of your girls, bless her. I am sure you did all you could for her and gave her the best possible life you could x

Aww little chicks. How cute and now I want some We have never bred any of our own for fear of having too many Cockerels As a rule it turns out as 60/40 in favour of Cockerels I'm afraid so I will keep fingers crossed that you get what you are hoping for. Its not always the case but more often than not. I will be very interested to know when you finally find out yourself. Oh and a couple of little pics of them on here would be super, if you know how to put them on. No use asking me because although I can put pics on here myself I am pretty useless at explaining how to do it. You will need our friend Pyxis for that as she is a pro at it

Edwink

edwink

Cheery..... Warm mash is always a winner on chilly mornings. I bet they are loving it and you of course.

I know you will not see them much at the moment because of your work load but I am sure you are looking forward till after Christmas when you will be home more and able to spend much more time with them. Something to very much look forward to eh?

Jac..... please do let us know how it goes with your herbs. I will be very interested to know if it works out and they like them

Pyxis..... how lovely being away in Italy. I've never been there myself but I have to say it does look beautiful and it is somewhere I would like to visit one day

vjm63..... Don't forget the chick pics


Thank you for my get well wishes everyone, much appreciated. I am still not back to my old self as the virus is still lurking a bit but am now on the back end of it hopefully.

All going well here with my 3 thankfully. They are enjoying being nearer to the house on the patio as it is warmer down here. Plus they are enjoying their daily handful of porridge and chopped pumpkins seeds. Surprised they are still here to be honest because they are very old for ex-batts, bless 'em.

Getting one egg every so often and just enough for some egg and chips once in a while. Do miss our fluffy omelettes though, sadly not enough eggs for one of those.

Ducks are not laying at all now but they are old too so not surprised. They are not very active either and mainly sit around together snoozing and going for the odd walk around or for a swim. They are all healthy so that's all I can ask for really.

Keep up the good work everyone.

Edwink

vjm63

Ummm - there was request for chick piccies...?


I apologize that they are so large, and for the slum it appears I let the chicks live in - they wish you to know that is designer mess! They are 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks old in the pictures as you go down.

edwink

OMG I definitely want one of those chicks now. Love the 3rd pic where they are 3 weeks old. They look so cute.

There is one way of checking to see if they are male or female but I am not sure how many weeks old they need to be before you can use this method to check. If you place a credit card/store card (any sort of card like those will do) under some of their feathers you should be able to then see the shape of their feathers. If the feather is pointed (I kid you not) it is a boy and if rounded it is a girl. Very easy to do!

Lovely, lovely pics. Thank you so much.

Edwink