Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Cheery_Daff

Oh lord, I didn't know that about rhubarb - I planted some today! :eek: Mind you, they came over and sniffed it, then went straight back to scratching about in the compost so maybe we'll be ok :eek:

Our lot have been RIGHT pesky today. I've been outside in the freezing wind trying to plant fruit trees which turned up the other day - have you tried wielding a pick axe with four chickens scratching round your feet?! :eek: Nearly ended up with a couple of headless ones at one point :eek: As soon as I dug a hole, one of them jumped in it to peck about for worms, and I had to pretty much lift her back out again before I could get my spade in again :eek: :rotfl:

I did shut them all in the little pen I made round one of the raised beds for a while - but first one, then two, then all of them managed to escape and after putting them back in 3 times I gave up :rotfl:

Bloody creatures! :rotfl:

edwink

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Our lot have been RIGHT pesky today. I've been outside in the freezing wind trying to plant fruit trees which turned up the other day - have you tried wielding a pick axe with four chickens scratching round your feet?! :eek: Nearly ended up with a couple of headless ones at one point :eek: As soon as I dug a hole, one of them jumped in it to peck about for worms, and I had to pretty much lift her back out again before I could get my spade in again :eek: :rotfl:

I did shut them all in the little pen I made round one of the raised beds for a while - but first one, then two, then all of them managed to escape and after putting them back in 3 times I gave up :rotfl: Bloody creatures! :rotfl:

I told you that you would have great fun if you got some hens Cheery didn't I? Digging the veg beds here in the Spring takes twice or maybe three times as long as it should. But, we always think about the fun the hens are having As soon as the spade goes in and the soil is turned over like you say a hen will be in there. Sometimes we just leave them to it and start at the other end of the row instead, that's until they suss us out and coming running down to the other end and do exactly the same again.

Always a good excuse to go indoors for a warm up, a nice cuppa and a bowl of porridge we say :rotfl:

Edwink

Cheery_Daff

I did have two holes on the go at one point but they were literally following me from one to the other, however many times I explained :rotfl: :rotfl:

Wouldn't be without them now though

Pyxis

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

I did have two holes on the go at one point but they were literally following me from one to the other, however many times I explained :rotfl: :rotfl:

Wouldn't be without them now though

I read this post before I read the preceding ones, and was perplexed as to how holes could follow you about! :rotfl:


All was made clear once I read the earlier posts. :rotfl:





Edit. I have had a bit of lumbar aching since the missed step, which is par for the course after a jarring, but ice packs are sending that away.
Luckily it hasn't set the leg off.
The cough is receding......... it has left me with that chest irritation you get from coughing so much, so I am still coughing a bit, but the provoked asthma is settling down, so hopefully it's all on its last knockings.
All the coughing has given me a permanent headache though.
Memo to self....... don't go away next Christmas! :eek:

edwink

Pyxis wrote: »

Edit. I have had a bit of lumbar aching since the missed step, which is par for the course after a jarring, but ice packs are sending that away.
Luckily it hasn't set the leg off.
The cough is receding......... it has left me with that chest irritation you get from coughing so much, so I am still coughing a bit, but the provoked asthma is settling down, so hopefully it's all on its last knockings.
All the coughing has given me a permanent headache though.
Memo to self....... don't go away next Christmas! :eek:

Me too Pyxis with the lumber aching. I forgot this morning and plonked down on to a chair and nearly shot through the ceiling. Blimey did it hurt, so wont being doing that again. Bet your glad your cough has almost gone, just imagine constant coughing after jolting your back.


Cheery I'm glad you are still enjoying your hens even though they are being complete and utter pests. The thing is with rescue hens they just love people and love life in their retirement. They get up to all sorts mischief unlike hens that have not had the first 2 years of their life in cages. We have had both rescues and purchased hens and they are definitely different in how they interact with humans. The others will still eat from your hand, follow you around the place and jump in any hole you dig but rescue hens are more likely to want to sit on your lap for a cuddle. Sometimes I have a rescue hen on my lap so another will just go for perching on my shoulder until my lap becomes free. Purchased hens will do that but not so willingly.

Hobbled out again this morning to get them out for breakfast as hubby was at work. Last time I go and get FDS-itis I can tell you. OUCH!!

Edwink

Pyxis

It's interesting that rescue hens don't associate humans with being treated badly, and so want to sit on you!

Cheery_Daff

Interesting about the differences between rescue and purchased hens! Mind you, ours are very happy to be around us, but don't really come for a cuddle. They'll sit on you if you sprinkle corn on your lap :rotfl: :rotfl: And one of them did end up on my shoulder when we first got them :rotfl: But at the minute I suppose it's SO cold out there I'm not really sitting with them for long enough for them to sit on me

Mr Cheery let them into my study this morning while I was working :eek: :rotfl: He's as bad as they are!! :rotfl: They were making those little cheery curious chicken noises that they make when exploring somewhere new. Ended up having to carry them out as I've still got the sofa bed up and they kept disappearing under there every time I tried to herd them :rotfl:

They've made a nice dust bath area under some trees and were having a lovely time in the sunshine this morning. One dust bath is so deep you couldn't even see the chicken's head poking out of the top! :eek: :rotfl:

edwink

Pyxis wrote: »

It's interesting that rescue hens don't associate humans with being treated badly, and so want to sit on you!

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Interesting about the differences between rescue and purchased hens! Mind you, ours are very happy to be around us, but don't really come for a cuddle. They'll sit on you if you sprinkle corn on your lap :rotfl: :rotfl: And one of them did end up on my shoulder when we first got them :rotfl: But at the minute I suppose it's SO cold out there I'm not really sitting with them for long enough for them to sit on me

I agree and I have always found it quite odd because as you say Pyxis about humans treating them badly. But, thinking about it I suppose maybe they are literately thrown in to the cages that are their homes for 2 years and then thrown out again by humans that have no compassion what so ever. To them it is a business and a way to make big money from all those eggs whilst providing very little to the poor hens in return. So really that would be the only physical contact they would have had with humans previously except for when they were hatched etc. So after being in these cages for 2 years along come these lovely friendly hen rescue people who pick them up carefully and gently and put them in a comfortable transport box/cage and take them to maybe a large stable or barn with loads of soft straw for bedding and plenty of food until good homes can be found for them. I should imagine they would be feeling quite lost after spending 2 years all together stuck in those cages. And if you think about it throughout that period of their lives have had no physical human contact. Then shortly after being in the stable or barn along come more humans who again pick them up carefully and gently and place them in comfortable transport boxes/cages to take them to their new forever homes that have nice green grass, treats, fresh food fed to them, somewhere nice, safe and warm to perch properly at night and places to have wonderful dust baths. Then the following morning this nice caring human unlocks the door to their new home called their hen hotel and they are encouraged to come out and see daylight, the sunshine and lots,lots more.


So when you think about it, its no wonder they love us, want to be best friends with us and sit on our laps, especially as you say Cheery you have sprinkled corn on it. That's my theory about rescue hens verses purchased hens Mind you even rescue hens have to be paid for as this money goes solely towards their keep and vet bills whilst waiting to be rehomed. Bless them

Edwink

babyblade41

edwink wrote: »

Welcome to our friendly feathered friends thread :wave:

Wow you certainly have quite a few to look after especially the ducks as they can be rather messy and need a constant supply of fresh water. We had a mix of 21 hens and 9 ducks at one time and there was always cleaning up to do somewhere. I miss not having so many to be honest though and didn't mind the cleaning up after them. Not surprised you can't remember all their names because to be honest when we had a similar amount we struggled to remember all their names too. Especially with the rescue hens because most do look very similar.

We had someone keeping Geese on here quite a while back but have never had Turkeys yet. Hopefully that will be interesting as I don't actually know a lot about them. Are they similar to keeping hens?. Do they need a lot of space?. I would imagine their food being the same except for the quantity eaten of course.

Glad you have posted, thank you.

Edwink

Thank you for that, Turkeys are amazing birds. Friendly , clumsy and so easy to keep..unlike ducks who are extremely messy !!

babyblade41

edwink wrote: »

I agree and I have always found it quite odd because as you say Pyxis about humans treating them badly. But, thinking about it I suppose maybe they are literately thrown in to the cages that are their homes for 2 years and then thrown out again by humans that have no compassion what so ever. To them it is a business and a way to make big money from all those eggs whilst providing very little to the poor hens in return. So really that would be the only physical contact they would have had with humans previously except for when they were hatched etc. So after being in these cages for 2 years along come these lovely friendly hen rescue people who pick them up carefully and gently and put them in a comfortable transport box/cage and take them to maybe a large stable or barn with loads of soft straw for bedding and plenty of food until good homes can be found for them. I should imagine they would be feeling quite lost after spending 2 years all together stuck in those cages. And if you think about it throughout that period of their lives have had no physical human contact. Then shortly after being in the stable or barn along come more humans who again pick them up carefully and gently and place them in comfortable transport boxes/cages to take them to their new forever homes that have nice green grass, treats, fresh food fed to them, somewhere nice, safe and warm to perch properly at night and places to have wonderful dust baths. Then the following morning this nice caring human unlocks the door to their new home called their hen hotel and they are encouraged to come out and see daylight, the sunshine and lots,lots more.


So when you think about it, its no wonder they love us, want to be best friends with us and sit on our laps, especially as you say Cheery you have sprinkled corn on it. That's my theory about rescue hens verses purchased hens Mind you even rescue hens have to be paid for as this money goes solely towards their keep and vet bills whilst waiting to be rehomed. Bless them

Edwink

That is such a lovely analogy .. my oldest ex batt is 6 and she is still top hen but keeps herself to herself and is the only one who perches , the rest huddle in a corner of the shed.

Their corner is dry and away from the ducks, the turkeys plop down wherever