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Keeping hens and ducks chat.

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Comments

  • Cheery_Daff
    Cheery_Daff Posts: 16,465 Forumite
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    Aw :o

    I confess the prospect of getting our new ladies doesn't feel half as frightening as the previous lot, we were reflecting on that the other day. While we are by NO means what you might call 'experienced', when we collected the first ladies, I'd only ever picked up a chicken once and Mr Cheery never had, and we were terrified we'd never be able to catch them! Now we spent the whole day trying to get them out from under our feet :rotfl:

    There's been a nesting consternation this morning :eek: Fed the ladies as usual - they turned up their beaks (as usual - apparently Mr Cheery makes better breakfast than me...) :rotfl: Started making a clucking noise and hanging round the back door so I let them out - my study seems perfectly adequate for sleeping and they'll happily come back in the house in the evening, and they've laid eggs in there before we've got up before now, but their preference seems to be for a bush in the garden (which it was when they were living outside).

    Anyway, 20 minutes later Mildred was making a HUGE racket clucking and squarking. Could see her out the window so I knew nothing was wrong - Maud was in the favoured nesting site and I thought Mildred was just complaining about being on her own.

    She followed me back into the house and started fussing about in the study clearly trying to find somewhere to lay. In the process she's got on top of the plastic bag I've been using to poo pick - clearly thought it was nice and soft and full of bedding - and has scratched a big hole in it so that's one more thing to clean up...

    Anyway, then Maud appeared in the kitchen, so I walked back outside and Mildred followed me out to the nesting site. There was no egg in it though so obviously Maud was just going through the motions.

    I can just see Mildred reappearing now so will go and check in a minute.

    What a palaver!

    Will be glad when they're back living outside and all this drama and spectacle takes place at the other end of the garden :rotfl: :rotfl:

    Should be back out today by the way :j Mr Cheery put mesh across the majority of the roof yesterday - just one more piece to attach, then it's just part of the sides that aren't done - I'm going to go back out to help and we should be done by lunchtime - and certainly by bedtime, thank goodness!!
  • Pyxis
    Pyxis Posts: 46,077 Forumite
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    Cheery, whatever did you use to fill your day with before you got hens? :rotfl::rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
    (I just lurve spiders!)
    INFJ(Turbulent).

    Her Greenliness Baroness Pyxis of the Alphabetty, Pinnacle of Peadom and Official Brainbox
    Founder Member: 'WIMPS ANONYMOUS' and 'VICTIMS of the RANDOM HEDGEHOG'
    I'm in a clique! It's a clique of one! It's a unique clique!
    I love :eek:



  • Cheery_Daff
    Cheery_Daff Posts: 16,465 Forumite
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    Goodness knows :eek: could have probably paid an extra month's mortgage off with what we've spent on them too :eek:

    Just got a brilliant picture of Mildred inspecting my hammering :rotfl: :rotfl:
  • Pyxis
    Pyxis Posts: 46,077 Forumite
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    Goodness knows :eek: could have probably paid an extra month's mortgage off with what we've spent on them too :eek:

    Just got a brilliant picture of Mildred inspecting my hammering :rotfl: :rotfl:

    Show plizz!
    (I just lurve spiders!)
    INFJ(Turbulent).

    Her Greenliness Baroness Pyxis of the Alphabetty, Pinnacle of Peadom and Official Brainbox
    Founder Member: 'WIMPS ANONYMOUS' and 'VICTIMS of the RANDOM HEDGEHOG'
    I'm in a clique! It's a clique of one! It's a unique clique!
    I love :eek:



  • babyblade41
    babyblade41 Posts: 3,943 Forumite
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    Well after 6 weeks of my crew in their new home.. quite a bit smaller than previous we are getting ready to open up a new section for them to roam, but....

    I was watching them from an upstairs window and actually thinking do they actually want anymore?... mine are free range so no covered run and a shed for sleeping plus 3 pools for the ducks

    My plan was to open up a bit more but quite honestly I'm not sure if they need it . Due to the nice weather here most of the afternoon they just find a tree and huddle close and chill, The hens just mooch and turkeys sun bathe .. I will try and post pics and ask opinions but as the area they are going to have is not really any use for any of us then probably I'll open it up but I'm probably looking more for hen and duck approval:T
  • Silian
    Silian Posts: 165 Forumite
    My first ever batch has just hatched! :beer:

    Four are strong and fit in the brooding cage. They have mastered 'water' (after some difficulty where they thought we were trying to drown them) but haven't figured out the difference between food and poop yet :D

    One has splayed legs syndrome :(. We made her a brace and she is in her own emergency box with a heater and a heated blanket so her siblings do not bully her. She is looking much stronger today and can actually stand thanks to the brace - I think we can remove it in a day or two. She is the only one we have named so far: Clumsy. That means that even if 'she' turns out to be a 'he' we can't eat him :p

    The last one (6/6) has just pipped after we almost gave up on her. Eta tomorrow morning.

    Number of eggs: 0. They are only 0-3 days old :D
  • Cheery_Daff
    Cheery_Daff Posts: 16,465 Forumite
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    Welcome Silian, lovely to hear about your new chicks :j :j Hope Clumsy is doing ok, and the others of course. I never thought of a chicken in a leg brace! Did you make it yourself?

    BabyBlade, interesting stuff. They do seem to have their little rituals don't they? Ours roam free when we're here and they could wander to the other end of the country if they wanted as we have no fence round the garden (we're very rural) but they pretty much just stay in the garden not far from their run, and spend a lot of time just sitting in what we're calling the Chicken Lounge - a dust bathing area under some conifers. Do let us know what you decide to do!

    Well, I am DELIGHTED to report that after nearly three weeks living in our house, our ladies are finally back in their own house :j

    Our entire run has been covered in quarter inch mesh, the tiniest of holes round the base concreted, and quarter inch mesh put over the top too (it's over 8 foot high so didn't have a roof before).

    There's no way anything bigger than an earthworm is getting in there now :eek:

    The ladies were hanging out with us while we finished it this afternoon, and as it started to go dusky we gave them some treats in their run. They seemed pleased to be in there, even before we moved the house back in. Once we'd set up the house and the sun had set (and we'd finished hammering) we just sat in the run with them (pair of softies) and they just took themselves off to bed in the house, no fuss, no bother, just as they would have done before :j

    Really pleased - I was a bit worried they'd be reluctant to go in and we'd have to put them in which would have made me feel mean :o but actually I think they're sick of being in our house and have been just waiting to get back in their own :rotfl:

    Of course now we're sitting in our house worrying about them :o:o

    Off to collect the new ladies at 2.30 tomorrow :j we'll separate an area of the run so they can see each other, but they'll all be sleeping in the same house from the start - the BHWT advised us to do that but just make sure we get up early to stop fights breaking out once it gets light :eek:

    I reckon our two ladies will be grateful (eventually) to be part of a flock again. They've been sticking very close to us this last couple of weeks, and of course when one is laying the other is on her own and none too pleased about it :rotfl:

    Just need to reclaim my study now! Gosh it's a tip - well, it's effectively a chicken coop :eek: not doing it tonight though, I confess I just shut the door on it and have run a bath instead, I'm worn out :o :rotfl:
  • Pyxis
    Pyxis Posts: 46,077 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I always thought it was cats who ruled the household! It seems that it is hens!

    They have you so well-trained! :rotfl: :rotfl:
    (I just lurve spiders!)
    INFJ(Turbulent).

    Her Greenliness Baroness Pyxis of the Alphabetty, Pinnacle of Peadom and Official Brainbox
    Founder Member: 'WIMPS ANONYMOUS' and 'VICTIMS of the RANDOM HEDGEHOG'
    I'm in a clique! It's a clique of one! It's a unique clique!
    I love :eek:



  • babyblade41
    babyblade41 Posts: 3,943 Forumite
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    I tend to not separate new ex batts from old timers but I do put them in when others are asleep...so far no fighting ...

    My last lot were totally featherless with open sores so lots of purple spray

    Hope the new ones settle quickly
  • edwink
    edwink Posts: 2,992 Forumite
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    edited 24 February 2019 at 11:03AM
    Not long now for Cheery's new chooks....... 4 hours and counting :)

    They will be fine Cheery and I am sure you will step in if they get too agitated with each other. Its only because the pecking order changes that they can and do squabble a bit but once it has been established all settles again.

    We went down the route of putting one hen in with all our others at night when they were already perched in bed. We did this because she was on her own and didn't have back up if picked on badly. Others do this even when they introduce more hens than that. There is no right or wrong way to introduce more hens to your flock but the way you feel is best for you and your girls. Experience over time will guide you on what is the best way for them and you. It's another new experience for you today Cheery and you are understandable a bit nervous I'm sure so just be on hand if they need you.

    I don't mind playing referee if I need to tbh. I just go out and mooch about with a cuppa and keep my eye on them all, that's if all are in sight of course. If they are having a little go at each other I just watch closely and if needs be I can step in. I just go right up to them and shout "what are you two up too, play nicely please". It's more feather flying than anything and a lot of wing flapping. Just try and make sure no single he is being picked on by herself.

    Scatter some food/treats quite widely so although in the same area they are spread apart a bit, doing their own thing and eating whilst getting acquainted with each other.

    You will probably find that one of your hens or maybe two will try and stand taller than the rest, stretching her head and necks up high, strutting their stuff and starts trying to make noises like a Cockerel, although it actually doesn't sound anything like a Cockerel. It is just her/them trying to show their dominance over the others, as if to say "I'm the boss around here you lot". It does look rather peculiar when they do that I have to say. So although it may seem a little daunting introducing more it can having a comical side too.

    Please let us know how you get on. Oh and don't forget tell Mr Cheery we like to know their names ASAP :D

    Edwink
    **3.36 kWp solar panel system, 10 x Ultima & 4 x Panasonic solar panels, Solaredge Inverter **Biomass boiler stove for cooking, hot water & heating **2000ltr Rainwater harvesting system for loo flushing - **Hybrid Toyota Auris car **1 ex-battery hen - RIP Pingu, Hoppy & Ginger ****Hens & Ducks**** chat thread. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5282209
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