Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Now sat supervising breakfast, which I don't mind as I have my own cuppa and there is the most glorious sunrise (the hens have a lovely view of the sunrise from their run, much better than from our house :rotfl: )

All seemed fine overnight :j three eggs this morning, one of them very soft shelled and one of the new ladies pecked a hole in it as we were shooing them out.

Everyone's now quietly eating breakfast in their own separate areas (although Maud is still crowing from time to time, and now Mildred has started too) Going to sit in here til it's light enough to let the elder ones out to free range, and in the meantime enjoy the twittering (when I can hear it over Maud and Mildred) :rotfl:

Clearly I'm not cut out to be an actual farmer - can you imagine if I had 300 hens?! Or even just 20! :rotfl: :rotfl:

That's the thing I've enjoyed whilst having hens and doing a bit of the good old early morning supervising. You get to see the sunrise whilst having a cuppa, ahh bliss. Which you would not have seen except maybe through a window whilst being indoors and up early. Plus a good dose of early morning fresh air and you can't beat that. Chilly yes and early but helping ex-batts settle in to their new home and knowing that you are making such a difference to them to help them settle. I do exactly the same Cheery and to see them eating is reassurance that they will settle and be fine.

Just a little tip, if you get a soft egg, which we all do from time to time, if you can get at it before they do you can make up a little bit of scrambled egg for your girls for a really nice treat so the egg is not wasted. It is still a proper egg with a yolk but the white is a little watery. Our girls love it.

Actually yes I could imagine you with 20 hens Cheery:) I started off with 12 hens and 4 ducks but a couple of years down the line I had 21 hens and 9 ducks, so 30 feathered friends in total. Did I ever imagine having that many? No I definitely did not but it just happened because I'm a softie when it comes to animals, I had the space and the facilities to have more so I did. So be warned it's very addictive this hen keeping malarkey :rotfl:

Edwink

Cheery_Daff

:rotfl: I'd probably happily have more - but that would involve a bigger run, and given the palaver we've had building this one I'm not keen :eek: One day maybe...

Pleased to report all ladies now asleep on the perch for the second night running :j :j All been ok today with Mr Cheery supervising. Maud and Mildred less vocal, but still patrolling the fence and delivering the odd swift peck. I had to remove part of the barrier to climb in myself earlier, and Bessie flew over it, swiftly followed by Beaky. Maud and Mildred were NOT impressed :eek: Although I was quite impressed by how high the two pairs of fighting chickens got into the air while clashing chests within about 5 seconds before I intervened :eek: :eek: :rotfl: Good grief.

Still, they calmed down quickly - and we've demonstrated that 24 hours is too soon for unsupervised contact :rotfl:

Alarm set for stupid o clock tomorrow and I'm working at home tomorrow so will be on chicken watch duties for the day.

edwink

Pyxis wrote: »

I suppose with 300, though, they are just a blurry flock, and you wouldn't get emotionally attached.

Wouldn't like to try counting 300, though! :eek:

I wouldn't either because it is bad enough trying to count 10 of them and make sure they are all where they should be especially when they are all shuffling about and trying to get the best spot on the perches. On the colder nights the top of the pecking order hens want to snuggle up in the middle of all of them and in the hot evenings they want to be on the outer edges of the perches. The trouble is with the counting and making sure all are there is that most ex-batts are the same ginger colour . They are clever little things and take themselves off to bed as soon as it starts getting dark and by the time they are all in and settled, it is actually dark-ish and doing a head count can be quite difficult even with a torch. So I'm standing in their hotel saying "now you stay there, you over there keep still and why are you now standing up I'm trying to count you lot. Do they listen, no they don't and they carry on as they were, moving about. Sometimes if a certain hen doesn't get the spot she wants she will peck at another hen to move over and then that hen pecks the one next to her. So I pick the one up that started the pecking and say "right you, you can go at the back and blooming well stay there". Then it all slowly settles down with the trouble maker moved, I can count them properly then lock up for the night. It's quite funny actually and doesn't bother me one bit, I'm used to it. It doesn't happen every night thankfully because I don't like to see them peck each other and hear them yelp as I think it is so unkind.

Hens are so different from ducks as they would happily stay out all night where as the hens can't see in the dark so will always take themselves off to bed just before it starts to get dark. Sadly if a hen is poorly often she doesn't take herself off to bed and we know we will need to go and find her. This often happens sadly towards the end of their life. Not sure if they do it because they may get picked on or just can't be bothered anymore. We have a had few that have done this over the years and normally within a few days they have actually died. Someone told me once that if a hen doesn't go home she is at the end of her life. Sorry to end on a little sad note, it is not a subject I like talking about on here really I must say but it is always useful to know this I suppose.

Edwink

edwink

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

:rotfl: I'd probably happily have more - but that would involve a bigger run, and given the palaver we've had building this one I'm not keen :eek: One day maybe...

Pleased to report all ladies now asleep on the perch for the second night running :j :j All been ok today with Mr Cheery supervising. Maud and Mildred less vocal, but still patrolling the fence and delivering the odd swift peck. I had to remove part of the barrier to climb in myself earlier, and Bessie flew over it, swiftly followed by Beaky. Maud and Mildred were NOT impressed :eek: Although I was quite impressed by how high the two pairs of fighting chickens got into the air while clashing chests within about 5 seconds before I intervened :eek: :eek: :rotfl: Good grief.

Still, they calmed down quickly - and we've demonstrated that 24 hours is too soon for unsupervised contact :rotfl:

Alarm set for stupid o clock tomorrow and I'm working at home tomorrow so will be on chicken watch duties for the day.

Glad that they have all settled tonight Cheery.

There will be a few scraps but that will settle, just give them a few days, as said it is just them establishing a new pecking order. Its not that they don't like each other but there is always a top hen and bringing new hens in shuffles the pecking order.

So you have a Bessie and Beaky now? What is the other new one called?. Didn't know you had names for them yet.

I have to admit I just had a little giggle at you ending your sentence with good grief. I suppose it was just the expression I was giggling at.

I absolutely love reading about other peoples hens and their antics. You and others on here have brought so much fun to this thread which I really enjoy reading. Sadly right now I have a close friend who is very poorly with nasty C***** and you and others that are posting on here right now are giving me something to look forward to when I log on and for that I am very grateful.

Thank you everyone x

Edwink

Cheery_Daff

Aw edwink, so sorry to hear about your friend what a rotten situation. Much love to you both xxx

Yes, Mr Cheery named our ladies this morning. Bessie Bunter is the largest, first to dust bathe, first to fly over the dividing fence, first to try the food. Our new adventure hen. She's got quite a crossed beak and may even be bigger than Maud.

Beaky is slightly smaller, and the scruffiest. As with Mildred (who was the scruffiest of the last batch) she seems determined to make up for it by bossing everyone around. She was the first to pick a fight with Maud and Mildred, and is regularly seen swiping a peck at poor Rusty, who is the smallest and most timid. She has a bare patch over her tail and seems to just snatch food when the others aren't looking - I'm keeping a special eye out for her. Caused no trouble so far.

Bless em

Love that you still count and talk to yours even though you have lots. Lucky hens they are

edwink

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Yes, Mr Cheery named our ladies this morning. Bessie Bunter is the largest, first to dust bathe, first to fly over the dividing fence, first to try the food. Our new adventure hen. She's got quite a crossed beak and may even be bigger than Maud.

Beaky is slightly smaller, and the scruffiest. As with Mildred (who was the scruffiest of the last batch) she seems determined to make up for it by bossing everyone around. She was the first to pick a fight with Maud and Mildred, and is regularly seen swiping a peck at poor Rusty, who is the smallest and most timid. She has a bare patch over her tail and seems to just snatch food when the others aren't looking - I'm keeping a special eye out for her. Caused no trouble so far. Bless em

Love that you still count and talk to yours even though you have lots. Lucky hens they are

Aww love te names, tell Mr Cheery he has chosen well :T

Haven't got lots at the moment but would love to have more right now as it would be really lovely and what I am used to. But, still have my two lovely very, very old ex-batts so don't want to introduce them to about another 12 or 15 new ex-batts. Meant to be sorting the two we have offered to take in as lady says a cat keeps bothering them big time and it is frightening them, bless them. Lady wants them gone basically but doesn't drive so we have been trying not put it off as such but wanted to have more time as my husband is very kindly doing all the hospital runs for our friend and waiting and bringing her back each time. So unfortunately the timing is not good for getting those two here, although saying that this week has been pencilled in for him to collect them. But, not sure what is happening hospital appt wise as some of them have changed.

I'll just have to wait and see how the week goes I think with all my friends appts. Plus, without saying too much I need to be on hand as friend has started not to cope very well and I can't be in two places at once if you understand what I mean.

Thanks Cheery

Edwink

Cheery_Daff

Ah yes sorry, I was getting confused about numbers when i was tired last night!

Don't blame you for wanting to put off the rehoming with everything else you have going on hope it can all work out without being too hard on you and Mr Edwink xxx

I was up for the sunrise again, and I'm afraid I decided I want going to tolerate to many more days of squabbling and adjudication, so I removed the dividing fence before I let them out and put out five bowls of food :rotfl:

Put a stool in the corner of the run, and sat drinking my tea and talking quietly

A few small pecks and a bit of wing flapping from Maud and Mildred and they seemed to settle down and were actually all eating together at one point :j

I wouldn't say they were 'relaxed' exactly... :rotfl: but there wasn't as much pecking and posturing as yesterday :T

Mildred and Maud were pacing by the door to get out (which is usual for them - they prefer to lay in the bush in the garden if they can) so I let them out and sat with the others for a bit.

Now I'm sitting outside the run trying to tempt the new ladies out into the sunshine but they seem content to just hang out in the run for now so I might shut the door and go and have my own breakfast and try again later.

I'm working at home today so can worl flexibly round chicken integration activities :j

Hope all your ladies (and yourselves) are happy and healthy :j

Oh, I started giving them all wormer today. Mixed up 2kg of feed last night and we'll see how we go. The new ladies have eaten plenty, Maud and Mildred generally turn up their beaks at their breakfast but come back and eat it throughout the day so we'll see...

Pyxis

"Chicken integration activities"!

Love it!


You do realise that you are becoming ideally equipped for a job at the United Nations, don't you?

Cheery_Daff

Not a very successful one according to this afternoon! :eek:

Mildred and Maud have been out wandering all day, new ladies have been in the run. Attempted to encourage them out when both Mr Cheery and I were here earlier and they did eventually come out for a bit, bless em.

Mildred and Maud are being a pair of menaces though, going out of their way to peck Rusty especially. Poor little thing, she's much smaller than the others and already has quite a bald patch

I've sat outside with them for the last hour while they've all been milling around outside, and am now sat in the run waiting for them to go to bed. Yawn. Tried bringing my laptop out here but I couldn't concentrate to send work emails with chicken squabbling going on round my feet :eek:

Nobody's bleeding though which I suppose is a good thing... And there have only been a few mouthfuls of feathers :eek:

Sigh. I suppose it's early days and maybe I should have kept the barrier in place for a bit longer We've got to go out in the morning for a few hours and I'd rather not leave Mildred and Maud free ranging for that long while we're not here, so I suppose I'll just have to leave them all in the run and let them fight it out and hope there's no casualties. I could put the barrier back, but two of them managed to get over it yesterday and I wouldn't want them to get trapped on the wrong side! :eek:

Maybe they'll all be the best of friends by the time we get back... :eek: might judge what to do after I've adjudicated breakfast - don't need to leave til 8am and should be back by lunchtime so they can have the afternoon apart...

edwink

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Nobody's bleeding though which I suppose is a good thing... And there have only been a few mouthfuls of feathers :eek:
Sigh. I suppose it's early days and maybe I should have kept the barrier in place for a bit longer We've got to go out in the morning for a few hours and I'd rather not leave Mildred and Maud free ranging for that long while we're not here, so I suppose I'll just have to leave them all in the run and let them fight it out and hope there's no casualties. I could put the barrier back, but two of them managed to get over it yesterday and I wouldn't want them to get trapped on the wrong side! :eek:
Maybe they'll all be the best of friends by the time we get back... :eek: might judge what to do after I've adjudicated breakfast - don't need to leave til 8am and should be back by lunchtime so they can have the afternoon apart...

I think you are doing just fine with them Cheery and as for keeping the barrier, well my opinion is they will all be together sooner or later so why not now? and the more space you give them the better. Its normally the first few days or so when the are introduced to each other that they squabble. But, when they realise that they do have to all live together things will settle.

We have introduced just the one hen on her own, the one I mentioned several posts back, also 15 when we already had 7:eek:, six when we already had 12. We have tried so many different ways and 9 times out of 10 you get the squabbles and a few feathers flying whatever way you introduce them. We had some that we separated and kept in our duck run for 2 days and they were snarling at each other through the chicken wire and we even just let 6 mix straight away and still the same old squabbling. Barrier or no barrier they will still have a pop at each other. It's like, "so ok your new round here and I'm the boss got it? and in the meantime have peck or two from me as a reminder so you remember what I just said".

Sadly the smallest will get extra pecks, we had the same here with a couple of ours that were so much smaller than the others. Just make sure that she gets some food, that's important and in no time she will put on weight and be just like the others. You will be surprised how quickly they put on weight and catch up in size and its great to see too. She probably won't fight or peck back and just let them do it for a while because then they will leave her alone completely as they will soon realise that she is not up for a fight with them so is not a threat. Its the two against the other two that are being feisty with each other, but soon one will back down followed by another and so on. Then as a rule the pecking order is sorted and they should all live well together. You may get the odd pecking like hens do when they tell each other off but nothing major and more of a reminder that who is boss.

You sure do drink lots of tea Cheery I've nearly had my mug of coffee over me a couple of times whilst playing referee I've also had a few hens that when I have put my mug down they have decided to help themselves to my early morning cuppa. Nothing like nipping back in doors for a warm up by the stove whilst the kettle is back on again is there?.

Edwink