Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Cheery_Daff

Well they certainly complained quite a bit that it wasn't ready until 7pm when they are usually winding down ready for bed at 6 😂 the minute we finished faffing and stood back all three of them were inside the hen house within 5 minutes ready to nod off 😂 It's funny, they're all usually properly in bed by 7.30, even at this time of year, but my friend who lives about 5 miles away has hens and she sometimes has to make herself stay up past 10pm as hers are still messing about 😂

Anyway, here it is - still not quite finished apparently... hen house is quite a bit higher with steps to the door - it means they can actually get underneath it now so they have more space, and it's easier for me to clean out. Apparently that inside roof is going to be replaced/screwed on properly tomorrow (my prediction is that it doesn't get done tomorrow, and in fact I predict that I will have to go and collect the new ladies myself as Mr Cheery will still be making last minute alterations (because that's exactly what happened last time...)

Pyxis

Now that you've made all these improvements, are you putting up their egg-rent?😁

edwink

That's a super run for them Cheery with plenty of space for when you are out and about. Looks extremely safe too which is excellent for protecting them especially at night. Have you increased the size of it?. I remember you explaining once what it was like and from that I had no idea it was 12ft. I do hope that Mr Cheery finishes the roof tomorrow, fingers and toes crossed eh?  😉😁 

Your girls certainly go to bed early.  Like your friend's mine go to bed at around 9.30ish but often want to mess about past that time and it is normally just before 10pm that they are all in and tucked up for the night.  Looks like yours are extremely well behaved Cheery and mine and your friends are leading us a merry dance 

Edwink x

Pyxis

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CHEERY'S HEN DO CLUCKDOWN!:

ONLY.........🐓..........hen day to go and..................................clucking!

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Cheery_Daff

One day 😮😮

No we've not increased the size, it's the same as before, we've just put a solid roof on (rather than just mesh) and cleared out a load of the stuff that has accumulated in there (and now we've raised their house they have the space underneath that too). 

It's pretty sturdy, and has two lots of mesh round it - the original really stiff stuff was great, but some of it had 2 inch wide squares and that's how the stoat got in, so we covered all of it with quarter inch mesh as well. It's so ridiculous now that we have to rescue the occasional bumblebee that gets in through the open door and can't get back out through the mesh...🙄

How funny that you have late night chickens too! We didn't deliberately train ours that way... it was September when we got the first lot so I suppose they got into the habit of going to bed earlier, and we shut them into the run no later than 6 even now, with corn and treats etc, and usually sit with them for a bit as they quiet down. But they just all take themselves into bed by no later than half 7. Hope the new chickens get into the habit of doing that as well else we're going to have a ludicrous staggered bedtime situation! Hoping they'll follow the lead of the older ladies...

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:One day 😮😮

No we've not increased the size, it's the same as before, we've just put a solid roof on (rather than just mesh) and cleared out a load of the stuff that has accumulated in there (and now we've raised their house they have the space underneath that too). 
It's pretty sturdy, and has two lots of mesh round it - the original really stiff stuff was great, but some of it had 2 inch wide squares and that's how the stoat got in, so we covered all of it with quarter inch mesh as well. It's so ridiculous now that we have to rescue the occasional bumblebee that gets in through the open door and can't get back out through the mesh...🙄
How funny that you have late night chickens too! We didn't deliberately train ours that way... it was September when we got the first lot so I suppose they got into the habit of going to bed earlier, and we shut them into the run no later than 6 even now, with corn and treats etc, and usually sit with them for a bit as they quiet down. But they just all take themselves into bed by no later than half 7. Hope the new chickens get into the habit of doing that as well else we're going to have a ludicrous staggered bedtime situation! Hoping they'll follow the lead of the older ladies...

We have the same problem as you Cheery with all and sundry getting stuck somewhere inside their coop. We have chicken wire over the whole of the outside and then half inch strong netting over that. We leave the door open too so the girls can come and go during the day as they please.  We have a resident Robin here that likes to go in to see if the girls have left any food for them but although he/she knows where the door is to get in, he/she doesn't know where the door is to get out, the daft silly thing. 

You won't have staggered bedtimes Cheery because the new girls will copy your old'uns eventually, once they have all made friends, of course.  The first few nights they won't know what to do but might just follow the others and if not you will need to show them where to go to bed just like you did before when you got new rescue hens to join your others. 

I hope all goes to plan tomorrow Cheery.  We will be thinking of you.  Take care x

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Thanks edwink. We're pretty excited now 😂 everything is all ready, new ladies have a sectioned off area (although we'll give them the whole run for a while when the other ladies are out foraging). 

Counting in hours now, is that sad? 😂

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:

Thanks edwink. We're pretty excited now 😂 everything is all ready, new ladies have a sectioned off area (although we'll give them the whole run for a while when the other ladies are out foraging). 

Counting in hours now, is that sad? 😂

No not sad at all Cheery, only because I do the same  🤣🤣🤣   Don't forget some pics please when you have time. 

Edwink x

Pyxis

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CHEERY'S HEN DO ..........

..........HAS ARRIVED!!! 

🐓🐓🐓TODAY'S THE DAY!!!🐓🐓🐓

🐓🐓🐓IT'S HEN DAY!!! 🐓🐓🐓

🐓🐓🐓Three little cluckers arriving today! 🐓🐓🐓

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https://youtu.be/Nt81gzIAt18

Cheery_Daff

Tis indeed the day, most exciting!!!
Collecting them at 1 so still another 5 hours to go 😂 but it's an hour away, and we have a couple of things to pick up on the way so we'll set off at half 11, which is not even 4 hours away 😁😂