Keeping hens and ducks chat.

C_J

New hens have arrived! They’re gorgeous. Here’s the majority of them checking out their salad bar (a couple are missing from the picture .... they were in the coop laying little eggs, minutes after being introduced to their new home). Eagle-eyed amongst you will spot that we also opted to have a cockerel, not something I’ve ever done before but thought it would be nice to have one to keep the girls in line and stop any squabbling.

More pictures to follow. They have a climbing frame and swing which they are loving!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, look at your beautiful hens C_J! Is the cockerel the grey one on the left at the front?? My identification skills are useless Do let us know how you get on with him. Salad bar looks great! 

All good here. MUCH less squabbling (thank goodness). Mostly they hang around as a whole flock, or in two factions of old and new (or 'classic' and 'imposter' as we tend to refer to them ). Bonnie has started to hang around with the older hens though which is nice, and this morning Bonnie and Rusty (one new, one old) turned up at the back door together. Rusty (old) and Chippy (new) have also both been sitting on my knee at the same time without pecking each other, which is lovely. 

Poor Rusty is still limping a little after I rather embarrassingly stood on her foot while she was getting under my feet as I got the shopping out of the car. Oh dear. She's still running round so I'm not too concerned. It gets a little worse towards the end of the day (which isn't surprising) but each day it seems less bad, so fingers crossed. 

edwink

C_J... Love your photo and your lovely Cockerel and his hens, aww bless them. I'm sure the salad bar will keep them amused for ages as they have found that already by the look of it.  I can see 8 in your photo so was that the amount you got or are there others hiding away from the camera?


Cheery...Glad yours appear to have sorted their pecking order now because it is always nice when there is harmony in the camp.  How is Rusty's foot now?.  I have to confess I have stood on a few toes and feet with mine, by mistake obviously.  I always find that they will limp for a day or two and then run around like loonies as if nothing has ever happened.  I must admit I do feel awful about it when I see them limping a bit.

Edwink x

C_J

Well, my new girls (and boy) have all settled in well and several of them are laying already (very small eggs, but that will get better in time). I have 9 hens plus the cockerel - one of the little brown hens, and one of the Oxford Blues (the grey ones) were missing from the photo. They were probably playing on their rustic log climbing frame, they really love it. I don’t think I can upload videos to this site, but I’ve filmed some lovely footage of them on their swing and outdoor perches.

The only issue I’ve had is their reluctance to head back into the coop at dusk. I have one of those automatic door openers/closers which react to daylight, and the door starts to come down just after 8pm at the moment. On the first two nights Mister C J  and I spent 15 minutes trying to catch them and put them in the coop (lots of shrieking and flapping about); last night I propped the door open until it was dark, by which time they’d all hopped up the ladder and gone to bed by themselves so all I had to do was release the hatch. I’m hoping they’ve got the hang of it now, and will leave the hatch to close at dusk and then check that they’re all in. Mister C J fixed up a video camera so we can watch them from our iPads at any time!

Foodwise, they’ve only ever been used to chick crumb then layers pellets, and fresh grass as they free ranged in a field. They’ve been bemused by other taste sensations, quite liked strawberries, don’t like courgettes, but loved their evening sprinkling of corn. The salad bar is a huge hit, and although they keep it shorn, they can’t scratch the roots up so it keeps growing through the wire mesh. I gave them some of the sprouted wild bird seed yesterday, it had grown to about 4ins high, and they went crazy for it.

Can you tell that I’m besotted? 😂

orangecrush

C_J said:

New hens have arrived! They’re gorgeous. Here’s the majority of them checking out their salad bar (a couple are missing from the picture .... they were in the coop laying little eggs, minutes after being introduced to their new home). Eagle-eyed amongst you will spot that we also opted to have a cockerel, not something I’ve ever done before but thought it would be nice to have one to keep the girls in line and stop any squabbling.

More pictures to follow. They have a climbing frame and swing which they are loving!

C_J they're gorgeous!  I want more hens now! 

edwink

orangecrush said:

C_J said:

C_J they're gorgeous!  I want more hens now! 

Me too especially a cockerel and I rather like the look of that clever salad bar I must say.

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

All going ok with my hens and they are running about the place like complete and utter loonies. All of them are totally feathered up now except one aka "Baldy Bones".  She follows me about everywhere as I have spoilt her with freshly picked raspberries.  How do you explain to a skinny bald hen that the raspberry season has finished now and she will have to wait till next year if she wants some more?. I've offered her a few chopped grapes but she turns her nose up at me because all she wants is blooming raspberries.  Funny little peculiar hen she is, bless her, She'll eat sweetcorn, cucumber, and apple though so doesn't go without treats that's for sure 😀😀😀

How is it going for others on here? All harmony in the camp I hope. I'm very interested to know how your salad bar is going C_J and how it is going with your cockerel.  I am still thinking of getting another cockerel I have to say but at the moment I'm trying not to look at the "Lonely Hearts" section on the BHWT website because it is full of beautiful cockerels all looking for new homes. It makes me sad to see them there but I know they are being well looked after whilst awaiting new homes.  Maybe, next Spring I'll think about it more seriously as we have plenty of space for one and he will help keep my unruly lot in check 😂😂😂

Stay safe everyone.

Edwink 😉

Pyxis

Nice to see you posting, Edwink.

I don't spend much time on MSE now that they've shut the Arms, and the clunky layout of this forum and the giant keyboard is annoying for just browsing, but I'm popping in once a week to have a general catch-up with a couple of threads, this one included.

Cheery_Daff

Nice to see you posting edwink!

All fine with our ladies. Rusty has been to the vet with a limp but £81 later (and some anti inflammatories) she seems better - given her some more today though as it looked like they were wearing off.

Otherwise all well in the beaky camp. Just shut them in the run and I've been sat with them having a cuppa

Cheery_Daff

Rusty found the treats