Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

Hi everyone

Sorry for the absence I've been so busy here especially with veg and fruit growing etc. We get times like this especially as trying to freeze the surplus to what we need right now.  Just shuffling the freezer about takes time because it is quite full up already, nevermind I'll squash it and flatten it if I have to 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Cheery how are Rusty and Bessie now, bless 'em. I guess you must have finished giving the medication now. At least they have both of you to look after them so well which is so lovely.   I am glad you are thinking of getting some more rescue girls when the time is right, more hens the merrier I say.  In answer to your question yes ours are all together and we always mix them if and when we add more. You may remember we had 8 here and Mr Edwink went out and collected some hens from a local guy who was moving. We were told originally there were 8 that needed rehoming but when Mr Edwink got there and saw them there were 15 and not 8 so he rang me to tell me and I just said ok no problem bring them all home "the more the merrier"  So that is where I got that saying from by the way 🤣🤣🤣🤣  Do update us on yours Cheery when you get a minute but I do know from reading your own thread that you are super busy at the moment so no rush at all 😊


Orangecrush, congratulations on the soon-to-be new addition to your family how nice for you all.  I do hope you get to the end of your renovations soon though because a new baby will certainly be extra work for you without all the renovation mess as well.  Glad you have the new hen enclosure all sorted and I have to say "trust them" not to like the ladder you have given them. I shouldn't worry though because if there are treats somewhere at the top of it they will soon stop disliking it that's for sure.  oh yes please regarding the pics of the new enclosure because we do like pics on here. Thank you so much for posting.


We have a poorly girl here, I'm afraid. We are off to the vets with her tomorrow afternoon as I have checked her over thoroughly and can't find anything which I think is wrong with her. I noticed she was a little quiet just over 2 weeks ago now and this has continued but as I can't fathom what is wrong with her I think it is best she sees a vet.  Like before with a poorly hen we sectioned off Hoppys run so she can share half of it with her. She has been eating really well in there on her own and sort of mixes with the others when they are all out and about free-ranging but is on her own a lot. She has been sleeping in our little hospital hut at night for her safety more than anything. I'm not sure what is happening with her but her weight has definitely dropped although she has been eating really well except for this weekend though. I'll have to leave this one to the vets because I don't know what is happening with her. Her comb is not the best colour I have seen either and she is pretty slow on her feet right now. This weekend she has been continuously stopping for a rest when she is walking about which worries me. Aww, these little girls are such a worry, bless 'em 😪


Right, that's the end of my essay for today, take care all.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Hello lovely chicken chums 😊

Orangecrush, sounds like you have a lovely set up there! Are the ladies getting used to their ladder yet? Ours are funny with new things, sometimes they won't go near them for a day or two, then won't be without them 😂

How did your vet trip go edwink? Poor little lass. I hope the vet has been able to find out what's wrong and tell you how to treat it.

We have been on a pensioners' road trip to the vets today 😂 I think I said we were taking Bessie last week (or the week before??) as Mr Cheery suspected she wasn't well... - turns out he was right, so another draining of fluid, another new implant, antibiotics and anti inflammatories 🙄

They gave us tablets not liquid antibiotics this time 😮 but we have mastered the art of shoving them down the throat rather than trying to hide them in food - none of us enjoyed it 🙄 but it was certainly much quicker and we know she got the whole dose.

Vet wanted to see her after she'd finished the tablets, and as Rusty was booked in for a checkup today anyway, we took them together. They actually settled down well in the car, and they made me laugh in the consulting room - while Bessie was being examined, Rusty was eating dandelions in the little crate we took them in, and while Rusty was having her turn, Bessie found a bit of cheese in the crate, and made her excited 'cheese noise'  and Rusty was not impressed at missing out 😂

We pondered whether they'd always be happier travelling with a pal since we drive 1.5 hours each way, and the vet said she thought it was a good idea, and that they didn't seem stressed at all, which was lovely (and this point Bessie was raking through the hay in the crate, and Rusty was tucking into a juicy pear 😂 )

Anyway, both of them seem fine, thank goodness. No fluid to drain off Bessie, and Rusty's fleshy lump hasn't grown at all, which means hopefully it's just scar tissue.

No medication for either! And relatively cheap at £107 for the pair 🙄

edwink

Our vet's trip went ok but we are none the wiser about what is happening with her, bless her.  The vet has said to keep a very close eye on her which we will of course.  Like us, the vet couldn't find anything physically wrong with her so it may just be an "age related getting frail very quickly" problem. I did mention that her weight had dropped and it concerned me and that from what I had witnessed she was eating ok. As she is mobile albeit a bit slow and not in any pain we are just going to keep a very close eye on her and the vet has said to bring her back if we notice anything untoward with her. Definitely worth taking her to get her checked over especially as we couldn't work out what was wrong with her ourselves. Our visit cost £64 which wasn't too bad I guess because vets bills wise I don't think we have taken any of the girls for at least a couple of years now. 


Cheery...... I'm glad that Bessie and Rusty enjoyed their road trip and you left without having medication for either of them this time. I like the antics with them being in their cage especially with the cheese. It's great it hasn't cost you a fortune this time because I know you have paid out quite a lot in vets bills for your girls especially over the past couple of years. I'm pleased that you have mastered the art of giving them medication now, although it looks awkward it is very quick just putting the tablet down their throat, and certainly much quicker than trying to get them to take it with food. We'd tried the food trick over the years until we managed to get meds down their throat quickly and painlessly for them.  

Looking back I've never thought about taking 2 hens together, what a brilliant idea because it would definitely give them a traveling companion for the trip which could relax them more on the way. If we go to the vets I sit in the back with them on my lap but if we have taken a duck we put them in a wicker basket with a small blanket over their back to stop them flapping and maybe injuring their wings. We have had great fun at the vets with a duck in a basket, you should see the children if there are any in the waiting room.  They can't wait to come over and stroke them.  I guess it is a novelty for children to see a hen or a duck in a vets waiting room. I remember sitting in the vet once and someone had taken their hamster to be seen.  The vet always called out the animals name and the owners surname when it was their turn to go in. The pet owners in the waiting room had a good old giggle when the vet came out of his consulting room and called "Squeaky Summers".  I remember thinking oh how sweet is that for a little hamster. When it was our turn he came out and said "Weetabix" which gave a few giggles too.


Work is still going on here with Mr Edwinks music room and we think the noise has unsettled poor Hoppy a bit.  She has been acting like a stroppy teenager and for the first time ever she nipped at Mr Edwinks arm and wouldn't let go of his skin. She didn't draw blood or anything but she slightly marked his skin. We bring her down to the lawn so she is away from it all and she seems happy with that once down here but it is getting her down here that's the problem.  The music room should be finished in a couple of weeks time, hopefully.  The hens don't appear to be bothered by the noise but it has bothered Hoppy we think, bless her. 

I'll update on the little hen over the coming days.

Take care all

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

All going ok here with our little hen that we took to the vets the other day. She is still a little slow on her feet and I have seen her have a few naps during the day but besides that, I think she is ok, fingers crossed.

We had a bit of a scuffle here today which is most unusual and luckily we were with the girls to deal with the situation. Sadly 5 of the hens jumped on one of the others, poor thing.  By the time I saw what was going on all 5 were having a go at her.  I obviously stopped the situation by grabbing hold of her and pushing the others away.  Honestly, these girls can be nasty to each other when they feel like it but it is not as if they don't have enough space to spread out and not spend time near a particular hen that they may or may not dislike. This little hen is now in with Hoppy sharing her run with her.  I'll just keep her away from the others for a few days and hope that things will have settled down between them. We have 2 girls in particular that are the top dogs here and not surprisingly they were involved in the scuffle along with 3 others. Naughty girls!!!

I do like "harmony in the camp" so was most upset seeing the scuffle today 😥😥😥  But, it is extremely rare that it happens here, thankfully. 

I will update with any news soon.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Oh dear edwink, that does sound distressing! Glad you were there to jump in, they can be proper mean sometimes, can't they? Pesky creatures. Good to hear your poorly hen is doing ok.

All fine here, thank goodness (and fingers crossed). We've had builders here all week so of course the ladies have been shut in their new palatial run, which they are very vocal about when they can see us, and completely fine with when they can't 😂

edwink

Cheery_Daff said: All fine here, thank goodness (and fingers crossed). We've had builders here all week so of course the ladies have been shut in their new palatial run, which they are very vocal about when they can see us, and completely fine with when they can't 😂

It's the same here Cheery with them being vocal when in their run.  I sometimes creep out there to see if all is well because it is so quiet and they are happily foraging away really peacefully, that is until they see me, then good gracious what a blooming racket.

We are in the process of having the music studio built for Mr Edwink and his beloved saxophone.  The girls are out of their run and further away from the guys building it as we have blocked their access to the pond area right now.  I did wonder if that had something to do with the 5 girls ganging up on the poor little hen today. Hoppy has been acting like a stroppy teenager and is pretty grumpy at the moment.  Maybe they don't like the sound of the 1970's music that is on the radio out there 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Only about a week to go until it is all finished and the girls can have all the rest of their space back. 

Hope your building work goes well Cheery. You certainly have your work cut out at the moment that's for sure. Plenty of tea and cake at the cafe is a good reason to get a break from it all.  Take care x

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

Goodness, where does the time go?  Busy, busy here at the moment with veg and fruit growing to keep us fed and the hens and Hoppy of course.  The girls now have all the cucumbers they can eat because so far I reckon we have picked about 50 so far.  The guys that are currently working here on Mr Edwinks music studio have taken some home every week and also freshly dug up potatoes too. We've had a bumper year with a lot of our veg but the tomatoes have been a disaster as we got early blight so they have all had to go.  Managed to save a few tomatoes off of them before they were pulled up and they are currently ripening in the kitchen. Definitely, no two years are alike with veg growing, that's for sure because other years we've had masses of tomatoes and the cucumbers have been rubbish. All good fun though!

The music studio building is going ok and the guys have just finished week 4 with 1 more week until it is finished,  hopefully. Mr Edwink can't wait to get in there and make as much racket as he wants 🤣🤣🤣🤣  And, I can't wait to have a peaceful house once more 🤣 🤣🤣🤣

Our little hen that was poorly is still doing ok and plodding about along with the others, thankfully.  We have kept the hen that was pounced on away from the others, for the time being, as I don't want her to come to any harm as they were rather nasty to her, bless her heart. She spends time with Hoppy on the lawn away from the others for her safety at the moment.  I'll have to make a decision whether or not to put her back with the others but at the moment she appears absolutely fine and I am sure enjoying the extra treats she gets away from the rest of them. Hoppy is still being a bit grumpy for some reason, we think it might be to do with the noise nearby whilst the guys are building the music studio. Hopefully, she will be less grumpy when they finally finish it. 

Hope everyone and their feathered friends are ok.

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

It was all quiet here last week and the girls were allowed back down to the pond area because the guy that has been building Mr Edwinks music studio fell backwards into our pond and has quite badly damaged his elbow, poor man.  He was pretty shaken up and had quite a few cuts along his arm, bless him.  He phoned his wife and she came and picked him up to take him home as he obviously could not drive. He has been seen at the hospital and has been told to rest his arm as apparently he has torn some tissue around his elbow. Hoppy had been swimming around in the pond about an hour earlier so it was fortunate that she wasn't in there at the time as it would have totally freaked her out. The guy hopes to continue with the music room at the beginning of Oct now but we have told him not to rush back and to make sure his arm is much, much better before he returns in case it gives him further problems and he damages it by coming back to work too soon. 

All hens are doing ok which is good as I do like harmony in the camp.  The little hen that was pounced on is unfortunately still being kept separate from the others as we have allowed her to mix with them twice now and closely watched her but a few of them appear to have taken a disliking to her and started to follow her about, ready to pounce on her again no doubt. So for her safety we thought it best to keep her away from the others still. She is ok in herself and doesn't appear to be bothered by it and is eating very well so we'll keep her separate. She is sharing Hoppys run with her when they are in and when all the others are out and about she spends the day with Hoppy down by the house. I guess she is giving Hoppy a bit of company during the day which is rather nice, bless her.

Hope everyone is keeping well.

Edwink  x

Cheery_Daff

Crikey edwink, can't believe your builder fell in the pond! What a calamity. I'm glad Hoppy wasn't there at the time! 

Glad all is relatively harmonious in your camp. Our girls are (touch wood) all OK, although not pleased at being shut in all day while the builders are here. Just wait til bird flu comes round again! We do at least let them out for an hour once the builders leave, but the nights are drawing in quickly now so it is only an hour at most. And of course they get the weekends, and their run is very spacious, so they shouldn't complain! (They're fine really, although I'm sure they'd prefer it if they had a better supply of dandelions!)

We spotted a rat in there a few days ago... left the trap, no luck. Blocked up the hole, then found another hole, and blocked that too. Turned the compost in case they were in there - I could hear squeaking but not see where it was coming from. I don't want to hurt them, but they can't live with the chickens, so we will need some drastic (probably concrete related) measures... Most vexing. 

Plans for the extension of their extension are on hold while life is turned upside down in our own house. We might get it done over the winter, but maybe not. Theoretically it's only a fence, but if it's going to be predator proof and suitable for bird flu restrictions, then it needs a mesh roof. We have all the stuff, just not entirely sure how to do it, and my brain is not up to the task right now...

Anyway, poor chickens. Their house was a bit pongy yesterday evening as I'd not done a poo pick the day before (we were out all day and evening) so we left both doors open. They were all confused, because that meant the nest box where the older girls usually sleep, had no front, so they all ended up on the perch. Today I changed the bedding, and left the door open to let it air, and forgot to shut it again, so they all ended up on the perch again! I'll definitely remember to shut it in the day tomorrow so things can get back to normal...

Hope everyone's feathery pals are faring well 😊

edwink

Hi everyone

Hope all your feathered pals are doing ok.

I have a quiet hen here today, bless her.  I can't immediately find anything wrong with her so as always I'll just keep an eye on her over the coming days.

Cheery, I've been meaning to ask you about the egg side of things with your girls.  Are your old ladies still laying?  My egg situation is all over the place with 5 one day and 1 the next which happens with older ladies. Would you believe I've had these rescue girls coming up to 2 years now?  We collected them on 13th Oct 2019.  Crikey, where does the time go?. 🤔

Orangecrush, I am sure by now you would have given birth to your little bundle.  You will certainly have your work cut out now in a nice way.  How nice your littlen will grow up with hens in their garden.  Just wanted to wish you all the best 😘

Take care all

Edwink x