Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Cheery_Daff

Hope your little quiet hen perks up soon edwink xx

Our older ladies, who we've had since March 2019 I think, both have hormonal implants, so haven't laid for well over a year now. We generally get 2 a day from the youngsters, although as the nights draw in some days it's only one. 

Must get on the case with eating them though, there are a lot sitting around. Had some friends here today and completely forgot to give them some - what a pair of plonkers!! Must make a frittata or something. I confess I have lost track of order, so some have been sitting there a while 😮

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:

Hope your little quiet hen perks up soon edwink xx

Our older ladies, who we've had since March 2019 I think, both have hormonal implants, so haven't laid for well over a year now. We generally get 2 a day from the youngsters, although as the nights draw in some days it's only one. 

Must get on the case with eating them though, there are a lot sitting around. Had some friends here today and completely forgot to give them some - what a pair of plonkers!! Must make a frittata or something. I confess I have lost track of order, so some have been sitting there a while 😮

Cheery

If you want to check the eggs out before cracking them open just put them in a bowl of cold water and if they float they are no good to eat and if they sink you'll be eating that frittata in no time. Nothing worse than cracking an egg that has gone off, we've done that here and it is not very pleasant 😮

Ah yes, I forgot your 2 older ladies have the implants, bless 'em. 

Edwink 

edwink

Hi everyone

We lost our quiet hen during the night, bless her she obviously went in her sleep.  As I've said before these little rescue girls definitely pull at our heartstrings. 

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Aw edwink, I'm so sorry 😢😢they do indeed pull at your heart strings. Take care of yourselves tonight xxx

edwink

Hi everyone

Good gracious my girls are getting blown about here today and they are not amused. It was quite warm here so not complaining but certainly, my girls were having their feathers ruffled a bit. Hens are known for not liking windy weather conditions but I've never known why I must admit. Maybe I'll Google it later and see what I come up with, you never know someone might have an answer, I guess.

All hens are healthy and running about like loonies which is good but Hoppy is a little quiet.  She normally spends a couple of hours, sometimes more, almost every day in the pond so she can have a wash and a nice swim but so far for 2 days this week, she didn't get out of bed and clearly wanted to stay put for the day.  She is an old girl now so we let her stay all cosy in her straw and gave her her food in her hotel.  It's a bit like us humans getting room service I suppose 🤣🤣  Her hotel is completely open at the front so has plenty of access to fresh air while she is in there. She appears fine and is eating well so maybe she is just tired at the moment. But, we are keeping a close eye on her, bless her. 

Hope everyone and their hens are doing well and are not too grumpy like mine are, because they are getting blown here, there, and everywhere. 

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Poor little Hoppy, I hope she's feeling a little more lively by now Edwink. Always sad to see them a bit under the weather. 

No, ours don't like the wind either - and neither do I, I always feel like I'm having my feathers ruffled! Ours are not impressed here today - they've been shut in all week while the builders are here, and now today they're out, but the weather is VILE. They spent the morning pottering under the trees, but now we're home, they're all in the living room with us, but they're pottering round causing mischief, pecking at wires, trying to eat non-edible things, making a mess of the floor. Nothing stopping them going back outside, the door is wide open, but they're all just standing around preening their slightly soggy feathers  

If this rain carries on we might just shut them back in their run, at least it's properly dry in there. 

What a daft old bunch they are! 

edwink

Hi everyone

Hope you are all ok and your feathered friends too.

Cheery... We have been putting our girls back in because of some of the weather we have had here, I'm not keen on putting them back but it is undercover like yours is so it keeps them dry.  I just wish they had the sense to run back to the coop by themselves when the heavens open but they don't.  They just stand somewhere hardly undercover getting soaked, silly things they are. I've seen them standing under a tree without its leaves so they are hardly sheltering the daft lot.

Hoppy appears to be a lot better at the moment and is coming out every day again and still eating well, I'm pleased to say.  The builder is back again continuing his work on the music studio and it hasn't seemed to bother her at all.  Originally I thought it was because of the work that was being carried out nearby.  I'm still keeping an eye on her though, bless her. 

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Ours are spending a lot of time in the run at the minute because of the builders, but really, they don't seem to mind. They've had a few days out now, and apparently spent most of yesterday in the loving room, napping with Mr Cheery 🙄😂

I'll let them out this morning, but I've got an important work thing this afternoon and can't afford to be fretting about them, so I'll put them back in at lunchtime. Shame but there we are. Not sure what time we'll finish and I can't risk not being free when it goes dusky. 

edwink

Hi everyone

Thankfully we have almost come to the end of our building work here so the girls were happy to be out and about once again, I'm sure.  The builder is back next week for just one day so they will stay in that day so they don't bother him whilst he is working.  Today we have managed to start on the big clean up outside especially the areas where the girls spend time foraging the most. Just planks and offcuts of leftover wood which have now been stored in readiness for building another big log store by the woodland at the back over the coming months.

Next week, hopefully, Mr Edwink will be able to play his beloved saxophone in his newly built soundproofed music studio and I'll finally get some much needed peace and quiet in the house 🤣🤣🤣🤣 To be honest it isn't too bad, at times, but when you have hearing loss like I have I find some sounds somewhat distressing if they are too loud.  Seems odd to say that being hard of hearing but I don't hear a lot of some sounds because of the hearing ranges I have lost so some that I can hear are heightened in a way and they become too loud if that makes sense. Those louder sounds/pitches are almost painful as my remaining hearing is quite delicate now and doesn't appear to cope very well.

Don't forget the dried corn for your girls treats over the winter everyone because not only do hens love them they do help to keep them warm just like porridge does.  We have still got to go out and buy them but we are planning on getting their shaved straw and some more pellet feed anyway so will pick the corn up whilst out at the same suppliers. 

Hope everyone is keeping well and their feathered friends too.

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

Our little Hoppy hasn't come out of her hotel today which as you know has happened a couple of times recently.  No builders here today and pretty quiet like normal so it is not because of any building noise or anything. We've changed her bedding for her, given her some clean water with chopped up lettuce in which she loves and she has had a good old munch of that but didn't eat her breakfast this morning. Like normal we are keeping a close eye on her but leaving her to rest if that's what she wants to do. Hopefully, she'll come out in the morning and we'll get her into the pond for a swim and a wash. bless her.

Besides that, all the hens are being their normal pesky selves and loving the fact we have been out there today cutting back a mass of shrubs. What they find to eat in it this time of year I have no idea but it certainly kept them busy today.  As soon as we sweep up a pile of leaves and walk away to get something they are in that pile scratching about and spreading it all over the place. All good fun though and it is so delightful watching them just be themselves and being active which is so good for them and their wellbeing. 

Hope everyone and their feathered friends are ok.

Edwink x