Keeping hens and ducks chat.

thriftwizard

Thanks, @edwink, a purpose-built dustbath's a great idea. They usually dig their own - exactly where we wouldn't want it, of course - but obviously choice-of-space will be an issue under there. I have a big seed-tray that isn't doing much just now, and some sand, which might be just the job. I've actually cracked and ordered a clear tarp for them, as well, as the current lashed-together ex-polytunnel-sides cover makes it very dark under there. Now I come to think of it, that was why we bought a little greenhouse (after many misadventures) last year; the polytunnel was too dark for plants to grow much once the surrounding trees had leafed-up.

Cheery_Daff

Hi thriftwizard 😊 welcome to the chicken thread 😊

Sounds like you've got a good set up over there! A dust bath is a great idea. We had a giant plant pot last year, but only one hen at a time could fit in - they used to queue up 😂

Our new ladies are getting on ok. Poppy is wandering about like she never had anything wrong with her leg at all 😊 She's VERY vocal! Her and Budgie are very sweet, pottering about. Sunshine is a bit bossy... both with the other new ones, and with the older ladies too, who are NOT pecking the new ones, but rather walking away...

At the minute they're sleeping separately, for practical purposes, but I want them all in together by the weekend. The New ones have a fenced off bit of the main run, and the old ones have the rest. We leave them in for breakfast, then after a couple of hours let the old ones out to free range, and give the new ones the full run.

We've done a bit of supervised mixing for an hour at a time near bed time. Mostly the old ones just walk away, and the new ones ignore each other. Sunshine has been asserting herself a little, and even attempted to peck Bessie the other day (our venerable old chicken). Mr Cheery is NOT impressed 😮 He wants Bessie to be in charge, but I'm pretty sure Bessie would be happy NOT being in charge, as long as everyone leaves her alone... Anyway, we have no control over the pecking order! 

The plan is to let the new ladies out to free range for half an hour or so before bed tomorrow, and again on Thursday, and for a bit longer on Friday, letting them all mix in the main run. I want to encourage them all to go to bed together on Friday, and decommission the separate fenced off area by the end of the weekend.

I want them all to be comfortable with each other before chicken lockdown, which is not yet but looks likely... 🙄 We had plans to build an extra bit of outdoor run so that will happen as soon as our kitchen is finished...

thriftwizard

I'm intrigued that they haven't yet ordered us to lock down, despite there being lots more cases than at this time last year - I think. Wondering if they've had evidence that a) lots of people ignored it anyway (well, they did round here) or b) that being confined might have made things worse when outbreaks did occur, or c) that our birds don't actually pose much danger to the national flock?

Cancel that; just checked DEFRA & we have to cover up from midnight on Sunday. Oh well, all prepared here.

Cheery_Daff

Yep, lockdown from midnight Sunday 😢😢😢 My poor new girls. I was planning on getting them outside for the first time over the weekend but is there any point if they're just going to have to go straight back in again? 😕😕😕

It was mid December last year, I thought we'd have a couple of extra weeks to integrate the flocks 😢😢

edwink

Thanks for your posts thriftwizard and Cheery

I suppose we all knew that hen lockdown would happen but it was just when I guess 😮😥  Wonder how long it will last for this time.  At least we are all ready for it on here and we will be keeping all of our girls safe during this time.

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

Hope all is ok with your feathered friends.

I have a very quiet hen here and another that is limping 🤔 The one that has been quiet is sleeping in their nesting box tonight and the other one with the limp is sleeping on her own in our little hospital hut, bless her.  We'll just have to see how they are in the morning but I will possibly keep them both away from the others just for the day so they can rest without the others bothering them. We will partition Hoppys run off, like before, so they can share half of the duck run with her.

It is such a shame because they only have 2 more days out and about before chicken lockdown from Monday onwards. 

I'll check on them both first thing in the morning, bless them.

Edwink x  

Cheery_Daff

Aw, sorry to hear about your poorly hens edwink. I hope they improve overnight. Yes, it is a shame with the lockdown coming up - mind you we have howling gales and snow here at the minute so there's not going to be much free ranging here tomorrow either... 😕

I did an hour of supervised mixing this evening - mostly they just ignored each other, but the older ladies seem afraid of the new ones, and go out of their way to avoid them, which makes me rather sad 😕 When we've introduced new ones before, the old ones have always been grumpy, but these are just wary. Sunshine is making a clear bid for leadership, not nasty, but she is pecking Bessie occasionally 🙄 Mr Cheery is not impressed at all.

Hey ho. I managed to get them all cosy in the same house tonight, so will have to get up early to get them out again. Hoping they can stay mixed now - if Bessie isn't too stressed, that is...

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:I did an hour of supervised mixing this evening - mostly they just ignored each other, but the older ladies seem afraid of the new ones, and go out of their way to avoid them, which makes me rather sad 😕 When we've introduced new ones before, the old ones have always been grumpy, but these are just wary. Sunshine is making a clear bid for leadership, not nasty, but she is pecking Bessie occasionally 🙄 Mr Cheery is not impressed at all.

Hey ho. I managed to get them all cosy in the same house tonight, so will have to get up early to get them out again. Hoping they can stay mixed now - if Bessie isn't too stressed, that is...

Aww, bless Bessie 🥰 I do hope she will be ok.  As you know from us mixing ours with new girls here it is never the same each time.  It all depends on who is the bravest to want to be the top hen!  I've had the situation here where my older girls just take one look at the new ones as if to say "I ain't going to argue with you lot" and, then on other occasions as soon as we have mixed new younger girls the older girls march over as if to say you lot ain't going to live with us and we mean it. There have only been a few times when all hell let loose but, we stay around them to supervise and they soon settle down with each other ok. It would be good if you could get them all out tomorrow so they could mix outside the run but as you say the weather is not at all good right now where you are. The weather isn't brilliant here tonight, we have had sleet and it is biting cold out there but no snow for us so far. I might have to keep my girls in tomorrow if the weather is worse than it was today, we were getting blown about everywhere, us and the hens.

I'm sure yours will be fine Cheery because you have introduced younger girls to your flock a few times now so you know what to do. You have made them a lovely extended run now so there is more than enough room for all of them, no problem. 

Do let us know how they all get on when you can.

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

My little quiet hen didn't improve over the weekend after being separated from the others and I just couldn't work out what was wrong with her myself.  So we've just got back from the vets with her and they have said they can't see anything wrong after checking her over so have taken some blood to test.  She was as good as gold in the car on my lap in the back and was good at the vets until the vet lifted her wing and boy she didn't like that at all although the vet was as careful as I had been handly her since she went all quiet. I think it was probably more to do with the needle than anything else, bless her. It is so hard trying to find out what is happening with them when there is nothing glaringly obvious jumping out at us or the vet. She is fast asleep in her cosy box by the kitchen stove now after having a drink when we got back and she also ate some sweetcorn but that's all she would eat. 

I'll update on the little hen once I have spoken to the vet again. 

Edwink x

SisterAnna

I do hope your hen will be alright Edwink. You can't do any more than you are doing for her right now. Sounds as if she is super cosy in her little box.