Keeping hens and ducks chat.

starnac

Hi Cheery, I was trying to shout DH who was in the other part of the garden, without frightening her. DH came over and because he had been busy and he was like "WHAT?" He was amused though when he saw her sitting on my arm. 

edwink

Hi all

All going ok with little Biscuit, thankfully. She must have had a tiring day because of the heat and all that foraging she does. It's a big place for just one little hen. Went out to check on her a found that she had taken herself off to bed and it was only 6pm, bless her. She was all snuggled up to her cushion on the perches so we left the door open and locked her outer door until we went back to check on her again later and then closed her door. Wish we could have left it open because it would have been cooler for her but we just can't chance it with the foxes. We will get her out early in the morning as we always do when the weather is warm.

Hope everyone and their hens are happy and well.

Edwink x

starnac

I'm glad to hear Biscuit is doing well Edwink. 

Ours are doing well. Egg laying has gone back up. We normally get about 4/5 eggs a day from 5 ladies, but recently that dropped to 1/2. We were wondering if that would become their "norm" but they are back up to around 1 each a day again. 

I've been extremely busy with work this week so DH has taken over the hen care (it's my "job" because I enjoy doing it but I was grateful to DH for doing it so it was one less thing for me to worry about) He went out to them yesterday morning, dog dutily followed. She always goes out to tend to them and she and the hens get on fine with each other. Unless they are free ranging the whole garden and try to get in the house! She doesn't like that so stands in the doorway to stop them getting in.   

Anyway yesterday DH went down to sort the chickens out and let them out into their big free range area (separate from the whole garden), he went to walk out of the gate when the dog got in his way. He couldn't get past and as he's telling the dog to move, he saw 5 chickens run past and out the gate He finally gets past the dog and now has to try to corral the ladies back into their run which they were having none of as they are now running free in my veg patch!!! DH was not happy with the poor dog!

edwink

starnac said:

I'm glad to hear Biscuit is doing well Edwink. 

Ours are doing well. Egg laying has gone back up. We normally get about 4/5 eggs a day from 5 ladies, but recently that dropped to 1/2. We were wondering if that would become their "norm" but they are back up to around 1 each a day again. 

I've been extremely busy with work this week so DH has taken over the hen care (it's my "job" because I enjoy doing it but I was grateful to DH for doing it so it was one less thing for me to worry about) He went out to them yesterday morning, dog dutily followed. She always goes out to tend to them and she and the hens get on fine with each other. Unless they are free ranging the whole garden and try to get in the house! She doesn't like that so stands in the doorway to stop them getting in.   

Anyway yesterday DH went down to sort the chickens out and let them out into their big free range area (separate from the whole garden), he went to walk out of the gate when the dog got in his way. He couldn't get past and as he's telling the dog to move, he saw 5 chickens run past and out the gate He finally gets past the dog and now has to try to corral the ladies back into their run which they were having none of as they are now running free in my veg patch!!! DH was not happy with the poor dog!

Dogs eh? They do like to get in on the act. My brother's Springer Spaniels used to run around everywhere and not bother the hens at all.  I think they were just happy to be running around, bless them.

I hope you can sort out your veg patch now the hens have been chomping and trampling on your veg. Poor you I would say as that will be extra work for you.  Dogs eh, don't you just love them?

Edwink x

sammyjammy

edwink said:

Hi everyone

Hope you and your hens are all keeping well.

Just a little update on little Biscuit. Thankfully she is managing ok, I'm pleased to say. She is still getting extra treats every day to make sure she is encouraged to keep her weight up. Today she had a little grated cheese, some raspberries which she gets every day, and some Mealworms which she loves. We try and keep her treat food as varied as possible to keep her interested in eating. She is still eating some pellets in the morning but she is no longer laying and they are Layers Pellets so we give her lots of other things as well. Any excuse to provide treats eh? Yesterday she had some mashed potato and I only wish I had my phone with me to take a pic because it was all around her face and she was trying to flick it off but it was landing on me.  At least she enjoyed it though, bless her.

I just wish the weather would cheer up here so she can come out of the run more. We leave the door ajar so she can come and go as she pleases. She got caught in a downpour the other day, love her, as she knew it had started to rain but for some reason just ambled back to her run which was quite a way for little legs, and then the heavens opened so I am shouting "Biscuit run, run, run" but she ignored me and carried on strolling up there. Honest;y that little hen doesn't appear to have the sense she was born with, bless her.

Will update again soon.  Take care, everyone.

Edwink x

Run Forrest Run!  You should write some short stories, you tell them wonderfully x

edwink

sammyjammy said:

edwink said:

Hi everyone

Hope you and your hens are all keeping well.

Just a little update on little Biscuit. Thankfully she is managing ok, I'm pleased to say. She is still getting extra treats every day to make sure she is encouraged to keep her weight up. Today she had a little grated cheese, some raspberries which she gets every day, and some Mealworms which she loves. We try and keep her treat food as varied as possible to keep her interested in eating. She is still eating some pellets in the morning but she is no longer laying and they are Layers Pellets so we give her lots of other things as well. Any excuse to provide treats eh? Yesterday she had some mashed potato and I only wish I had my phone with me to take a pic because it was all around her face and she was trying to flick it off but it was landing on me.  At least she enjoyed it though, bless her.

I just wish the weather would cheer up here so she can come out of the run more. We leave the door ajar so she can come and go as she pleases. She got caught in a downpour the other day, love her, as she knew it had started to rain but for some reason just ambled back to her run which was quite a way for little legs, and then the heavens opened so I am shouting "Biscuit run, run, run" but she ignored me and carried on strolling up there. Honest;y that little hen doesn't appear to have the sense she was born with, bless her.

Will update again soon.  Take care, everyone.

Edwink x

Run Forrest Run!  You should write some short stories, you tell them wonderfully x

🤣🤣🤣  I had to Google "Run Forrest Run" especially because we don't have a TV and also I never watch films. I had heard of the film and luckily Mr Edwink has watched it so explained what happened in the film to FG. Then we had a good old laugh at what you wrote 🤣🤣🤣 That remark was very clever, thank you for the laugh.

Little Biscuit is so funny sometimes maybe I should write about her more especially if it is entertaining for posters on the thread 😘

So sorry for the delay in writing this post but I have been under the weather with a massive Migraine, 48 hours worth plus feeling hungover on day three even though I don't drink alcohol. The other Migraines I have had were milder than this one for sure. This one was pretty nasty, to say the least. Mr Edwink took over looking after Biscuit but said he doesn't have the nack I have with her in getting her attention when he is chatting to her, He said he didn't get any response whereas I get chirps and silly noises when I'm making conversation with my feathered friend. I missed my chats but now I'm back on my feet they have resumed, thankfully. 😁

Edwink x

starnac

Sorry you haven't been well. Funny how animals interact with us all differently isn't it. Biscuit was probably missing you too and was not impressed when Mr Edwink turned up. 

We have a tortoise here, and have had for about 13 years. He has never once eaten anything my mum gives him! Whenever we go away, my mum looks after him and he doesn't eat a thing the whole time. We come home and he ravishes his food as he hasn't eaten for a few days/a week. We thought maybe it was just a change in routine he didn't like, but nope it's just my mum. One day she sent my step dad down to feed him as she was busy and he ate not a problem  

edwink

starnac said:

Sorry you haven't been well. Funny how animals interact with us all differently isn't it. Biscuit was probably missing you too and was not impressed when Mr Edwink turned up. 

We have a tortoise here, and have had for about 13 years. He has never once eaten anything my mum gives him! Whenever we go away, my mum looks after him and he doesn't eat a thing the whole time. We come home and he ravishes his food as he hasn't eaten for a few days/a week. We thought maybe it was just a change in routine he didn't like, but nope it's just my mum. One day she sent my step dad down to feed him as she was busy and he ate not a problem  

Fussy lot these animals are eh? I wonder if they actually recognise us or if is it our voices that make them eat, who knows?  I think with little Biscuit I am more patient with her than Mr Edwink is perhaps.

Edwink x

starnac

I'm sure I've read somewhere that chickens do indeed recognise people. Not sure about tortoises though

edwink

starnac said:

I'm sure I've read somewhere that chickens do indeed recognise people. Not sure about tortoises though

That's interesting to know about chickens recognising people. I'll have a browse to see if I can see anything about tortoises. We had a tortoise when we were growing up. I loved that little man, we called him Fred.

I've taken some nice pics of little Biscuit this week whilst we have been working at the front of the house. She spent time out there with us for a change of scenery, bless her. She was getting up to all sorts climbing on pallets, crawling through the overgrown shrubs and grass. At one time I think we had spent too long out there for her so she crawled inside one of the shrubs and had an afternoon nap. I got a great picture of her sitting in there but I woke her up taking it, oops!

I'll post pics later.

Edwink x