Keeping hens and ducks chat.

starnac

Aw I bet that's a lovely picture Edwink

Cheery_Daff

Aw, yes please do post your pictures of biscuit edwink, I love to hear what they get up to 😊 We've been reminiscing about ours helping in the garden today 🥰 

edwink

Finally got the pics on my laptop this evening. what a palaver it has been.  Up to now, I have been using my tablet as my laptop was at the menders having the screen replaced after I dropped it on the floor after I had only owned it for 2 weeks. It was new to me but I'd bought it from a friend as she found out it was capable of way more than she actually needed. Having been using my tablet I noticed that it is so much faster than the laptop so I carried on using it. Turning my laptop on this evening resulted in update after update after update. So I've been sitting here reading waiting for all the recent updates...Boring or what?  Anyway sorry for the delay with the photos but finally here they are.  All of Biscuit out the front of our house having a nice change of scenery.


LOOKS LIKE MUMMY AND DADDY HAVE BEEN HAVING A MASSIVE CUTBACK



MAY AS WELL HAVE A CLIMB UP HERE TO GET A BETTER VIEW



TIME FOR A LITTLE SNOOZE, IT'S BEEN A TIRING DAY.  JUST LOOK AT MY PRETTY NECK FEATHERS.

Cheery_Daff

Aw, lovely Biscuit 🥰🥰 One of our favourite chickens, Rusty, grew a beautiful neck collar like that as she got older, very pretty 🥰🥰

edwink

Another day at the front of the house cutting all and sundry back with little Biscuit in tow. She was chirping away and scratching about, bless her. The sun was coming over the house where we were working but she stayed nearer to the house in the shade, sensible little thing she is. Later, like before she found a nice cool spot this time inside a fern, and bedded down and had forty winks. She didn't like being woken up but we had had enough of the heat out there so it was time for her to go round the back of the house with us. She is now parked under the table on our terrace having yet another snooze by a nice cold bowl of water and some sweetcorn. Not really spoilt is she?

I do love that little hen and would do anything and everything for her. I think she will end up being our oldest rescue hen ever. Scarf, the little hen that arrived here with a compacted crop lived until she was five years and nine months. Called her Scarf because she was completely bald all around her neck and she looked as if she needed one, a scarf I mean 🤣🤣🤣

Hope everyone is keeping well and their feathered friends too.

Edwink x

starnac

All our ladies are well thank you for asking. We had one the last two days that seemed off her food but otherwise she seemed fine. I've been keeping an eye on her but she's back eating this morning. I wondered if it was because I was later than normal taking their food in the last two days? Normally if I'm a bit late they mob me like they've never been fed, but I've been planting some bits and pieces in their run for them to munch on so I think if I'm late she actually goes and forages and then is not hungry when I bring food.

I was back on time today and she ran over as normal so all good. I prefer this nicer weather as the path to their run is dry. When it rains it gets very muddy and I have a fear of falling over and having to shout for help while lying in the mud in my pyjamas and wellies!  

edwink

starnac said:

All our ladies are well thank you for asking. We had one the last two days that seemed off her food but otherwise she seemed fine. I've been keeping an eye on her but she's back eating this morning. I wondered if it was because I was later than normal taking their food in the last two days? Normally if I'm a bit late they mob me like they've never been fed, but I've been planting some bits and pieces in their run for them to munch on so I think if I'm late she actually goes and forages and then is not hungry when I bring food.

I was back on time today and she ran over as normal so all good. I prefer this nicer weather as the path to their run is dry. When it rains it gets very muddy and I have a fear of falling over and having to shout for help while lying in the mud in my pyjamas and wellies!  

I am so glad your little hen is ok Starnac. It is worrying if and when they are off their food. I think you could be right in that she wasn't hungry because she had already eaten.

I am the same with the path to our chicken's run but thankfully it doesn't get muddy, it's just if it is icy or is covered in snow. I've only slipped over twice in 14 years, I say "only" but guess that's enough really. Our just over 100ft path is sloped so going up is not too bad but coming down again isn't as easy if it's icy. Mr Edwink has slipped over once. He clears the snow as soon as it has covered the path so it doesn't get too icy now, thankfully.

I remember once when we had many hens they came running down for their treats when they saw me at the gate and one of the hens slid at least 6ft on her bottom trying to get to me first. There was no harm done as she just stopped sliding and got back up on her feet, bless her. It did give me a chuckle I have to admit 🤣

Also, I have lovely memories of the first ever ex-battery hens we kept here. We were new to hen keeping but still decided to get 12, my choice because I think Mr Edwink would have got less. Their henhouse had an overlapping roof so when it snowed there wasn't any snow on the ground underneath the overlap, if that makes sense, I let the hens out via a side door, and bless their hearts they had never seen snow before so one by one they lined up under the overlap of the roof where there wasn't any snow on the ground. They just about managed to keep their little feet off of the cold snow. So I had 12 hens all in a row wondering what the snow was. Gradually some started to peck at it and eat it and others slowly but surely stepped into it. It took a while before they were all standing in it, bless them. I stayed with them to reassure them it was ok. I'll never forget that, ever, It was beautiful to see it really was.

Edwink x

starnac

Aw that's a lovely story. I videoed ours coming out into snow for the first time and they literally stepped onto it, thought "nope" and turned back around into the coop! 

edwink

starnac said:

Aw that's a lovely story. I videoed ours coming out into snow for the first time and they literally stepped onto it, thought "nope" and turned back around into the coop! 

I really regret not having videoed mine coming out onto the snow for the first time or even just taking some pictures. I guess as a new hen keeper I didn't know what to expect. More experienced now so always keep my phone in my pocket ready for a good picture or two 😘

Edwink x

sammyjammy

Lovely pics Edwink, her neck looks like a Tudor Frill!  She is looking very healthy x