Animal Farm comes to a garden near you.

[Chuckles]

Here is another pic of the girls. Olive with her bottom to us, Ruby at the front and then Blue Bell. I've been and hung an over grown cabbage in the corner of the pen this morning for them to peck at, I'm sure they'll love it once they realise it's full of lovely critters for them to eat ;D Still no nearer getting my girls yet, been to busy and we need to make proper pen sections before we add to the flock, Mmmm what do you call a group of chickens, is it a clutch

As far as names for mine (when I get them) it probably will be decided when I choose them. Although I feel a name pole coming on ;D

[Shrubrose]

Oooo Chuckles, how exciting! Blue Bell definitely looks like a 'Bluebelle' breed. She will be just lovely - mine had such a gentle nature. And she'll give your neighbour BIG eggs and often, if she's anything like mine were. A group of three hens is called a 'trip' if I remember rightly. More than that, other than 'flock', I do not know!

[Chuckles]

Well today OH is going to make us a better pen so we can move it around the little hen house and keep giving the girls some fresh ground to peck about on. Would be really nice if they could roam totally free really but it's not possible. We have a little table and 2 chairs in the area they are so I sat with them yesterday for a while and watched them, they watched me too ;D They cluck away and seem very content for youngsters, 21 weeks old now. Oooooh I can't wait to get my two, probably be next weekend now.

[Weeterrier]

They'll bring you such pleasure, won't they Chuckles ?

[Chuckles]

3 have become 5

Meet my girls Bess and Joycey ;D both are 21 weeks old so the same as the others. Bess is a Black Rock and is all black but has a lovely bluey sheen on her back when the sun catches her feathers, Joycey is a Blue Belle and has a few gold feathers around her throat . They had to stay in the recycle box in my shed for a few hours yesterday until it was getting dark. When Ruby, Olive and Blue Bell were put away for the night Bess and Joycey joined them I never knew there was so much to keeping chickens, introducing new ones is not just a case of putting them in the pen with the others. You shouldn't add a single chicken and they all need to be calm so night time is the best time to do it so you hopefully don't get any fighting. It seems atm that Ruby is the boss, she does a bit of putting the others in their place bossy little madam



They are all in the original make shift pen but do have a proper coop that my neighbour had made for her birthday. My OH has made us some fab pen sections which we hope to erect fully tomorrow evening. I'll get some better pics of the girls, they looked fab this morning when I let them all out and all seemed well.

[Chuckles]

Bess and Joycey looking much happier now they are out of that recycle box

[Shrubrose]

Oooo congratulations Chuckles! They look to be marvellous girls. So glad you got a 'Blue' ;D

I recognise that pose that Bess is doing - they pick a sunny spot and just flop and then stretch out their wings and the odd leg - so funny to watch! Happy days ahead (just watch out for Mr and Mrs Fox though!).

[Missredhead]

Fresh eggs for brekkie?

[nightowl]

May 13, 2008 7:21:52 GMT Weeterrier said:

))))))))))))))))) STOP ((((((((((((((((((((((((((

I want hens

What is stopping you Wee? Didn't you have that lovely chooky house given to you last year?

[Chuckles]

Wish you would get some chickens Wee I'm feeling rather guilty

We've had 4 eggs so far since Sunday ;D Blue Bell was 1st on Sunday, and another one yesterday. My Joycey laid her 1st egg today, I'm well chuffed considering she has only been with us since Sunday. I was sat watching them all while having my mid morning cuppa, she was being very vocal and in and out of the coop just as Blue Bell was on Sunday, 30 mins later she settled down and I opened the coop and there it was ;D Not sure who laid the 4th one but it was really tiny, more the size of a bantum egg.

OH has built us a huge pen approx 3m x 7m which will be divided into two sections. We hope to move all the girls over tomorrow night so watch this space for photos

[Shrubrose]

Congratulations to your girls Chuckles, there'll be no stopping 'em now! Thought you'd've dashed to the kitchen and had a little fry up there ;D

[Amo]

It gets quite a hobby Chuckles!! Are you going to let them wander in the winter?

[Chuckles]

Just collected 2 more eggs, really small ones atm and it was Joycey and Blue Bell. We are moving them into their new pen tonight.

This is the area were we are keeping the chickens, it is the place where I have a bonfire. New pen section on the left and the make shift one on the right.







The girls will have to go to bed early tonight so we can move the electric fencing over and the coop and fix the rest of the netting on the top of the new pen. They will have a lovely suprise in the morning

The plan is to put the coop in the centre and then divide the pen into two parts so we can alternate the ground they are on. The new pen is just over 7m long and 3m wide so they have more than enough room, spoilt chickens really

[Weeterrier]

Have only just seen this. Rest assured I am not the least jealous Chuckles, I wish you and your girls much happy time together. I'll have them one day, and can enjoy your lovely photos meantime.
They look so plump and cuddly. ;D
Well done you.

PS, had a big bonfire last night for an old neighbour. Naturally, I thought of you.

[Shrubrose]

Wow, those girls are getting 5 star treatment! Have they started taking themselves to bed yet Chuckles or do you have to 'shepherd' them in?

[Chuckles]

Just come in from shutting the girls up for the night, they go in all by themselves around 9.30 Shrub and I just drop the hatch down. I would love to let them wander free really Amo but it's not practical for us really. I reckon the space they have is as near to being free as you can get. We got them in the coop about 8pm and lifted it over into the new pen, then did all the top netting and completed the electric fencing. They then got let out for an hour to inspect their new surroundings, they loved it I can't wait for tomorrow when they get scratching about in my old bonfire spots, all that lovely dust ;D I'm going to have to have more regular bonfires now Wee, can't let them get huge like I used to because of the chickens, don't want to cook them ;D

[Weeterrier]

You paint a lovely picture Chuckles, I'm thrilled for you. Those girls will add so much to your life.

[Chuckles]

May 21, 2008 22:10:33 GMT Weeterrier said:

You paint a lovely picture Chuckles, I'm thrilled for you. Those girls will add so much to your life.

Ooooh they are lovely Wee, I've sat in the pen with them a few times and they all peck at bits of grass and cabbage leaves I've held for them. My neighbour gives them a stroke when they are in the housey bit at night ;D All the poo from in the hen house goes in the compo bin and I've even started picking some up from inside the pen too ;D

Could do with some tips on feeding from you other chicken owning folk out there ;D We are feeding them layers pellets atm and they eat 2/3rds of however much the feeder holds per day. Have had a cabbage hanging in the pen for them to peck at, they love it. What I'm not really sure about is what other tit bits they can have though, looking on the web it's a bit conflicting. Have fed a few bits of carrot peelings and a handful of cooked rice, they seemed to like it but I don't want to cause problems. I realise not to leave uneaten stuff about in the pen, stale food is bad for them and will encourage vermin.

We are getting 4 eggs a day atm and they are lovely, tiny but tasty ;D

[Amo]

Our girls have the layers pellets in the hopper all the time and are given a hand full corn mix (Smallholder) in the afternoon. They soon expect the corn and woe betide you if you're late!! Not too much though, it's a treat but it does have the oyster shell grit they need and if you scatter it, it gives them something to forrage for. They also love tomatoes!! Get an old jar or something steep sided to go with you around the garden when you're weeding and put all the grubs, caterpillers, worms and other beasties in, then tip it in the pen for them.

[Shrubrose]

I also gave them 'left overs' Chuckles - cooked food - like potatoes and veg and even bits of fat. This wasn't 'scientific' - that is, not researched other than from reading what others did with their hens. They loved these scraps and there were no ill effects.

[Amo]

I also have a three sided 'shed' thing with a perch about 6 inches off the ground and they go in there in the day to preen and shelter from the sun and rain. They think coops are really only for laying and sleeping!!

There are a few shrubs in there and a pampas, not planted by me they were there already. They love it under the pampas because it's powder dry and they dust bathe and the shrubs attract insects and they spend ages waiting for things to land to eat! One is an oleander and the other is a holly and there is a hawthorn sapling fighting it's way through the holly. They're all only about 3 feet high and they haven't actually pecked them to pieces!

[Chuckles]

Thanks for all the tips guys keep um coming.

We have a hopper and water containers both inside and outside for them. I'd already started a container for garden goodies for them Amo, great minds. I used to chuck the S & S over for next doors chickens but ours get them now ;D Got some corn now, infact gave them their first handful about an hour ago, they loved it. Mmmm Toms I'll have to remember that.

As far as scraps go I've tried them with cooked rice, carrot peelings, cabbage, cauli and broc leaves. Infact I'm picking the odd leaf off in the veg patch for them The wild birds have any cooked tats that are left or the dog ;D

I like the sound of the three sided 'shed' thing with a perch for preening and shelter from the sun and rain, I'm on the case now for one. I've put a couple of home made purches and a few conifer branches in the pen so they have things to climb and perch on but they have no shelter. The rain we've had the last few days doesn't seem to be bothering them but it would be nice for them to have a shelter.

The bonfire ashes have been well used for dusting but with all this rain the ground is looking a bit yukky atm

[Chuckles]

Jul 5, 2008 16:57:40 GMT purplejulia said:

I would love to keep chickens - if I could get someone to clean them out for me! I don't think we are allowed to keep them though in our suburban street!

PJ

Jul 5, 2008 19:45:52 GMT Shrubrose said:

PJ, cleaning them out is quite easy, believe it or not. They're very good girls is chucks. Prolific but easy to 'sort out' if you know what I mean. And think of all that lovely fertiliser ;D

I agree with Shrub PJ they are good girls and so easy, you should check with your local council, lots of folk have a couple of chucks these days. There is a guy across the road from us he only has a postage stamp of a garden and has a little coop and run for 2 chucks, and he lets them out in his garden too. Have to confess I didn't check but ours are way up the back away from the main street and wouldn't be seen or heard (naughty Chuckles)

While I'm here, Whoops I just agreed chucks were easy ;D Well ;D one of the girls is broody and has been for a week or so now. I keep fetching her out of the nest box and over the last few days have been shutting the coop hatch at around 12 ish when the others have laid. It's the only way to keep her out of there and we don't really want the others to start to lay outside rather than in the nest boxes Despite the fact that I've been removing eggs she has been breaking some when she keeps pushing them under her She has plucked out all her soft breast feathers too. I've also noticed the pecking order has changed within the 5 and the broody one has been getting it in the neck from the others becasue she is no longer seen as part of the group. This is one of the not so nice things about having chucks, saying that it's only natural and they will eventually sort themselves out.

Do any of you other chuck owning members have any tips for me on what else I could do. I understand this could be a 3 week thing.

[Shrubrose]

Cant offer anything on this Chuckles as none of mine ever got broody - that I noticed anyway. Amo might have something. AMO - are you about?

[Rosefriend]

Yes she is about and has finally managed to contact the board using her phone - the land lines are down and she has no Internet connection - she is soo fed up. She has now got my mobile number and says she has been doing weird things like watching TV and talking....what's that's then....

RF

[nightowl]

When I was ickle, my grandad kept chickens, and indoors were several white pottery eggs that he said were for putting under broody hens

Don't know if it helps them get over the phase or something, Chuckles, but you could break out your Faberge collection to tuck underneath her! ;D

[Chuckles]

Thanks Shrub, RF and NO.....poor Amo lost her internet connection I lost mine for a day and a half earlier in the week and it was amazing how much more work I got done at home ;D Hope you get sorted soon Amo

I remember those pot egss too NO, can't for the life of me think what they were used for though. Maybe to keep a chicken broody so when there were fertile eggs she would sit and hatch them. Not sure, prob Amo will know.

Still have the broody chicken just been and shut the coop up as we've had 3 eggs this morning. She sits really still and quiet on the ground when I put her out and the after a few minutes runs around like a mad thing, then the others have a little go at her then they all settle down to pecking about like chickens do. It's so funny when I go up about 8.30pm ish to open the coop, she's like a rat up a drain pipe getting in the nest box ;D

[Deleted]

Hi, chicken lovers! ;D As you might have read, we briefly had a kitten . As we couldn't keep her , DH is coming around to the idea of chickens! I phoned the local council to ask if we were allowed to keep two as pets, but no one seemed to know So, I figure that if I'm only having a couple, it shouldn't be a problem Any advice on breeds for a novice chicken keeper?

[nightowl]

Gorgeous chooks Amo , lovely fluffy bums!! ;D

Rosemother, are you sure your OH is not allergic to chickens too?? I have a not-too-serious cat allergy, but I am violently allergic to chickens/feathers; cannot have a feather pillow

Just a thought before you get too excited again

[Deleted]

I think the reason he's allowing chickens, NO, is because he won't have to go near them! ;D We have a budgie indoors, and he's ok with him, so I'm hoping he'll be ok