Animal Farm comes to a garden near you.

[Chuckles]

You wouldn't think they'd eat polystyrene Carolann, the little monkies ;D I can't think that Bessie had eaten anything in the garden that would make her poorly, it would be Joycey who'd eat anything rather than Bessie.

Anyway Bessie went to chicken heaven some time in the night So I've just been and fetched another black POL to replace her, no use getting all sentimental or these things happen and I did the best I could for her.

The new girl is currently in the run and coop settling in. She has met Joycey, she came into the run for a nossy at what I was doing, she was straight in there with a good peck to the head of the new girl I'm just going to leave Joycey shut out for an hour or so then let her in the run. They will make friend eventually

[carolann]

It was for the best probably we shall never know that ailed her for sure. What are you calling the new girl?
This weekend 29 chicks have hatched and have been moved into the brooder shed, I shall take pic's of them later. We think that there are 2/3 more yet to hatch, we never candled them as there where too many eggs and we didnt want them getting cold so we dont know how many where clear.

[Chuckles]

They say chickens can hide the fact that they are ill for quite some time and then it can be to late. After the impacted crop Bessie did perk up and I thought she was gonna be fine, then she took a turn for the worse and I had got an idea of a few things that it could have been from a chicken forum I'm a member of. We did open her up to see if there was anything obvious and it turned out be what I understand to be EYP, egg yolk peritinitus.

The new girl, Baby Bess is trying really hard to keep out of the way for fear of being beaten up by bossy Joycey. Joycey spends part of the day in the run and part out side roaming the garden, this gives Bess a chance to get used to her new home without fear of being beaten up. I've spent time with them both so as Bess gets used to me, and Joycey gets used to having her around. She'll now feed from my hand and allows me to pick her up no problem. It's quite comical sometimes, if Joycey comes near her while I'm in the run she runs and hides behind my legs ;D Anyhow, tomorrow Bess will have her wing clipped, she has been flying up onto the roof and I've had to barrackade it off with chicken wire, if she is allowed out over the next few days and gets startled she'll be over the fence and next doors dogs will get her for sure.

Couple of pics......Joycey looking thoroughly tired out after 2 days of strutting about and clucking like it's going out of fashion at poor Baby Bess. And this is Baby Bess, she does look odd as she hasn't grown her comb yet.

[carolann]

She is lovely Chuckles and I'm sure she will settle in soon enough, just give Joycey a telling off or flick her beak if she goes for new Bessie.
Here are 2 pic's of the new arrivals



there are some Wellsummers, Silkies and Rhodie/Sussex. There are still some eggs and 2 chicks still in the incubator.

[carolann]

Went into the hen shed this morning and found our Speckles huddled in the corner she looked like she was sleeping but she had died during the night, she didnt look too well yesterday but was pottering about, never mind she is at peace now.

[Chuckles]

Sorry to hear about Speckles Carolann, they say chickens cover up illness and then it can be too late to help them or they just die. We both seem to be having a bit of bad luck.

Those new babies look lovely, I can almost hear them chirping away ;D

Joycey isn't well now I noticed on Sunday that Baby Bess was doing a sort of sneezing thing and she had a clear liquid occasionally coming from her nostril, she seems fine otherwise but now Joycey isn't well, she did go all quite yesterday afternoon and last night I saw she had one eye almost closed and a swelling below the eye and a very tiny amount of yellowy stuff coming from her nostril. She hasn't even offered to come out of the run today, she mooched in the run for a while and is now in the nest box. Maybe they both have a type of chicken cold. Owning chickens is lovely but not when they aren't well. I suppose like most animals it would help if they could talk.

[carolann]

I wonder if they had been vaccinated before you bought them Chuckles? There are lots of diseases listed that chicken can get, I would have a look in my books but I lent them to a friend last night so sorry that I cant help at the moment. with luck Joycey may just have been stung by a bee or something. You could just go on the chicken forum and see if anyone could help there.

[Tig]

That doesn't sound good Chuckles - perhaps the youngster has brought a 'cold' or upper respiratory infection with her, or the stress of moving and meeting Joycey has exacerbated the situation? Have you checked with the supplier to see if they have had any problems recently? Perhaps you can add some liquid vitamin supplements to their drinking water to build them up a bit?

(I've gone right off the idea of keeping any poultry!)

x Tig

Hope they

[Barbara]

OOOOOOOOOOOO chuckles, sorry your not having much luck at the moment with your chucks. I hope its not bird flu.

Carolann, your new ones look great, such lovely colours.

[Chuckles]

There are loads of health problems/diseases that are very similar too Carolann, I've read that much this last week or so I'm going thanks for the offer though. They are having every supplement going atm and yes they were vaccinated, the guy I got them all from is very reputable. I've tried ringing him for some advice but he's away. The symptoms atm are definately some sort of respiritary problem although I had wondered if Joycey had been stung. The new Bess despite doing the sneazing and runny nostril thing seems otherwise fit and healthy and is eating and drinking fine. Joycey has a half closed eye and on the same side under her eye was swollen/fuffy last nght, today both sides are like it but not both eyes, she also has runny nostrils but it's sort of an opaque colour. She's not been eating or drinking or been out the run all day, she's usually pacing near the door to get out in a morning. Bit of good news though, ealier tonight Joycey actually ate some pellets from my hand, I always feel better when I know they've eaten something. I'm sure this is worse than having kids ;D

[carolann]

I dont know why but I seem to worry more about the chucks than my daughter, maybe its because they cant tell you whats wrong, I'm glad she has had something to eat though.

[Ladygardener]

Chuckles I'm sorry to hear of your troubles with the chucks. I do hope things improve soon.

[Chuckles]

Thanks for all the comments Things seem to be improving, they have both been on some antibiotic which I got from the chicken man. Baby Bess is still making a sneazing noise and Joycey has still got one swollen synus but they are both a lot livelier and wanting to come out into the garden and peck about. My concern now is Joycey hasn't laid for a week so I had her in a tub of warm soapy water yesterday for 30 mins, it's supposed to move things if she is egg bound, nothing moved though

On saturday we sat having lunch in the garden and OH gave BB a tiny piece of his dohnut, well she then noticed I had one too and promptly jumped up on the bench and on my knee and tucked into mine as I was about to have a bite, we did laugh. She had several other pecks at it because I was laughing so much I was incapable of stopping her. My friend couldn't stop laughing and neither could OH and me. My friend said I should have called her Rebel because she seems to be one ;D

[carolann]

I'm so glad the girls are picking up now Chuckles and I know what you mean about eating outside OH and I like to eat outside when its nice but we have to fight 30 of them off ;D so far they have had Cheese on Toast, Chicken spread ;D any flavour of crisps, grapes, shredded carrots, Carrot cake, bread, crispbreads and crackers any sort they are not fussy and they just love fried rice from the Chinese, we have not found anything they dont like to eat yet, they have even had some Mars Bar now we have to eat indoors if we want to eat in peace and then some of them come up the steps into the kitchen. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/cheesy.gif

[Chuckles]

They are so funny really aren't they ;D Mine would be in the kitchen if I left the door open.

Well Joycey is 100% and despite Baby Bess still being a little snotty she laid her first egg today

[carolann]

Well done there Chuckles you must have caught it in time, and well done little Bess for laying her first egg.

[carolann]

Here are some of the pic's of the 31 chicks hatched on the 7th June

Rhodie x Light Sussex hen, this is a cockeral

the brown one at the back is a pullet from the same crossing, the little silkie on the left is a cross it only has 3/4 toes instead of the usual 5 for that breed and it is pale skinned and not blue like the other one.

these are Wellsummers the 2 on the left are cocks and the one on the far right is a pullet you can tell by the combs, the boys are much bigger.

these two where sparing and a little while later

one was at it again.

[oldmoleskins]

Lovely, sturdy-looking teenagers, CA... super silkies!

[Ladygardener]

Nice looking chucks CA, good to see them.

[Chuckles]

Brill pics Carolan, that pair of silkies look right little rebels ;D

Must get an pic of my clutch, baby Bess has grown up a bit and now has the makings of a comb on top

[carolann]

When I was counting them all in last night 2 where missing, I found Elvis (daughter named him) he had fallen off the top and landed in a tree so I got him with the landing net but the other one no sign of, this morning we looked all over and still no sign of it anywhere so we are now down to 30.

[Chuckles]

Did you find the misssing chuck Carolann, hope so.

My pair continue to amuse me with thier antics. Bess now regularly jumps up on my knee if I sit on a bench in the garden to have a snack, I'm going to end up with her pooing on me before long ;D It got to be a case of she has two bites and I have one of whatever it is I'm trying eating. She is so damm quick and I'm laughing so much she is on a winner ;D Joycey just hangs about near my feet in the hope a crumb or two gets dropped, which it does. I don't know what I'd do if I had both of them on my knee and its a sure fact that they would have to b shut in the run if we had guests ;D

Couple of pics taken over the back door, they had just had some left over bits in that plastic pot tray. Bess has a lovely comb growing now and Joyce has got some lovely new darker feathers appeared since she molted.

[carolann]

No we didnt find the other chick. Beautiful girls there Chuckles and I know what you mean about eating outside, I made OH some sandwiches the other day and he took them outside and put them on the bench, 1 chuck ducked under and took one of his chicken sandwiches through the slats on the bench i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/grin.gif

[oldmoleskins]

Babe's Bantam Babes are getting on for full grown now I guess - getting on for three months - and can fly forty yards to be fed. They certainly look the part though I still find it impossible to absolutely identify males/females. They hang about together as the Orphan Six, one's out of shot under the tree. This central one strutting its stuff is probably a cock, don't you think?



The Light Sussex in the foreground is weeks younger but twice the size... we're going to have some interesting Extremes of Poultry.

OM.

[Chuckles]

I bet OH won't be leaving sandwiches on the bench again Carolann ;D

Mmmm looks like a cockerel strutt to me too OM ;D Aren't they growing fast, they are smashing looking birds. How's the garden fairing up to the flock, my two found the raised bed with salad leaves in the other day

Eating in my garden has become a bit of a laugh now, friends roll about laughing at Bess and her eagerness to get at whatever you are eating. I put them a way or scatter some corn and you then have to eat whatever you have quickly. Bess isn't content with just being on your knee now she will scrammble up on your arm to get closer and nearly ended up on my shoulder the other afternoon. Joyce has on the odd occasion jumped on the bench but she doesn't try and take the food from your mouth like Bess does ;D I got pecked on the lip the other day, it hurt

I dug spuds up yesterday and they soon spotted me digging and looking longingly through the sheep netting fence thats around the veg garden. I did let them in when I'd done and they had a merry old time.

[oldmoleskins]

Aug 19, 2009 10:01:55 GMT Chuckles said:

How's the garden fairing up to the flock, my two found the raised bed with salad leaves in the other day

There's nothing in there so tasty as salad... they are the best thing ever for molehills, I've discovered. Instead of ploughing through them with teeth gritted while I'm mowing, they're raked level on a daily basis by the hens now, so that's a plus!

OM.

[carolann]

Lovely pic's there OM & Chuckles, yep OM they all look like cocks looking at the combs, on the pullets they look like the Light Sussex in the pic, you are going to have lots to put in the freezer I have 3 lovely cocks in the paddock and they will be going in within the next couple of weeks.
Chuckles I know what you mean they abuse the privilege when you let them in the garden when you are digging.

[oldmoleskins]

Aug 23, 2009 7:34:04 GMT carolann said:

yep OM they all look like cocks looking at the combs, on the pullets they look like the Light Sussex in the pic, you are going to have lots to put in the freezer ...

it'll only need to be a small freezer space - they're not much bigger than pigeons!

OM.

[carolann]

Lucky you then these 3 are bigger than the laying hens, here is a pic of the 3

Elton as our daughter calls him, he is now crowing.

here with his 2 brothers Lennon&MaCartney
When I come out of the house and into the yard he comes and finds me and walks all over till the other hens see him then he's off back into the paddock.
Next we have the fluff balls.

a cock for sure.

Elvis on the left, daughter named him

We think this one is Dame Edna with a hat on but it could be
Don King

[Tig]

I see Lennon & Macca have got the Abbey Road strut off to a tee Carolann, and as for Dame Edna ... she can come live with me anyday - she has my colouring ;D

I love all your chucks antics peeps, keep posting - they always bring a smile to my face

x Tig