Lulabellx1

I remember this time last year it was awful too, after a very wet summer! At least the summer was dry this year, so the rain we are having is not falling on already sodden earth. It does smell like a farm in my garden at the moment though. Luckily my neighbours don't mind The hens are happy however, and one of the ex-bat's has gone in to moult so with all the mud and feathers everywhere... the garden doesn't look very pretty! LOL Loops x

Hello fellow hen keepers. Is anyone else’s garden resembling a quagmire at the moment? With all this rain we’ve been having, I’m worried I’m gonna lose a wellie in the sinking mud. The chickens seem to be having a whale of a time in it! It is a chore keeping the feeding and water stations clean though… I’m hoping for a dry weekend so I can open the walk in run up and give it a good scrub and an airing. I have been letting the hens free-range a lot, so they have some time away from the mud-pit too . The joys of autumn! Loops x

Ooh, exciting! I'll be watching this. Athough... reading the synopsis makes me think I might start throwing things at the telly when I see the daft people feeding them!

Yup, us too. Zombie chicken has gone in to a full blown moult. She's an ex-bat and must be about 2 and a half now. The ex-bat's haven't had a moult yet (since rescuing them), I'm hoping the others don't follow suit! Plenty of protein in the diet for them, helps them through it a bit

Sounds like the start of a moult. One of my ex-bat's has started a full blown moult this week. She looks very scraggy bless her! I'm hoping the others don't follow suit! x

Thats why Daisybelle is so keen! She has got in before and helped herself to the cats biscuits... now she knows they're there, there's no hope! I agree, that they like the company. When we are in the kitchen they like to huddle by the back door and have a little snooze. I'm sure they like the sound of being near us, maybe it makes them feel more secure? It's starting to get a bit too chilly to leave the door open all the time, I'm hoping by next year... she will have forgotten all about the cat food!

Naughty Daisybelle!

Ours have a massive walk in run and they get to free range for 3/4 hours each day... usually in the afternoon when my OH has got up (he works nights). However I would say that I like having the WIR near the house, so I can sit and watch the hens from the kitchen. I think if they were right at the back of the garden, I would have nothing to keep me occupied when nursing a cuppa in the morning before work! x

Yes, we took our dividers out as well. They seemed to want to snuggle together! Put some pic's up when you have finished, would love to see it

How is she doing hun? Hope she is OK? x

I agree, I would wait until I'm back to keep an eye on them all during intro's x

I have a six your old son.... Unless you have a young boy in the family under the age of 10... you probably wouldn't be aware of the Nerf gun movement. I am another Nerf gun hater... was very annoyed when my brother got my son one for Crimbo, but I have had to let that one go

In the USA you can buy liquid egg in bottles... yuck! Also, what's that egg based liquor they use in snowballs at Christmas? Bet some end up in there! We have had a few blood smears on the odd egg or two. When ever it happens I have a good health check on the brood just to check no-one is showing any signs of illness etc... but I do think it is normal from time to time. I have also had a shell less egg splat in the poo tray in the morning... it makes me giggle to think she must have been asleep and SPLAT! Wonder if she even woke up

OK, well that does help. Sounds like the average is spot on then... I wonder if there is some freaky 10 year old+ hen out there?

Oh No! I'm freaking out now because my neighbours boy lost a nerf gun dart today and we couldn't find it. He didn't know where it went and it could quite easily of gone in our garden. The chickens were free-ranging at the time and we never found it Keep us posted on how she gets on. I hope she coughs it up or something?? Good luck xx