What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Egluntyne]

Just a little thought....you might want to put a plastic sheet over the top of the run...if it rains the Aubiose will get soaked.

 

I notice that the present incumbent's drinking vessel tones nicely with the cube.

[HRC99]

Thanks everyone! It does look great and we are over the moon with it. We've put the shade up over the first part of the run and Zoe's off to Dunelm either today or tomorrow for the plastic sheeting.

 

Well, we're the proud owners of 4 chooks! Allow me to introduce them.

 

Gladys - Bluebelle

Phenie - Warren

Rosie - Amber

Cheryl - Black Rock

 

No photos as yet but they will be on their way. I put them all in the Cube to begin with. Cheryl (I wanted to name them all after Girls Aloud but I wasn't allowed!) was straight out and down the ladder. I think she'll be the chief.

 

She's been rooting around, exploring everywhere. She's worked out the grit and the grub without any problem but hasn't managed to drink from the glug yet.

 

Gladys has been stood by the door for about an hour now, not quite plucking (oops, poor choice of word!) up the courage to come down. There's no sign of Rosie and Phenie at all.

 

I was wondering how you can introduce them to the glug. Does anyone have any pointers? Also, should I just let them find their own way out or put them out into the run?

 

The sooner they're out, the sooner there's photos!

[HRC99]

This is Cheryl with Gladys in the background.

 

 

Cheryl with Rosie hiding under the cube.

 

 

Gladys with Phenie behind.

 

 

Another one of Gladys & Phenie.

 

 

They have also worked out the Superglug. I put a log underneath it and they jumped on the log. It was only a matter of time before one of them pecked the teat and bingo! They've all got it now!

[Egluntyne]

Lovely girls.

 

Phenie (interesting name! ) looks a bit older than her flatmates, going by the headgear.

[HRC99]

Lovely girls.

 

Phenie (interesting name! ) looks a bit older than her flatmates, going by the headgear.

 

Thanks! Phenie (named after my grandmother Josephine who was called Phinie as a child).

 

In typing that out, I've realised that it's Phinie not Phenie.

 

I picked her out because of her headgear. The guy at Storrs said they should all be pretty much the same age. Perhaps, she's a quick developer!

[Egluntyne]

Lovely girls.

 

Phenie (interesting name! ) looks a bit older than her flatmates, going by the headgear.

 

Thanks! Phenie (named after my grandmother Josephine who was called Phinie as a child).

 

In typing that out, I've realised that it's Phinie not Phenie.

 

I picked her out because of her headgear. The guy at Storrs said they should all be pretty much the same age. Perhaps, she's a quick developer!

 

Just realised....we are practically neighbours!!

[HRC99]

Lovely girls.

 

Phenie (interesting name! ) looks a bit older than her flatmates, going by the headgear.

 

Thanks! Phenie (named after my grandmother Josephine who was called Phinie as a child).

 

In typing that out, I've realised that it's Phinie not Phenie.

 

I picked her out because of her headgear. The guy at Storrs said they should all be pretty much the same age. Perhaps, she's a quick developer!

 

Just realised....we are practically neighbours!!

 

Not far at all, really! Maybe we should have a Yorkshire Hen Party?

[AJuff]

Lovely girls. Enjoy watching them! Happy hen keeping.

[HRC99]

I've spent most of the afternoon sat in the freezing cold watching them. I'm hooked!

 

I've just put them to bed. Having read about the torch trick on here, I tried it myself. I'd got a little key fob torch and dangled the light through the slit in the side of the roosting area. It was quite funny as they went up in reverse order to how they'd come out of the Cube. Up came the last one and I shut the door sharpish. A couple of low murmurs and then silence.

 

So that's them in for the night.

 

I'll be up early to let them out. They've already made a right mess of the run. Scratching and kicking up the hemcore all over the flowers. Oh, well never mind. I might plant something else when I clean the run out properly. Maybe some heathers as they might be a bit tougher!

 

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments and support. It's such a welcoming place on here and I'm just chuffed to bits with my chooks!

[nicki9]

Your new chickens are gorgeous.

I bet you're up earlier than usual for a Sunday morning tomorrow!!

 

Here's hoping for good weather, all the beter for chicken watching in!

[Ziggy]

They're beautiful....

It's lovely just sitting there and watching them isn't it?

 

Welcome to the world of chook addicts

[bellekatz]

Congratulations on your lovely girls and purple cube! they are so much fun to watch aren't they?

[Pinkybijou]

Congratulations to you both!! I particularly like the look of Gladys - she is beautiful.

 

Kris

Doris - Welsummer

Dora - Wyandotte

[HRC99]

What do people put in the run to keep the chooks amused? I've put a couple of log& peck at plus a branch for them to perch on if they like.

 

Any other suggestions?

[Egluntyne]

Dangle a couple of Gary Glitter CD's from a string for them to peck at.

[chelsea]

hang up broccoli, my lot can devour a whole broccoli in one day!

 

I bought seed bells from pets at home or local garden centre (made with natural products not beef suet) its usually bound by honey. And they love that too.

 

You will notice that before laying their appetite isnt so huge as when they lay.

[Olly]

ooh they're gorgeous - and such babies, I'd forgotten what mine looked like when they arrived, before their combs developed!

 

Did you leap out of bed and rush to the window this morning, to see if the Cube was still there? And have you been up the garden in your dressing-gown yet?

 

Welcome to the world of chickens!

[crazygal]

I hope you're enjoying Sunday morning with your new chooks, they're great.

 

I've really enjoyed reading this and seeing the pics. Hope you get some eggs soon!!

[MedusA]

What lovely girls. Have another great day chook-watching! You'll soon wonder what else you ever did with your time!

[HRC99]

I optimistically checked for eggs this morning. Well, you never know!

 

I was up at 6:50am this morning to open the door. They were up and looking at me. Two hours later none of them had set foot outside.

 

Phinie has now tentatively stepped down the ladder, Gladys and Cheryl are just staring at her from the doorway and Rosie is hiding in the nest box.

 

I don't know whether to push them out or just leave them in the Cube.

[Egluntyne]

A bit of a nudge won't harm for the first couple of days till they get the hang of it.

 

They might be hungry.

[HRC99]

Well, no sooner than I posted, they all trooped out one by one down the ladder in procession.

 

Full day's chicken watching ahead!

[Egluntyne]

That's good.

 

You won't get much done today!

[HRC99]

Another day spent chicken watching. They've certainly got the hang of the Superglug and have been making up for lost time from yesterday and drinking like fish!

 

They've been on a mission to destroy the little flower bed. They haven't eaten any of it, just pecked at it and pulled it apart. Then they started to dig.

 

At first, I thought Cheryl had learned to moonwalk with this strange little dance that threw up loads of hemcore. Then they were all at it! It went everywhere. Fortunately, there's a border so it didn't really spill out.

 

I wanted to sort them out with a dustbath, so I've bought a washing up bowl from Wilkinsons for £1.99 but wondered what to put in it. I've got loads of coal and wood ash from my fireplace. Would that be ok or should I put something else in?

[HRC99]

Oh and they all took themselves off to bed tonight without any prompting. They just trooped up one after the other and in they went. I was looking at the sky thinking it was a bit early. Then two or three minutes later, I looked out and it had got very dark very quickly. Incredible.

 

I know that this is probably really boring as you've all seen it a million times but I'm just so excited at the moment!