Mrs Frugal Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Well, as the biggest chatterbox on the forum, I suppose I'd better get the ball rolling, so to speak! I get the feeling that James has added this section for the benefit of Lesley, Nicola, Sarah and myself so we ought to get it started, hadn't we, Ladies? Do you feel that your life has been enhanced by the arrival of your feathery friends??? I must admit that my girls are more pets than livestock. My youngest comes home from school every day and the first thing he asks is "How are the hens" and he's out there cuddling them and chattering to them! I think they're smashing pets because they are cheap to keep, lovely to look after and the eggs are a smashing bonus. Add your comments and don't make me look a bigger fool than I already am, won't you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Hi Kate, didn't take you long a good idea though. I also have become totally consumed with chicken matters, we all love the girls my daughter who is 7 said to me the other day mum I know they are cheeky but I do love them. Even my husband calls them the cheeky girls. Only right that you use the site first I guess it may have been created after todays banter between the girls. Iam enjoying reading all the postings it is such fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 I suppose I'd better get in on this as well then! Our chickens have enhanced our lives more than I thought they would. As soon as I saw the advert in OG I knew this was the way to go. We wouldn't have contemplated keeping chickens any other way. I'm definitely NOT a pet person but Carl is, so I saw the opportunity of having 'productive' pets in the same way that I am only interested in veg gardening not flowers - if you can't eat it why grow it? Also I hoped it would help Carl with his stress levels which it did to en extent but he still had a scare two weeks ago, middle of night, two ambulances, blue flashing lights the lot. He was lucky, it was just a warning and he is now taking more time to 'smell the roses' only unfortunately here it is 'smelling the chickens'! At least he has more time now to spend with the chickens and we bought two more and another Eglu. We're hooked, but it is only me that is hooked on this *******forum! Lesley PS I don't think Nicola should be allowed to post until she has visited the 'Ages' topic AND answered (You could always lie - who'd know? in which case I'm 21!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 16, 2004 Author Share Posted November 16, 2004 That's funny, Lesley, I'm 21 too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 OK ! girls I have just answered the question on the age topic but I sometimes feel much older, my son is giving me the real run around at the moment in fact I have just had to fight him to get back on MY computer he says he is doing homework but all I can hear is itunes belting out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahJo Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 I'm only doing this as youngest fell asleep on sofa .. now in bed, and eldest is watching the end of a disney film!!!! . DO YOU LOT EVER STOP ... I am compelled to keep up (or at least try)!!! . No really its been an entertaining day .. and to answer the life It was a toss up between Guinea Pigs and Chooks. The latter do far more and provide brekky, so no contest really. Our dog died in May, and the boys are too young to look after a puppy (small toys, and doors left open). so I opted for the Eglu after seeing it on BBC breakfast news. I also had Bantams when I was younger so liked the idea for Ben and Joe, and they are easy and less tying .... and all the boys friends think they are cool . Hmm think we also have a new competition between Nicola and myself ... race you to eggspert. haha . Sarah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 great, another race AND somewhere to chat - what more could we ask for! I was late collecting grandchildren from school today because of this AND got hauled in by the Head as Jake had taken a stick to the playhouse window (perspex) and broken it! If I'd been early it could have been so discreet instead of in front of ALL the parents! Lesley PS Nicola - at least you're not as old as me and today I feel 101 NOT 21 - I lied! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 To answer the original question, the eglu has prevented us moving house. I was going stir crazy living in the city but our designer backyard is now a productive vegetable area and the very poncy water feature I designed myself is about to be replaced with something much smaller against the wall to make more room for the hens. The rest of the family really like living the city life so everyone is happy now. Once I've finished totally remodelling the backyard there will even be a small patio area left for eating out. We do have an allotment but I like to be able to pick my vegetables 5 minutes before cooking them. It's the hens, Sybil and Pollo, that have turned the backyard into a city smallholding and saved the day for me. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 Same here, Jane Our tiny town back garden has got the essence of a small holding now that the girls have arrived. They are completely free range now in the garden (apart from the pond area - don't want any more frog massacres) as we have taken down all the fruit cage netting and have allowed them the freedom of the entire garden. I've got a very small vegetable plot and an area at the bottom of the garden for fruit trees and bushes but it's the hens wandering freely which gives me the most pleasure. This garden will tide us over now until we can find something bigger. I've got the hens I've always wanted and they're LOVELY!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Hi Kate Your set up sounds great. If you can get hold of Francine Raymond's book, The Big Book of Garden Hens, there are lots of great suggestions for making portable runs to put round your veggy and fruit beds. She also suggests putting logs or stones around new plants/trees to protect the roots from scratching hens. We are about to plant a row (all 9 feet!) of native british hedging plants along the north facing back of the garage which will provide a bit of the country to view from the kitchen and a great habitat for wild life. I have a large pile of logs and stones to protect the roots from my super scratcher little darlings. I've had a go at putting emoticons in my profile signature so we'll see if I did the right thing or not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 Hi Jane, Great idea about the stones. I will try that when I get my new fruit bushes. I had visions of blueberry and blackcurrant bushes flying through the air when Clarry started her overexuberant scratching sessions! We have a beech hedge along one side of our garden and trees at the bottom so that we can hang bird feeders for the little feathery friends that visit us - we have some beautiful birds including goldfinches, bramblings, robins, wrens etc who come regularly and the hedge provides cover when the Sparrowhawk comes hunting. We have taken the run off the Eglu because it is right up by the house at the moment. We are totally surrounded by other gardens so we think we are relatively safe from foxes plus I'm around all the time because I don't work so the girls should be fine. They seem to enjoy their freedom but in Spring when I plant up the vegetable plot, I will put up some more fruit cage netting around it to protect the plants. They will have the rest of the garden to play in so I'm sure they won't mind too much! I must go and do some jobs! I've been here for an hour and nothing's getting done! Eeeek! Back later! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Hi Jane We had to resort to wire netting as well as wood and stones because we hadn't got any big enough logs. Tallulah and Millie decided that the ONLY place for dustbathing was amongst the roots of two newly planted lavender bushes. We tried stones and wood but then had to put netting first then stones and also removed some turf to make their dust bathing area bigger. This area has since evolved into a sand pit with log edging (and two straggly lavender bushes!) Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 Lesley, Aren't you going to start adding a few PS messages to get to 100 and Superhen status! I'm very surprised that you haven't! Come on, think of some more postings - consistency of droppings? number of feathers lost each day??? Got to get you to 100 before lunchtime! The race is on again, girls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahJo Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 I put "paddle stones" on the top of pots to stop mine scratching out the compost .... the pansies that were there before are long gone . Sarah Ginger and Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicki Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 They've made a big difference to us. We spent last weekend building a large run they can wreck for the winter with bark in! I love the way they talk to us when we are outside and wish I could handle them more but they don't like it and run away. I would also like to let them out more but don't trust my dog. I am usually up last and love to open the curtains and watch them in the run. They rush out in the mornings even though it is dark now for brekfast. The egg production has taken us by surprise - we had 3 last Friday and they haven't had a day off yet. As there are only 2 of us we keep giving them away which is making us very popular. Nicki (lots of smiles but I haven't worked out how to use emoticons!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 Hi Nicki, We found that the best way to get them used to you was to handle them in the evening when they're a bit drowsy (they don't put up such a fight when they're ready for bed!) We used to take them out of the Eglu at night through the Eggport and give them a little cuddle every day. Bribery also works wonders. If your girls like sweetcorn (I haven't read about a hen yet who doesn't!), try picking them up and feeding them kernels while you're holding them. They'll soon start to associate cuddles with food! They're not daft! Ollie (11) could only cuddle Clarissa until recently. Jennifer used to flap and kick the minute he picked her up and yet I could cuddle her for ages and ages. We found that we were both holding her differently. Jenny likes to feel safe and prefers to be cuddled with both arms wrapped round her, like you would hold a baby, while Clarissa is happy to be tucked under your arm with her legs dangling! Neither hen likes to be held the "proper" way with your finger trapped between their legs. I was taught how to do it that way when they first arrived but just couldn't get it right so I adopted my own methods and the girls seem to like them! Tom (14) won't even try to pick up the girls! I think he's scared of rejection! It's a shame because there's nothing nicer than a warm hen to cuddle, especially when they talk back to you! Persevere with the attempts to pick them up. They'll give in eventually! By the way, smiles using emoticons are easy - just click on the picture on the left and it will go into your text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Well Kate you managed to get page 2 running in a very short time I noticed most of you stayed up late last night. I am afraid I had to do some proper work today so have only just caught up it took me ages reading all the postings. My son is also called Tom he is 13 and won't hold the chickens and hates all the poo everywhere. Emily who is 7 loves to hold them and cuddle, mine are the same they fight even more if you try to hold them between the legs well so would you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 I had to give up last night because long-suffering hubby (I'm going to have to abbreviate that to "L-S H", aren't I! Takes too long to type!) was moaning that all I ever do is read this ****** forum! I would have loved to keep going but hey, we're already on page 2! Isn't it funny that the younger children have taken to cuddling hens better than the older ones. Ollie hasn't even been put off by being accidentally pecked on the lip twice! He got upset the first time thinking that "Clarry didn't like him anymore" but was fine after I explained that she might have thought his lips were a nice juicy worm! The only problem now with him cuddling the girls is that they tend to poo down his trousers while he's holding them! Fine in home clothes but not so good first thing in the morning in school uniform! Yes, you're right, I would protest if someone tried to hold me that way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 I see Lesley's back and has almost reached Superhen status! Come on Lesley, I've got tea to prepare - you've got to get a wriggle on so you reach 100 before I have to quit for the evening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Come on Lesley we know you are out there you must be very close to becoming super hen. My husband is also moaning about the time spent reading the forum but he is a computer nerd and spends hours working on his computer and veiwing ebay. Iam staying on until Lesley reaches superhen status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 Me too! I've managed to ditch the ebay habit - having no money helped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 OK OK - I had to go to work and then in through front door - out of back door and sort out girls before it gets too dark! I haven't even read everything yet! Shall I keep you waiting? Two more to go after this one I think. At least I remembered to change my shoes today! I only work away from home on Weds and last week went straight out in my best shoes! Yuk! Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 2 left! You can do it Lesley. I thought with the excitement, you wouldn't have done any work until you'd reached your century! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Nearly forgot we are supposed to be talking about chickens Ginger didn't lay an egg today wonder if she is storing a double yoker or maybe it is just too cold it has been a rotten day here today. Lesley hurry up I have to cook tea Emily has a friend back from school if I don't hurry up her mum will be here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 2 left! You can do it Lesley. I thought with the excitement, you wouldn't have done any work until you'd reached your century! No choice! I did check while I was at work though when no-one was looking! This will have to do for my 100 - I have to go to the loo! Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
