Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[dogmad]

After a very long wait I finally collected my chickens today. I got three - a black rock (who I think will be the boss!), a white star and a gingernut.

 

They have all happily settled in and all but one took themselves off to the eglu to settle down at about 9pm. The other one obviously hadn't figured out the ramp (we have raised the eglu a couple of foot off the ground) but when I went into the run she hopped onto my arm, made her way up it onto my shoulder and hitched a ride to the eglu!

 

Only a couple of concerns I felt guilty locking them into the eglu as I wasn't sure if they had had a drink or not although I had seen them all use the grub.

 

My second concern was they had a good time scratching and pecking at the woodchip - do they actually eat this? If so will it do them any harm?

 

I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow of them all. I think I am going to call them Miranda, Charlotte and Carrie but I'm just gonna give it a few days to see what their characters are like first!

 

Can't believe I feel quite attached to them already and I've only had them a few hours!

 

Debbie

[Egluntyne]

Congratulations.

 

Do they have names yet?

 

Don't worry about them appearing to eat the woodchip.....they will be rootling about and finding little beasties there.....and I dare say they eat time bits of it too.

[Hen Watch]

Hi Debbie. Congrats on the new arrivals.

 

Don't worry about them at night. I shut the eglu door at night and open it at 7am and they are fine. In Winter it's even longer, they take themselves off to bed about 10 mins before dusk and sometimes that can be 4pm in mid winter. When they get in the eglu they go into roosting mode and go a bit dozy until morning. So they will be fine without food and water at night. (BTW it's a good time to pick them up when they are dozy at night for a cuddle - do wear long sleeves though 'cos newbies have sharp nails).

 

Today they will find out where to eat and drink from as it is still all new to them. Mine very often peck raindrops off the run wire as well as drink from the glug.

 

As for the woodchip, again don't worry. Remember that everything in their environment is new. Everything gets a peck to see what is food and what isn't (and that will include your fingers, clothes, stitching on your shoes.....) but they soon learn what is and isn't food.

 

Hope you enjoy today with them.

[dogmad]

Well I got up early to let them out, expecting them all to rush out. But no, they looked at me in disgust as if to say - do you realise what time it is! Think I will give myself a lie in tomorrow as they didn't come out until 9am this morning - and that was with a helping hand from me!

 

Debbie

[Janey4]

Hello!!!

We were going to call our Ex Bats they we picked up on Friday Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda but they have ended up with totally random names!!

 

Im at the worrying stage like you too -I was fretting they were going to get the shavings stook in their throats yesterday and choke on big bits of grit!

[abwsco]

Looking forward to seeing thier photos Debbie have you spent all today chicken watching?

[The Brown Clan]

Congats on the arrival of your new girls