Steve. Posted October 31, 2008 Author Share Posted October 31, 2008 No bumper bits yet ... might be the next plan. Supermarket eggs are beginning to have an attraction (just kidding). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I for one am loving this thread Steve has a fantastic sense of humour luckily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 Okay - a quick update and will try and get as much in as possible. o Builder still hasn't arrived to build the concrete base o Extra run extension has been installed giving them 4 metres o Enid's feathers are growing back - sprayed her with purple spray to hide the 'pimples' of new feathers o Got a couple of metal ball things from the Omlet shop that we pop apples, cabbage in for them to play with o Pecking seemed to have stopped - and the extra metre of run lets a chook escape o Try to give them corn in a hanging feeder from around 3 or 4pm as an afternoon treat o Getting an average of 5 eggs from the 8 of them, with 7 eggs on Sunday o When the concrete base is in I hope they can scratch about a bit more o They are covered in mud o The cube is covered in mud o Sunday I required 3 changes of clothes as they splashed mud over me *twice* o I can't wait till mud is removed from the equation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Whew! Well done. Go on you'll miss the mud. Glad things are a bit better pecking wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Well that's certainly more positive!!! YOu must be a bit relieved.. How are they getting on with the ballie things? Mine wont use them!!! What are you using to hang the corn, sounds interesting The purple spray tip sounds great may try that myself!!! Hope you concrete arrives soon or your wife will be making you do your own washing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted November 12, 2008 Author Share Posted November 12, 2008 Well that's certainly more positive!!! YOu must be a bit relieved.. How are they getting on with the ballie things? Mine wont use them!!! What are you using to hang the corn, sounds interesting The purple spray tip sounds great may try that myself!!! Hope you concrete arrives soon or your wife will be making you do your own washing! They can't leave the ball things alone - they dangle from a bit of garden twine, here's the link: http://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/shop.php?cat=Chicken%20Extras&sub=General&product_id=572 and the all love it. The corn is in a hanging chick feeder, just like this, http://www.sprcentre.com/product.asp?numRecordPosition=3&P_ID=167&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=599 Not much of it ends up on the ground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Steve, Silly question, but if you fill the hangy feeder with yummy mixed corn, do they not scoff it til it's gone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted November 12, 2008 Author Share Posted November 12, 2008 Steve, Silly question, but if you fill the hangy feeder with yummy mixed corn, do they not scoff it til it's gone? Nope! I found this very surprising. They seem to eat till they are full and then toddle off and do something else. I might weigh it in, and out, next time to see how much they scoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Test weighing - haven't done that for years, but a good idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted November 15, 2008 Author Share Posted November 15, 2008 450 grams of corn in one sitting which was from 3.50pm till dusk. Which probably explains why I only got 3 eggs today. Naughty Chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 450 grams of corn in one sitting which was from 3.50pm till dusk. Which probably explains why I only got 3 eggs today. Naughty Chickens. That could explain it Edited to add: I bet they're happy hens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 opps might have to re think that then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 This thread is the gift that just keeps on giving. Right oh then, here's the latest update. Builder's booked for next week so hopefully we'll move the chooks to their new concrete run the following weekend. The chooks are all best mates, although Enid's bum is still rather bare, the poor sausage. We changed their pellets to a cheaper brand, and it's like someone switched a light bulb on, they've been giving us loads more eggs the last week. In the last week we've had 45 eggs out of the 8 of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Bet they're missing all that corn though. No more mud eh hope the weather's good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 what will do you do with all your time now your not chasing round after them???? Hang those thermals and wellies back up??? Glad all is looking good.... Have you given up on the hanging feeder or just putting different stuff in it? What brand of pellets are you now using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Have you given up on the hanging feeder or just putting different stuff in it? What brand of pellets are you now using? The hanging feeder is okay apart from the fact that I get muddy as they get excited and try to grab the food before it's hung up. So do it occasionally. I'm using Countrywide Layers Pellets which are £7 for a 20kg bag. They have quite a short useby date compared to the other pellets I was using which had 4+ months. Or - maybe it's just that the chooks have matured. I may never know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 I do enjoy this thread...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 I am really annoyed .... no sign of the builder and this is the second time he's let me down. Plus I got up extra early so I would be ready to meet him. I'm not going to phone him again - he can blumen well be left in the dark. If he's not here by late afternoon I'm locking the gate and we'll move the chooks to the patio for the next couple of months. Not ideal whatsoever but it'll have to do. So much for there being a shortage of building work ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Oh no Steve, that's pants!!!!! You've been sooooooo looking forward to getting it all sorted too....... do you have another builder in reserve??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 Oh no Steve, that's pants!!!!! You've been sooooooo looking forward to getting it all sorted too....... do you have another builder in reserve??? DW is steaming, I am very annoyed. No builder in reserve ... I think it's going to get too cold now to lay concrete ... so maybe have to wait for spring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Gosh that must be really annoying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 you could go down the hire shop, and get a cement mixer??? no, I guess not. can you chase the builder again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 you could go down the hire shop, and get a cement mixer??? no, I guess not. can you chase the builder again? I could do it but I have a wife and two young sprogs hence no free time. Oh, and a job. That gets in the way too. I don't want this builder any more - I've chased three times already, and he's let us down twice. Despite the last time telling him if he's not interested then tell me there and then. Neighbour is an architect so I'll bug him for a name - as I should have done in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 no, I knew you had littlies - the 'hire a cement mixer' comment was the kind of thing that I would suggest brightly, and would get my DH muttering "and stick YOUR head in it"!!! yes ask the architect, bound to know someone who will at least turn up and even if it costs a few £ more at least it will be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Frustrating eh. Makes sense to do it at same time as your walk in run. You'll only find the panels are 6" bigger than your base. Chin up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
