blackgold Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share Posted December 1, 2008 I told my girls to just grow their feathers back and just get healthy and not worry about eggs. i am getting plenty from my other hen family over the road.... but guess what ,my scrawny Daisy hen has laid an egg......I went to check them before lights out and they had gone to bed, Daisy was sat in the nest box on her still warm egg. i just had to take pics..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Well done that Daisy-hen ! I told my little monsters when they first arrived that they need never lay another egg again, but they still go ahead and lay 4/5 a day. The only one that took me at my word was Dandelion, who opted for retirement after a couple of months and has produced maybe one egg a month since. Dandelion eggs are very special My Daisy lays at some time during the night, so there's usually an egg from her waiting for me when I open up the Cube in the morning - always gets the day off to a good start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Awwww, bless her. That is a very special egg . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 we have a problem. When i went out to close the kennel door expecting to find the girls asleep in the eglu they were all making funny noises. Worried clucking. The reason was that Daisy had flown up in to the roof frafters. I got her down and they awere all reunited but i have now got a quandry..... I will have to cut her wings because the rafters are open at one end and the dog bar frames only go up to 10 feet. In daylight she could fly out into the dog yard, i dont think she is ready to meet the dogs enmasse......She is the most feathered but iI just feel so mean about it. have i got to do both or will just one do? The weather is so cold and they all huddle up to keep warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Just do one side, it keeps them off balance then. Don't worry it sounds alot worse than it is. Just make sure your kitchen scissors are very sharp. Get your OH to help and hold Daisy, as they won't be that used to being yet I imagine. I had read the pages in the book 10 times before I did my girls and was really worried I'd cut the wrong feathers but once you stretch the wing right out the feathers you need to cut are really obvious. We had to do our girls too as they kept clearing the fence . your Daisy is certainly getting some spring in her step isn't she . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 Daisy laid another egg today and she has put weight on cos her keel is defiately not so prominent..... i havent done the deed yet cos they are all asleep but i have put a piece of plastic over the end of the run so hopefully she wont try to fly out..... Think by the weekend they will be in their eglu with its run attached......... I will have to do everybodys wings cos we have so many trees and bushes just right for hen roosting in....... She had cleared a 4 foot pen and flown up about 8 foot........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 4, 2008 Author Share Posted December 4, 2008 I have noticed now that the girls do not mind me being in the run with them and have actually started to get in the way when iI am sweeping up.... They are not scared of things they have seen before, like the brush, plastic bags I use to pick up with etc. But if i put something different in like the whole cabbage the other day they act really terrified.I didnt want them to be bored so i thought I would hang up some old cds and they refused to come out of the kennel........ My other hen family love them.... If I go to stroke one when them come up close they crouch down so i stop until they stand back up again..... I am sure they werent this nervous the first couple of days.....Am I trying to run before I can walk with them. I am getting an egg every day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 From what you have said here and elsewhere they are doing really well and you have no need to worry about them at all. My second and third hens in the pecking order both crouch and do a limbo dance when I stroke them, and they crouch before Daisy top-hen as well, so I think it's just an acknowledgement of you being in charge. With new things, it's going to take time to build up their confidence. Your other hen-family (who look lovely too ) have always been in the big wide world and (I expect) known humans as sources of kindness and love and food all their lives. Your new little ones have had to get used to a lot in a very short time and obviously trust you already, so you're onto a winner . With anything new, they will distrust it until they learn to associate you with nice things, whatever they are. My little monsters now automatically want anything I've got in my hand, no matter what it is, and I always show them what it is , even if it's something like a trowel, so they get used to me having either nice things for them or dull things they don't want anyway! With something like cabbages, it may be worth cutting it into quarters so it's not so big and intimidating. I put mine in a string bag tied to the run mesh, so they can peck at it and explore it at will. I've never tried things like CD's, but I could understand flashing and movement could seem threatening. It will take time for them to discover the world and all the good things in it, and you should be really proud of how well they are doing already in such a short time . Well done those hens (and you too, of course) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 6, 2008 Author Share Posted December 6, 2008 I am now getting 2 eggs a day. Daisy and Oopsy are definately getting tubbier. Jimina doesnt seem to be doing as well as them and is I think getting bullied . She runs away from the feeder if Daisy approachs. I have got 3 different feeding stations in the run and kennels so she always havs a chance to get something and i keep the others away from her when i am dishing out special treats like grape halves.I just wish Daisy would stop having a peck at her. Is there anything I can put on her to make her taste not nice to put Daisy off. Jimina has the least amount of feathers and cant afford to loose anymore. bless her. Good news is that cabbages now hold no terrors for any of them and they peck at it and drag it all over the run like a ball... I got really frozen today watchng them... Ususally when i get home from work there is only about 10 minutes of daylight left. LOL Love Sue xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 I went and purchased a Faverolle last night. Well I actually bought 2 but one is living over the road in the cube with my other hen family. I have caled her Bam Bam and she has fitted in really well. The other girls seem to like her. Bam Bam is nervous of the dogs so i can now see how my ex batts have come on. They are not worried at all and run to me when i go in the pen. they put their heads in the carrier bag I use to pick up droppings and if i bend down emptyhanded they peck at my fingers. They let me stroke them and are eating really well, especially grapes, their favourite...... New pics on my collietalk spaces. Please keep your fingers crossed for nice weather this weekend cos them they will be allowed to range free on the lawn...... They are actually growing feathers too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Aaww! Bam Bam looks lovely Nice to see Belle checking out the newcomer too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 13, 2008 Author Share Posted December 13, 2008 Hope the weather warms up a bit and the rain holds off for a bit so my girls can have their first free range, cant wait...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 13, 2008 Author Share Posted December 13, 2008 Poor girls have still not been on the grass. Too wet and raining all day. Well except for an hour this morning when I didt he weekly strip clean. of the eglu and kennel I let them have a mooch about the dog yard.... I did a bit of digging in my greenhouse border and found some worms so i took them to the girls who gobbled them up......Hope weather stays warm tomorrow and stops raining..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 14, 2008 Author Share Posted December 14, 2008 Oopsy isn’t quite limping but she holds one foot up when standing still and seems to walk a bit gingerly. I have had a good look and cant see anything wrong with her foot or leg There is no wounds or heat in her foot. She did have a small piece of corn stuck under her pad but would that make her foot sore? I was really brave and trimmed nails yesterday but didn’t cut any quicks. I haven’t cut them very short either as although they were terribly long when I first got them they have worn down all but the longest nails. The ones at the side mainly I think the others get worn with scratching on the concrete slabs. I have put a covering of sawdust in the run now in case it is walking on the flags that is causing the problem, It blows everywhere and makes a mess in the dog yard but so what… it is still far too cold to put them in a normal run. They have started preening now, I had never seen them doing this before, I thought Daisys head had fallen off when she was busy cleaning her underarms….. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 today we have got 3 eggs. One is dark brown and very large. It weighs 3 ozs. i think it must be from Bam Bam the faverolle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 17, 2008 Author Share Posted December 17, 2008 Today we got 4 eggs, Bam Bam is definately the large brown egg layer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 They sound like they are doing really well; mine have slowed down with the egg laying and the pecking order has changed several times - Lavender now seems to be the bully. Have yours stopped pecking now, if so what did you do? I have set up 3 feeding areas, 2 water sources, a pecking block, a dustbowl (no interest in that yet!), have let them out into a larger run most days and let them go proper free ranging today while I cleaned out the eglu - and Lavender still chased Minty around the garden! They did love being out though. I wasted the whole afternoon outside enjoying seeing them being proper chickens! House is a pigsty, but the eglu is shining!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 17, 2008 Author Share Posted December 17, 2008 Just had a visit from a friend who has hens but hadnt met mine. I said they would still be up, but they had all gone to bed but as the lights were still on i opened the egg hatch and lifted a couple out for her to say hello too They thought we had treats...... Quite srange behaviour earlier on cos it was Jimina in the nest when i got home from work when they were all making a noise. I went to see what the problem was and she came out. i cleaned the eglu and she went back in and then was pulling the straw out into the kennel ....... I put it back in gave them their treats and then left them. Went back 30 minutes later to see if they were ok and she was eating porridge with the others and some of the straw was back in the kennel so i opened the hatch to put it back in the nest and there was her egg.. It was quite warm so not long laid. Maybe she finds straw uncomfortable to sit on,,lol. This was a 4pm so mine are late afternoon layers cos there is never any eggs in the morning. Daisy seems to have stopped feather pulling at the moment since Bam Bams arrival and the other 2 just get out of her way if she arrives at the food dish etc. Noticed they all stick together when let out to mooch in the dog yard so perhaps they are now a cemented flock... Will see what happens when they get to range free on the lawns. My friend and i said what did we do before we had chooks, I said i had a little bit of chill time, now I dont....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 21, 2008 Author Share Posted December 21, 2008 The girls had a mooch around the dog yard today. It has rained all day but the weather is a lot warmer They got really wet because i locked them out of their run, they really get in the way now when i am trying to give it a really good clean. They has access to cover in the other run but preferred to wander around the yard... I let them back in when i had finished and they went into the kennel and had a dust bath in the fresh wood shavings, they were soon dry. All except Bam Bam who went into the eglu to lay an egg....... i am getting 4 eggs every day now.......I have had them, the exbatts, for a month now. i had a good look at them today and am pleased to say that they all have good feather growth and no completely bald patches anymore.... Took a few pics. Gromit was out with them. Tried to get him to help me put them away as he is a trained dog on sheep but he didn't want to gather them,,,lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Glad they are finding their feet and gaining confindence with you now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 24, 2008 Author Share Posted December 24, 2008 4 weeks ago my girls didn’t know how to walk..... Today they mugged me. I had let them out to mooch in the yard because I came home early. Belle and Rinty keeping an eye on them cos I am neurotic about foxes coming in. We have a park next door and I have seen lots of foxes over the years... I went out to put them away at about 4 ish with some grapes to entice them back into the pen. They all came running grabbed the grapes from my fingers and then started to peck at my nailvarnish. They hurt.... I used to be able to just gently walk behind them and they would walk back in but not anymore, they can now run.....A handful of pigeon corn and some more grapes were the bribe today. Bet that wont work tomorrow.....i do love their characters now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 When I first got my girls I would check to see if they had eaten and feel all their crops. Now when my girls are ready for bed and come running for their last treat of the day, I can see their crops wobbling when they run…. They used to be as big as say an egg cup when full now they are more like the size of grapefruits…. Is this normal? Poo is normal, cant see any worms and no other problems, they do seem to eat a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 They can be very big towards the end of the day, especially hybrid hens such as ex-batts as they seem to be much greedier than pure-breeds. if they are all healthy and the crops have all gone down each morning then I wouldn't worry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 yes they are always empty in the morning and they are ready for breakfast. They are laying over 2oz eggs as well. Their diet is very varied now and they will try most things. The first 3 days they would only eat mash and then just grapes and cabbage. now they will eat anything from my fingers. I just wondered what the maximum capacity of a crop was. i read in a hen book that they need 130 grammes of dried food each day... Mine eat that for breakfast..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I'm not sure what the maximum capacity is, but I've read on here about peoples girls eating mice and frogs whole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
