Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Not sure if mine have used the super glug, but have seen them using the grub and the glug. I actually left the super glug out today as I'm fed up with juggling it into the run !

 

Sha x

[Barkisland]

I did the leg rings straight away when we got them home but, sadly, Nancy died the following day, so I didn't really need them. Flo is a much bigger bird than Gerty, so they are easy to tell apart. Flo definitely seems to be the boss, and is bolder than Gerty, but there has been no fighting, they seem to be pals.

Frustratingly, I have yet to witness either of them having a drink, which was one of the reasons I started giving them porridge - at least I know they are getting some moisture in that. They have a large fountain drinker, a superglug, a normal glug, and a bunny bottle on their side of the run, so covering all possibilities, but I have no evidence that they are using any of them! They have a grub full of dry mash, which they have looked at, but don't eat. Flo has had a little peck at a few halved grapes, but I don't think she 'gets' them yet! They both like mixed corn though.

They both laid 2 eggs each, on the 2 days following rescue, but nothing since. I believe this is normal, and can last up to 6 weeks.

The other thing I've noticed is that they don't scratch in the dirt like my other chooks, I suppose they don't know how to. Maybe that will follow when their nails have been trimmed.

Ada, my little Legbar escapaolgist managed to get into the wrong side of the run yesterday and nearly gave me a heart attack! I am keeping the girls separate for at least 4 weeks, although they can see one another through the net partition. Anyway, it all went well, all very polite, no nastiness, and OH managed to retrieve Ada an hour or two later and returned her to her rightful place, phew!

[Kit]

Ladies

 

 

congratulations on getting your new hens. I am sure with all your tlc they will be fine hens soon and loving life as they should.

 

Cannot wait to see updated photos of them.

 

Poached Egg love the photo of Poppy!

 

Kit

[mostin]

Congratulations on all your new girls .

 

They are all beautiful, because they are free now . Hope they all have a lovely day tomorrow playing outside.

[sparkysmum]

Hi to you both You've both dpne a great thing in giving your retired ladies a home. We just love them - they've grown into real feisty little madams. Real beauties too

[Redwing]

They are all lovely - congratulations both of you!

 

Why do they always have such big combs? does anyone know?

[Falkor]

They are all lovely - congratulations both of you!

 

Why do they always have such big combs? does anyone know?

 

They expell heat through their comb and in the cage/barn they get hot so their comb grows to allow more effective heat loss.

 

It should reduce in size after a while living with their new chook families as they will have more space and access to outside.

 

I thinks that's right.

[alih]

I will make them some porridge tomorrow to ensure they are getting water into them. I am hoping they will know how to drink from the superglug as they drink from nipples in the barn I gather. as for the mash I am planning just to leave them to it so they learn- any tips very welcome if that is too simplistic an approach..

[Seagazer]

Congratulations to both of you. I like it when we have photos of the rescued girls on here and then follow up photos (pretty please?) They always look so bedgraggled. But at least they are going to have a happy life now.

 

I never knew that about the combs before so that was good to know.

[Electricbarbarella]

well my girls waited until it went dark and then before we went to close the door they came into the run, dh had to pick them up and post them through the egg port.

This morning I have had the biggest egg, it is speckeldy, are they supposed to be speckedly.

I will try and get some photo's up now.

[Jules.]

Great photos everyone

 

I'm feeling broody for some ex-batts now

[poachedegg]

Well we've had a egg from them this morning - in the nest box too!

 

Lily and Daisy are still fighting, so I hope they sort themselves out soon as it isn't pleasant to watch at all.

[Electricbarbarella]

sorry to hear there fighting, we had an egg too, dh just put it in the pan next to our oldies, it was a revolting orange colour, and even though the egg was massive (over 100g) the yolk was tiny.

Dh says they are in detox.

[alih]

Up early to let the girls out but Omar is still standing in the eglu! Bubbles has laid a beautiful egg - am a bit hesitant about eating it as it will no doubt be full of sadness and other toxins! But she is standing in the run now - the bruisers are very interested but not so far in an aggressive way. Have put some porridge in for them but they just stand still - hope they get the hang of it soon as worried about them being dehydrated!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

We've had 0-4 eggs in various stages from softies to perfectly form with a kind of pebble-dashed effect on the shell, and some of them are pale at one end and darker at the other and the sizes various quite a bit too - no two eggs are alike.

 

I had an egg sandwich for lunch during the week & took a pic of the yolks

On the left is a Battie egg, on the right an Orpie one, the flavour difference was quite marked too, the battie one had an almost "metallic" feel/taste to it & the Orpie was much richer in flavour with no "metallic-ness".

 

I'm not sure many people, except on here, would understand the need to photograph a boiled egg

 

I have included a battie egg in the boxes my friends bought yesterday so they can see the change in the birds from the standard of their eggs!

 

Sha x

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's a fab photo. What a difference in the yolks . You'll need to do the same photo at stages over the next few weeks/months - it'll be interesting to see how quickly the batties' eggs turn "proper" yellow!

 

What a great idea, giving both kinds to your friends - I take it you told them or are you hoping they'll comment unprompted!?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

No I did tell them, I've been wittering on about them coming for so long though I think they'd pass comment if I hadn't mentioned them! Every time we speak either in person or by email they ask about the chooks - even the children do too !

 

We are marking the eggs up now, as to which nest box they come from, so we can see which "flocklet" is producing what - they are all so different!

 

I'll take a comparison pic in the first week of every month for the next few to see how they change.

 

Sha x

[dancing cloud]

Well done everyone who adopted ex-batts yesterday . Bet this morning they think they've been very good girls and gone to little chookie heaven, even if it is a bit cold

 

Poached - my Daisy says a special hello to your Daisy . My Daisy didn't move much for the first couple of days and then, just when I was starting to get really worried, came out of the run and took over as top chook. She's not the biggest and is still short of feathers, but she's definitely the boss (except when she's asleep on my knee, when she delegates )

 

Lovely to see everyone's piccies of their new girls and to know their lives will be so different from now on

[bigmommasally]

Some lovely photos. I love the one of Poppy too, her floppy comb looks like a bonnet, it make her look like Hyacinth Bucket!

 

Well Done to all of you.

 

I hope things settle down for you and they all start to eat and drink better today.

 

[sandyhas3chucks]

! Bubbles has laid a beautiful egg - am a bit hesitant about eating it as it will no doubt be full of sadness and other toxins!

why not scramble their first few eggs & give them back to them, the extr protein will be good for them too.

You do realise that your lives will never be the same again?

You lucky people!

 

Made me cry as I had forgotten that "sad" "sad" look. hope their eyes are now brighter & perkier

[alih]

great idea Sandy - I will wait till they have got the idea of treats though - have given them raisins and baby toms today but though they have a peck they don't seem to persevere or realise it's food! guess they will learn in time.