4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Snowy]

...and I really didn't want anymore just yet (well I did but prudence was saying no )

Remember I acquired 4 new girls earlier this year from a lady who was having pecking problems?

She rang me up at 8pm tonight wanting to get rid of another 4 as she had acquired a beautiful splash cochin cockerel to sort them out and it was found dead this morning She has had enough of hens and wants rid of them. What could I say?

She whisked them round to me so quickly - two are ensconced in the cube (my own girls have been shut out temporarily, but most of them roost in the branches anyway, they will have to cope for a while).

The third - oh bless it She told me it had been broody, and when I lifted it out of the box it was a real mess. Hardly any feathers, underweight, stinking to high heaven, anaemic and crawling with red mite!!!!

She has been sprayed with Ardap and put into a pet carrier in the shed for the night. I rechecked the other two and they seem clear but have been sprayed anyway for good measure.

When I went to remove the box she had been in, there was a tide of mites crawling up the sides! I've never seen anything like it. They were even on me.

I've just stripped off in the kitchen and deloused under a hot shower.

Miss Broody (a merrydale crested) is happily tucking into pellets; the other two - a coucou with gorgeous feathered feet and a speckledy, are roosting quietly in the cube. I'll go out in a bit and let mine go into the cube as well. I think I'll have to dust everyone tomorrow and give the cube a really good clean to make sure there are none left.

I'm still itching

Edited June 22, 2009 by Guest

[Redwing]

crikey Snowy! that was a heck of an evening for you then

 

I have a big dog crate if you need separate accom for the little one

[Chickvic]

Hmmm - I can't decide whether to say congratulations on the new girls or ewww on the red mite first! I hope your new girl gets sorted soon and they all get on Don't forget the pics

[Snowy]

crikey Snowy! that was a heck of an evening for you then

 

I have a big dog crate if you need separate accom for the little one

Thanks Tasha, she is ok for now. I can create a little area for her, but don't want to keep her seperate from the others for too long. As soon as she's mite free she will be going in with the others. It has been a bit of a crazy evening. I did say I would take them off her for now, but would probably rehome them, but now I just feel sorry for them and want to keep them

 

Chickvic I think pictures may have to wait until they look a bit better!

 

It is a timely reminder of the damage that mites can do to a hen who is allowed to stay broody

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Those poor girls . Thank goodness you were on hand to take them on and look after them properly .

[smanners]

Poor you and poor hens........... good news that have found someone experienced and caring to nurture them back to health.

Well done you

[Snowy]

They now have names - Anise the merrydale crested; Sage the merrydale pied and Poppy the merrydale cuckoo.

I just hope they are going to be OK - I am worried about little Anise, I really wanted another blue layer, but she looks so weak My other crested, Bambi, is enormous in comparison.

[Egluntyne]

Well done Snowy. I'm sure they will thrive now that they a are with someone who knows how to look after them.

[*mummy_hen*]

Poor little darlings!!

 

I'm sure she will recover well with your expertise and TLC.

 

Keep us updated!

 

P.s i think you should keep them

[moochoo]

OMG! What a shame the broody was left to get in such a state. I just assume that people who keep hens for pets would check this sort of thing. How nieve?

You're such a star to take them on and get them sorted. I bet they'll really blossom under your care.

Hopefully this lady keeps her word about no more chickens. It sounds like she's out of her depth.

[mrsallen08]

Well done for taking them on. Very mysterious about the cockerel dying???

Hope they get on well with your hens, how could that woman not know there was a mite problem??? Surely the crawling box was a give away!? Imagine the coop? eeewwww...

 

Hope all is well this morning

 

Heather

[WitchHazel]

Well done Snowy.

[ubereglu]

The red mites sound horrible...eugh.

 

Well Done for rescuing and rehoming them though, I hope the broody one recovers too-poor little hen.

[Snowy]

Well this morning all is well!

My girls have been very good with the newbies, 2 small scuffles only - one by top chook Bertha asserting her authority, and one from little Bella the campine, just to say "just because I'm the smallest doesn't mean I'm at the bottom" So funny to see her squaring up to Sage who is almost twice her size!

Sage laid me a little dark brown egg!

I put some food and water in for little Anise - she drank a full bowl of water and ate through two dishes of food!

This is her in her crate

I left them alone for the morning, now I have let my old girls out to freerange and put Anise into the WIR. First thing she did was have a dustbath!

Here they are together again, left to right: Anise, Sage and Poppy

Anise - just to show the damage that red mite can do to a hen, notice how grey her face furniture is.

Sage (she is a lovely girl)

I stripped the shed down and scrubbed it (it's one of those Keter sheds so easy to clean), found where all the red mite were hiding Think I've got most of them. I'm just waiting for them all to finish laying then I can strip the cube down.

My old girls are so funny - I've shut the new girls in the WIR and closed the cube door. The egg port is open and there is a garden chair next to it so the old girls can get in to lay. They are using it, no problem, but you should hear them complaining!

 

[Chickvic]

Aww - they look lovely. Poor Anise, I'm sure she'll soon perk up now you're looking after her Snowy.

[tidygirlsuk]

congratulations and well done

[*mummy_hen*]

They all look lovely girls and very happy in their new home

[Space Chick]

I'm scratching just thinking about it!

 

Well done on coming to the rescue - probably the best thing that'll ever happen to those girls

[chelsea]

You'll soon have them like show chickens Snowy.

 

Lucky girlies.

[mostin]

The poor little things , I am itching just reading this. So glad they are being taken care of by you now .

[Falkor]

They look like lovely girls and i am sure you will get them back to fighting form

[ubereglu]

They look lovely-good luck with getting rid of all the red mite-you seem to be making a good start!