siriradha Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Please forgive me if I use up my full allotment of exclamation points in this one post. I got my first chicken today! DH and I got home from a trip last night and it was finally time to get someone to move into the . I had hoped to get all three of the girls (from two separate sources) this morning, but supplier number two is still on vacation. Lovey, AKA Mrs.Thurston Howell III, moved in just before noon. She looked pretty lonely out there, so I took the cushion off the chaise lounge and spread it in front of the open Eglu door where I made myself comfortable at her level. It didn't take her very long at all before she came over and sat down by me and let me pet her wattles and beak. I was so surprised that she wasn't scared of me! Her former owner had her in a pen with twenty-five of her compatriots, and none of them was handled much at all. Later, I opened the egg port and lured her inside by doing my best chicken imitation--sound, not motion--and she let me pet her again. Most of the afternoon she was out in the Eglu run, but I found her sitting in the nest box at dinnertime, so I went ahead and closed the door for the night. I'm hoping John, my chicken-keeping friend, will be home tomorrow so that I can get the other two pullets. Wish me luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Congratulations. I am old enough to recognise the name Thurston Howell III. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Congratulations . Love the image of you sitting on a cushion with her . Hope you get her little friends today . Have you got equally grand names ready for them? (I must be terribly young , that name means nothing to me .) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Congratulations. I am old enough to recognise the name Thurston Howell III. Ah Gilligan's Island. My folks used to watch that. It was the sixties and I was busy being a hippie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CluckyBucks Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Sounds like you are her are going to have a lovely little friendship xx xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggregiousness Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Congrats on the lovely Lovely! You will enjoy your chikkies immensely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siriradha Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hey, I'm still a hippie! Lovey was a darling right up until I opened the box and added Bella & Biddy to her domain! Now she's a tyrant! Those poor pullets didn't have a chance to put claw to turf before she pecked them each soundly on the head! I feel so sorry for them. There's not a lot of space to escape the Wrath of Lovey inside the Eglu run. I guess they'll just have to work it out. I'd be out there trying to patiently explain to Lovey that there's enough love for everybody if it wasn't bucketing down rain right now! Maybe it's the almighty's way of keeping me from interfering. I'm going to have to check back with Lovey's previous owner. Although she is supposed to be two months younger than the other girls, she is definitely bigger. Maybe I should give the Wyandottes steroids till they catch up with her. Maybe tranquilizers would be a good idea, too. I haven't been able to cuddle either of them and they're certainly not as friendly as Lovey. After the thunder and lightning quit I'll try to feed them a little birdie bread--cornbread with eggshells and veggies I make for the parrots--and see if they won't find me more appealing. The cushy patch of grass where the Eglu and run sit is losing its pristine beauty even as I type. Should I go ahead and fill the run with wood shavings now or wait till it gets barer and muckier? They all seem to be great lovers of grass and dandelions, and I don't want to ruin the fun for them although I'd like to keep things reasonably dry and clean. I'm going to be glad when I can rig up a bigger playpen for them after this week. Wonder what they're up to out there? I've got the winter cover as well as the regular one hooked over the run because of the rain. All I can see are chicken legs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I'd probably fill the run with something now. Do you get Easibed, Hemcore or Aubiose over there? They are all great at absorbing moisture and poo . Any horsey type bedding will do really. You will have to keep the run dry though. If you can get corrugated plastic sheets, they are perfect for an eglu run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siriradha Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 No Aubiose here, so I went ahead and got the wood shavings. After I use that up I will look into other horse bedding. Yes! I read the post about the corrugated plastic and got the dimensions so I can put that together. I sort of hate to strap them on the run while it still gets pretty warm--most days. The rain has let up, the chickens got their birdie bread, so I guess I'll go spread that bedding around in the run. It will give them something to kick around and they'll be able to make a lovely mess. They're going to love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 No Aubiose here, so I went ahead and got the wood shavings. After I use that up I will look into other horse bedding. Hemcore is the English version of Aubiose. My farm shop order it in for me. It smells lovely and is very absorbent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
