Eglus free to a good home

[CluckyBucks]

These photos are such a good pick-me-up on such a miserable day

 

xx xx

[JS1]

Hmm, first attempt at free-ranging together bit of a challenge. One of the original three starting attacking one of the ex-batts - I distracted with corn (water pistol was ignored!) then watched from a distance. Anyway, the original three wandered into the Eglu run and started eating the new girls' food, whereupon the new girls retreated to the Eglu and two of the old girls tried to get in after them to carry on attacking.....

 

At which point I gave up, lured the old girls out with food and shut the new girls back in their run....

 

Am I being too squeamish? I was prepared to let the squabbling go on, but didn't like seeing the new girls being attacked in the Eglu itself, which should surely be their place of refuge. Where do I go from here?? Should I go back to shutting the old girls in their run for an hour in the afternoon to let the new girls FR?

[Chick-a-doodle-doo]

Hi, I'm no chicken expert but I think your right in keeping the eglu as a safe place for your ex batts. I got my ex batts the same day and still not let mine out yet! (I'm going very slow with them) I think your right and I would let both flocks out at different times so that they can see each other for a bit longer.

 

Someone with more chicken experience will help you soon, good luck.

[Tutti Frutti]

Am I being too squeamish?

 

I dont' think so, or if you are, I am too! I agree completely with Gotmy. Our new girls have been through so much already, it's awful to watch them squabble! As soon as I saw it coming on Saturday, I dived in an broke it up. Mr Frutti said I should have left them to sort out the pecking order but it's horrible - I'm going to leave it another few weeks before they are out together again. Meanwhile we've separated the garden now so they can FR amongst the shrubs but on opposite sides.

 

We've had horrendous rain here so all four stayed in the WIR yesterday and, today, when I left to go to work, they were all whimpering as the roof had sprung a leak Poor girls. The weather is meant to pick up now though, fingers crossed

[Slim]

the girls have now fully moved in now they put themselfs to bed so i would say they are 100% settled! I do have to check they have gone to bed as you sometimes find a dirty stop out but i am happy all is well. Just waiting for the feathers to grow back.

 

My garden is now a bog!!! due to the rain!!!

[JS1]

Glad it's going well for you, Slim. And thanks for the advice Gotmy and Tutti Frutti - back to separate free-ranging it is. I might try again at the weekend, but keep the most ferocious of my original girls in the coop run and see how the others get on. Will keep you posted...

[skye]

It's really lovely to log on and read all your great stories and see your pics! Sorry about the aborted FR experience JS1. Each flock has different characters in it I would imagine, so don't be disheartened that they didn't accept each other straight away. They'll get used to each other in time.

 

My two groups have had the reverse experience to yours! My original girls are being dominated by the ex-barnies! I think this may be because their boss, Yolko, has been poorly and indoors whilst some of the FR practice has been taking place. However, today they all had two hours in the garden together with no fighting, although they are still two definite flocks and the ex-barnies 'herd' my originals around the garden as they wish

 

Yolko did get to meet them today for a short time however and made sure she had some VERY stern words with Dorcas, although we didn't allow them to get physical with each other due to Yolko still being weak from her moult.

 

All in all, I'm very pleased with the way things are going with the new girls. I can't believe how many EGGS they are LAYING! And they seem so perky, confident and into everything. They just need to get a bit of meat on their bones and some warm feather outfits to prepare them for the winter. They're coping very well with this cold snap so far though.

 

I love dem chooks, I do.

 

skye x

[Chicken Shirl]

Will you stop it Skye. you have me blubbering again.

[Tutti Frutti]

I love dem chooks, I do.

 

Brilliant! I know just what you mean, I'd said exactly the same thing to Mr Frutti just half hour ago!

 

Mr Frutti woke our girls up this morning, that's a first - they're normally bawking quietly for him when he opens the door Maybe it was the cold keeping them in bed brrrr... Then after work, all four girls had some warm crumb porridge for tea - with added mealworms, corn and a tiny piece of tomato! The Barnies have discovered they LOVE tomato, much more than corn or grapes! Tallulah was chasing Ursula around the WIR like a Benny Hill scene, but it gave me a chance to offer T some and she TOOK IT! Another milestone. I just need to persuade Ursula that not EVERYTHING in my hand is food and some things (like my rubber gloves and their poop!) aren't nice to eat.

 

I'm having little milestones pretty much everyday Yesterday, I had to pat Ursula on the bum to encourage her to go to bed but, today, they both went to bed at the same time as my original two

 

Oooh! And Tallulah's comb now stands up, instead of flopping over her eye like a bad 80s new romantic hairdo

 

One annoying thing today is that I discovered my wellies have sprung a leak! I've only had them 20 years, I thought they had plenty of life left in them yet

[skye]

Hi Tutti Frutti!

 

The warm crumb porridge sounds deeelish! I might try something similar for our ex-barnies tomorrow. Your tomato tale made me smile. They are so funny aren't they! Our Lily (white chook) also loves tomatoes, and in the summertime manages to break into the veg garden/climb up onto pots to spear ripe tomatoes with her beak. She then runs around the garden with the whole red tomato still attached, with the others in hot pursuit, looking like rudolph the red-nosed hen! Bless that greedy girl

 

oh, and wellies...

http://www.johnlewis.com/31462/Style.aspx

 

out of stock, shame!

 

skye x

[Slim]

Well mine are now fully settled (check the cam!) I am not giving lots of treats as i want to fat them up so loads of winter bird feed and peanuts and lard! It is working I also found in my 99p store bill oddies High Energy Suet Pellets they love them! There claws are now down to the right size and my garden is a mud bath but they love it so i don't mind that much the grass will fix!

[JS1]

Two of my three are starting to look like chickens . But the third, Agatha, who was always the most raggedy, seems to be moulting, poor wee thing. And we have snow too!

 

Still, was very happy yesterday as I had my first egg (they've been here since 15 Nov) so I think they must be feeling that things are okay.

[Tutti Frutti]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I got home from work and Tallulah was in with the other two Mr Fruitti promised he closed the divide properly so she's obviously joined them by flying over the mesh st the bottom and under the curtain at the top (he says they were pegged together)

 

My other two were in bed but I had tomato so Roxy got up and joined Tallulah. The two of them were happily side by side eating out of their own bowls... and each others! Tallulah even took a piece from my hand! Not a single squabble - maybe I'd missed it during the day.

 

Can't wait for Saturday now for an official introduction! I'd love it if we could put them in their new Eglu together at bedtime.

 

Ooh, and one more thing... Two eggs in Roxy & Sophia's nest box! Has Sophia started laying??? Weird because we assumed the warm one first thing was Roxy's... but when Mr Frutti left for work, Roxy had had her breakfast and gone straight back in the nest box. When I got home 6 hours later, there was a whopping egg in the same spot. So either Sophia's laid her first or we've been giving Roxy all the credit for some of Sophia's or Roxy didn't lay another but Tallulah used their nest box instead of going back to her own (nothing in the barnies' today). Very confused LOL And I can't tell it apart from any of the other eggs so no help there...!

[Chicken Shirl]

Flipping Heck! had to read that a couple of times to get the old head around the eggs thing. The things is Tutti Frutti, they are getting on together and someone is laying eggs. Yippee Roll on Saturday. WE Want Pictures.

[Tutti Frutti]

Yabba dabba doo the Eglu has arrived! Flippin' eck, it's big and heavy

 

Roxy had brekkie and went back to bed again this morning - but no sign of an extra egg this afternoon. So yesterday's second egg WAS Tallulah's! How she found her way there, I'll never know

 

They all tucked into porridge for tea. It was funny seeing four ex-enemies eat in total silence just inches apart, only separated by weldmesh.

 

Roll on Saturday for the big intro and sleepover in the new Promise I'll get photos (too dark when I get in after work)

[skye]

Most exciting that your eglu has arrived Tutti! Hope the intro goes really well this weekend. Looking forward to seeing the pics!

 

Our ex-barnies (now known as the hooligans) are stalking around and have completely taken the garden over! Our original girls are absolutely petrified of them - particularly of Queenie, who despite being the raggiest and tiniest little thing, is a real little MADAM!

 

Hopefully things will calm down over time

 

skye x

[coco]

I know what you mean about them taking over. My two ex batts lola and lily and now top and second chook. It took about 3 weeks for my girls to stop being scared of them. Pipa my smallest chook gives them both the run around now as she is so quick.She's not scared of them at all. they are all fully integrated now although Lola can be a bit of a bully and will quite happily give someone a quick peck, although she only seems to do it when they are FR. Hopefully yours will all settle down soon.

[Tutti Frutti]

It's been a week since the divide was removed and they're getting on great! Plus, on integration day, Sophia laid her first egg!!!

 

The barnies are in the Eglu (although they sit parallel to the bars and not perpendicular, not that it seems to bother them!). The original two are very happy in their wooden coop and don't think much of this new purple plastic contraption, thank you very much.

 

Tallulah has strayed into their territory a couple of times and laid an egg or three there and, on a couple of evenings, snuck into their bedroom first, much to Sophia's shock But Tallulah's figured it out tonight - phew. Going to give it a while before seeing if we can get all four into the Eglu. Roxy put one foot in it this afternoon - but legged it so I'm not going to force the issue and risk upsetting them all.

 

Roxy is being a madam at treat time, firing warning shots to the other three. They're not daft though and avoid her - then dive in when she's not looking or walked away. I tried another tack this afternoon - I fed the barnies treats up on the shelf and left Roxy and Sophia scratching in a bowl on the ground Worked a treat!

 

So here are some photos from last Saturday - their first day free ranging together.

 

Ursula - funny little girl:

 

 

They explored the garden, were fascinated by my statues but totally ignored the ivy and picked at the bugs instead - how do they know???

 

 

Tallulah worked out how to dust bathe but Ursula just watched, thinking T was a bit mad

 

 

Enjoying the sunshine on their shelf on Sunday - not quite "together" but we're getting there

 

 

What's the deal with standing on one leg?

 

 

Fast forward to TODAY. Ursula watched Roxy and Sophia dustbathing and was fascinated. She saw something plump and soft in the soil and had a nibble - it was Roxy's foot When R&S left, Ursula dived right in

 

 

In the photo below, it isn't the camera that's upside down - but URSULA, literally on her back! What a picture, I can still hear her purring and it makes me go all warm and gooey inside to think how happy these girls are now and how they've developed in just three short weeks. Tallulah now eats out of my hand, Ursula loves to sit on anyone's lap (even if Mr Frutti is trying to work on the run), Tallulah bit him on the bum as he crouched down... what a contrast to the two little scared, bewlidered girls we picked up And we've had FOUR EGG DAYS on Tuesday and today

 

 

How's everyone else getting on? All the girls and I were grateful for some sunshine today. Boy, I really want some more now! Somebody stop me (probably the neighbours )!!

[Chicken Shirl]

Awww lovely Tutti Frutti. They look very pleased with life, and so they should be being with you.

[Tutti Frutti]

Their first play in the snow today, for all my girls! They weren't at all phased by it and they toddled into the WIR at dusk, as usual.

 

I decided to close the door to the wooden coop, to see if they would all go in the Eglu - thinking that the coop is too big and cold for two. They got there - in the end I heard a fair bit of rummaging going on so I had a peek in the egg port and they were a bit higgledy piggledy, with one in the nest box, so I'll check later to make sure no-one's squashed at the bottom of a pile chickens and that they're all toasty and warm! Been giving them warm porridge in the mornings and at lunchtime - a rod for my own back, I think...

[Chicken Shirl]

Been giving them warm porridge in the mornings and at lunchtime - a rod for my own back, I think...

 

Hey Who cares They are worth it for all the pleasure they give us. Wish I could have seen them in the snow.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Been giving them warm porridge in the mornings and at lunchtime - a rod for my own back, I think...

 

Hey Who cares They are worth it for all the pleasure they give us. Wish I could have seen them in the snow.

 

Absolutely, and the rod can be broken as the weather warms up again....when my batties arrived they'd been here 2 days I think when it snowed.....Buttercup, Snowdrop & Bluebell took up residence in the back porch & mobbed me everytime I went outside to give the batties and Orpies extra rations or checkups so they ended up with breakfast, elevenses, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, supper.............. Happy chooks though!!

 

Where are the photos of the little darlings in the snow..........

 

Sha x

[Tutti Frutti]

Hmm, my little darlings in the snow? Well, in the WIR in the snow - will that do?! If they look a bit, ummm, disinterested,, that's cos there was warm corn porridge in a bowl on the floor

 

[Chicken Shirl]

Hmm, my little darlings in the snow? Well, in the WIR in the snow - will that do?! If they look a bit, ummm, disinterested,, that's cos there was warm corn porridge in a bowl on the floor

 

 

 

 

Awwwwwwwww bless them. and you. Wonder what santa will bring them

[Tutti Frutti]

OK, proper "in the snow" pictures!

 

Tallulah - trying to eat it!

 

And Ursula, who kept coming right up to the camera (probably to eat it as well!) but dashing off for more fun before I got a chance to take a piccie. I have lots of her bald bum as she legged it away again but only this one of her in the snow

 

Want to see the hyrbids? Sophia eating the snow... hard to tell where she ends and the snow begins!

 

And Roxy - scoffing warm porridge in the WIR. Hard to tell where she ends and the dark woodchip begins!

 

And all tucked up in bed - look who's bagsied prime position again!