jennydavies Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 Hi everyone, Today we got our first two hens. We bought them from the chicken seller man (an old geez of about 150 years old) at the local market. He couldn't remember me ordering four hens last saturday, so we only got two today I asked him how old they are and he rattled off in Gascon French (a langauge all of it's own) so I haven't a clue how old they are. They have only got little tiny combs, so I think they can only be young still. They didn't seem to recognise the pellets as food and happily pecked away at the grass instead, but they did like the mixed grain food that I got for them as a treat. They haven't had any arguments and are very friendly to me and Charlie. They let me clip their wings without complaint and they seemed to enjoy a cuddle and cooed happily. I don't know how long we will have to wait for our first eggs I don't have a clue what type they are, there's a gingery colour one which we have named "Ginger", she is very adventurous and quite brave and then there's the quiet one which is grey colour and we named her "Bluebelle". We brought them home at lunchtime and by teatime they were eating from my hand and are "talking" to us already. They didn't know their way around the hen-house, so tonight I helped them to bed. I get the impression they have never been in an outside run or had any freedom( possibly kept caged ) We are going to the old geezes house on tuesday to get the other two. I'm hoping for a white one with grey collar and tail and a dark brown one. Over the weeks I will have plenty of queries for everyone. I will get some pictures tomorrow to post Jenny and Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 Your first hens, congratulations! (Surely it should be 'three French hens'? ) Sounds as if they are POL (Point of Lay) i.e. about 18 weeks, but if you post some pictures, we might be able to hazard a guess - glad to hear they are settling in ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Congratulations. Looking forward to the pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Congratulations and a really entertaining post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Congratulations . They sound very sweet - looking forward to photos . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Congrats Can't wait for photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted April 18, 2010 Author Share Posted April 18, 2010 I got a couple of pics of the Girlies and their new hen-house. If anybody can tell us anything like type or age we would be really grateful as we know very little about them They are both real sweeties, Ginger is the extrovert and into everything and Bluebelle is the quiet one who just follows her about, they are both really chatty already and seem to love a cuddle we are not expecting eggs for weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Wow, what a fabulous setup . Lucky girls . Your second girl looks just like my Penny, a Mendlesham Blue (also known as a Bluebelle I think?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Ginger is a warren, and Bluebell is a Bluebell I would say they look about 20 weeks old. They are beauties, congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted April 18, 2010 Author Share Posted April 18, 2010 Oh thank you so much for the info, we thought we may have got Heinz 57 variaties. Another question - will they eat most salad and cooking veg ? they liked the little salad I made for them today with tomato, lettuce, cucumber and tinned sweetcorn and I have some cauliflower in the fridge for them for tomorrows treat. Do they eat spring onion greens ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Great set up. Girls are lovely, the grey one seems to have black face and comb so maybe some silkie in her? (just guessing ) Mine love salad veg but I wouldn't give them spring onions in case it taints the eggs but guess that doesn't matter yet. I'd say about 18 weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 What lovely girls you have. I hope you enjoy keeping them I am also very impressed by your netting (how sad am I ) what sort is it? You seem to be able to get it very taut and it looks really neat. Mine is all saggy and not very attractive to look at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 A lovely set-up! Bluebell is definitely a Bluebelle, I have one just like her. Hens will generally eat any sort of vegetable, but if they are young and have been kept in a farm set-up they may take a while to recognise new foods as being edible! I feed mine all sorts of veg s"Ooops, word censored!"s, the only thing that you must cook are potato peelings, as they can be poisonous if fed raw, and avocado is poisonous to birds apparently, so don't give them that. Whilst I wouldn't feed mine onion skins, I doubt if spring onion greens would actually taint the eggs, anyway if they're not laying just yet that won't be a problem! We have a couple of other forum members from France, I think chicken-keeping is viewed a bit differently over there! Look forward to hearing about your other hens when you get them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baberella Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 Lovely chickens and they have a lovely home!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted April 19, 2010 Author Share Posted April 19, 2010 Hi Lavenders Blue, Re : the fencing, we did it ourselves. First we concreted the metal posts in and let them dry hard overnight. Then we put three tension wires with tensioners on them, one near the top of the posts, one middling and one at the bottom. We attached the fencing at one end with a fencing clip gun (the clips start off "w" shaped and the gun curls them round the fence and tension wires. The we went along unrolling the fence and clipping it at the same time and then finally doing up the tensioners with a spanner. I will say we have got quite good at fencing, we had to frequently move fences as our house-build progressed so that the dogs got a bit more garden each time. Now they have a huge garden but we have got to fit the gates down the bottom of an 80 metre drive, so we can't wait to give them the drive to run and play in We have since put smaller gauge green fencing at the bottom half of the fence so the hens can't get their heads through. We had part of our perimeter fence done professionally and paid 1,200 euros for 100 metres. I'm glad that Charlie is really good at anything DIY. Jenny and Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 Wow, it does look good. It must have taken some hard work. I can't see my DH agreeing to put together something this time consuming (and I'm afraid I got confused just about the point when you mentioned concreting ) so sadly I think I will be keeping my saggy netting and will just have to be jealous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValerieR Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 Congratulations! The hens are lovely and it looks like you have room for plenty more! What a fab house and run they have! And nice weather (well, nicer than here no doubt!) Lucky ladies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickyhazel Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 They are gorgeous Bluebelle is a Bluebelle she is a mini version of Noodle (but not as fat ) and Ginger is a warren or gingernut ranger (are they the same? our warrens and gingernuts are basically the same) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted April 20, 2010 Author Share Posted April 20, 2010 Well, we went to the elderly gents house this morning to collect our other two hens that he forgot to bring to market on Saturday. He helped me to pick out a lovely Light Sussex type one, which we have named "Blanche" and a very black one (I don't know which breed she is - all advice appreciated) and we have named her "Nugget". She has the most beautiful green iridescence on wings, back and tail, gorgeous red bib on her front and she has the biggest comb and wattles of our four. I thought Ginger might be a bit put out and she was ! I got her over it this afternoon with the help of the hosepipe and after four splats from it she decided she would be friends and tonight they all went to bed in harmony. I hope it carries on that way tomorrow, Charlie is in charge of them while I go to do some shopping. The biggest shock came this afternoon when we returned home from French school. Someone, we think it must have been one of the new girls layed us our first egg It was nestled in the grass in the WIR all lovely, clean and brown, it's only little but perfectly formed and it's our first one ! I have taken a couple of pics. A very happy Jenny and Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 They look lovely hens. I think your names are great too. So nice to get that first egg. Could Nugget be a Black Rock? (I don't have much of a clue but I'm learning ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 Lovely new girls and congratulations on your first egg! Are are any of the hens 'crouching' (i.e. flattening themselves to the ground) when you approach them or try to pick them up? If so, that's likely to be your egg layer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
