Unsecure chicken perches

[Janina Butterworth]

I'm feeling rather foolish this morning as I had a big wobble and a few tears about the girls.

 

We only got them yesterday but after the getting out incident and being chased around the garden one of my girls Ariadne doesn't like my husband very much. She was very vocal this morning at 6:45am when he went out to see them which set my stress levels soaring!! I just wanted someone to come and take them away.

 

I had this idyllic dream of me scattering corn from the folds of my skirt and them pecking around my feet, alas this bubble burst yesterday.

 

Am I being a silly girl and will this feeling of dread pass?

[Guest]

Your having last minute nerves it is perfectly normal.

 

Even if you do add to your flock in the future you will be like that.

 

Just calm down they are fine. They might have a grudge on with you for a while but soon they will associate you with food and become your best friend. Spend time with them and enjoy it.

 

Your dream will come true in a couple of months they have to settle in a trust you.

 

Best thing to do is ENJOY IT.

[Chucky Mama]

Don't worry Janina Things will settle down and you will have your ideal image of you scattering corn from the folds of you skirt and them pecking around your feet. It is quite normal for them to be skittish at first. Ours took about a month to feel comfortable enough to eat our of our hands etc. It is just unlucky that they escaped and that the big bad monster (your husband) had to chase them around the garden They will soon settle

[Laura & CTB]

Janina, please dont worry yourself. Chickens havent got the brain power to hold a grudge for long!

They will take a few days to calm down, everything is very new for them too and at the moment they dont see you as a source of yummy things to eat - they will and when they do you will have your dream chickens

Give them a few days to settle in and get familiar with their surroundings, slowly offer them a handful of corn - they'll run away at first but will get braver over the days and you'll soon have them running over to you when you approach.

Stick with it - I promise it will be worth it.

[Roobaloo]

It'll pass!! I was having the same thoughts three days in, thinking I'd made a huge mistake. One of the chooks seemed to fear me, the other was a real madam.

 

It was about the fourth day, all hell broke loose...I ran into the garden and found a cat had cornered Toph in the eglu and Suki was screaming outside. I charged at the cat and gave it the fright of its life...I turned around and little madam Suki was staring at me. I knelt down and she cocked her head at me...then suddenly leapt onto my leg and just looked at me.

 

She hopped off and went to bed but I honestly swear that little brain of hers had realised my role in her life - her Guardian.

 

The next night, I was sat in the conservatory, waiting for the girls to decide to go to bed...and again, Suki approached me...assessed me...and before long, I had two chickens attempting to roost on my shoulders!!! This happened every night until we made them their walk-in run and now I don't need to sit and wait for them...

 

 

 

Other the months I have become Suki's source of pleasure...I'm the one who protects her, feeds her, lets her out of the run and keeps her company when Toph is being broody. As soon as she sees me, she runs to me....Toph is a little more reserved but she was more nervous and we've had more issues (with her being broody, I've upset her lots by removing her from her nest) but she still reacts positively when she sees me!!

 

It gets better...and before long, you'll never know how you lived without them...and from there, you'll start to think how wonderful it'd be to have a couple more!!

[Janina Butterworth]

Thanks everyone for your kind words.

 

I've just fed Petunia a strawberry from the garden and she took it no bother, Ariadne soon came to investigate and tried to eat the remains off Petunia's beak which was rather endearing. I shall wait until my daughter comes home from school to give them corn treats, we shall do it together I think.

 

Just a quick question, how do you combat the fly population? I'm not sure if I'll be able to get in the run to poo pick when the girls are there, I'd probably get stuck which would be a very funny sight for my husband but not for me!!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm glad you've been reassured by the posts above . It's very normal to have second thoughts and panic when your girls arrive but looking after them will become second nature before you know it .

 

Here are a few threads about flies which might help you .

 

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=64523&hilit=flies

 

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=63885&p=942452&hilit=flies#p942452

 

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=63617&p=940779&hilit=flies#p940779

[Mercedes55]

I'm feeling rather foolish this morning as I had a big wobble and a few tears about the girls.

 

We only got them yesterday but after the getting out incident and being chased around the garden one of my girls Ariadne doesn't like my husband very much. She was very vocal this morning at 6:45am when he went out to see them which set my stress levels soaring!! I just wanted someone to come and take them away.

 

I had this idyllic dream of me scattering corn from the folds of my skirt and them pecking around my feet, alas this bubble burst yesterday.

 

Am I being a silly girl and will this feeling of dread pass?

 

I think it's very brave of you to admit you are having a bit of a wobble. I feel the same. We got 4 ex batts on Saturday and I sat there and thought 'omg what have I let myself in for'. I've got one who has a limp and is a worry and 3 who are scared of me. I think it's natural to feel like this, I don't feel so bad today about it all, but it is all very overwhelming, bit like having a baby

 

I am also getting tons of flies and I've ordered one of those fly trap things on the internet, it's really awful in my garden. I don't know how other people keep the runs of the Eglu's clean as you can't get into the stupid things. I keep on saying the design is bad but right now I'm so fed up of mine I have my eye on a nice WIR that is wooden so that at least I will be able to go inside every day and clean it out

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Mercedes, do you use Hemcore or Easibed or something similar in your run? Then the poos really do dry up and disappear (you can poo pick the huge ones that you can reach through the door, but the others will disappear). You do need to cover the run though as it will soak up any rain.

 

I used to lift the whole run to one side every few weeks to clean the run out. Stalosan F and garden lime help to keep smells and nasties at bay too .

[Mercedes55]

I've got the run on a base like the one they show you on this forum, where you clear the area and fill it in with wood chips. The only difference with ours is that we have put slabs over the skirt as my OH seems to think foxes can get through anything, which of course they can't.

 

I've got the Winter cover on the run, as well as the Summer shade it came with as it's a bit hot out there. I am picking up the bits of poo I can reach, but I could do with being to really get in there! I have got some Diatom, I was thinking about shaking some of that in the run, would that help? I've ordered some poultry shield and I was going to get some Stalosan F but I was worried about putting it in the run as the hens are raking through the wood chips into the soil underneath and having a great old time, but I wasn't sure what would happen if they ingested any of the Stalosan F

 

On a positive note I have now had 5 eggs since yesterday and today one was even in the nest which I thought was pretty awesome for an ex batt

[Ain't Nobody Here]

There's no problem putting Stalosan or garden lime when the girls are in the run - neither will harm them .

 

When I had my eglu run, I put corrugated plastic sheets right along the top to keep it dry (perhaps not such an issue during the summer - although we had torrential rain yesterday ). You can put the sunshades on top of that if it's hot.

 

[migsy]

I put Stalosan F in the run about 1x a week. I also hose the chips down once a week too and I regularly rake it over. The poo seems to disappear. I never poo pick the Go run although they do free range most of the day.

[Janina Butterworth]

Going to pop into town in a minute to see if I can get some citronella or eucalyptus oil as a start. Then try and poo pick after that, oh joy!!

[Mercedes55]

Going to pop into town in a minute to see if I can get some citronella or eucalyptus oil as a start. Then try and poo pick after that, oh joy!!

 

I have a big eucalyptus tree right next to my run and a lot of the leaves have fallen into and and around it but it hasn't stopped the flies

[Janina Butterworth]

Look at us two, we'll get there in the end. I'm sure in a few weeks time, we'll be the ones handing out advice!!

[Mercedes55]

Look at us two, we'll get there in the end. I'm sure in a few weeks time, we'll be the ones handing out advice!!

 

That would be great wouldn't it

 

I have just phoned the site I ordered all my other stuff from and added a tub of that Stalosan F as apparently you can use that in the run and it will get rid of flies and stuff, will give it a try anyway.

 

Tell me are you spending all your time either looking out the window or popping out into the garden to check on your hens? I am, honestly I am not getting much housework done at the moment as I am either spending my time checking the hens or reading stuff on forums

[jennydavies]

To keep the flies at bay I mix 5 drops each of Lavender, Eucalyptus and Citronella oil in a 750ml spray bottle (an old well rinsed glass cleaner type bottle will do, add water, shake well and spray all around the run. It doesn't bother or harm the girls and the flies appear to hate it, I even spray it over near the bucket that I make my chicken poo fertilizer in

Please don't worry so about your girls, we have all had problems when we first started out. Once they settle down they will see you as a big walking treat bowl and follow you everywhere lovingly. They will come when you call them, act like vultures when you have their favourite treats, steal the food from your hand (whether it was meant for them or not) and chat to you constantly and you WILL LOVE IT They really are a joy to own, lots of fun and they will put so much effort into giving you a reward every day, you will feel honoured.

[Mercedes55]

I don't have any citronella essential oil, but I do have some lavender and eucalyptus so I have added a few drops of those and some tea tree oil too, hope that is okay for the run, and sprayed that all around also on top of the shade. The hens weren't too impressed and they all went into the Eglu

[Snoxy]

Well done you for admitting your wobble...I felt just like that when I got my original 3 girls back in April 08

 

I had only 3 girls for a very long time...then I became broody and got 2 more...now I have 14 and I can honestly say that at the beginning I just couldn't understand why people had soooo many hens...I do now...it is very addictive, rewarding, theraputic...friends just love my girls' eggs and that in itself is very satisfying

 

I get a nervous tummy everytime I get new girls...I got the 'latest' two on Friday...Minnie and Olive...but it seems to me that it is no more bother looking after 14 than it was 3...strangely

 

The Red Top fly thing works a treat...mine is half full

 

Keep positive...all will be well

 

This forum is amazing...you will never feel out on a limb

 

Very best wishes...

 

Lou

[GGLGirls]

Hi Janina. I know exactly how you feel - we got 3 chicks 15 months ago and had many a sleepless night raising our lovely girls. But dont worry you'll be fine, and the chickens are hardier than you think. Nice to know theres another local chicken keeper close by - I live in Norton!

Best of luck.

Edit: P.S. have PM'd you.

[Alis girls]

I have not dared to take run off to clean as I probably won't get it on again So I kneel at the gate and rake the contents to the front and poo pick. What fun - and quite a sight my ample rear stuck in the air - lucklily neighbours cant see in to garden. I too have woobles - have become a fly and if a hen is unwell I am on phone to chicken mum friend for advice or on here. Dont worry it gets better. They are fun and very naughty

[Alis girls]

Should read fly expert (I have not changed into a fly like in the film ) typing fast and hands and brain not working together

[Mercedes55]

Well I've sprayed the run with the essential oil mix, but it's not done anything. Perhaps the citronella is the key oil as I know it's good for keeping flies away. I just got an email from FlightsoFancy saying my order of various goodies, which are beginning to mount up to quite a lot of money, are on their way, so hopefully I can get rid of these flies soon

 

I keep checking on my 4 and 3 of them are just fine, although when they see me come down the garden they all run to the far side of the run. I am used to all our pets preferring my OH, from our dog to our parrot, so I guess it should not surprise me that the hens feel the same

 

My poor Mia with the limp is still sitting on the nest. I don't think she is broody, more likely just resting, just hope she is okay. I have some rescue remedy and wondered if I should try and pop some of that down her

[Egluntyne]

It is just like when you bring your first baby home, and you think 'what the heck do I do now?'

 

3 months on and you will be besotted with them.

[hunkydoory]

In the first instance flies seem to appear from nowhere - 4 or so years ago - night one - after the eglu had arrived and was sited on our lawn; I had the same concern. With a less than convinced OH looking on I really did think I had made a mistake and that hens were perhaps not as easy to look after as suggested. But with a good cleaning routine, and as your girls get more estalished (they do a certain amount of fly control themselves) it will sort itself out. I only poo pick from the lawn after free ranging time.

 

My eglu is permanently sited on soil covered with bark chippings, about once a week I put the hose over it and use a sprinkle of stalosan F, 2 or 3 times a year I dig out a couple of inches of well rotted bark chips and scatter them throughoutn the borders, this uses them as a fertilizing layer accross the garden.