Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[CallyChook]

Hi folks,

 

I just had to make a post simply due to overexuberance of a new arrival later today

I'm off to bev's rare breed poultry, a lovely helpful lady in cheshire, and bringing back a new croad langshan boy, a big black shiny fella. I feel like I'm going to go fetch Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, in my eyes this lovely rare breed are sooo attractive and surely the most tuxedo-wearing of the big breeds! Am as excited as I was when my eggs hatched last month!

 

I have nothing else of note to say, other than........

 

 

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

 

because my husband doesn't want me to skip round the house anymore, he says it's surely bad for the baby to be jumping up and down like that (am 30 weeks expectant with new chick lol)

[Patricia W]

They are ENORMOUS - and so stately... I do envy you. I'm sure jumping is good exercise for the baby so I wouldn't worry!

 

Tricia

[amc]

Want one too.....langshan, not baby.....

[CallyChook]

darn it I thought I'd rehomed the child then....

[CallyChook]

Well, he's here, he has really mixed in well, and the girls love him! He seems so soft to touch, and is really docile when it comes to picking him up and touching him... not hand tame, but no scratching or commotion like when I used to have to grab my other cock for louse dusting etc!

 

the ladies seemed to be quite calm on his arrival and he checked the garden out.

 

 

handsome chap!

 

Twingo my silver laced polish is getting bigger every day too, defo a cock this one.

 

Beaker the chamois... too early to tell I would think for this one... maybe a girl maybe not!!

 

sorry if these pictures are big, i have them all resized on photobucket as small but they seem to always come up big here and i have no idea how to "code" things i have to just copy and paste the IMG code direct!!

[Daphne]

Lovely pictures - nice to see 2 of my favourite breeds (croad langshans and polands) in the same ownership! Although my OH doesn't like feather footed breeds, I have a real hankering after a croad.

[CallyChook]

It's early days for me to give a critique Daphne, but from what I can tell so far, the croad is a most magnificent and gentle breed, he is proving to be the ideal companion for the girls with manners, affection and plain old good looks! My three yr old was out in the run with me today while I did my annual coop-preserving (wood preservative treatment) and was screaming and chasing round and Sir Galahad the croad just ignored him other than when dodging out of his path! Also doesnt object to handling

 

We have a mixture of grass, an earthy section that I have left purely for hens to dig about in, and slate, and so far his feathery feet are still pristine. He cleans them himself! xx

[Patricia W]

oooh, I want one! Let us know how he gets on with the Polands. Mind you, I'll have to wait till Phillip, departs for the coop in the sky.

 

Tricia

[CallyChook]

Hi Tricia

 

I'm sure he would be fine with the polands as he seems such a gentle giant, but I'm not going to be risking my luck - when they're ready to go live outside the polands and silkies I'm brooding will be living in one side of the garden with the other hens and Sir Galahad seperate in the other side. Never the twain shall meet - or that's the plan anyways! Just that way, I might be able to get away with having more cockerels (no idea yet how the boy/girl ratio of the chicks will end up) and I just cant risk the eyesight-restricted soft skulled breeds getting treadled or attacked by the big folk. Especially by such a large gentleman, he'd kill them instantly I'm sure!! x

[Daphne]

I shall follow your progress with interest and I totally agree with your approach. My experience is that I have a pen of big girls and a boy (LF orps) and another of fully grown bantam polands. Sometimes the bants escape and join the LF when they FR and the boy pays them no attention whatsoever - its like they don't register in his field of vision. As Top Hen Orp has had to live with the bants before she is very tolerant of them if they join in the free ranging and so the other hens follow her lead, but I wouldn't guarantee their behaviour at close quarters as I have seen previous hens of mine draw themselves up and launch attacks on poor poland heads.