4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[lougarbard]

I have rather got my own way a bit this week! lol (not really!)

The new house had been in talks for a while now - but we found somewhere local and got that on Saturday - all in place on Sunday, I wanted it raised off the ground, so hubby screwed a few bits of wood together and job done, apart from staining (one day!)

 

And I have also been saying abouyt getting a couple of extra hens - as one died recently and the other two are busy with their babies and moulting, we are getting no eggs. As much as I love my hens, and dont mind them not laying, it is nice to have the eggs!! So off to buy a couple of layers! ( And I was good, intended to only buy 2 and thats what I came home with!

So off we popped today, to a local place, and I got an Amber (Star?), but she has not really got much amber on her, but she was very friendly! And also got a Bluebelle (who I suspect came from some sort of 'Red' background, because if you see in the pics, under her beak she has a red featherd area - but again, she was friendly, so I picked her over a more pure coloured one!

 

So its been a very exciting week!

I am still trying to work out which of my chicks are boys and which are girls though!!! Its very frustrating!

 

 

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x249/lougarbard/Chickens/SDC13914.jpg

 

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x249/lougarbard/Chickens/SDC13911.jpg

 

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x249/lougarbard/Chickens/SDC13909.jpg

Edited September 15, 2010 by Guest

[daxigirl]

Wow that's all pretty instant, really well done. They are lovely looking girls that you've come home with, I'm very impressed at sticking to 2. I wouldn't have been able to do that. I love the look of the new coop.

[Chicken Shirl]

Well done you. Amazing restraint. The hens are lovely I'm sure they will be very happy with you.

[helen1962]

I love the coup as well. What is the floor made up of? Mine is just earth (which they love scratching about in) and wood chippings which due to the weather, has got all mixed in. I yours looks so clean and easy to maintain. The girls look fab and like you I am restrained due to lack of room and fear of overcrowding.

[the bradley bunch]

wow chooks are gorgeous & i love the 'natural' look of your wir.

hubby's about to start building us a big wir this weekend - as we've recently added one new bird to our trio of ex-bats (unplanned but couldn't leave her where she was ) and have being planning for a while to add a pair of bantams to our brood in the spring - and we want to create the natural look that you've achieved

our wir will be on an already existant concrete base in the garden...looks like yours is on concrete too

like helen i'm also keen to know what material you've used on your floor? it looks really nice & tidy!

 

good luck with your newbies & the sexing of your little chickadees

[lougarbard]

Thanks for all your lovely comments!

The floor to the right of the row of logs is concrete, this is where I generally try and keep all the food and s"Ooops, word censored!"s, then it can be hosed down every few days.

the rest of the area is covered in small granite chippings, straight onto the earth, we buy a couple of new bags every now and then to refresh it, but again this can all be hosed down and it looks quite lovely again! We used to have bark / wood chippings, but didnt like that, looked messier, and was still muddy to walk on when scratched about and wet.

Yes, it was very restrained only getting 2, I could easily have got 6, but not got any more room to spare!

 

Here is a couple more pics...

 

 

 

 

*BradleyBunch - your little black chick looks very similar to mine! Do you know the sex of yours yet, and how old is it in the picture?

[Gelbel]

What an amazing set up. You have given me an idea. Me & the DH were wandering on our next improvements to our set up.

[the bradley bunch]

*BradleyBunch - your little black chick looks very similar to mine! Do you know the sex of yours yet, and how old is it in the picture?

based on expert advice we're 90% sure she's a pullet, and she's just coming up to 20 weeks old but that photo was taken at 18 weeks. the breeder who didn't want her (which is how we ended up with an extra chicken completely unprepared! couldn't leave her all alone ) didn't know what breed she was although she hatched from a silkie egg & all her brothers & sisters were fluffy white silkies

 

i asked the expert advice of fellow omletters for breed suggestions and we came to the conclusion that she's a silkie x auaracana x poland x something else unknown! you can read the full story on this thread if u like

 

have your chicks also got green/black feathers? you'll have to send me some pics of them. a lot of people who've seen her have asked what breed she is and have said they'd love one if i could ever find a matching cockeral to breed her with, and we had thought about starting a search if she ever went broody in the future!

imagine if you had some just like her! i'd give anything to get her a friend of the same kind... where did you get your eggs from?

my little girl is so tame & cuddly, so hopefully your chicks will grow up to have the same lovely nature

ooo i do hope they are a similar breed how old are they now? can't wait for some pics!

 

here's another picture of my girl from a different angle...she's doing the 'cat walk' pose on this pic!

[lougarbard]

Hi again!

yes 'it' does has black feathers with a green tinge, but there are a few with a brownish tip if you look hard / or see it in the right light.

'It' has five toes and feathery legs, which I think is the silkie bit!

I will try to get some clearer pics and post tomorrow. 'It' will be 10 weeks old on Saturday.

But 'It' is about 7 - 8 weeks in this picture. (there may be other pictures on my other thread in 'hatching & chicks)

 

 

*Edit* My picture quality is rubbsih compared to yours Bradley Bunch! I will def get better pics tomorrow afternoon! And will be a more recent pic then too, to compare!

[AmberSky]

I love the long perch made from a branch.

[lougarbard]

All the youngsters ( 10 weeks ) love it too, they are always jumping / flying on and off! All day!

[the bradley bunch]

Hi again!

yes 'it' does has black feathers with a green tinge, but there are a few with a brownish tip if you look hard / or see it in the right light.

'It' has five toes and feathery legs, which I think is the silkie bit!

I will try to get some clearer pics and post tomorrow. 'It' will be 10 weeks old on Saturday.

But 'It' is about 7 - 8 weeks in this picture. (there may be other pictures on my other thread in 'hatching & chicks)

 

 

*Edit* My picture quality is rubbsih compared to yours Bradley Bunch! I will def get better pics tomorrow afternoon! And will be a more recent pic then too, to compare!

 

oh wow! it's an ickle baby kinuko! PP

just showed hubby your post & he is amazed too...we never expected such a resemblence, and that they're both a similar age makes it doubly special!

where did you get your eggs from? nuko doesn't have feathery legs but it's so funny because she just has one lone feather on one of her toes!

can't wait to see some more pics ! is there just the one chick? how big has yours grown because mine is about 2 thirds the size of my ex-bats at 20 weeks but i'm not sure if she'll get any bigger. she's definately out grown bantam size though!

[lougarbard]

The eggs came from E bay - I just bought a random batch of 6 bantam hatching eggs! It came out of a pure white egg, and he was the only black chick!

 

He - I keep doing that, have always called 'it' a 'He'! Was 10 weeks old yesterday, so a bit younger than your girl. But they do look very similar!

He was the only black chick, there may be bits of the other 2 in the pictures, I would love to know what breed they are too!

 

I did 'pm' you - did you get it?

 

here are a couple more pictures: