Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[Mollie333]

Awwww. Good job on saving them. They are very lucky ladies!

[LisaP]

Lovely, sounds like they all have character.

 

I'm getting 3 ex-batts on Sunday

 

Lisa P

[Ex Bat Ally1]

They look really well Nicola, and quite big and fluffy. bet they are loving their new found freedom

 

I also picked my 6 girls up form the same bunch well my hubby went on Saturday while I was away. They have laid 8 eggs now between them and today actually laid in the nests (must be happy hens) and every time I popped ion (which was nearly every 5 mins ) they came closer to me.

 

 

 

 

[Donna C]

What lovely girls, well done and enjoy

[dancing cloud]

Aaww! Just look at those little faces - you can see they're going to be full of mischief very soon indeed !

[Nicola O]

Do you have other chickens Nicola ? xx

Yes, another seven in another eglu and a cube. They have been surprisingly well behaved about the new arrivals - no shouting or squarking at all. It's as if they know that these new girls are rather 'delicate' at the moment.

 

They look really well Nicola, and quite big and fluffy. bet they are loving their new found freedom

Not really, not at the moment. Four of them still seem scared to come out of the eglu and seem to be spending as much time inside as they can. They've got run + converter + extension but when they do come out they don't move more than a meter into the run. I've had to fight a feeder and large bowl for water through the eglu door into that end of the run as some of them won't come to the front of the run to eat and drink.

 

I'm sure they will settle soon. Last years ex-bats just' 'became chickens' practically straight away, sun/dust bathing, scratching, pecking immediatley. These girls seem more shellshocked and I can see it's going to take longer. It probably doesn't help that it is suddenly so cold and wet, last years girls came at the height of summer and it was beautifuuly sunny and warm.

 

NIcola.

[Dizzy-Deb]

Morning Nicola

 

how are they getting on now ? still a bit shell shocked ? hoping they are gaining a bit more confidence and exploring more. I dont think it helps this time of year with it being cold and rotten weather yesterday. So glad had mine covered up in large clear tarp as it gave some protection to the elements for them.

 

Never had exbats before so cant compare but when you think how their life was to how it is now... its got to be 1000 times better for them (altough they dont know it yet ). I wish there was some way to explain to them that we are trying to help but alas only time and treats will do that for them.

 

I cant stop thinking if hadnt taken mine in they would have been no doubt culled by now and in some food process of some kind.

 

Your heart just breaks for them, but sure with time and patience they will soon all thrive and become more confident.

 

xxx

[Nicola O]

Morning Nicola

 

how are they getting on now ? still a bit shell shocked ? hoping they are gaining a bit more confidence and exploring more. I dont think it helps this time of year with it being cold and rotten weather yesterday. So glad had mine covered up in large clear tarp as it gave some protection to the elements for them.

 

Hi Deb

 

Yesterday I accidently frightened the pants off them when I poked a cane through the run so I could tip over and refill the water bowl in the eglu end of the run and they all ran screaming to the other end. Two of them suddenly spotted the grub and starting eating from it, and today three of them were at the front of the run, but only to eat then they went back to the others. And this morning one was hunkered down in the soil and when she got up it looked like she had been scratching - perhaps the first attempt at dusbathing?

 

It doesn't help that I've got to work all week , so I only see them for about an hour in the morning as they are in bed by the time I get home. I hope to be able to have a proper chook watching session at the weekend providing it's not chucking it down. I've been getting two or three egs a day (hopefully more when they are fully settled) but one or two of them are getting crushed as they are laying them anywhere in the eglu and then they trample on them .

 

On a positive note, I gave them scrambled egg yesterday and some cat food this morning, and even though they showed no interest at first it was all gone when I came home.

 

How are yours doing, OK I hope. do keep us updated with them.

 

Nicola

[Nicola O]

Well, they've been here two weeks now and have settled nicely. Two of them didn't come out of the eglu for nearly a week - I was starting to wonder if they had agoraphobia - but they are fine now. They are not nearly so nervous of me and 'Mental Mary' as she had been nicknamed has calmed down and doesn't try to rip my fingers off anymore .

 

There has been a change of plan re: their living arrangements. Sadly, on Tuesday Dave (one of last years ex-bats) had to be put to sleep, so I moved her room mate Stan into the cube with the posh girls. I had originally planned to integrate two of the new ex-bats in with them and have two groups of four, but instead I moved three of the new girls into that eglu and now have two groups of three.

 

I can't do new photo's as I forgot to 'borrow' the camera from work this weekend, but I'll get some next weekend.

 

I hope everyone elses ex-bats are doing well.

 

Nicola.