blackgold Posted December 19, 2010 Share Posted December 19, 2010 I rescued 6 exbatts last weekend. Taloula is one of these hens. She is quite bald and very scrawny. Yesterday I couldnt find her in the run and went into the shed/kennel that their eglu is in. There is a raised bed in there and on the bed are stored bales of straw covered with some old cloths to keep the hen poo off ,as my orpingtons like to sleep up there. In the corner in a pile of loose straw right at the top was Taloula. She was carefully picking bits of straw up and throwing it over her wing. Then she was treading it down to make a nest. All the time she was making a quiet clicking noise. I left her in peace. About an hour later I went back and she had laid an egg and was sitting there as proud as punch. I lifted her up to get the egg and she tried to hold onto it with her wings. I felt really horrible to her but as it is so cold and I havent got a cockeral I really dont want her to try to hatch an egg. Just 8 short days ago she was in a battery cage. the only thing she hasnt been able to do as yet is free range in the garden as the weather is so terrible. My hens do not like snow and the older girls only stayed out for an hour and then demanded to be let back into ther run. both my WIRs are roofed so the flags are dry and well covered with warm wood shavings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 Aaaah, bless her little heart. What an absolutely heartwarming little story. Aaaah a big cuddle for her and for you for giving them such a happy new life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 Aaww! What a little sweetie she sounds . Is she actually broody or was she just thrilled to have a safe nest to lay an egg in? I remember Daisy from my first rescued batch being very possessive of the nestbox and everyone else's eggs in it when she first got here, whereas Lola went broody this summer and was a complete monster for a week till she got over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 Awww she sounds like a happy little hen. One of my girls seems to quite like sitting on an egg when the mood takes her, but without being broody i.e. no pancaking out in the nest box, no nastiness, no burning hot temperature etc. The funniest was when Dorothy decided to start egg eating and I was putting mustard eggs in the nest box, Rosie took quite a shine to these and kept plonking herself down on them whenever she got the opportunity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 20, 2010 Author Share Posted December 20, 2010 Taloula is so friendly she is eating grapes out of my hands already and now comes up to me in the run. It amazes me how they are so trusting so quickly. I bought my orpingtons over 2 months ago and they still run away if I try to pick them up. I was thinking of making 2 of my latest rescues little coats because the temperatures are so awful. They dont seem to mind though and I can see their crops, they are bald underneath, so I know they are eating well.You can also see their keel bones as well so I want them to put a bit of weight on before they decide to go broody lol. Cant wait to let them out as soon as the weather improves and to see their reactions when they first get to mooch in the garden x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 23, 2010 Author Share Posted December 23, 2010 Taloula has laid an egg in her high nest every day for a wekk now. It is five foot off the ground and must be difficult to get up there. But if she is happy I dont care. Plenty of straw and hay for her to fall on anyway. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 She sounds like one very happy and settled little hen . My three Christmas ex-barns are all amazingly friendly and seem to like to be stroked. Mistletoe, who is the smallest and most timid, actually jumped on my knee this afternon for a cuddle . I think she sees me as a place of safety from the big girls, but a cuddle's a cuddle however it comes about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted December 25, 2010 Author Share Posted December 25, 2010 One of my new exbatts, funnily enough the one with the most feathers, is being attacked. I havent named her yet but she was sprayed with gentian violet when I got her 2 weeks ago and had dried blood on her back. She seems to be the lowest of all of them and actaully squeezed through the dog bars out of the run this afternoon when one of the other exbatts was having a go at her. I know I have to let the pecking order sort itself out but I felt so sorry for her. The bars are normally small enough to stop escapees. The is little girl is very small and skinny. She was ok in the yard, it is completed fenced and all my dogs are gentle with the hens. At least I know she has an escape route if it all gets too much for her but I prefer the hens to be in their run when I am not in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
