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Random_Girl66

Hens Urgently Requiring Homes - Closure Of Free Range Farm

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as posted before I am going down next sunday. if anyone in the midlands area, mid wales area want to give these lovely girls a home i will collect them FOC. As said, i feel really sad that i dont have the room for anymore hens but i am willing to do my bit so if you want me to collect any on your behalf get intouch!!

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I picked up 3 this morning from the farm. All was going well until it came to bedtime, and just wondered if anyone has had a similar problem with theirs? Sun went down and they were still out free-ranging, so I rounded them up and shut them in the run. An hour later 1 had gone inside and settled into a nestbox but the other 2 were still out so I had to shut them into the coop myself. Only got 2 nestboxes but have bars for them to roost on too but they didn't seem sure what to do?! Anyone know what the routine was at the farm? :think:

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We got home with ours long after dark, so I popped them in the cube with my other 5 and hoped there would be no trouble in the morning.

There was a bit of squabbling come dawn, and the new girls were clearly nervous about it, so I netted off a section of the run with the Eglu for them.

I had to put them to bed that night too, they didn't seem to realise it was bedtime.

Next morning Lily had managed to get under the net somehow and was happily pootling around in the 'big' side, so I decided to lift the net and leave them to it.

They have merged fairly well, with minimal trouble. Funnily enough, it's my ex batt, Gerty, who gives them most trouble.

Jessie is very timid, but she bravely goes in the cube with the big girls at night. The other two go in the Eglu, although the third night I had to put Lily in because she was still fluttering about after dark.

It will have to change in April as the new ex batts will have to go in the Eglu with the net up.

They are free ranging quite happily together in the day time though, intros have been fairly easy.

Lovely birds aren't they?

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Not sure what the routine at the farm was, but when you get new girls you should keep them in their run for a few days (we did ours for 5) until letting them free range so they know where to return to. Ours got the hang of it within a few days. Some chickens prefer to sleep in the nest box, but that means they go to the toilet in there, which means your eggs aren't the cleanest! I popped a plant pot in the nest box upside down so that they couldn't sleep in there and had to roost, now they all roost together! And the nest box is only for laying eggs :twisted:

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Thanks, good to hear ours aren't the only ones not familiar with bedtime! Hopefully tomorrow will be better. When I got them home I put them first inside the coop and let them come out from there so they knew were to go, was fine all day coming back for food/water but somehow they didn't understand it was for sleep too :doh:

 

We were told not to contain them in a run as they were too used to free-ranging. Our run is not huge and I think it helped introduction with our ex-batt to have more space! She's already asserted herself as top chicken, and luckily no-one else is complaining so far :)

 

And yep they are gorgeous girls, very inquisitive and friendly too. Just wish I could persuade more ppl to get some!

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With all the conflict in the world it is heart warming to here that so many people are willing to give these girls a home. It is not one or two people but thousands of people as there are thousands of chickens involved. How can we get this on TV? We need some good news. :clap::clap: I am going to try Chris Evens perhaps he will cover it on the One Show this Friday.

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That would be fabulous! I'm so pleased they are getting homes for so many :clap:

If they were a bit nearer to me I would be converting all my friends and colleagues to chicken keeping as they are all very interested to know about mine, and love the free eggs I give away all summer long! These girls are so gentle and friendly, they are just perfect for novice keepers.

 

Lily is a hoot!

IMG_2437-1.jpg

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Would it be an idea to change the title of this thread to add something that says more clearly 'Chooks need homes' or, mods, would that be against the rules of this forum? I only suggest it because I didn't look here for quite some time, thinking this was all about free range eggs being less popular. Perhaps I'm just a dimmy :doh: but there might be others like me out there :think:

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Would it be an idea to change the title of this thread to add something that says more clearly 'Chooks need homes' or, mods, would that be against the rules of this forum? I only suggest it because I didn't look here for quite some time, thinking this was all about free range eggs being less popular. Perhaps I'm just a dimmy :doh: but there might be others like me out there :think:

that would be a good idea.

 

I have posted on MSE (money saving expert.com) and someones husband has been tweeting about it and he has had a reply saying they have emailed Jo to collect which is good! Was disapointed my thread "save chickens from slaughter" was merged with an eglu thread. Not really the same :?

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thanks to those that have been posting on MSE!

 

As said in the other thread if anyone midland based that wants them that is on route from silverstone to Oswestryish area i will stop at a meeting point. Or if someone can pick up from sy22 area same day i can collect on your behalf. i am to get there for 10 am so will be heading back up north for early afternoon.

 

Ive emailed jo to ask how many still needs homes. As soon as i have a reply i will post up on here

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Just had word back from Jo, I misread the email! There are approx 500 girls that up to now haven't been reserved!

I know a lot of people will think it's home free but I think we need to push this more to ensure every one of them has a home. I am pestering lots of people. They have done a great job in rehoming 6000 birds!!

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