j00lz_12366 Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 well.. we picked up the girls today, I was very impressed with the whole thing, it all seemed to go very smoothly and it only took about 10/15 minutes before we were on our way back home with our first ever chickens! when we got them home we put them in the WIR in their baskets but they didnt seem to want to come out so we had to give them a little gentle persuasion and then they were off! I have some pictures to upload but I am in the middle of opening a flickr account and i'm not sure i'll be able to work it out! I'll post as soon as I can! they've all been names and have already started to show their personalities- Ada, quiet little lady..seems to just get on with it Betty- the baldy, and amazingy fast runner, also very talkative-huge noises from a tiny creature! Cissy- the lunatic, climbing in the glug, tips it over....climbing in the grub, tips it over....actually managed to go up the ladder and look into the eglu-before she spotted us looking thru the kitchen window at her.. Doris, queen hen...very bossy! Cant wait to go and get them up tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 am wondering if this will work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammiboo Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) am wondering if this will work... They look very happy girls. The ginger one doesnt loot too bad at all!! Edited April 16, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 woohoo it did! that was Betty, shes in a bad way, but not as bad as some we saw at the rehoming today...think she might be likely to be a favourite because shes sooooo tiny and more than a little bald! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 that will have been Cissy posing, shes lovely.,.and she was showing her best side..lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 They look great! Also nice to see such a nice clear photo of a 'Go', as I have not seen one of these in real life yet. I'm sure your girls will settle in very quickly, well done you for rescuing them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 I'm just a little worried about Betty-or baldy Betty as shes known to her friends..she's just so bald looking but shes active which is probably a good thing as Doris keeps pecking at her-more in a bossy way than actually trying to damage her i think/hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 I reckon she will be fine. Unfortunately someone has to be at the bottom of the pecking order, but once it is sorted out things usually settle down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 Thanks.. i hope so..i think i better be off to bed now,,its been a long day..lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 They look great, they always seem to have such good personalities. When I get my cube I really want to save some ex-batts Your wir looks amazing too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Lovely pictures. Congratulations. The set up looks fab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 They look lovely, well done for giving them a new home Betty is much balder than either of the three we rescued three weeks ago today. I have not let mine FR yet, not really sure if it would be ok to let them out for a little while now, they seem so quiet compared to my other girls. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 I am REALLY pleased with the WIR I got it from a place on ebay (shropshire something)-was recommended by some people on here-they delivered it-we are near manchester and set it up for just over £200! We have added the roof, gutters and kickboards and painted it. We were lucky that my o/h has a very handy friend who has been doing some decorating work for us and he offered to do those extras for us (we paid him but it was worth it). I bought some old builders planks/scaffold planks on ebay-at 50p a foot, we got enough for the kickboards and also some raised beds and I have painted them all the same shade and i think it looks really good. We only have a small space and altho they will be allowed 'out' there's not really much out to be had. I am planning on some different levels within the run which is what you may be able to see-I'll try to put some pics up on the run section-but we wanted to get them settled and see what they like before doing too much to the run. So far, Cissy has made it up the ladder but wouldnt go in the Eglu, none of them would come out on their own this morning either, they are discovering more 'hidden' places, under the log roll and planks etc..no one has really bothered with the dustbath since we 1st got them when Doris stood in it for quite a while. They have been a little noisy this morning so i'm sat inside the house with the door open and no noise incase they start again as I dont want to annoy the neighbours too much-especially that one with the yappy dog!!!! Betty is VERY bald-huge patches that looks like shes just ready for sunday lunch-but even with that she seems v active and healthy-she can really run-esp when Doris chases her! The cats are absolutely petrified of them-which is possibly a good thing to be honest, it will stop them bothering them, at least at first- we had to carry Slinky past them last night to let him out of the back gate-hes an inside cat really but he likes to go for a little walk most days and we supervise him as he has no idea of safety, poor thing.. Anyway, sorry for whittering on but I am QUITE excited as you can imagine!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cazp1978 Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Wow. Great WIR. Great job you! I bet your girls will be really happy there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 You should be excited - you have done a brilliant job with your WR, it all looks such fun They will get the hang of everything soon - I love my ex-batts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 latest news......we have an egg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No idea who it was, but it was just on the floor of the run, its a little bumpy but i'm assuming we're still ok to eat it...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Yes, perfectly fine to eat it Hope they are all settling down nicely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 and less than 2 hours later we had another!!! This time we know who it was because she was very clever and went in the nest box! It was Cissy who seems to be the 1st to do everything..we had them both for tea-scrambled eggs..yum! They seem to be really settled-very noisy when i first let them out this morning but apart from when they were announcing how clever they had been with their eggs they have been v quiet We gave them a light dusting with red mite powder tonight just before bed too..and put a little sprinkle in their dustbath..hopefully they will carry on as they are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammiboo Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 fantastic!! you cant beat your own home grown eggs glad you are enjoying your girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 well..lastnight we gave them a quick Red Mite dusting and put a little in their dustbath. Later Cissy managed to get herself up to the eglu but 2 minutes later came back down so we still had to put them all to bed...eventually managed to get them all inthe 1st 2 just hung around the door and wouldnt budge for a whgile so we had to push the others in, we waited outside and they seemed quiet and to be settling down... This morning I got up to let them out at a similar time to yesterday about 6.40 and there were 2 eggs in the Eglu-just on the roosting bars. I brought them in and have documented them-1 is very small and sits really low in the egg cup. This time 3 of them came out with only a little bit of a shove from me (at the back of the eglu pushing them towards the door) There was only Ada who didn't come out, I decided to leave her and see if she worked it out...over half an hour later and still no Ada, but I thought maybe she was in the nest box..went to have a look, no, she was just stood inside the Eglu, so I gave her a shove towards the door and with a little bit of a fuss she came out..and stood for ages at the top of the ladder, had a poo and made her way down... They've been a little bit clucky but nothing too much today-I've been potting some stuff and sat and had a coffee out there with them and all seem fine. I've also put their small feeder up so it is hanging from a bungee and they have got the hang of that too. They seem to be getting on OK-Doris is definitely the boss, but nothing too nasty-just a bit of a peck of someone is near her or does something she doesnt like. It doesnt seem to be anything nasty-and the pecks that shes giving wouldnt seem to cause any damage ie, they are just one or 2 at a time to mke her presence known. I have also started them with a small amount of poultry spice in their food today and it hasnt stopped them from scoffing at a healthy rate! I went outside half an hour ago and there was another egg on the floor of the run..so thats 5 in the 1st 2 days! Am kind of hoping they'll slow down to give themselves a rest now.. Will keep updating this thread with pics and info-for myself as much as anything, will be nice to have a record! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Mine look OK, but one is significantly larger than the other two and turning into a bit of a bully, also am a bit concerned that they don't seem to be eating much. Are yours eating ok Joolz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 yes they're eating-never seem to stop, but I have got them 2 feeders, 1 eglu and 1 feeder thats hung from the roof. Often thats when Doris starts on the others but that way they can always get food. I think its normal for them to be a bit pecky with each other and theres always one at the bottom of the rung but it doesnt look nice... One other thing I've done is put a plant spray next to where I sit and sometimes I have needed to squirt them-its set to a very precise fine spray so I can aim it at the one who's playing up and to be honest its not enough to hurt but it does distract the one who gets 'got'.. Hope they pick up soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Mine are drinking plenty of water plus Lifeguard tonic, and they will peck at a bit of scattered corn, an apple or halved grapes, but they are not eating their ex batt pellets. I made some into porridge this morning and they've hardly touched it. I've ordered a bag of the ex batt crumbs, which should arrive tommorow. Should I be worried? (My last ex batts didn't take this long to start eating, and they went onto the pellets straight away). Two have laid today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammiboo Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 mine have been eating the ex batt crumb no problem. they cannot get enough. Maybe this is similar to what they been fed at the farm? They are not touching the pellets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 Mine are on the ex batt crumb too..and I havent been giving them any extras before 5pm-but to be honest theyre not really interested in anything else-although Ada took a slice of grape from my hand yesterday and a mealworm today...none of the others will, just her Went out about 8.30 and 3 had put themselves to bed-just Betty was still out, I did think about leaving her for a few minutes but it was getting chilly and she is so bald I didnt want her getting too chilly stood in the dark so I got her to bed, first time I've managed to do it! Really hope yours start to pick up, maybe when the crumb comes-maybe you could go and buy some if it doesnt arrive tomorrow..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
