Christian Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Christian what are you like! You must have wondered why we were all oooohing and aaaaahing over what would be a very random assortment of names without the Mr D'Arcy link!! Slightly embarrassed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanbb Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 They look lovely. Well done to you both Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted June 10, 2007 Author Share Posted June 10, 2007 Well, update due. Great day! The girls are really chilled out and seem very happy. No pecking yet: I think there's just too much going on for them to think about that at the moment. Can tell them apart now, and four have been assigned their names: The fattest, most motherly one is Mrs Bennet of course, the flighty, nutter one is Lydia, the smallest, darkest, quiet one is Mary and the one with most feathers and best looking is Jane. So, just Lizzie and Kitty to decide on. They have ignored completely the tinned sweetcorn I sprinkled in their run, much to my other three's disgust.. They have been looking on interestedly from outside. They are eating and drinking well, moving around easily and have had a great day sunbathing, dust bathing, scratching and stretching out their wings etc. Tomorrow OH is off to the vets to get some Frontline spray, as I am pretty sure they have visitors. I love them already, its just so nice to see them doing chickeny things for the first time. Christian and OH were their official first visitors, and I'm hoping they have been persuaded to get some now too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Thats lovely - they've had the sun on their backs and been doing normal 'chickeny' stuff . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 About the forced moult: When faced with a flock of spent hens, the farmer can induce production again by way of a forced moult--accomplished with starvation and water deprivation for periods of up to two weeks. It also makes laying birds produce bigger eggs. Thank you for letting me know. That is absolutely 2 weeks!!!! I can't believe it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Im really pleased they are all doing so well, that is such great news! Isnt it just brilliant to see them doing chickeny things for the first time? I love watching my girls kicking up the hemcore, stretching their wings or just chilling out in the sun - what a nice fuzzy feeling that is esp knowing where they have come from! Good on ya Annie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 About the forced moult: When faced with a flock of spent hens, the farmer can induce production again by way of a forced moult--accomplished with starvation and water deprivation for periods of up to two weeks. It also makes laying birds produce bigger eggs. What a strange world we live in. If anyone was to treat any other animal like that they would be liable for prosecution....but it is ok to do it to a battery hen. Am speechless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 hello, finally got the red mite out of my hair and other places! Lovely to see you Annie and Jonny, sorry so brief. It was a wonderful Day, such lovely collections. It is so humbling going to the farm. we brought out ALL 600 from the shed and I was so pleased that 6 of these would be going to live with ANNIE AND JONNY There were alot of 'well feathered' comments, so we explained to the adopters about the moult. The moult actually lasts about 3 weeks and the food is limited and water restricted in near darkness. the hens lose their feathers and then are given more food, light etc and, as Annie says, this is like their second year and the eggs become bigger for a while. After the collection it just puts things in place, the team work so hard and I never feel the buzz more than at the end of the rescue day. Brilliant. Pics and updates Annie BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Well done on the rescue Buffie, you always work so hard Best wishes and well done to everyone who helped out, it is a fab cause Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Thank you Debs. BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted June 16, 2007 Author Share Posted June 16, 2007 Well, I've renamed this thread as its not quite appropriate now. Thought some of you might like an update on the girls a week on. They are all fighting fit and enjoying themselves. Their combs are going slightly pinker and they are enjoying the eglu cube . For the first couple of nights they slept under the cube, and as it was so warm, I thought it best just to let them be. I put a great big log at the bottom of the steps for them to hop onto should the urge take them. On Monday I left Jonnie in charge for 5 days as I headed off to Cornwall on a school trip. He frontlined them for lice and mites on Monday, and ended up having to crawl into the cube to do it. Yukky mess. He did it as best he could, but we will re-do tomorrow with the two of us to make sure we have got them all thoroughly. They make one heck of a mess with the layer's meal so we are slowly mixing pellets into it. They haven't really cottoned onto what other food is, other than meal, apart from the scrambled egg I have been giving them, mixed with their meal, which they go mad for. I have put tinned sweetcorn in their run, cobs, lettuce, mealworms ( ) and they just ignore them. I am sure they will get the hang of it eventually. Tomorrow afternoon's ploy will be to put it in with their meal, like the scrambled egg to see what they make of that. Character wise, you couldn't wish for a sweeter bunch of girls. The tiniest bit of squabbling and its all sorted! They are angels! They are happy to be out in the sunshine, stretching, pecking, scratching and dust bathing. They are quiet and contented. Adorable. Still rather timid of me, they approach when I come near and are getting slowly tamer. Again, I'm not forcing this. It will happen given time. I am just so happy that they are out of that farm. Eggs are coming approximately 3 or 4 a day, and as I said earlier, at present we are still feeding them two back a day, scrambled. Not sure when we are going to start eating them for ourselves, but the yolks are now golden. . The shells are extrememly hard! At least two hens are now laying their eggs in the egg bit of the cube. A couple of them still just drop them wherever they are! Its amazing the difference between these girls and my posh ones, who make such a song and dance about laying. With these guys its over in seconds! So, all in all, VERY happy with them. They are brilliant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Marvellous news Annie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 AAaaahhh, they sound lovely Annie, so pleased they're settling in with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted June 16, 2007 Author Share Posted June 16, 2007 OK: Pictures:This is our fatty, Mrs Bennet. Introducing Lydia, also known as nutter This is Mary, the smallest and darkest of the gang. Here is Kitty, having a lie down, This here is Lizzy, And finally, Jane, the pretty one, staying cool out of the sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgies Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 They are such gorgeous girls, Annie, and how lovely to see a bit of sunbathing - so weird to think that they've never done this basic stuff before. Well done you for rescuing the beauties!! Sue Budgie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Well done Annie - they look really well . Did I see a picture of your other chickens in Country Smallholding magazine??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahJo Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 WOW Annie - fantastic, aren't they looking well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted June 16, 2007 Author Share Posted June 16, 2007 Well done Annie - they look really well . Did I see a picture of your other chickens in Country Smallholding magazine??? Erm... yes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 They are looking amazing. Well done. You are doing an wonderful job. So worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Oh Annie they look so at home! Arent they doing well?! Its such a relief that they sorted themselves out so quickly too From battery farm hell to luxury living chic & such a great mum to boot! Wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 They look really healthy and happy well done Annie and Jonnie for giving them such a fantastic new home........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marky mark Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 What an amazing story! Your girls are lovely and now I really really really want some rescue birds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 So nice to see happy hens, enjoying their new life. They are gorgeous Annie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 alihodg & I have just decided that when we eventually get our blue cube we will get some rescue girls to go in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Annie your girls are lovely. Its lovely to see their personalities start to shine through so quickly isn't it? The girls I got were from somewhere out west, even though it was via the Essex co-ordinator. We were very surprised at how well feathered they all were (only their chests were patchy) so I think the enforced moult must explain it. Poor things. It also explains why my girls are still such good layers. They seem to average just one day off a week each, which I found surprising. What I don't understand is why the farmer would put the birds through an enforced moult just before getting rid of them? Do you think it is to do with making us think - oh they aren't in such a bad way after all? Sorry, Buffie might be the best one to answer this but I am sure she will be along again soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
