How can I find my old pictures?

[WitchHazel]

As well as my lovely Garden Girls, we keep chickens on our allotment. We have a breeding flock, and the remainder of this years hatches who are destined for the table. We share the care of the allotment chickens with another chap, alternating days.

 

Today DH went to the allotment to check everyone was OK, top up feed, collect eggs, clean & refill drinkers, as usual. I didn't go - wish I had now - as I was writing Ebay listings.

 

He came back to tell me that we seem to have gained a chicken.

 

He had worked his way round the 3 pens doing the feed and water, and counting the chooks as he went. He counted the Dinner Girls first, and they were all there. The Dinner Boys were all there. He counted the permanent breeding Girls, and there was an extra black girl there, who had flown over the netting from tge next door pen (probably realised the difference between the two). He then remembered that he had already counted the Dinner Girls, and they were all there. He counted them again. They were indeed all there - including one extra.

 

DH thinks that the additional chook is a young cockerel, as he has a very upright stance. He didn't have his phone, so he couldn't send me a pic. Our allotment has Heras fencing all round it, with electric fencing around that. There is no way this chook got in by himself.

 

We think that either someone found him wandering around, thought he was ours, and put him in; or, more likely, some irresponsible so-and-so has hatched chooks, didn't want to deal with the boy, and lobbed him in with ours. If it's the last one, then that's an aalling thing to do - putting in a young chook with 10 others. Lucky the poor thing didn't get pecked to death.

 

DH wasn't able to catch him, so he's currently still loose amongst the Girls. I'll go down with him tomorrow morning so I can take a closer look, and check that he seems healthy etc. Not quite sure what we are going to do with him - we certainly don't need another cockerel.

 

Will let you know more once I've seen him myself.

[counturchickens]

What's the verdict then? Sounds like someone has sneaked him in, which is awful.

[WitchHazel]

What's the verdict then? Sounds like someone has sneaked him in, which is awful.

 

Went to have a look today. I think she's a very young pullet, not a cockerel. Looks like a Bovans Nera to me.

 

She is incredibly lucky that she ended up in the pen with the young dinner girls. If she had been put in with the matriarchs in the breeding pen, I suspect she would have been seriously injured. If she'd ended up in the pen with the 3 rampant young cockerels she would also have been seriously injured.

 

Rumour has it that she was put in there by another allotment holder who also keeps chickens (not on the allotment). If the rumours are to be believed, she was being picked on where she was so he thought he was being kind.

 

The chap who shares our allotment chickens is going to talk to him about the inappropriateness of dumping a chicken in with a load of others.

 

We're just trying to sort out what to do with her. Bovans Nera are egg layers not table birds, so we might end up keeping her with the breeding girls, when she's a bit older and more able to stand u for herself. In the meantime, there doesn't seem much point in separating her again, we're checking her to make sure that she doesn't get injured, and we'll make sure she gets food and water.

 

Poor little thing.

[fluffy chick]

I agree, poor thing. I'm pleased she's ended up with someone who cares about her welfare.

[Plum]

I'm lost for words. How can anyone who keeps chickens be that ignorant and how dare he not ask you

[cavysqueak]

How rude not to ask. Especially as if he had asked you probably wouldn't / couldn't have refused anyway. If you're anything like me - I've not paid money for a new guinea pig for about 10 years now, but I owned 6 at one point!

 

Very odd that someone who keeps the animal has not thought about its welfare. She's found a lovely new home now.

[The Dogmother]

Another one who thinks it was both rude and callous she's luck that she ended up with responsible chicken keepers.

[WitchHazel]

How rude not to ask. Especially as if he had asked you probably wouldn't / couldn't have refused anyway.

 

Gosh, I feel a bit heartless saying this - but had we been asked, we probably would have said no.

 

Reason for this is that keeping her means we'll end up keeping 1 fewer of our dinner chicks this year as she will take one of the places available. Given a free choice of keeping 1 of my home hatched and hand raised babies or taking on a stranger who isn't really suitable for breeding, I'd choose my home hatched lovelies.

 

Still, we are where we are, none of this is her fault, and she's been through enough disruption. And I know I'll grow to love her as much as I love the others.

[Snowy]

Not heartless at all WH, there is a difference between taking on a stray who has no choice, and making an informed decision about taking in a newbie. I was in the same position last week, a friend rang and asked if i would take on 4 more! I've done this before and ended up with very little control over my flock age and contents - I haven't got space to take on every waif and stray! So I said no - but I was able to give some advice about where would be suitable places to try to rehome them. However, if one appeared on my doorstep I've no doubt it would be made welcome. So don't feel bad about it!