Sooo much pooping

[memphisto]

Evening everyone,

 

Hope all is well with you all.

 

So, we've had our girls since Friday and they've been out free ranging in the lovely weather the past few days and they seem very happy, indeed Dilys, our Sussex, has been sitting beside me or on my lap today.

 

We've been trying to handle them all daily. Dilys has taken to it very well, and really doesn't put up a struggle and gently coo's when she's being held. However, the other two, Bubbles and Penny, are a different matter. Dilys is by far the dominant one, she's a little older than the other two, she's 23 weeks and the other two are 21 weeks but none are laying as yet.

 

All will go back into the coup if we round them up and usher them in, no problems. We obviously want to health check them regularly yet we can't get anywhere near Bubbs or Penny, they screach and flap everytime we get too close, Dilys looks at them quite puzzled. Tried handling with offering treats of dried corn and sweetcorn but they're wise to that and give us a wide berth.

 

They are roaming free from about 9-10am until they take themselves to bed (regular as clockwork at 7.15pm every night this week), unless we need to go out. If one of us is home, we let them stay out, if both of us is out, we put them in the coup with their run.

 

Any tips on improving their confidence in being handled, Penny will *just* about tolerate a small rub on her back whilst out but not Bubbs, however when they are all in the coup, they don't mind a quick stroke at all?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

PS- Caught Dilys stealing Shreddies off my 2 year old boy this morning, are they OK to have cereals? She seemed to enjoy them....and my son enjoyed telling her to to 'stop it' then giggling at her when she 'bok bok'd' at him!

 

Dilys

 

Bubbles

 

Penny

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Lovely girls .

 

You'll probably find that once they start crouching and then laying, they'll become much more easy to handle . In the meantime, you could always try taking the uncooperative ones out for a quick cuddle once they've gone into roosting mode - they put up with a lot more when they're sleepy!

[Plum]

Smashing girls. Shreddies tale made me laugh

 

I was going to say the same as ANH.

[jackian]

I think they are wonderful ! You seem to have settled them in very well. My 2 dont mind being handled , after a shaky start from me , I was the one with the colly wobbles The 3rd one is a little bit more reluctent she will be held and stroked the first minute you try ,put her down and try again and she is gone like a shot

2 small children aged 2 and 4 came over yesterday and my girls were very shy of them at first hiding under a bush but they soon came round and acted really gently with the kids. I was very proud of them ,acted just like they were supposed to be on their best behavior as we had guests

[Kazzy73]

Your girls are beautiful and you have done so well to tame them so quick I have had mine since easter and still taming them ,I have 3 blubelles and 2 light sussex and the bluebelles are very nosey,Tikka the boss doesnt mind being stroked or picked up but the other 2 bluebelles are a bit scatty so its pot luck if you pick them up or not Mayo the oldest of the light sussex you can do anything with she loves all the attention but Nugget the lowest ranked she will run a mile if you try to stroke her,shame really as we had to catch and bath her yesterday as had a dirty bum as she sleeps in the nest box and doesnt care what shes sat in (I think shes the slob of the bunch lol) my neighbour thought I was killing her the noise she was making but she looks so pretty now and no dirty bum

[jennym]

I had the same thoughts and difficulties as you when we got our three girls, who were very shy at first. I'd suggest carrying on with the hand feeding but don't try to pick them up or stroke them - if you make a lunge for them every time you offer a treat they'll catch on to that very quickly. Try to find out what their favourite treats are - mine would run through the fires of hell for sweetcorn. Others love grapes. Just sit quietly and let them come for the treats, eat them and walk away in their own time without trying to catch or stroke them. After a while they'll start to trust you - then you can work on stroking & picking them up. You're right about the health checks, they are a good idea, but they'll be fine for a few weeks while you get to know each other.

 

As previously mentioned it should get much easier when they come in to lay - they calm down a lot, and also will probably crouch & freeze when you come near. Very handy

[percy049]

My sussex and bluebelle used to like cuddles when they were young, but they dont anymore

[memphisto]

We managed to pick all three up today for cuddles

 

All three decided to roost on top of their coup tonight, so we picked each one up gently and had cuddles with each of them before putting them to bed in the right place! I don't think they were too happy but there was no big deal from any of them, a couple of squacks and bicycle legs but really quite good.

 

Have been doing as advised and giving treats without then stroking them or trying to pick them up, Penny is liking that, she's now trying to come into the house to follow me, they actually seem far more settled and calmer in the last day or so.

 

Penny has made huge progress, she allows my son to feed her by hand, and she rather naughtily stole his biscuit earlier on, which just had him in fits of giggles and then Penny chasing him round the garden. They also found the bigger are of garden we have where they took a dust bath in the mud together, which had us all in stitches from laughing at them.

 

So tempted to get 2 more though now, the place we got them from still has Penny & Bubbles siblings, but we haven't got any means of keeping them seperate at the moment

 

My other half asked if I fancied having a night out in a few weeks.....my reply, I'd rather have a chicken than a night drinking and clubbing it!