sparkleeeeee Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 our eglu finally arrived parcelforce's 24 hour service is actually 96 hours (not including the weekend) anyway it is finally here. many thanks jaime who packed it really well and labelled all the run sections. it is absolutely perfect and i am afraid to say that i didnt have a problem with the green clips on either the rablu or eglu (please dont throw things at me!!!) i must have hardened hands from all that digging and carrying at work and during uni (geology) and of course the gardening. anyway i went to get some chooks having decided eventually to get sussex and came back with cream legbar! i did have a look on the internet at all the breads that were advertised before i went (just incase) but didnt actually think i would come home with anything other than the sussex. i must say that they are lovely birds and have a cute little feather hat! and blue eggs will be interesting they are settling in to the red eglu and have a lovely calm nature (or are they just scared and will turn into monsters tomorow!) i will post some photos when i work out how to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 oh how exciting! I know what you mean about choosing chooks. I originally wanted a laced wyandotte, a cream legbar and a mystery bird. But it is changing all the time as I'm in love with Amber Stars, hubby loves the light sussex & I definitely want a bluebell. We originally wanted pure breeds, but I think we are going for Meadowsweet hybrids to go in the cube with the 3 original Omlet hens. Then I'll either get 3 pure breeds for the Mark 2, or a load of bantams or even get some chicks that my sister is hatching after her wedding next weekend! Although my chickens are my pets, I would miss my eggs - therefore hybrids are a better choice for us at the moment. Cream legbars, those blue eggs really fascinate me. But apparently bluebells eggs have a plum blush. I've no idea how the eggs look - so if anyone has a picture of an egg laid by a bluebell with a plum blush - please post the pic on the forum. Congrats on your new chookies - all chooks are lovely & gr8 fun! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 oooh Cream legbars lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Glad its all arrived at last Sparkleeeeee. Wow 3 cream legbars - I bet the eggs are fantastic colours. Do the chooks all look similar? I think my next hen will have to be a Cream Legbar - I'm looking forward to going shopping at weekend. craftyhunnypie... I cant say my bluebelle eggs have a plum blush. They are sort of magnolia with the faintest hint of blush. They are very different to the brown range that the other chooks lay. I dont think a photo would show the difference very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 At last you are eglu'd and chook'd up! We await name and piccies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Happy new 'glu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkleeeeee Posted June 13, 2007 Author Share Posted June 13, 2007 hi jaime i will never use parcelforce again they have been abit of a nightmare the last week, at least it arrived in the end. your packing was excellent and even though you had more in your run your box was half the size of the one the rablu came in. i think the chickens do look similar at the moment but i havent had chance to have a really good look as i had to start cooking dinner as soon as i got them settled. one does have a smaller 'feather hat' (not sure what the propper name for it is) one has quite blue legs and the other are more yellow/cream. it will be a few weeks before they lay but she did show me an egg and it was very slightly blue. they are gaining in confidence and they are quite interested in the children if they move slowly. i am planning to go and sit with them tomorrow while the kids are playing in the garden and get them more used to me. its probably all really new and scary at the moment. they have not been in the eglu yet but have had some food and a drink. hopefully they will go in tonight. i have not decided on names yet, so i will add them later i just cant believe we finally have chickens! yehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Congratulations on finally getting your eglu and chickens! Cream legbars sound lovely - will be interested to see how they get on with your family and pics are needed of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkleeeeee Posted June 13, 2007 Author Share Posted June 13, 2007 just had alot of trouble getting them in the eglu, i had to get in the run and pick them up and put them in, then i had to try to shut the door. i managed after quite a long while to push the lock up amd swing the door shut whilst still in the run as i knew they would only just come back out if i went out of the run to close the door. i had a quick look through the hatch and they dont seem to like the eglu. i cant leave the door open as i havent pinned the run down yet and it is thundering and lightening outside. does anybody else have similar trouble or will they learn to love the eglu tonight? better turn the computer off justincase it gets fried in the storm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Omlet advise that you dont let your chooks out to free range for 5-7 days. This way they learn that the eglu is a safe and comfortable place to be. Once they have slept in the eglu they should remember tomorrow that's the place to sleep and they will go in on their own when they are ready. They will want to be up early in the morning so may make a bit of noise if you dont let them out at their chosen time. The best thing to do in my opinion is teach them to open the door themselves by not fully closing it and not locking it and they will push it open eventually. It means you can have a lie in at weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 The other thing to try is opening the egg port and shining a torch at bedtime and people say the come to the light.... I dont know if this works though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkleeeeee Posted June 14, 2007 Author Share Posted June 14, 2007 hi jaime i am always up really early (about 5am ish) with the kids and they would love to come and let the chooks and bunnies out in the morning. all the workmen arrive at around 7am so i have the kids and hubbie fed and dressed by then. so letting the chickens out is not a problem, when the run is pinned down i will probably leave the door open for them. last night they were trying to sleep under the grub and wouldnt go into the eglu. they seem ok this morning. we did have a massive thunderstorm last night and alot of rain. hopefully they will go into the eglu tonight without me crawling through the run like an army asault course in the dark. they are really friendly and let me pick them up no problem. anyway i had better get on i might try the torch tonight if they at not in by dark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 The hens will go into the Eglu by themselves tonight -- I am 99% certain. I have now introduced four pairs of hens, not one of whom would go near the Eglu the first night, and all of whom tripped in daintily by themselves the second night. Each first night I had to crawl into the run and put them in, and now know the trick you used, which is to raise the handle before going in so that you can swing the door shut manually from the inside (before crawling out and locking it properly). This trick is even more important now that I have two extensions to crawl through as well! It was the same with the cube: the hens had to be lifted in the first night. You have to remember how very alien these objects look to hens when they see them for the first time: threatening, and not a bit like trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkleeeeee Posted June 14, 2007 Author Share Posted June 14, 2007 unfortunately i didnt raise the lock before i crawled in, i had to push it up from inside the door (it did take a while to do) and i do have an extension as well and i had a big coat ontop of my jim jams (beacuse of the weather) so i must have looked a right sight trying to get out of the door backwards without taking the run with me or get to many droppings on my jim jams (yes i did put them in the wash straight away afterwards) i will remember to raise the lock next time (i hope!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 There won't be a next time: I promise (almost). A trick I use in the cube run (which I enter often, to hang up food for hens who won't share) is to go in with a trowel, pushing soil to the right and left ahead of me as I crawl. This removes fresh droppings, but is also advantageous as the hens' excavations always seem to produce a mountain in the middle of the run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkleeeeee Posted June 14, 2007 Author Share Posted June 14, 2007 you were right, i went to put them away for the night and they were tucked up already, it is raining really heavily at the moment but i have the winter cover on, even the bunnies were in and i had bought them some sugar snap peas today at the supermarket as nightime snacks to tempt them in (i gave them some anyway) all is well in the sparkleeeee garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
