redsunset Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 Thanks Mullethunter. I have a good few old hybrids now so will see how the winter fares them. I know that 2-3 sadly is oft an average innings even tho my old bluebell is now 4. I know bread is not recommended for chooks but I give mine a wholemeal loaf every morning and my reasoning is that 1, it goes a long way with so many chooks and 2, it lets me cast an eye out to see if any ailing as any chook who does not rush for that morning tidbit I know to keep an eye on. As its now winter and so dark it's so easy to miss one who's not doing well while working long hours in December. It's the best I can do just now............roll on spring!.....or the Christmas break where they will get a bit more attention as in hot mash with veggies!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You sound so busy redsunset and with a new little kitty too. With the speed of the year so far it won't be long until Spring. Sorry you lost one of your older girls too but that is life I suppose xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 Busy is correct, lol! The littlies were put out last night on a nice evening in deep straw. This am was shocked to find my windscreen frozen and worried about how they fared the night! At lunchtime they were peeking out the window of the little coop, not sure about venturing down the ladder but once I started putting corn around for the older girls their interest was soon piqued to come out and see. Food and fresh water and just fine. Checked after work and found they had gone up the Ladder and back to bed. Phew. Horrible storm due again tomorrow with gusts up to 75 mph. Bought a hat and thin gloves tonight as I HAVE to clean the coops this weekend as they are a disgrace! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Put themselves to bed upstairs first time - clever little girls OH and I saw the weather forecast and said 'oh no poor tree chooks'! OH reckons they'll be gripping on really tightly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 Storm wasn't as bad as forecast and was able to reach most of them apart from one appenzeller and stuff them in a coop........they were not amused and have no doubt they will be back in the trees tonight! Spent the afternoon looking like Compo from last of the summer wine doing chook chores and hosing down! Well, it's blooming cold! Let the littlies out of their run today as champing at the bit to join the big girls......I find plenty food and they are ignored. Will have to check shortly that they have managed back to bed ok. Now to start gutting one of my bedrooms as its getting redecorated next week. No more hatching indoors. If I do...I have a store room that can be used but have more than enough until I move some on in the spring. Did find a home for two boys so that's good. Wee Duke, short for Marmaduke (kitty) has settled in great. Haven't put the Christmas decs up yet tho so that will be interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Love the name for your new kitty Have you been affected by all the rain that I have seen on the news ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Yes I was worried about you too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 7, 2015 Author Share Posted December 7, 2015 Thanks guys but the awful rain has hit mostly the central belt of Scotland. Was actually a nice sunny day here with chooks sunbathing for a change. Hope others did not lose their chooks in the awful floods down south? I am up on a hillside of sorts so the day I flood I know the rest of Scotland will have perished due to our altitude!! It's the constant gales this last few years that can cause the most hassle/damage up here but my wee borrowed coop with the littlies has been just fine.....so far. The wee coop has I window so it's quite funny seeing the wee faces peering out like a little Wendy house, so cute. The Fayoumi are the same size or bigger now than the Thuringian chicks...fast growers, and ducking and diving amongst the big uns at corn time with no fear. All scoot up the ladder and cuddle up in nesting box by bedtime. Hope that continues as with lots of very late nights at work looming I won't have time to check much until Christmas hols! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Roll on the Christmas hols! Hardly see much of my girls those days and so need to do a deep clean! Weather is lovely and sunny but a tad icy. No idea if chooks in the trees, but I strongly suspect so. Went out yesterday with corn in afternoon and the tiny Thuriangian Chamois chick flew up to my shoulder and stayed there while I walked around! No idea if the neigbour was at their window as now the leaves have dropped I have no doubt it was an amusing sight!! Am getting used to the littlies thinking my back is an added perch when I am doing their bowls of food. Due to a fair amount of boys the head honcho, the big SLW boy needs eyes at the back of his head to see who is trying to steal a bit of um affection from his big harem and saw him with a gob full of feathers yesterday spitting them out as lots of new competition! Made me laugh but the youngsters give him his place.......for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Mine need a deep clean too along with the rabbit. Only 3 days left until the Christmas holidays for me Lovely to hear that your new ones use you as a perch. Could you send some icy sunshine down this way please ? Fed up of warm, damp and grey days here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 Hello, hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and got all manner of chicken related presents?! I only got a chicken calendar this year so obv not in full chicken mad bracket quite yet (dunno how not, lol) Chooks all well tho was so sad to find one of my lovely young jubilee Orps dead in a coop Christmas Eve no idea why, as she appeared fine the day before.. The rest are all fine and dandy. The amount of feed I go through now is amazing....or frightening. I have resorted to using a large bucket now for main feeds......and still get the littlies flying up to my shoulders like they haven't seen food for a week, lol! Still not managed my deep clean as due to gales, Christmas, a wedding mid week and family visits, it will leave me a long weekend to hopefully get it all done and nice for the girls (and boys). My new fav is the tiny little fluffy cheek Thuringan chamois girl, so cute, and good at ducking and diving while any treats are thrown about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Actually sunny here for the second day running so I hope it is nice for you up there. Was it nice for the wedding you went to ? Your new favourite girl sounds very special - any photos Was just thinking of the muscles you'll be exercising Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 Lovely dry day today and back to work for me. Didn't get my deep clean done as struck down with norovirus straight after a wedding last week!! Hope I didn't pass it to the bride or groom! Still feel yuk, but the chickens needed feeding and as I was down to a half bucket of feed and usual supplier not delivering until Wednesday I popped into garden centre at lunchtime to pick up some small bags to tide me over. Noticed a stack of marriages pellets (sure I've read on here people saying they were a good make) 20kg sacks at £5.99 so asked for one remarking it was a good price and was offered 10 sacks for £50! Took the lot! Delivered 10 mins later so I'm sorted now for a couple of months Noticed tonight the last babies had abandoned their little cosy coop and were snuggled under cockerels in a big coop! Mini hot water bottles for the big guys and also keeps the littlies toasty so they are not so daft! Luvachicken I will try and take a pic of the little thuringian chamois chick soon, she(?) is so cute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Sorry you have been poorly redsunset. That kind of thing really takes it out of you so make sure you get plenty of rest. How sweet that the little ones are snuggling under a big feather duvet for the night. It must have got a bit colder up there for you, as it has down here too. The food you got sounds like a bargain. How kind of the garden centre to give you such a discount. I wonder how long it will last with all those guys and girls ..... and how soon before you tell us of more chickens Look forward to any photos but only when you are feeling better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 Lovely thawing snow up here! Put out a few wholemeal breadcrumbs this am and saw the chooks sliding on my driveway to reach them! Steep driveway so had to go up sideways like a mountaineer with crampons on, terrified I'd slip to reach the car! Not a good week as lost three chooks. One little speckled Sussex who was very much a runt and not a 'do'er as we'd say. Stayed very small and didn't seem to have a neck? Noticed she was poorly so took her inside. She passed by evening. Then next day a speckled boy who seemed unsteady, same. Two nights later a lovely little lavender leghorn got into my garden and got trapped in some poultry crates I had been hosing down to clean and obviously couldn't get out in the gap. Dogs alerted me but the poor wee thing had frozen solid. Was gutted! Checking with torch every night now, and all the others are ok and still 9 in the trees (down from 12) some have gone to a coop. Got the Dutch barn cleaned and just three coops tomorrow to do. Only about 3-5 eggs a day still. .....roll on spring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Oh that's so sad, but I gu so it's enevitable you will lose a few here and there but it's sad none the less. Good grief there is an outbreak of the dreaded norovirus here every year and thus far I have avoided it ( am I tempting fate?) but I have had a silly cold that went on for about 5 weeks, I drove everyone mad with the clearing of the throat cough. I have a poorly at the moment, she was all puffed up yesterday so I hope she was just due a softie and they are due to be wormed which starts today. I will see how she is today. Very very cold in London today but no rain as yet as I suspect there in no rain clouds left!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 What a sad week you have had Sending you a big hug xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Hi redsunset. Just thinking about you and your gang and hoping no-one's blown away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hello, yes still ok up here! Just come back from being out for dinner in a raging blizzard! Storm last night had no damage thankfully. Last weekend my neighbours car slipped it's handbrake and rolled across her drive, over the road and straight down verge to smash my fence! Chooks thought Christmas had come as lots out busy foraging in the grass verges. A temp repair has been done but still think the little blighters are finding a gap!! Depending on weather tomorrow will look for said gaps! Once insurance is appropriated by neighbours it will be fixed. Chooks are all good and lots have new homes in coming weeks, ppl asking about my speckled Sussex but want to keep one or two once I determine how many boys. Am working on it, I promise. Numbers will be reduced considerably which is just as well as have a few in incubator.....and we had a power cut today!! but all ok, well they 4 lavender leghorns that I see growing at less than a week old Not been in here for a while as I have stuff going on and some family not well but will check in from time to time. Hope everyone's chooks are doing well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Glad all is going well redsunset especially after the awful wind last night. Hope your family that is poorly get well soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 Another storm last night but not too bad. House and chook houses all ok. Took a young lavender leghorn in at lunchtime as knew she wasn't right, gone tonight I know when you have a lot of chooks it happens but still horrible. You can always spot one in a large flock who is not right when closing eyes and not that interested. No outward signs but they hide things so well. All others are fine despite the horrible weather. Never seen the garden so water logged, just awful. More drainage sigh! Getting 6-7 eggs a day and waiting patiently for the crested legbars to come into lay as dying to see a blue egg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Glad you have all stood up well in the winds but sorry you lost a poorly one. Lets hope you start to dry out soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Id be excited waiting for a blue egg too! As it is I'm waiting for any egg, but I do have a couple less girls than you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 Couple girls less.......lol. Yup am still waiting patiently for my blue egg, just for the novelty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted February 9, 2016 Author Share Posted February 9, 2016 Have two in sick bay this last day. A lav Araucana and a little chamois thuringian. They appeared a bit sleepy and non plussed outside and that's not right. Diff days but having lost a lav leghorn, similar took them in anyway. Hope it's not similar as if so don't know what it is? They seem ok just now as left heating on today, chick crumb and a sachet of cat food out and water. See what tomorrow brings. Had a lovely day here weather wise as all chooks sunbathing same as yesterday? Joys of chook keeping, it's a lottery sometimes.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
