Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Keep the stories coming - I'm enjoying Henz in da Haus enormously . BTW, the first egg or two is often laid somewhere a bit strange, almost as if they don't realise that's what's happening - "I think I need a poo. Huh? That's not a poo ". They usually work out where to lay after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSilver Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Cheers for that! I have been checking the run for some Emergency Egg Delivery moments but other than a few hopeful-looking rocks, no joy. Onward we go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I don't know it was the lousy weather but I think that hens are coming into lay later this year - or is it just mine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I agree Patricia. Mine have only started this week, all apart from a dear little Frizzle who soldiered on laying an egg every other day through most of the winter. BlueSilver,I think this should be an official Henz blog - really enjoying the updates and now looking forward to a picture of the first egg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 So Bluesliver.....we need an update!!!!!! Any eggs yet??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSilver Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 I was waiting till one of da Henz laid an egg before updating, and I admit I was sitting on Youtube, listening to egg song and looking up "Why aren't my hens laying yet?" stuff on the internet...then I went outside on a whim, sure I'd be disappointed. But we shake it to the east - And we shake it to the west - And now we got a Hen that we like the best! Ironically, if I was inside the house listening to egg songs, I probably missed the one going on outside - that's lesson learned there! I think this first offering is from Venus-hen, our small Warren. When I had a look in the nestbox, there was a wee depression where da Hen had dug herself in, and it looks to be a Venus-sized hole. However the egg ended up waaaaaay over from that spot, so I'm not sure. I am however very pleased with our first offering, and I called my wee son (who is spending the weekend with his dad in London) and I am under strict instructions to leave it in our small egg box so he can inspect it upon his return. Here's to many future omelets! Edited to add: more than just one of da Henz is doing the egg thing - found this toward the back of the run! Definitely Lucy's egg, bless her, I had a bit of faff to get it out of there but hurrah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Yay . I still love finding eggs in the nestbox 5 years later . Hope your son enjoys his first "homegrown" egg . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Yay Double egg dance Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Congratulations on getting your first eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSilver Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Cheers my dears. Son was very pleased - I had a few more to show him when he came home, and this morning we made the Best. Pancakes. Evar. It turns out the pale eggs aren't from Venus the Rubber-necked Chicken; it was Misako-Hen, who announced today's offering with her warm-up to the Egg Choir. "I'm going to lay an EGG! I'm going to lay an EGG! This will be an EGG!" After a few minutes of this, she went inside, with the other Henz craning their necks in a rather unladylike manner - looking politely away and pretending to eat some food would have been proper etiquette but they were rather interested to know what all the fuss was about. Eventually Misako came down from her chamber and did her second Hen Service Announcement. "I have laid an EGG! Yes it was an EGG! I have done a THING! And that thing was EGGS!" Thankfully she managed to quiet down when I went outside but my son thought the egg son was the most hysterical thing ever. Not so much the neighbours, I expect - they have some small yappy doglike things. The dog had to add his tuppence about the Egg Song - which I suppose I should be embarrassed about but the truth is the dog barks at everything: me in the garden two doors down, cats on the walls, leaves, rocks, sticks, the wind...so I refuse to accept hen-squawking as the only stimulus of bark-y fury. Either way, Misako was mollified when I came out and retrieved her tiny, still-warm egg for the egg-storage box inside. The plot thickens however - I just went out to put some clothes on the line (in this perfect weather, with the bright yellow thing in the sky, what's that called again? Can I Google it?) and...there were no hens in the run. I had a momentary panic before I heard some cooing noises from da Haus. Henzilla actually started squatting for me this weekend, and I think Misako is holding a birthing class in the Cube to walk the other hens through the appropriate process. As Lucy has laid her egg in the run twice now (yesterday was my bad, I was cleaning da Haus and had to close the door to it, so the desperate girl had to just do her business outside), she could do with a bit of schooling. We'll see if I've got enough eggs for a quiche later today - and moar Egg Chorus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Love it! We had one hen who seemed to need to act as a midwife to the others and regluaryl accompanied a sister into the Eglu to oversee the process. Keep the saga going please - it mkaes me smile reading your descriptions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Oh do please,it's like we are all with you.You paint very good pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSilver Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 A grand day out with da Henz. We've fallen into a bit of a routine here: I go out and collect eggs in the morning and witness the feeding frenzy antics of four Henz who insist the last time I fed them was around 2006, they bimble about in the run, then get a bit of a forage when I let them out for a supervised free range, another bit of bimble, and an evening free range before they are bedded up at night. It means I no longer get this mysterious things called "lie-ins" of which I have heard others speak, but I'm pretty sure the phenomenon is something that happens to other people; my son is hyperactive and on the autism spectrum, I've been getting up at 4am for a very very long time. Pass the tea - or just let me apply caffeine directly to my eyes if it will keep them open, ta. My son has been ecstatic as Venus - originally the most timid - is now the most willing to generally hang out with humans. Especially if said humans are holding pea shoots or green lettuce, which she will happily pluck right out of your hand. She even allowed me to pick her up this week - she looked slightly alarmed but eventually settled down and when I put her back down on the ground, merely looked up at me rather hopefully for treats then sauntered off Like Unto a Boss. Since son found nipping leafy greens so hilarious, he put various bits of food on the top of his shoe, on his trousers as he knelt down, in his hoodie pockets just to see whether da Henz would try and find it. Cue pre-teen hysterics at the hen antics, and my realisation I was going to have to wash his clothes after our foray as he had managed to mash the raspberries into his pockets. Sigh. I have had to do another bit of purchasing - as one does - mostly due to the fact Henzilla has developed a bit of an issue around her delicate bits. So, adding not only a box of disposable gloves to my box of tricks, but also future chicken gynaecologist - not exactly something I ever thought I'd be adding to my CV, but needs must. In the interim I'm removing treats from the menu (to da Henz' dismay) and I'm going through the Flubenvet cycle of worming to try and eliminate the usual suspects of issues, and I'll keep an eye on tufty chicken bums for potentially worsening issues. Venus, Misako and Lucy are all in lay now, so I manage to gather enough eggs for a fresh scramble every morning, which is a rather nice way to start the day if I say so myself. Henzilla is being rather fashionably late about the whole egg laying thing, but it may be due to her hen-bits having issues. We'll see how things progress, I'd really love to see these famed chocolate brown eggs her breed is purported to lay, but I will bide my time - it may be she just needs to learn the goldfinches don't actually intend on eating her. She startles at nothing, with all the nervousness of a Victorian-era lady with a case of "nerves". And now, it's only 8pm, and I'm ready for a nap. Or to immerse myself in tea so I can stay awake for another hour before son retires (remember what I said about lie ins?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Keep the stories coming - great reading . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Keep the stories coming - great reading . Was just going to say the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I loved reading them .I notice from your pics that you have a Bluebelle ..Mine is about 20 weeks old and not a sign of an egg yet . Can you loan me your trainer ? How old is your Bluebelle ? Jackie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSilver Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 Cheers all! In answer to the queries of Henzilla, I suspect she is about 22-23 weeks now, and ne'er an egg. She is however a big hen, and I've heard tell the larger breeds don't lay till later as they develop a bit slower, so I will just have to wait it out. I also don't think Venus is actually laying - I had two eggs in the egg box for two mornings rather than three. I now suspect it was Misako laying one egg right after the other with the other two eggs! Rather alarming, really but I think her girly-bits have settled down now as the one remaining egg is a proper size, and no longer a pullet-sized egg. This does make me wonder when Venus is going to get her act together - she's supposed to be a egglaying breed. But hey ho, I guess we'll see as spring progresses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSilver Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 My Latin is terrible, but the best translation I can give is: In dubio, uti caulis . I'll explain that one later. Da Henz have been on a worming regimen for the week due to Henzilla having a very messy bum and I've not really been able to find the reason for it. Water changed regularly with apple cider vinegar and ginger added, da Henz forage a bit twice a day but for the most part are in the run, and none of the other Henz have any symptoms. Perhaps it should be Ubi dubium, ibi gallinarum vermis - "When in doubt, remove vermin", but regardless, I decided to get the Flubenvet added to enough feed to last for a week. However due to the problems with Henzilla and her toxic butt, I decided to put some Beryl's bacteria supplement into the feed after doing a heavy search on all things Henz. It was duly added to their food with a fair bit of olive oil, and I left the girls in the run to be sure they ate the lot. Yesterday, da Henz came down for their morning feed, but Henzilla huddled in a corner, fluffed up and staying close to the water. She drank, and she drank, and she drank, and she drank...and then projectile poo-ed water as she had drank so much. And then she drank some more. No eating, at all - and the one thing Henzilla does more than anything is stuff her beak, so I was much concerned. Cue a rather amusing (well NOW, amusing, it was infuriating at the time) incident of me trying to get a hen into a cat carrier so I could bring her into the bathroom and give her a looking over. That did Not Go Well, as Henzilla has never been thrilled with human contact. Or blue tits. The cats outside scratching the door practically put her into hysterics. In the tub she went, and then out of the tub, and then around the room, and then in the sink (none too gracefully), spewing poo in midflight here and there. Fun times. With only a minor bit of cursing, I gave her crop a bit of a massage - it was empty but that could have meant anything, really. After an hour of Google searching, I considered she maybe was having crop issues, but it wasn't sour crop or impacted. What to do? The girls were on a strict no-treats diet to be sure they ate all the treated feed, and I had even managed to get some vitamins to add to the water supply as Henzilla was drinking for England. The girls have had precious little in the way of greens for the entire time they've been treated, and I can tell they're desperate for some green foliage; a few sprigs of lettuce was squabbled over like a pair of Jimmy Choos in a January sale. And the one thing I know Henzilla will eat over anything is a fresh cabbage hung like a piñata in the run. There was nothing else for it, then - "When in doubt, use cabbage" is the rather horribly-translated phrase above. I made a judgement call and decided I'd forego the strict No-Treat rule in order to get Henzilla eating again. Cue the Cabbage Piñata! A still photo cannot convey exactly how much joy this cabbage has been met with. Henzilla is at the front of the queue, and three Henz were going at the cabbage so fervently Lucy made a run for her personal safety. Yesterday, when I put one of the small cabbages in the run, it was gone by the end of the day. Better still, Henzilla was one of the first down this morning and she made a beeline for her favourite thing; food. Her bum still looks a bit vile, but she's eating again and it's worth setting back the worming cycle a bit to get her strength back. She's an utter moo and aptly named, but I'm rather fond of her. I'll probably need to keep them on the wormer a bit longer due to this treats addition, but I think it's a decent enough price to pay for the time being. Next on the list of acquisition; a dog crate to better cope with poorly Henz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyBean2605 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 A bit of cabbage (or swede) solves all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSilver Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 It seems to have worked! Granted the real issue was explained when I cleaned da Haus and found a broken thin-shelled egg and what looked like a tiny empty egg which was little more than membrane. It seems Henzilla is my mystery early morning layer of eggs. This morning she looked perky and clean, and in the nest box was an Egg of Doom! Well, not really but it was of rather epic proportions, double-yolk. And very tasty I may add. I think she was just giving some girly-plumbing issues, so let us hope that is all sorted for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSilver Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 "Everything is Chickens, everything is fun when you're laying an egg..." This was my son's contribution to our egg gathering today - apple, tree, fallen not far from. He's home due to teacher strikes, but we're having a full day of hen-tending. He has given them their morning cabbage, gathered eggs (and dropped one, but we've got plenty where that came from, so no bad). I have told him how to clean eggs, I have showed him how to freeze the surplus (silicone muffin tins FTW), and we talked about MoarHenz. The disease hasn't struck me yet, I'm firmly sticking to my adherence of only adding two Henz a year as I just don't have the space for more. I have taught my son wonderful lessons on empathy and compassion through many different means; through caring for plants, and animals. He is on the ASD spectrum but can be one of the most compassionate people I have ever met in my life, solemnly presenting toys and offering hugs to weeping children. I wanted to tell him today about eggs, as he asked why our eggs look so yellow and and we get so many double yolks, when storebought eggs look so pale. So, taking a deep breath, I explained about battery hen farming (and barn raised chicken too, as "free range" isn't so free range in that regard). I explained they're kept in cages, never see the light of day, don't even know what grass is. I told him once their most productive year is done, the hens are usually killed. I also explained my personal view on rescuing (which is a bit complicated, but I simplified it for my son), and also told him I hadn't gone with rescues because they're often ill and in terrible condition, and I didn't want to upset him - he's a big lad at 10 years of age, and an emotional meltdown for him often results in broken furniture. He didn't ask why people rescue hens, or what the end result for why to do it would be, and I didn't offer it. Usually he doesn't show much interest in abstract sympathy unless something is directly in front of him. I have raised, advocated, fought for and wept over my son for a decade. But sometimes he surprises me. He made a logic leap which I never thought he could make, and he turned to me in all seriousness and said. "I think we should rescue some and make sure they have a better life." I blinked. This isn't the sort of thing my son says. And I certainly didn't expect him to connect the dots, but he did. However, I know my son - he can be absolutely insistent on something he doesn't have, but once he acquires it, he has zero interest. I didn't want to rescue some poorly Henz for him to then decide they weren't what he wanted. I explained how they'd look ("We can make them little jumpers!" - where in the world did he see this?!), and that they probably wouldn't be in best of health, and I doubted they would lay many eggs. "That's all right, Mum. It's just important to give them a good life until they die, right? Can we please get some next year? I really want to take care of them." And so, that is that. Decision made. Next year, we shall rescue some Henz. And now I'm going to go and have a little weep. I am so proud of my boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 This brought tears to my eyes too - such a perfect descripion of how children on the autistic spectrum can perceive (or not) things so his leap to expressing such views isa mega achievement. Hope all goes well for you and that the Henz keep working their magic on your son ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I too have a tear.Please do get some ex batts you will both enjoy them my lot are now 19 month free and nearly all are still laying everyday.How lovely that he is so caring and special,I know life must be tough at times but remember good days like today.Do you keep a journal of nice moments?It is something I regret not doing when my children were small.I encourage my kids to do it now with their little ones but life is just so busy I don't think they do,and then precious little moments are forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzieLloyd Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 This thread has been lovely to read and that last post has made me well up. Such a lovely story. Makes me sad that we wont be having more chooks as to hear your delight at getting new birds and then the first egg makes me want to rush out and replenish the flock I'll have to experience it through your enjoyment - next best thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 You've written that beautifully and it was a totally enaging read. Please do share other such moments. There is, by the way, a lovely book full of stories from those who have rescued ex-bats - "Tales from the Coop - the joy of ex-battery hens" Edited by Sphie McCoy. You could possibly share some of the stories with your son. They are not gross or exagerated or set out to make you cry, but are full of the fun of these lovely birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
