Best liner/ bedding for drop tray

[atsw]

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

Thought I'd share a couple of pictures of Holly and Ivy, who joined my flock this morning.

 

 

 

Best wishes

 

Andrew

[gavclojak]

welcome holly&ivy, what pretty girls! and I just wanted to say what a lovely set up you have, they are lucky girls

[PixieDust]

Welcome to the forum Holly & Ivy!

[mollyripkim]

They are very pretty, love the names too.

[sparkysmum]

Ah just gorgeous Everything so clean too Ax

[Luvachicken]

Very festive names and such a lovely idea to get them on Christmas Eve.

Bet you be will even more excited when you get up in the morning now

[Purplemaniacs]

Lovely girls and great names.

 

Chrissie

 

 

 

[atsw]

Thanks all for the very kind words welcoming Holly & Ivy into my flock. I'm delighted to report that introductions with the existing flock are going very well. They've all been free ranging together in the garden these last couple of days and it's only Gabriel who has been causing a bit of a rumpus with the new girls (nothing too serious though). Even though they are both very keen to be with the main flock at bed time I'll be keeping them within their section of the WIR at night for a few more days yet.

 

Oh, and I had the eggcitment of my first egg from one of them yesterday and another little egg this morning too, so the cold weather doesn't seem to be putting them off at all .

 

Andrew

[Luvachicken]

EGGS !!!! That's so not fair

 

I hope my introductions go as well as yours when I eventually put mine in together.

[Henny+penny]

I love the names!

Please could you tell me what you have on the floor of your run. Looks like aribose (?) shavings.

[atsw]

Hi there, yes, its Aubiose. I'm a big fan, the product is derived from the soft centre of the hemp plant and is cultivated without pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or insecticides. While specifically developed for soaking up horse pee, it is also incredibly good at despencing with chook poo .

 

My run is 15' x 6' and currently houses 12 chooks. One bale of Aubiose usually lasts a couple of months, unless it gets really wet for a prolonged period (like last winter).

 

My local agricultural stockists (south Oxfordshire) sell a bale of Aubiose for £9.95.

 

Andrew

[Henny+penny]

Thanks Andrew.I used to use it when I had a wooden coup.My run is bigger but it might be a better option than wood chips which is a difficult surface to poo pick!

Hope the new girls are still settling in well

[Egluntyne]

Lovely hens.

[atsw]

Thanks Andrew. Hope the new girls are still settling in well.

Thanks, yes, they are. In fact, they are now fully integrated with the main flock. They all seemed happy together in the garden these last few days, so I removed the barrier in the WIR yesterday. It was quite funny watching them right afterwards, the two new girls went straight into the existing flocks area and started eating from their feeders, while at the same time the existing girls all went straight into Holly & Ivy's area to eat their food . Everyone seems very happy together, and both newbies are incredibly tame. Both squat the moment I go near them and are happy to be stroked. Ivy has also taken to following me around the garden, and I've not even started treats yet!

 

I'm still waiting for my first 'two egg' day. I'm pretty sure both are now laying, but so far I've only had 1 egg in any given day from the two new girls. Mind you, that's good, I've not had any eggs at all off the Pekins, Polands, Speckledy's, Marans or Cream Legbar since early November , which is primarily why I brought Holly & Ivy of course.

 

Andrew

[Luvachicken]

It's so nice to hear that they are getting on so well.

I hope it won't be long before you get your 2 egg day

[redsunset]

Beautiful birds! Despite having a good old mix of hybrids and a few posh birds as I call them, my fav are still the 'little brown hen'

[Henny+penny]

It's always really interesting watching the dynamics of introducing new hens.I used to have a very aggressive Arucanu which had a fight with an older and bigger silverlaced wyndotte until they had to be separated for another week. Can spend hours watching new birds .Good news re the eggs,I have been giving some of my girls a stern talking to for not laying!Hate buying eggs!!

[Lewis]

Love the names!

 

Nice to 'see' you back Andrew, hope you're well

[atsw]

Nice to 'see' you back Andrew, hope you're well

Thanks Lewis, good to hear from you too. Yes, we're all keeping well, and as you've seen from this Post, expanding the flock once again . I lost my lovely Orp back in November (just old age), but other than that the rest of the flock has stabilised at a nice dozen and with a wonderful mix of breeds and characters. I'll probably hatch some Orpingtons in the Spring, as they are my very favourite breed and I do miss Anna and her antics.

 

Happy to report to everyone who has contributed this this tread that I got two eggs yesterday, and having just been up to see the girls and let them into the garden, two eggs again today, so both Holly and Ivy are now laying (sorry luvachicken ).