SeramaSilly Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 16 hours ago, Luvachicken said: I have no idea who is top of my pecking order anymore Maybe spring will bring new order to them all. I've no idea either - it seems to change all the time even though I've had the same flock for two years with no additions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 5, 2018 Author Share Posted November 5, 2018 I let the Dutch girls out this evening - it resulted in me climbing a tree! Must clip wings 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Even with wings clipped, Dutch bantams can still get very far. Merel can easily clear my 2 m fence, although she luckily doesn’t realise it. But I have had to do a chicken hunt on occassions she was spooked and took to the air. Leentje used to manage to fly up on my shoulder, with clipped wings and me standing up straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 I used to have a Lemon Porcelain Dutchie, and she was an amazing flyer - ideal wingspan to weight ratio! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 I remember seeing a picture on the old Practical Poultry site of a dutch bantam on the roof of someone's house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 6, 2018 Author Share Posted November 6, 2018 (edited) 8 hours ago, The Dogmother said: used to have a Lemon Porcelain Dutchie, and she was an amazing flyer - ideal wingspan to weight ratio! 7 hours ago, SeramaSilly said: remember seeing a picture on the old Practical Poultry site of a dutch bantam on the roof of someone's house! 😂oh dear🙄 She did fly around the garden with proper control - not just a flappy straight line like most chickens - and moved around the tree like a ‘proper’ bird! Edited November 6, 2018 by mullethunter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 I love how she kind of matches the silver birch, especially in that last photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 On 06/11/2018 at 6:17 AM, Cat tails said: Even with wings clipped, Dutch bantams can still get very far. Hmm. CT how prophetic. I clipped their wings today (much squawking ‘Help! I’m being murdered!!!). OK, they said, we’ll just go up into the bushes in stages Extracting 3 tiny, flighty, chickens from a berberis is NOT fun! Not sure what to do now. I can’t help thinking it’s just that they really don’t want to roost at ground level. Don’t think I can shove them in with the others in the Cube yet. Do you think turning the Go into a Go Up would help? (DM don’t say turn it into a Classic / Cube 😉) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 They do really prefer being high up. After getting Dutch bantams I had to cover their run with bird netting. Go Up not only means the legs under the coop, but different run as well... think that would be an expensive solution for the short term. They’ll be fine in the Go for the time being. Maybe give them a few more perches in the run. Since they are still tiny, they will easily fit on a roost under the roof of the run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 My white Polish Bantam, Madonna, is more like a parrot than a chicken. She’s permanently in the WIR because even with a clipped wing she flies over a 6 ft fence to explore the neighbouring gardens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 26, 2018 Author Share Posted November 26, 2018 Well two things to report. Firstly Pootle crowed at the weekend 😞 He’s quite quiet at the moment so he can stay for now and we’ll see how we get on (OH said he quite likes the noise 😮). Secondly, when I went to put the gang in this afternoon Pootle, Snap, Crackle and Pop were in the big girls run and I just didn’t have time to separate everyone so I left them in there. When I got home later on they’d all put themselves to bed together in the Cube!!!! Well done girls 👏🏼 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 Well done chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted December 21, 2018 Author Share Posted December 21, 2018 Someone laid a tiny egg today - possibly Duck but one of the Dutch girls I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 We had our first egg of the new season the other day too - they all had a bad moult, so I wasn't expecting anything until the new year, but I'd been dosing them with Vit Boost tonic and putting some of Nettex's Biotin in their feed; they feathered up pretty quickly and are looking mighty fine now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 8 hours ago, The Dogmother said: We had our first egg of the new season the other day too - they all had a bad moult, so I wasn't expecting anything until the new year, but I'd been dosing them with Vit Boost tonic and putting some of Nettex's Biotin in their feed; they feathered up pretty quickly and are looking mighty fine now. Do you just sprinkle the Biotin on their feed Clare? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 Yes, you can get it in most horse feed stores; I get mine for Cotswold Chickens - they stock the Nettex Biotin Everyday. I mix my pellets up in a 2 litre tub, which used to contain Buz Busters powder. Pellets, bit of cod liver oil, dried seaweed, Biotin (roughly a tablespoon). They seem happy enough to eat it and have feathered up really quickly; it was a heavy moult this year (only their 2nd moult) and some of them were looking rather pale and sorry for themselves. I put Vit Boost in their water on alternate days as well. A couple of them still have a few quills on the top of their heads, but the rest all look very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 4 hours ago, The Dogmother said: Yes, you can get it in most horse feed stores; I get mine for Cotswold Chickens - they stock the Nettex Biotin Everyday. I mix my pellets up in a 2 litre tub, which used to contain Buz Busters powder. Pellets, bit of cod liver oil, dried seaweed, Biotin (roughly a tablespoon). They seem happy enough to eat it and have feathered up really quickly; it was a heavy moult this year (only their 2nd moult) and some of them were looking rather pale and sorry for themselves. I put Vit Boost in their water on alternate days as well. A couple of them still have a few quills on the top of their heads, but the rest all look very well. Thanks that's brilliant - I'll get some as one of mine is looking very pale! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
