Feeding advice for bantams (one broody, one moulting)

[*al]

Sadly our Gingernut Ranger, Moix, had to be put to sleep today – she had a suspected tumour and hadn’t been right for a while. This has left our Speckled Star, Lurkey, by herself and lonely. We’d like to rehome her if possible as we’re planning to move in a few months and don’t think it’s a good time to get more chickens to keep her company.

 

Lurkey is about 1 ¾ years old and has just finished moulting, so her feathers are looking fantastic – she has a great fluffy bottom!

She lays brown, medium to large eggs, and we think she’ll probably come back into lay in the Spring (although we’ve noticed her comb has started to become redder this week).

Physically she seems very healthy and was wormed last month with Vermex. She is, however, never going to become a chicken supermodel as she is missing a toenail – this has been missing since we got her at 16 weeks old and it’s never seemed to bother her.

 

She hasn’t been handled much as we’ve let the chickens get on with … well, being chickens really, and she is quite a nervy bird. However, she’s a great entertainer and comes when she’s called for her favourite treats of sweetcorn or grapes. I’ve recently discovered she enjoys coleslaw sandwiches and she has been known to get onto the garden bench to steal croissants from my hand!

 

If you think you could offer her a home please PM me, or if you’ve got more questions please post a reply and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

 

Thanks!

 

Al

 

 

[Joojoo]

She is gorgeous Sadly I can't offer her a home but I'm sure someone will be along very soon who would love to have her as part of their family.

 

Good luck x

[Karen & co.]

She is lovely I'm sorry you have lost Moix though

 

I'm sure that someone will be along soon to offer her a good home

 

karen x

[Olly]

she looks gorgeous, I've just adopted a speckledy and they are lovely birds. I can't offer a home I'm afraid, but for someone with a bit of space in their run, she'd be a real catch!

[welsh sarah]

hi

your not planning a trip to south wales are you i would love her

sarah

[sirjames]

This is Lurkey's uncle Dave here...

 

She is very pretty - recently re-upholstered too, as she's just coming out of her moult. We're very, very sad to have lost Moix though, she was a gorgeous little thing with a highly-developed intellect.

 

Thanks for the interest everyone - and the private messages too, if you want more information just drop us a line.

[*al]

Hi Sarah,

 

Unfortunately I think a trip to Wales might be a bit too far for her, but thanks for the offer!

 

Al

[Egluntyne]

I'd have her like a shot, but I live in Sheffield. If by some miracle you are passing............

[nicki9]

I really would like her, she is beautiful. Will speak to other half when he gets out of bed. Do you think she would be OK travelling back to Bristol? It's an hour and a half to Croydon - my step sister lives there. I'm guessing that would be OK as ours must have had at least a 2 1/2 hour journey from Omlet having done 2 other stops first.

Sorry - I'm waffling, she is so lovely though!

 

Perhaps I'll wake him up!

[*al]

Thanks for the offers. We've possibly got a new home for her, but won't know until this afternoon. Will keep you posted.

 

Al

[nicki9]

That is great news - OH has said it is too far away

 

However on the plus side he has said we can have more chooks!

 

Hope Lurkey finds a new home soon

[sirjames]

That is great news - OH has said it is too far away

 

However on the plus side he has said we can have more chooks!

 

Hope Lurkey finds a new home soon

 

That's not a bad outcome! In our experience, chickens don't like very long journeys, so for Lurkey's sake we'd like to keep the move as local as we can. Have a great week!

 

Dave

[*al]

Just to let you know that Lurkey has been rehomed now.

Hopefully she'll settle in with the other chickens quickly - she's got a great set up and lots of space. Thanks Maggie!

 

Al

[Egluntyne]

Good news.

[MaggieMcHen]

You're very welcome *al - the girls have been making the most dreadful noise this morning. Along the lines of:

'Oh! Look - new girl! Whats her name? How old is she? Is she friendly? Oh flap flap. cluck cluck should we be scared????

Lurkey herself has been in the separation pen eating drinking and chilling out - '

Oh! other hens, how nice, I wonder when I get to join them again - slept with them last night but then just before it got light enough to see them I'm whisked out and isolated. Maybe boss lady will let me free run with them in a few minutes. Then maybe not!!!!! SHE can't decide.'

 

Maggie

[sirjames]

Thanks for the update Maggie - and thanks again for helping us do the right thing for Lurkey.

 

If it's any use to you, when we introduced the two new birds to Moix, we did what you're doing - separation by day, in together at night - for a few days, and when we noticed a bit of boredom settling in, we let them range together, so they had a bit of space to sort themselves out before we put them all in the pen.

 

I hope they all settle down soon - maybe the interloper will take their minds off their internal politics for a bit!

 

Dave

[Olly]

I got three 'new' (pre-loved!) chickens two weeks ago, and have two Eglus side-by side so they can see each other. The noise for the first day was awful, I had never heard my two make such a racket - and it was constant, almost without a break (apart from when they were eating!) I was really worried that the neighbours would complain, in fact I posted on here for advice!

 

I'm pleased to say that it quietened down after the first 24 hours. Apart from the odd skirmish when free-ranging they now seem to have got used to each other, although they don't share a run yet. Well done on offering Lurkey a home, it sounds like she will be very happy.

[nicki9]

I'm really pleased Lurkey has found a new home, sounds like she'll be very happy there.

[The Bantam of the Opera]

yay, i love a happy ending.

[MaggieMcHen]

Lurkey has now become Blossom courtesy of my grand children.

 

We had some drawn blood Saturday when I tried to put them together whilst free ranging.

 

Yesterday was fine whilst I fed them dried mealworms, raisins and corn they were pretty amenable. She also layed a semi solid egg on the bars in the cube before reveille.

 

Today I have let her free range with the others and all has been good. She has chased them, but only for a little way just to make sure they know she is top hen!!! The seem to be acknowledging her seniority.

This afternoon she layed a nice big egg in the nest box of the cube

 

Tonight I shall let her roost in the crate and them pop her in the cube as usual. Tomorrow I may leave her in the cube run with them. I'll see how it goes.

 

All in all a satisfactory adoption I think.

[sirjames]

Well, the nice big egg is no surprise, but the idea of Lurkey/Blossom taking pole position has knocked us sideways! We're baffled... it must be her rough, urban upbringing. Well done getting her back into lay, it's just hilarious imagining her ruling the roost...

 

Thanks for the update, have a great week.

[MaggieMcHen]

Probably final posting update.

Blossom has now been with the girlies for 24 hours and all is fine. She is definately boss lady and gives them 'taps' when they get in her way. No blood or feathers flying, just 'EXCUSE ME - MOVE'

Another egg today, none yesterday.

 

Jess, my invalid, seemed to be thinking about laying again today, spent quite a lot of time in the nesting box but nothing so far.

 

Thanks again for all who have been interested in both Lurkey/Blossom and Jess sagas

 

Bye (on this posting)

 

Maggie