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Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 14 10:30 pm Post subject: Get my first girls tomorrow...
I'm getting a couple of rescue chickens tomorrow! Will pick up 2 from chicken rescue. Am really rather excited ... my first ever chooks I picked up a load of layers pellets today. Have got loads of water and feed dispensers to use. And bedding for the coop. Anyone give me any advice?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46264
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 14 10:56 pm Post subject:

they might take a while to settle and learn to scrat etc but they will.

ex bats can be in poor condition so extra rations such as dried peas ,plenty of access to greens ,worms beetles etc .

keep em penned until they think of home as home ,usually once they have slept overnight they will think of that place as home

beware foxes etc at all times

avoid rats by being tidy with food stores etc

read a lot,watch em,enjoy.

Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Sun Jun 29, 14 8:59 pm Post subject:

I was planning on getting 2, but came home with 3. They came from a factory near Coventry, apparently. They are settling down nicely, wandering around their pen trying to figure out what all the new sights and sounds are. Condition-wise, they aren't as bad as I expected but I guess a few weeks in their new home will give them a chance to grow into what they should be.

My cats are fascinated by them. They are the biggest bird they've ever seen. The birds got protective as well, when they spotted one coming, by puffing themselves and going up on tiptoe to make themselves look bigger. Then they all ran at the cat, which prompt turned around and scarpered. The cats cant get into the pen, so they are (both) safe.

And 1 hour after getting home, one of them laid an egg

I have already moved a chair into their pen as I forsee I could spend a load of time in there watching them.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46264
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Jun 29, 14 9:06 pm Post subject:
the mission creep started early three is better than two

Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Sun Jun 29, 14 9:12 pm Post subject:
Mission creep? Yeah, doesn't it just. Sae with the bees. Made 2 hives, planned to use 1 and keep the other as backup. A few weeks later, both hives AND Nuc full, so have just built a third hive for Nuc-colony. Definitely mission creep.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46264
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Jun 29, 14 10:10 pm Post subject:

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9891
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sun Jun 29, 14 10:47 pm Post subject:
yay for new chickens!

DorsetScott

Joined: 23 Oct 2011
Posts: 500
Location: Bournemouth

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 14 8:30 am Post subject:
They're awesome. Got mine a couple of weeks ago, sure I used to achieve more in the garden before I started watching them

gythagirl

Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 14 9:20 am Post subject:
I love watching our ex-batts scratching for bugs and sunbathing

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 14 11:14 am Post subject:
They are so entertaining. About the same work as a cat, and similar pet benefits. Possibly less cuddles, but you get compost and eggs.

Barefoot Andrew
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 14 11:46 am Post subject:

Mustang wrote:

My cats are fascinated by them. They are the biggest bird they've ever seen.

wellington womble wrote:

They are so entertaining. About the same work as a cat, and similar pet benefits. Possibly less cuddles, but you get compost and eggs.

Oh I don't know - ours get picked up and cuddled often enough. Although they're not always reet impressed about it.
A.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 14 12:52 pm Post subject:
You don't get one purring on your lap while you knit though. And they are not housetrainable. Still entertaining though.

Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 14 9:16 pm Post subject:

Today, they were out and about when I got back home. One was trying to climb everything. Flapping and trying to fly up. But their wings are simply feather ribs right now, so no joy. I put a tree in there that I cut up a while ago, and they investigated quickly. I put 'climber' on one of the top branches. She flapped a lot when I picked her up, but then figured out that she had a great view from the low branch, and calmed down. Her balance wasn't great but she was enjoying herself.

And they gave me another egg.

Cats still intruiged with them, esp one, Kitten, who reaches through the wire to touch them (not aggressively though).

One is being a bit dominant over the others, chasing one in particular, but I guess that'll sort itself out soon.

Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 14 9:19 pm Post subject:

Chook creep indeed.

I've now got a couple of Bresse Gauloise hens as well

12 and 14 weeks old, and are sooo heavy compared to the rescues.

I was clearing an area of garden from an invasive plant today, between thunderstorms. All the chooks were incredibly inquisitive, getting in the way between me and the plants! They also follow me around the garden, and a couple even made their way into the lounge today.

Fascinating animals. Glad I've got them.

Mutton

Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 14 2:44 pm Post subject:

Oh yes, if you are trying to do heavy digging and really wanging the spade into the ground, you do need to clear the chickens out the way first. We've not yet injured one, but boy do they have to examine every hole, every spadeful and leap on the worms. If you have a cockerel, then they are there too, encouraging the girls to come over and join in if they hadn't already.

Dust baths - they do love dust baths and if you have garden shrubs with space underneath that is dry-ish, they will happily dust bath there and excavate the roots in the process. We have put a square of concrete blocks and filled it with dry sandy soil inside their house (an old outbuilding) for them to dust bathe in.

They also learn fast where food is involved. Feed them out of a certain bucket twice and they will all rush over for the bucket. Be very careful what you let them learn

Also - do NOT teach them cat flaps.

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