chickentikka Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 I have put my name down for another 3 ex batts anytime after my June holibobs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted May 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 Yay! Two of mine, Meredith and Bianca, are looking a bit doddery these days. Peggy drives me to drink though! They have a choice of six nestboxes or they can lay in the garage where they've claimed a corner as theirs but being creatures of habit they only want to lay in one nest box or the garage and cannot be persuaded elsewhere. If somebody is in the prized box when Peggy wants it then Peggy will egg announce incredibly loudly over and over and over again After todays performance Peggy is going to be taught a lesson. When she wakes up tomorrow she'll find herself in another part of the garden where Maggie May is at the moment reconsidering her broodiness, there Peggy will have to lay in the box provided because she cannot get to 'her' box She can spend a few days over before trying again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted May 18, 2010 Report Share Posted May 18, 2010 I have put my name down for another 3 ex batts anytime after my June holibobs I'm guessing you'll be the same area as me - Brackley Co-ordinator for Northants. If so, do you know the date of the next rescue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickentikka Posted May 19, 2010 Report Share Posted May 19, 2010 I'm guessing you'll be the same area as me - Brackley Co-ordinator for Northants. If so, do you know the date of the next rescue? There's a rescue about 6 June which is when I'm away, then I'm on the list for 27 June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted May 19, 2010 Report Share Posted May 19, 2010 There's a rescue about 6 June which is when I'm away, then I'm on the list for 27 June Ooh, that soon?! I should've got more the first time. They're so addictive even if they have trampled my much-wanted delphinium to a squished delphinium - blummin slugs got them in the last house, chickens this time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickentikka Posted June 27, 2010 Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 Somehow I managed to come back with 4 scrawny little things rather than 3. I had some beautiful names lined up, but just keep thinking Diedre Tonight I have been chook wrestling crawled into the run and hoiked all 4 noo girls up to bed, backed out of the run and went round to shut the door of the coop and 3 of the b*ggers had hopped back down the ladder. Have now managed to get them all to bed. Melody is most put out at her temporary accomodation and just stood and bawked for ages. In the end I tempted her out of the end of the run, scooped her up and popped her into bed via the egg door Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted June 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2010 And the photos are where??????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickentikka Posted July 25, 2010 Report Share Posted July 25, 2010 I luffs my little chooks Eloise is so brave and funny, she zooms into the big chooks, swipes some food and straight off again, she's like a little Roadrunner. Ex batties are so rewarding, any life you can give them is better than what they were used to and with a bit of love and care they are in chookie heaven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted July 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2010 I agree, it doesn't take much to make them happy. I love my girls Our Tiger Lily is a mummy again She started off with 8 Poland eggs, 5 were fertile, one white crested black hatched yesterday and overnight it's been joined by two silver laced and a gold laced. Just waiting on the last egg now. Tiger is thrilled to bits As Olive & Doris our other Polands spend the winter in the garage, I'd wanted at least one more Poland to join their little gang so hopefully one of these will be a girl. Doris was the only girl from all the Polands I hatched last time so fingers crossed for more! Luci didn't label the eggs for me so it's a complete surprise as to what appears! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted July 28, 2010 Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 Could we see photos of the Poland babies please? I've got a couple of questions for those of you with chickens:- What's the current thinking about using an eglu? I know that they are rubbish for rabbits, but do you think one would be OK for 2 or 3 ex-battery hens? Is the eglu run big enough and safe enough? Am I right in thinking that I can buy some sort of conversion kit to make a rabbit eglu into a chicken one? Long term I'm planning to convert one of the big rabbit houses into chicken housing, but I'd still like to get some chickens while I wait for the numbers of rabbits to diminish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted July 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 Eglus are fab, ex-bats would be in heaven in one of those. There is a shop on the Omlet site, there'd be conversion kits on there I'd think. Becayse of my broken toe I haven't been able to get out to see the chickens today but according to Emily Tiger has abandoned the last egg and is happily pootling around with her four chicks. I took some photos about an hour before I broke myself last night so here they are The two silver laced peeping out from under Tiger: Filthy Georgia with a silver laced: The same one: The other one: My favourite chick Now that it's dried out I can see it's a creole, not a gold laced. It took five months to sex the last creole Poland I hatched, I hope this one doesn't keep me waiting as long! The white crested black: My baby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted July 28, 2010 Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 (edited) That is the cutest chick ever . The white crested one looks like he has half an egg stuck on his head! Thanks for the eglu advice. I've had a look at their website which was a bit confusing about the conversion kits only fitting mark 2 versions. I've rung them though and we've figured out that it can be done. Edited July 30, 2010 by Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickentikka Posted July 28, 2010 Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 I used a rabbit eglu as temp housing for my older girls while my new chooks were getting acclimatised. They were quite happy snuggled into shredded paper, none of my ex batts have the slightest inclination to roost and would much rather sleep in the nesting box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 Does that mean that getting the conversion kit to fit roosting bars etc is a bit of a waste of time I wonder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickentikka Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 (edited) Does that mean that getting the conversion kit to fit roosting bars etc is a bit of a waste of time I wonder? The main residence here is a cube,and as all 7 can't squish into the nesting area, I've had to take out one set of bars and put in more bedding to stop the squabbles With the eglu temporary set up, I did have to clean it out more often as chooks are rather partial to peeing and pooping in bed and there's no 'drainage' with the rabbit version, otherwise it worked fine. You could always see how you go and get the conversion kit later if you think it's necessary Go on, you know you want to Edited July 30, 2010 by chickentikka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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