buddyboy Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 It is absolutely tipping down here! Even Jed is not outside (normally has to be dragged in from the rain)..... It looks as if 3 chickens have gone into the shelter of their built in run while the 4th is doing a "singing in the rain" impression absolutely drenched through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Eliza is norty! With 8 eggs a day from the other ladies I decided it just wasn't worth the bother of trying to persuade Eliza to lay in the nest box. She was happy laying under the bush, I didn't need her eggs and short of staying in the garden watching her all morning there wasn't much else I could do. I don't have a run, the chickens free range in the garden all day so I couldn't shut her in anywhere. She would leap over the Omlet netting from a standing start, lay her egg under her bush then leap back over again without a care in the world. However in our quest to rid our garage of rats, we also had to seriously prune the ivy & bush she was using because it formed part of the rats run to next doors garden. We did this on Sunday after she'd laid. I didn't see what she did yesterday, I haven't found a stray egg anywhere but after witnessing her misbehaviour this morning I think her egg may be in next doors garden somewhere I came home from shopping this morning and immediately went upstairs to Mollys bedroom to check on her poorly fish. Her room felt a bit stuffy so I opened a window. Her room overlooks the back garden. I was sat on the bed watching her fish when I heard a lot of chooky noise. Realising something was going on out there I looked out the window to see my neighbours chasing Eliza around their garden! They caught her and popped her back over the 6ft fence I finished off giving the fish their medicine and went downstairs to see to Eliza who was in the dogs garden, not her own. I looked out the window to see her pacing the fence trying to figure out a way over next door again. By the time I'd got outside she was in a tree!!!!!!! Now she's either going over that way or using the wall around our barbeque as a stepping stone to the fence. She's obviously got it into her head she needs to lay over there and she was sounding quite distressed. I took the roof off of the nest box and Mrs Pants was in one of the boxes, and in another there was already an egg so I plonked Eliza down on top of that egg thinking it might inspire her. I had to hold her in place briefly because she wanted to get out but eventually she settled down. Poor girl is way down the pecking order and I think she must feel intimidated by some of the others using the nest boxes. Mrs Pants is a very mild mannered girl who would happily sit alongside any of the others so I was pleased it was her in there with her and not somebody like Maisy or Pancake. Within minutes Eliza appeared again outside and there was an egg waiting for me in the nest box That's the first she's ever laid in there. I hope tomorrow she remembers how frightening it was up the tree and how easy it was to pop one out in the nest box! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 we look forward to the next installment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9Fran Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Cheryl I think you need a new nick name - the chicken whisperer! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) Has anyone here got an Eglu for their Chickens....any drawbacks? Edited March 4, 2009 by grace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 I am eggxhausted I have re-arranged the garage yet again, moved the old coop from the garden and tried to put it in the garage, it wouldn't fit through the side door! I then had to move my car off the driveway, re-arrange my newly re-arranged garage so that I could take the coop through the back gate and through the up and over garage door at the front I had to remove the nest box because it was making the coop too wide but the chicks don't need that anyway. It's a good job the coop came with a replacement end wall so that it could be blocked off if the nest box wasn't in use. Filled the run and coop with Easibed, took the little chicks heat lamp outside and rigged that up over the run, hung up the food and water and then put the big chicks into their new accomodation. I've put everything back into the garage and it's a very tight squeeze! Big chicks are very impressed. Even bigger chickens were not Actually only some of them were brave enough to poke their heads around the side door. Pancake is absolutely furious I was worried that it'd be a bit dark in the garage once all the doors were shut but the 250w lamp gives off a fair bit of light and the chicks seem ok. I'll check on them 376421934 times before I go to bed tonight Little chicks are now in the rat cage in my bedroom. I'm disappointed that the only girl isn't a Light Sussex She's pure lily white and the Light Sussexes are amongst the boys. At least I know I'll have some good meat birds because Light Sussex are one of the best. If they're anything like my Juliet, who is a LS cross, they'll be massive. Little chicks will stay in the rat cage for a few more weeks before I'll try again to introduce them to Big Chicks. Pics to follow later........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Has anyone here got an Eglu for their Chickens....any drawbacks? They're very expensive for what they are but for three chickens they'd be fine. I think the run is too small, I wouldn't use it without the extensions. Very easy to maintain but it is still possible to get red mite in them. I think Eglu sometimes sell reconditioned ones so it's worth giving them a call if you were interested. Ebay isn't always the best place to get a second hand one because sometimes they cost more than a new one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 With all the benefit of 2 weeks experience of keeping chickens - when I was looking for housing for them I ended up buying the Norfolk Coop - comes flat packed and the instructions to assemble it are a bit strange (especially if one of the dogs runs off with it and you have to work round toothmarks) but by process of elimination you can see what goes where. It was a lot cheaper than the Eglu and with a raised coop gives them a bit more space to scratch around in the run which is part of it. The main reason I went for it is that if I go away for a couple of days I can get the neighbour's kids to look after the girlies, all they have to do is pull the handle to open the door into the run and lift the lid to collect eggs..... unless of course they are feeling brave enough to let them into the big outdoor run the thing sits in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 The lighting is poor but you can see an outraged Eliza in the background Pancake & Pants watching the freak show: A blurry one but I like the way Poppy is looking at me A group shot Poppys speckled head Robin enjoying the heat: Cara has been renamed Wally. It suits him He's here with Poppy. Lily Pie & NoName Paxo & chums: And this strange looking chicken was sitting in the run! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9Fran Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Well done Cheryl. I love the way that all through your story it's 'I' moved this and 'I' moved that. You go girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 When I had new tyres fitted to my car on Saturday I kept one of the old ones to fill with compost & diatom for a chooky dust bath. It's been so popular I wish I kept more! They queue up to use it and really enjoy themselves in it It's so nice to see them so happy This afternoon I found fat Juliet trying to crush Valerie in it Eliza is waiting impatiently so is pecking Juliets feathers. Others are milling around waiting too. And that bird squarking in the background is not mine! If my neighbours ever whinge about the noise I'll play them this because whatever it is is making a bloody racket and it's not my luffly purring chooks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel155 Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 I love the red chicken with the white spots in the last picture what breed is she?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 That one is called a nuisance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 What a good idea Mrs Bejo, I'll have to take a trip along to the garage and cadge a couple of tyres. I can't believe how quickly your chicks are growing, how old are they now ?. As to the Eglu question, from what I've heard their not really that great, people have mentioned the bits not fitting together properly and problems with condensation on the inside, which is a big no no with hens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Big Chicks will be 5 weeks old on Sunday. They survived their first night in the garage and seem to be spending a lot of time away from the heat lamp. The lamp is at the end of the run but they've been sleeping in the coop. They seem a lot happier out there with more space. Little Chicks are growing fast now too. I'm still quite detached from them which is good. They've all had a cuddle today but because I can't tell the boys apart and they don't have names they're just chicks, not real little people, if that makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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