phoebejo Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 *wibble* I've just put the Little Chicks out in the garage with Big Chicks. So far it seems to be going well. Big Chicks were distracted by copious amounts of food and Little Chicks were stunned and amazed by all the extra space they had A few pecks from the Big Chicks but nothing too nasty. Safety in numbers I think. Wally & Poppy are the ones doing the pecking, that doesn't surprise me. Eliza stood at the side to supervise then went back to tell the others that new chicks have arrived. There's a very cold wind so I've closed the side door of the garage to help keep the little ones warmer, much to the chickens disgust because they do like going into the garage for a nosey. This afternoon I'll be trying to de-grottify my house There is Easibed in almost every room on the floor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 (edited) I think something tried to get into the chickens last night. One side of their enclosure is 6' fencing. One side has concrete a bit higher than the base of the pen, the other 2 sides have (as well as the trellis and chicken wire) log roll with 4" depth of pebbles - and this morning a couple of areas of the pebbles had signs of being dug.... Not the dogs as they would have dug far deeper (Jed'nBo swimming pools are one of the reasons the garden has pebbles over that area)...... Luckily the girls go into their coop with the enclosed run at night, and the run is made of fox proof wire mesh. Edited March 25, 2009 by buddyboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 That is a worry! So glad they're safe though. I think we need pics of your ladies Big Chick Little Chick introductions didn't go as well as planned Big Chicks decided yesterday to not let the Little Chicks out of the house for water. Big Chicks are massive so I decided to bite the bullet and put them outside in their new coop & run. They seemed fine, I checked on them a billion times and they're alive and well this morning Little Chicks are a lot happier without the bullies in the garage. Hopefully now they'll beef up a bit because they just don't seem as strong and robust as Big Chicks were at the same age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtychicken Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Blimey Georgina I hope they're all ok I agree that we need more pics though Talking of pics, Missus Bejo, could we possibly have pics of the Big Chicks in their new coop and run, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hokay here goes... The self contained run is inside the big enclosure and has fox proof mesh Looking up the garden at the big enclosure Looking at the side of the big enclosure (China assisting) Their view (including their climbing frame - must fix it properly now I know they like it!!) Cora (cream) and Dora Dora and either Lora or Nora (Lora is lighter than Nora, but need them near each other to compare and the other one was busy laying an egg when this was taken) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 I love the climbing frame, mine would be jealous if they saw that Mine have a picnic bench/table type thing to play on but I'd like to get them something else too. They used to congregate on top of the old run but that's in the garage now. I'm supposed to be tidying my bedroom but as I'm so eager to please I'll go take pics of Big Chicks being all grown up outside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 The climbing frame is actually the top part of an old garden arch that was bent out of shape by Jed'n'Bo charging into it, just put some wooden poles and an old mat over it ... which is disintegrating so I must sort out a proper perch thing for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 OMG it's cold out there. And windy too, as you'll hear in the video Big Chicks wouldn't keep still so I took a video of them instead. Wally is so handsome now I'm glad he's not dinner He can stay here until he starts to crow then he's off to his new home. The run isn't finished yet, I was going to put it on woodchips but as they've gone outside sooner than intended they'll have to wait until tomorrow for their woodchips. They're enjoying scratching around on the bare earth anyway, and at least it's dry out. Little Chicks also had pics taken. I now know I've definitely got 3 Light Sussex chicks, one white chick and one white chick with a massive tail and a black blob on a wing. That ones definitely a boy. I might be lucky enough to have two girls, there are certainly two with no combs at all whereas the others have massive combs. Boy with big tail, he's the friendliest: Possible girl, the all white chick tries to escape: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtychicken Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Georgina - what a fantastic enclosure! I love it and I also love that very lovely garden bench and that rather attractive white dog standing next to it Missus Bejo - they look like real chickens now They grow up so quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 you mean the lovely garden bench that was customised the day I brought it home and built it by a certain Bo pulling some of the wood off it???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tails4wagging Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Please consider ex battery farm hens for rehoming. They are destined for slaughter at 18 months old as in battery conditions they stop laying at 18 months. battery farmers have to pay slaughtermen to kill them as they are not for the food chain. Every year good hearted folks go in (legally) and take as many as they can on a tight schedule on the day they should go to slaughter. Last year in one rescue 3,000 chucks were rescued. They gain their feathers again and start to produce eggs again. Its lovely to see them free (usually bold) roaming around a garden eating worms and good food. My friend has rescued some and they have gone on to live another 4 to 5 yrs. One she rescued only had feathers on her head. But soon grew back some lovely feathers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Free range farms do the same ..... this is where mine came from. I know there were other people turning up on the day but even so I doubt we made much of a dent in the 2000 at the end of their working lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) Wretched birds!!!! They were making so much noise I went in to investigate - oh horror of horrors they had finished the food in the feeder, no wonder they were so starved they had to make a noise!!! So picked it up and backed out of the gate - to be followed by a hen!!! Only her tail was inside the enclosure - now I know Bo has been in with them but I do not fancy her chances if she came out into the garden- don't think she would be deliberately killed but she would definitely be chased and possibly picked up and carried. She could also have been the tug bit of a tug of war. Anyway - topped up the feeder with layers pellets, had to hold it in the end as Toastie was helping himself when I did it the easy way with it on the floor. Then back through the gate, fighting my way through hens and having to push Toastie back with one foot..... maybe he will start laying soon?? Edited March 27, 2009 by buddyboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted April 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Pancake has done us proud Yesterday she laid our biggest ever egg, all 102g of it Molly has just eaten it and it was a double yolker Giant egg & Molly Next to a Mrs Pants egg (52g) On the Eggskelter with it's chums The contents! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 OUCH !, can she still sit down ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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