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Post by emseypop on Aug 3, 2007 14:34:57 GMT 1
looking forward to seeing your chooks mrs b, hope the camera behaves!
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Post by The witch on Aug 3, 2007 15:21:38 GMT 1
Can I just mention that we'll be picking up our six chickens tomorrow? Excitement and trepidation abounds.....   |
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Post by karenwl on Aug 3, 2007 19:44:39 GMT 1
Cant wait to see pics Mrs b
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Post by 4pygmies on Aug 3, 2007 19:48:54 GMT 1
Beryl is a grand name for a chook.........
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Post by debbiem on Aug 5, 2007 8:10:03 GMT 1
It think Beryl's a great name too but it's in the hands of the kids, so far we have Spot, Hazel, Tiny, Kitty, probably a Pearl and one more to be named!  They spent the rest of yesterday afternoon in the henhouse after we picked them up - we'll give them all the time they want to get the confidence up to come out by themselves. I just poke my head in there now and again and out again sharpish. Last night they were edging forward in the henhouse but that was as far as it got. I think they'll be out and about by the end of today. The Welsummers are HUGE!!!  And luckily they're all big enough not to need a close-up with the dratted camera. ;D |
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Post by 4pygmies on Aug 5, 2007 8:20:09 GMT 1
Can't wait. I am DEEPLY envious..
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Post by debbiem on Aug 5, 2007 8:22:51 GMT 1
I still strongly suspect that you'll be getting some more, 4P. |
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Post by 4pygmies on Aug 5, 2007 8:25:53 GMT 1
No, I can't really - I may not even be here in a year's time - not fair on them. There's too much bad stuff going on at home. Are yours POL girls Debbie? I can't remember.
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Post by debbiem on Aug 5, 2007 8:33:54 GMT 1
We reckon they're about 16-17 weeks old 4P - the lady we bought them from said that they had a couple of weeks to go before they started laying, and were about 12 weeks old when we ordered them. They're BIG girls though, I was surprised at the size they are already. |
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Post by emseypop on Aug 5, 2007 8:45:33 GMT 1
Will you have a dotty to go with spot? Hens should really be named after old ladies tho-mirrum and lavinia, ruby and phylis, etc
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Post by 4pygmies on Aug 5, 2007 8:48:58 GMT 1
Lovely!They might lay a bit earlier than 20 - 21 weeks because of the long daylight hours. Hope so! I still get a good feeling getting the eggs from the shed even after donkey's years of having hens. Silly isn't it? I have never got over the thrill!
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Post by debbiem on Aug 5, 2007 8:50:56 GMT 1
We thought at one point we were getting a Spotty to go with Spot, and I suggested what about a Dotty but they weren't impressed. I did try and steer them towards Hyacinth etc and the names of flowers - not interested. Those old names are great Emsey but alas it's not to be. My son's 'two' are named after his favourite cushions, Kitty and Tiny - it was either that or Sek and Destroyer, and with a choice like that......!  |
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Post by debbiem on Aug 5, 2007 8:53:14 GMT 1
Same here 4P - it's such a great feeling collecting the eggs isn't it? I don't think the pleasure ever goes away. |
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Post by 4pygmies on Aug 5, 2007 8:57:14 GMT 1
Actually I really like "Sek the Hen"......cor, what an evil chicken she is! I have a sign above my kitchen door "Beware of Attack Chicken" - sound about right for Sek...
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Post by debbiem on Aug 5, 2007 9:03:41 GMT 1
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Post by emseypop on Aug 5, 2007 15:00:01 GMT 1
love it-i've ended up with mr burnes and side show bob the female guinea pigs so I'm a fine one to talk!
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Post by The witch on Aug 6, 2007 22:07:36 GMT 1
No, I can't really - I may not even be here in a year's time - not fair on them. There's too much bad stuff going on at home. Are yours POL girls Debbie? I can't remember. Can someone please explain something to the likes of me who has never kept chickens? if they are POL how can any of them be male?  |
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Post by debbiem on Aug 7, 2007 9:30:36 GMT 1
All my six are hens. The witch. POL means Point Of Lay, the time at which hens are about to first start laying, some time between 4 and 6 months old. Mine have got a little way to go, but when it happens...all of them lay brown eggs...mmmmm!  They've settled in really well now. They started off really shy and it took a while for them to come out of the henhouse. That was Saturday and part of Sunday. NOW they're almost flattening me in the rush to get out of the door in the morning!  Photos will follow when I get some more Duracells(no not for me, the camera!!!). |
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Post by sweetleaf on Aug 7, 2007 9:33:56 GMT 1
Have they got free roam of the entire garden Debbie? Or are you restricting them somehow? Have the slugs and snails done a runner ? |
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Post by debbiem on Aug 7, 2007 9:57:06 GMT 1
They can go wherever they want, SL, at the moment anyway.......! OH is going to put up some gates to separate the garden from the courtyard if the garden needs a break, but at the moment it's all very genteel! I'm just hoping that their lack of interest in the snail population is down to their age and they'll get the hang of it - they've had a couple, but with a couple of billion left, oh please let them like snails!!!!!
They're getting that bit braver all the time, and when I left them this morning they were just about on the border - there's some huge ones in there.....!
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Post by sweetleaf on Aug 7, 2007 10:02:36 GMT 1
 they have french dietary tastes and are addicted to snails by the end of the week! Of course once the snails start to become few and far between the slugs are next |
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Post by debbiem on Aug 7, 2007 10:06:08 GMT 1
I'm just assuming they'll have the slugs, eventually!!!!They've given the compost bin a good pecking where the ant's nest is, so luckily they're not veggies - I did begin to wonder when they kept pecking at the plants and ignored the snails.The kids have seen them polishing away woodlice though, and whatever they found on the lawn on Sunday, they were there forever digging it/them up. |
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Post by emseypop on Aug 7, 2007 11:22:00 GMT 1
you'll have to starve them of chicken feed mrs b, then they'll eat the slugs.
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Post by debbiem on Aug 7, 2007 17:51:21 GMT 1
That's Plan B, Emsey - at the minute they're still settling in, but later on they'll be working for their supper. |
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Post by chickadeedeedee on Aug 7, 2007 23:45:49 GMT 1
Oooooo! Congratulations for getting more chickies!  |
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