Best advice for new chicken keepers? - relax and enjoy!!

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 06 Jul 2007, 21:50

At the beginning of June this year we acquired our five Black Rock hens... Overdosed on chicken info and got so confused by all the conflicting 'do's and donâ€™ts' that we ended up treating them like prize poodles.. Within the first two days I was certain I saw one 'yawn' which was a definite sign of some worm infestation or other, every poo was examined for colour and consistency, every slight squabble would in my mind result in a terrorized bald chicken being segregated for life.. Well some weeks later we're relaxed, they're happy free ranging - they havenâ€™t drowned in the pond, havenâ€™t been eaten by our cats, or dogs, havenâ€™t got themselves lost, poisoned, abducted or met with some other dreadful fate in our garden...
I've come to the conclusion that chicken keeping is just plain fun. No matter what mood Iâ€™m in, seeing them tearing across the lawn at breakneck speed as soon as they spot me is a tonic and canâ€™t fail to put a smile on my face... There's nothing as soothing as their absentminded clucking as they scrape around for food..
I dont even mind getting up at ogodockclock in the morning... every morning... rain or shine dressed in nothing but a dressing gown and whatever is available on my feet to let the ladies out , say good morning and feed them... good init??
All we're waiting for now is the first egg!!
Oh and today they rediscovered the veg patch... well Tony was about to harvest all of the beetroots anyway... not a single leaf left....
I dont think it will be too long before we expand our flock with three or four ex battery hens... Cant be bad can it.. not even the foul :wink: weather has wrecked my mood, you should be able to get chooks on the national health! :idea: )t'

Post by **wendy** » 06 Jul 2007, 21:55

Just about sums it up
Wendy

AnnaB · Post by **AnnaB** » 07 Jul 2007, 19:36

Hi Willow
I know exactly what you mean and with the new 5 ex-battery girls today I am doing just that - enjoying them even if the old ones are driving me mad with their noise (strangers in the camp).

Tilly · Post by **Tilly** » 09 Jul 2007, 16:53

Wow, that's the funniest thing i ever read Willow, thanks for cheering me up! Here i was looking for advice too! ...'absent minded clucking as they scrape around for food...' yes, its that very vision that draws me into the chicken dream. Tilly

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 09 Jul 2007, 18:24

Hi and welcome Tilly.. Its surprised me how many people have told us how they have always wanted to keep chickens.. They seem to have the same effect on most people - soothing and smile inducing.. I wonder why? :mrgreen: (f+

melons · Post by **melons** » 09 Jul 2007, 21:36

You know, I've just had that kinda perfect day, the weather man said peeing down all day, we got sun all day :-D

We're off for the week & I ended the day laid on the grass, with a big fat glass of wine, with my 5 girls scratting round me making stupid noises, me making worse noises back at them , generally having a fabo evening, that's what keeping chickens is all about. Then whe it was time for bed, I walked up the garden with them all in tow & they all went to bed

perfection.

This is what I visualised when I got ma gals, not a month of monsoons!

:-D