Julie's chicken keeping diary

[julie62]

The chicken breeder email me this morning - my two new girls will be ready on the 1st July - they'll be 16 weeks old then - a Barnavelder and a red araucana - excited now !

[sandy]

Bet you cant wait

[julie62]

Well I've had my knee operation and what better to cheer me up than new chickens! Of course, I changed what I wanted when I got there - in the end I got a skyline and a whitestar - they're both supposed to be skittish but the skyline isn't too bad - the white star at the moment is very jumpy but hopefully she will calm down. I haven't named them yet - might call them Heathcliff and Cathy as they came from near Howarth!

The skyline hopefully will lay a blue egg and the white star white eggs so I should have a nice mixture of egg colours when they start to lay.

Chickens never cease to amaze me - I knew there'd be a racket from the old girls when I put the new chooks in the baby house and run next to theirs, but Muriel my ex-bat was crying like a baby - the noise! When I get up in the morning I think I'll have to let the old girls out in the garden - it's the only way to keep them quiet. Everytime I went near the new girls Muriel would start crying again - I wouldn't believe chickens could be jealous.

Oh and then I nearly had a heart attack - I was sat in the garden with my knee up relaxing - old girls free-ranging - new girls in their run. I look up and on the roof of the house there was a chicken - I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing (this is three storeys up!) .. my heart flip-flopped - it looked just like Muriel. Anyway, after the initial panic I then did a head count - all present and correct - how is there a chicken on the roof?????

While I was still looking it suddenly flew off - it was a pheasant!! Never seen one around here before - I wondered if it had heard them crying like babies because of the new girls and was attracted by the noise. Didn't half give me a scare ....

A few pictures below - I didn't take many as they're still quite nervy and it's so warm - I think they'd had enough for one day. Anyway I managed to get them in the hen house at dusk which is always an achievement with new chickens. They dont seem the brightest sparks on the block but then it's all new to them at the moment.

The skyline has got the most enormous feet .. couldnt take my eyes off them.




The white star is very delicate looking - like a little ballerina

[julie62]

I've decided to call them Tintin (the skyline) and Snowy (the whitestar).

I know what people mean by "flighty" now - the whitestar is completely crackers - it really does look like a little T Rex - nothing like my other chickens - constantly alert - will suddenly spook and run at a million miles an hour - dont think she'll be coming out of the run for a good while

Also this afternoon she's been taking a run up at the skyline - stopping short and kind of rearing up throwing all her hackles up round her neck and having a quick peck - she is most unchickenlike - more like a lizard.

The skyline is very placid bless her - doesn't seem to know what day of the week it is - I fell a bit sorry for her being in with the lunatic! Oh well I'm sure they'll settle eventually - the others have been treating them with contempt today - not much name calling at all - just pretending they're not there.

[sandy]

Aw welcome Tintin and Snowy They are gorgeous Snowy actually looks a bit like the famous grouse when he stands up! I have never seen a white star before, nextdoor have an amber star who is fatter looking and very friendly, not at all trex like I hope your knee is soon much better what a shame you have to sit and watch your girls? Looking forward to seeing and hearing how they develop and you have that womderful called integration to look forward to again

[julie62]

Just a quick note to say the new girls are doing well and slowly getting tamer - they were soo nervous at first. Still got them in the separate hen house from the other girls and letting them out in the netting ... and I can confirm that skylines and white stars are really good fliers and escape artists - the white star can fly like a pigeon

Oh and I've changed the names again Dodo for the skyline (she really does look like a Dodo - a most strange looking chicken) and still Snowy for the white star.

[Kuikentje]

Oh, they are lovely! That is quite a pair of feet on the skyline (new breeds for me to learn, too)

[julie62]

Snowy my white star laid her first egg today - a beautiful small porcelain white egg. Oh and the other day Muriel my little ex bat laid a gi-normous egg (poor thing) here they are side by side.

[Kuikentje]

[Linda S]

Gorgeous new lovlies Julie Lindaxx

[julie62]

Well Snowy has now laid 3 little perfect white eggs in three days - seems to be living up to the whitestar's reputation as a good layer.

[julie62]

... And Snowy has now laid 8 eggs in eight days .. each one a bit bigger - what a star she is!

[Kuikentje]

What lovely eggs. Your girls have obviously settled well.

[sandy]

What a difference in the eggs sizes! Glad your girls have gone the way of Madona and have got into the groove

[julie62]

One of my new girls Dodo has had a respiratory infection so all the chickens have been on antiobiotics (tylan) - found a lovely chicken vet in Tottington about 11 miles away and although at first I thought they weren't working she now seems to have recovered (not heard a cough or a sneeze for 5 days touchwood). It's affected integrating them with the others as I thought it was wise to keep them in the seperate runs until it was resolved. Anyway they've been out free ranging with the others and both her and Snowy are doing well. Dodo still hasn't laid an egg so still dont know if I'll get that blue egg but at least she seems healthy which is the main thing. The others are still a bit nasty to them but I think it's time to bite the bullet and get them in together.

The only problem with Dodo now is she's desperate to roost in the trees - she really doesn't like going to bed in the hen house - I've never had a chicken like that before - at dusk she's desperate to get up there, have to keep a close eye on her before she makes the leap - had to get the stepladder out the other day to get her down

Eyeing up the windfall plums ..

I love her little wig on top of her head



And not to forget her mate Snowy who's turned into a belting little layer - keeping me in eggs almost singlehandedly