karen's chicken diary

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Linda S
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Linda S »

Karen I can justill picture your girls its a lovey post >fi< for them behaving nicely or should I say for Dory Grey to behave.
Your new girl sounds lovely she reminds me of our lovely Sasha who was so kind and gentle and never was at cross beaks with any one except our lovely boys , and then she wasn'the too bad.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this story unfolds :-D
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Cheshire Chick
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Lovely to hear that you have a new girl Karen. You seem to be doing really well so far with the intros (so stressful aren't they??!!). Looking forward to your photo's and updates. )like(
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

What a day. The girls were out from about 7.30 in the morning and eventually moaned their way to bed or at least Dory Grey, Official Holy Terror, did. Tiggs is treating the whole business with the distain it deserves, and little unnamed chicken has eagerly explored every nook and cranny and nibbled everything she could get her beak on.

Here are some pics, in order: Tiggs, new chicky, new chicky watched by Tiggs on my knee and new chicky. None of Dory Grey as she was sulking under the trees.

Image Image Image Image

Our little new girl is delightfully sweet natured and extremely friendly. She has followed me everywhere when I've been in the garden, and dashes to me now as soon as she hears my voice, which is lovely but also fraught as so do Tiggs and Dory, and that usually means Dory starts stalking her. Dory stalked her up onto the base of the lilac tree at one stage - I had to intervene and shove Dory out of the way in case she forced her up into any branches! yike* Normally can't get near enough to Dory to touch her but had to actually swivel her away. She is proving to be a bit of a tinker (although nowhere near the level of badassness that previous top hens like Rexie, Nugget, Remsie and Chestnut would have been)

The fight through the wire seems to have done the trick for Tiggs. A few hard stares and all's fine. Except when - and this will make you all jealous! - new chicken got onto my knee. Tiggs wasn't having that, and forced her way on then chased new chicky off. But new chicky is very persistant and has been up on my knee around 4 times today alone. I think she's an absolute sweetheart!

Still no name. Hopefuly inspiration wil strike soon. I wanted Barley, but that's a bit too similar to Marley.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Cheshire Chick
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Gorgeous photo's Karen. New chick is beautiful and it sounds as if she has a really lovely temperament ... and you have a lap sitter (how good is that). My two think I want to eat them when I PUT them on my knee.
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Had to give Tiggs a bath today, honestly she was in such a state. She didn't seem to mind the bath bit, especially as it meant sweetcorn and raisins, but she did get rather fed up and then she HATED the blow dryer. Still at least she has a relatively cleanish rear now. See how long that lasts. She left 2 feathers behind as she got out of the bath. Dory has also been a bit subdued today so i am expecting another puff of grey feathers to appear soon. Poor babies, they are suffering a drawn out moult each.

Absolutely the worst time, then, to have a young whirling dervish whippersnapper appear. Little chicken still hasn't revealed a name yet, but she is definitely one of the sweetest, friendliest and most curious little things I've ever had. And she so desperately wants to be mates with Dory and Tiggs, who are both still being stroppy and chasing her. But they are tolerating her as long as she doesn't get too close, or finish up all the treats, so i think that's progress.

Today I had 3 chickens trying to get onto my knee. Tiggs first, having forgiven me for the bath and blow dry, and then new girl who setled onto my other knee. Dory Grey decided it all looked like fun and she also decided to get up, but there wasn't a knee left for her and she couldn't get enough of a purchase on my leg with her gammy feet to be able to scale up and evict someone (probably not Tiggs!) so she got down. But fantastic because even after Tiggs had got down, little newbie stayed! Definitely a lap sitter. )c(

Really REALLY must come up with a name. She is an absolute sweetheart.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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kitla
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by kitla »

new chicky is very pretty, what a perky little tail, and fancy her jumping on you already!
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

New little chicken will officially be known as Pokey, due to her beak being into everything! She may gather assorted nicknames, but that will be her pedigree name :-D

Girls doing really well, Tigg's derrier has remained clean after her stressful spa, Dory is fine and so is Pokey. All seem to be living in relative harmony, although poor Pokey is definitely bottom and is being taught it regularly! But I am not getting up at daybreak now to seperate so tha's all good )t'

Marley had some worming tablets on saturday, she has been troughing 6 packets of cat food at day! Little fatso. Haven't hardly seen her since then...
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Ah your new girl sounds so sweet - bless her. So glad it's going well. Talking about messy derriers, Rose has had a mucky bum for a couple of weeks and I really don't know why. I am cutting back on their greens - think it's a case of just too many as she is absolutely fine in herself (thank goodness) and laying every day. Any ideas Karen? Loved the photo's by the way.
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

It can be a sign of a couple of things CC. Too many greens can make them runny, especially things like lettuce, so it may be that as you're reducing greens the runniness may reduce. It can be a sign that they need worming, so if they have't been done for a while it may be an idea to getthem wormed. Mine are overdue as well, butt hte flubenvet is so bloomin expensive. And then I've found it can be a sign of general unwellness and an early indication that a moult is on the way. So if you'rs aren't moulting but are due to, it could be a sign that they are about to and in a week or so you may start finding feathers everywhere. of course, it can also be a sign of something mnore serious but that could be anything! And finally, some chickens just have mucky bums. My Chestnut was a mucky thing from the day we got her (ex batt) and remained so for the rest of her time. Keep an eye out for worms, mind for flies in the summer and give a little bath when it gets particularly bad )t'
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Cheshire Chick
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Thanks very much Karen for your reply. I wormed them in September so they should be OK for a couple of months yet. They have been having lettuce (but I have stopped this now) as with my old Lily even a bit of lettuce gave her the runs). Quite possible they are due to moult as they haven't done so far. I would have given her a bath but Rose hates being handled and I felt it was too cold. They are perky and happy (touch wood) and so perhaps a mucky bum isn't the end of the world.
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sandy
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by sandy »

Tiggs yike* um Karen do you mean Tiddly?
New girl on the block looks gorgeous, I am totally in envy}} she sounds just like a batty character! Pokey, hmmm she did , with her golden feathers look like Gabrielle but too close to the late lamented Gabby. I am sure I will get used to Pokey...
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Sandy, I've always called Tiddly Tiggs, bit naughty I know but then so is she! And she's completely different in character from Tigger was, so it's daft really but it just stuck from practically day 1

All the girls are fine. Pokey has settled in brilliantly, it's been a relatively quick intro. Yesterday was a big test - the first day they've all been left in the run by themselves, as we were both out all day, and there seem no casualties this morning. She's coming down to the patio with them but isn't allowed to knock on the cat flap yet. She has taken over traditional bottom hen Marley Watch duties. And she is the funniest girl who darts around the garden at breakneck speed.

Hubby said the other day he wasn't sure about the name Pokey. But then she poked him, and suddenly he could see why... :-D
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Cheshire Chick
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

So glad she's settled in well and so quickly. She'll soon be knocking on the cat flap!!
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by stripeddonkey »

My newbie bottom of the pecking order girl Bella also runs round the garden like a mad thing from time to time. A sight to behold. Glad Pokey has settled in.
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

I love the name , My girl gives me a peck on the back of the legs for treats and let me know she is there. Not stupid are chickens .
Bob

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