How exciting to finally be starting my own diary after reading everyone else's!
I have had my chickens for a week now and all is going well. A bit about the chickens so far:
Daisy is a white silkie and is head chicken lady. She also seems to be the least gifted intellectually She is the last to learn new skills such as getting into the coop, getting out of the run, getting back in the run when she sees treats have appeared there (she clucks loudly just outside the mesh rather than coming round through the door). She is friendly and curious and whilst not thrilled to be picked up, doesn't protest too much once I've got her. I think she will be quite docile once she gets used to being handled a bit more.
Annabelle is the partridge silkie and seems to be bottom hen, though Daisy does adore her and will share treats with Annabelle whilst pecking anyone else who comes near. She seems clever in an understated way and is already my friend. She is quite interested in me and will chat with me whilst I'm about. I am hoping she will be one of the friendliest, perhaps a lap hen as time goes on. She is the first to the run when I am handing out treats and trills quietly in excitement. She is also quite happy to take treats from my hand.
Ms. Melson is our Bovan Nera. She is a beauty, but quite stand-offish. She is a very confident lady and seems a natural leader, but Daisy isn't having that! She loves to free range and was the first to find a good place to dig a dust bath in the garden (they all ignore my attempt with the blue tub!). I need to spend some time trying to handle her, she keeps a wide bearth and was difficult to catch the one time I've done it. Didn't peck me though, so that is a good sign!
Sandwich (named by my two year old!) is taking Ms. Melson's lead and is quite wary of me. She also is one of the first out of the run when I let them out to free range and is quietly eating all the leaves on the lower branches of my tasty shrubs. She enjoys a preen and rest when she's had her fill.
Catrina, my speckly is quickly becoming a favourite. She will let me stroke her, follows me around and eats from my hand. She is also just generally curious about what I'm doing and likes to keep an eye. She seems somehow a bit wise and above all the other chickeny concerns like pecking order. She doesn't seem to have a closer buddy like the others have paired off, perhaps I'll be her buddy and she sit on my lap for cuddles (fingers crossed)! She will also let the kids stroke her a bit, whereas the others are still quite unsure of these small noisy humans.
So there is the flock! Other random pics from this week:
Four year old being zen with the chooks
Warm breakfast mash with cabbage (which no one ate!)
Let us out!
Catrina on Chicken Bridge
Two year old trying to get close enough for a cuddle. Chooks say no!
Lovely pictures. I got 3 extra hens as a present for my grandson (he's 5) last summer, since he loved collecting eggs. They live in the run with my Black Rocks. One is a Speckledy - yours is very black & white, isn't she. ours has come out of her winter moult a lot browner, she's still got a black & white head, but the rest of her has a beige tinge. The eggs are a nice deep speckled brown. How old are yours? And how do you tell when the silkies are ready to lay if you can't see their combs.
Mo, I have no idea how old they are. I bought them Point-of-Lay and didn't think to ask how many weeks they were. My plan for knowing when they are ready to lay is to find eggs!
Catrina is very black and white - a striking bird. All of them at the breeders were that way, really nice looking birds! Ms. Melson is really beautiful too - lots of green in her feathers and she seems to be getting more brown markings around her neck.
I bet your grandson loves those chickens! How lovely of you to get them for him. My mum has really fond memories of her grandmother keeping chickens for her and her sister, they are some of the strongest memories from her early childhood.
What absolute beauties At last you are able to start your diary and what a great way with such lovely photos(I have seen you lurking at the bottom ) Love the multi coloured fence. Silkies are just too gorgeous for words arent they
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
Yes Sandy, I've been lurking for ages on here. I've wanted chickens for years!!
The chickens continue to get more comfortable in their new home. They now crane to see who is coming out the back door and rush to the run door if they see me coming down the garden. It has been a bit rainy here, so not as much free ranging as they would like, though they have still been out every day. Daisy has held her position as top hen and pecks anyone except Annabelle who tries to eat any corn scratch out of HER bowl. Annoyingly the silkies are still getting pooped on at night.
They had their first bath today as they were both soaked from free ranging in the rain. Daisy really enjoyed in, particularly sitting under the warm running water and the blow dry! Annabelle was less impressed with the bath, but tolerated the blow dry. She sat on my lap for a bit whilst being dried, but I took her back out to the run quite soon after as she was breathing quite heavily and I could feel her heart pounding with fear! I did ensure that Daisy stayed in view whilst Annabelle was having her bath and blow dry. I didn't realise how scrawny they are under all that fluff! I was also surprised at how many feathers Daisy still has coming through, I now suspect they are not quite as old as I was led to believe! Frustratingly I also found creepy crawlies on both of them - small mites on Daisy and a flea on Annabelle!! So I'm off for some red mite powder tomorrow. I need to flea treat the cats, so will pick up some extra for the chooks as well. I have taken precautions in the coop, sealing gaps and painting internally so that there are fewer places for the buggies to hide, hopefully by getting it early I can prevent any infestation!
Chicken mutiny today!! My son left the back gate open this afternoon and I was there to witness all five ladies walking happily down the drive away from the house. We do live on a very seldom used lane, so cars not an issue luckily. I got the others back in after a while, but Ms. Melson decided she preferred the neighbours garden and hid under his brambles for hours. Hours. Then I couldn't find her at all, only for her to turn up on the wall outside our back fence - near the coop, but far from the door back into the garden. Hubby and I cornered her and she flew up onto the 8 ft. fence and then flew down back into the garden. None of them would be coaxed back into the run, turning their noses up at scratch, mealworms and sunflower seeds. Picky girls have been spoiled too much I think! All the fun ends tomorrow though when they start a week of confinement and flubenvet - mwah ha ha ha.
Well a week of flubbing will larn 'em to try and get one over on you! What naughty girlies, doing a runner, but particularly the stubborn Ms M! Blimey, what a day you've had. I expect your heart was in your mouth. Definitely wine o'clock!
It has been a busy time here with lots of outdoor projects keeping me away from addictive chicken forums! The girls have happily been getting stuck in with 'helping'. Catrina is pretty tame now with me at least - she does have a healthy wariness of children which is ok with me as I have lots of young visitors who are not as well trained as mine in appropriate chicken treatment!
Daisy hasn't improved in the smarts department, still finds herself on the wrong side of the fence at treat time and rushes around the run (including the open door) complaining loudly about the situation.
All of them seem to have runny noses at various times, I'm keeping an eye on it and have added a vitamin solution to their drink to help up their immune systems! So far it is just clear watery discharge and they will be straight to the vets if it doesn't clear up in a couple of days.
And last, but not least we had our first egg yesterday! I knew we were close by the colour of their combs and Ms. Melson was the first to deliver the goods! I took some mash out for their breakfast and Ms. M didn't come out of the coop. Suspicious. A few minutes later she came out shouting for all passerbys to announce something was up. Sandwich ran in the coop to check things out and I hurried to check the nest box, only to find nothing. She must have laid soon after that though as a later check revealed a small, but perfectly formed egg.
She has been clucking around this morning in and out of the coop, so another is on the way. The boys and I just checked and found her on the nest box, but a visit a few minutes later and nothing yet...
Needless to say I have immediately got online and ordered an egg skelter to showcase my beautiful eggs So excited for the others to start laying now. I wonder if I will need some more chickens just to ensure a good supply??
I wonder if I will need some more chickens just to ensure a good supply??
And that's how it starts!!
About your girl's sniffles - if you're sure it's not just water getting up their noses when they drink (!!) I would seriously advise getting one of them to the vets to check for a respiratory illness. Are any crackling or breathing heavy with beaks open, or are they head shaking a lot? if there's a cold or whatever doing the rounds and it gets into their air sacs it can be very serious indeed - I am super sensitive to this as I lost my favourite head hen a few weeks back to this because I didn't get her meds in time All my others started having runny noses but a quick course of tylan in their water cleared them right up in no time.
i don't mean to scaremonger though. Just keep a very careful eye out and get one to the vets if you notice any of the other symptoms I've listed above.
And also - do watch out for signs of chickenitus in yourself! It's incurable I'm afraid!
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
Thanks Karen -I haven't noticed any more runny noses, so perhaps just water up the nose. i may just run one of them to the vets just to check, particularly if it is as simple as putting some meds in their water! I tend to be a wait and see person and don't take myself or my kids to the dr until we're on the edge of death . I know chickens can hide illness though (unlike my kids who tend to shout about any minor discomfort quite loudly!).
Yes you need to be careful with chickens, they are prey creatures and very good at keeping their illness hidden as it would make them a bigger target for hunters. Sometimes it's tiny signals that you notice, but of course you need to know your girls well to do that. Most of us on here have become chicken hypochondriacs I'm afraid. The most difficult one is moulting - perfectly normal and not an illness in anyway but they look like death warmed up and will have you thinking they are knocking on hades door. But yes just keep an eye on them to see if there's much gaping and wet noses going on. No need to take them to the vets unless you see something a bit more - otherwise you'll never be away from there
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
Well I'm going to risk erring on the side of caution and am taking Sandwich to the vets later this afternoon. Whilst having a coffee outside she hopped up to have a chat and her beak / nose was filthy. I gave her a quick wipe thinking just dirt from scratching around and it was thick and pulled out of her nostrils - chicken bogey. She sneezed a bit and tossed her head (no gaping!) and I think I'll just feel better having a vet take a look. She seems well in herself and hopped down to scratch in the garden when she realised I had no treats with me
I'm not hugely confident in the practice in regards to chicken care, but at least on of the partners has chickens himself, so hopefully I'll be seeing him or the vet will be taking advice from him. We'll see!
She is the last to learn new skills such as getting into the coop, getting out of the run, getting back in the run when she sees treats have appeared there (she clucks loudly just outside the mesh rather than coming round through the door). She is friendly and curious and whilst not thrilled to be picked up, doesn't protest too much once I've got her. I think she will be quite docile once she gets used to being handled a bit more.
At last you are able to start your diary and what a great way with such lovely photos(I have seen you lurking at the bottom 
I have taken precautions in the coop, sealing gaps and painting internally so that there are fewer places for the buggies to hide, hopefully by getting it early I can prevent any infestation! 
All my others started having runny noses but a quick course of tylan in their water cleared them right up in no time.
